Improvements in energy consumption and environmental impact by novel single shot melting process for casting

The CRIMSON (Constrained Rapid Induction Melting Single Shot Up-Casting) method uses a rapid induction furnace to melt just enough metal for a single mould rather than bulk melting used in traditional casting process. The molten metal is then transferred to a computer – controlled platform to complete the counter-gravity up filling. The highly controlled metal flow is pushed into the mould to finish the pouring and solidification. In the present paper the energy saving capability of CRIMSON approach is compared with conventional sand casting process. The paper focuses on the energy and resource efficiency optimization of casting stages through simulation and life cycle assessment analysis simulation for proposing alternative means for the better performance of such processes. It is proven that the CRIMSON process can produce high quality castings with higher energy efficiency and lower environmental impact

The challenges for energy efficient casting processes

Casting is one of the oldest, most challenging and energy intensive manufacturing processes. A typical modern casting process contains six different stages, which are classified as melting, alloying, moulding, pouring, solidification and finishing respectively. At each stage, high level and precision of process control is required. The energy efficiency of casting process can be improved by using novel alterations, such as the Constrained Rapid Induction Melting Single Shot Up-casting process. Within the present study the energy consumption of casting processes is analyzed and areas were great savings can be achieved are discussed. Lean thinking is used to identify waste and to analyse the energy saving potential for casting industry

Specific Resistance Genes in Wheat Chinese Landrace ‘Wangshuibai’ against Two Iranian Mycosphaerella Graminicola Isolates

Abstract Septoria tritici blotch, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola, is currently the major foliar disease of wheat world-wide, and new sources of resistance and knowledge about the genetics of resistance are needed to improve breeding for resistance against this disease. An F10 recombinant inbred population from a cross between ‘Wangshuibai’ (Chinese landrace) and the susceptible cultivar ‘Seri82’ was tested at seedling stage under controlled greenhouse conditions. Two isolate-specific genes for resistance to Iranian M.graminicola isolates IPO08002 and IPO08003 were detected on Chromosomes 2BL and 7DS, respectively. For both genes the resistance was derived from ‘Wangshuibai’ at positions where Stb9 (on 2BL) and Stb4 (on 7DS) have been reported previously. These two genes are closely linked to microsatellite markers, which can be used for marker-assisted selection. ‘Wangshuibai’ may therefore be a valuable source of resistance to STB for wheat breeding, especially in Mediterranean environments

Simulation model for a nomadic animal production system in Southern Iran.

The first motive for the determination and evaluation of an energy production system is the need to change. Such system is dynamic in nature and is influenced by many factors such as age and physiological status of individual sheep or goat, quantity and quality of available feed and environment including the management systems. Traditional pastoral resource assessments do not always account for the complex, interrelated nature of land, forage and livestock. Modeling may overcome the limitations of traditional methods by improving the understanding of complex pastoral systems, and makes fast repetitive analyses, spanning time, incorporating variability and representing more realistically complex interactions possible within the system. The estimated values of metabolisable energy for maintenance and production in this study are based on the results of two feeding systems linked together by grazing the energy intake in the Nomadic Production System (NPS) and the dynamic system modeling used to study the assessment of these complex systems. In this study, validation of model relied on the observations of Torki Ghashghaii (TG) sheep (like those in Bakkan) under pen-fed and integrated rangeland-cropland feeding systems, and was carried out mainly by studying the body weight gain of growing animals and also body weight changes of ewes due to pregnancy and lactation. After validation, the study indicated that the mean value of actual data of male and female lambs (weaners) and ewes were in close agreement with the simulated data. These results validate the generalized structure of energy utilization models of grazing sheep under production sub- systems of NPS. These results will enable the prediction of carrying capacities in any given situation under conditions similar to those in Bakkan

The Role of Proper Use Factor Model for the Prediction of Available Forage in Rangeland in the South of Iran

In Iran, 80 to 90% of the livestock production is associated with rangeland but 48% of the rangeland has been classified as in poor condition (Farahpour, 2002). Available Forage (AF) is that portion of the forage production accessible for use by a specified kind or class of grazing animal. Estimates of AF by plant species, consumption by the animal, and the contribution of the forage to the animal\u27s diet must be synchronised with each other in the same time frame (Valentine, 2001). The Proper Use Factor (PUF) is the degree of utilisation of current year\u27s growth of the vegetation that, if continued, will achieve management objectives and maintain or improve the long-term productivity of the site. The objective of this study was to identify and determine the PUF of forage that cause effect the qualitative and quantitative aspects of AF in rangeland of Bakkan, south Iran

Distinguishing fractional and white noise in one and two dimensions

We discuss the link between uncorrelated noise and Hurst exponent for one and two-dimensional interfaces. We show that long range correlations cannot be observed using one-dimensional cuts through two-dimensional self-affine surfaces whose height distributions are characterized by a Hurst exponent lower than -1/2. In this domain, fractional and white noise are not distinguishable. A method analysing the correlations in two dimensions is necessary. For Hurst exponents larger than -1/2, a crossover regime leads to a systematic over estimate of the Hurst exponent.Comment: 3 pages RevTeX, 4 Postscript figure

Deamidation of the human eye lens protein γS-crystallin accelerates oxidative aging

Cataract, a clouding of the eye lens from protein precipitation, affects millions of people every year. The lens proteins, the crystallins, show extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs) in cataractous lenses. The most common PTMs, deamidation and oxidation, promote crystallin aggregation; however, it is not clear precisely how these PTMs contribute to crystallin insolubilization. Here, we report six crystal structures of the lens protein γS-crystallin (γS): one of the wild-type and five of deamidated γS variants, from three to nine deamidation sites, after sample aging. The deamidation mutations do not change the overall fold of γS; however, increasing deamidation leads to accelerated disulfide-bond formation. Addition of deamidated sites progressively destabilized protein structure, and the deamidated variants display an increased propensity for aggregation. These results suggest that the deamidated variants are useful as models for accelerated aging; the structural changes observed provide support for redox activity of γS-crystallin in the lens