Stochastic MPC Design for a Two-Component Granulation Process

We address the issue of control of a stochastic two-component granulation process in pharmaceutical applications through using Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) and model reduction to obtain the desired particle distribution. We first use the method of moments to reduce the governing integro-differential equation down to a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE). This reduced-order model is employed in the SMPC formulation. The probabilistic constraints in this formulation keep the variance of particles' drug concentration in an admissible range. To solve the resulting stochastic optimization problem, we first employ polynomial chaos expansion to obtain the Probability Distribution Function (PDF) of the future state variables using the uncertain variables' distributions. As a result, the original stochastic optimization problem for a particulate system is converted to a deterministic dynamic optimization. This approximation lessens the computation burden of the controller and makes its real time application possible.Comment: American control Conference, May, 201

Finding the Correct Language: Defining Fragmented Ethnic Identity in the Second Generation Iranian Americans

This research adds depth to current scholarship on second generation immigrant integration within American context and how children of immigrants continue to be ostracized through intergroup and outer group relations. Additionally, this paper brings another immigrant group into the conversation by incorporating concepts and methodologies from the social sciences (psychology, sociology, ethnic studies, and linguistic anthropology), serving as a reminder that language loss is prominent within all immigrant groups.

Adsorption properties of hydrazine on pristine and Si-doped Al₁₂N₁₂ nano-cage

The interaction of hydrazine (N₂H₄) molecule with pristine and Si-doped aluminum nitride (Al₁₂N₁₂) nano-cage was investigated using the density functional theory calculations. The adsorption energy of N₂H₄ on pristine Al₁₂N₁₂ in different configurations was about -1.67 and -1.64 eV with slight changes in its electronic structure. The results showed that the pristine nano-cage can be used as a chemical adsorbent for toxic hydrazine in nature. Compared with very low sensitivity between N₂H₄ and Al₁₂N₁₂ nano-cage, N₂H₄ molecule exhibits high sensitivity toward Si-doped Al₁₂N₁₂ nano-cage so that the energy gap of the Si-doped Al₁₂N₁₂ nano-cage is changed by about 31.86 and 37.61 for different configurations in the SiAlmodel and by about 26.10 in the SiNmodel after the adsorption process. On the other hand, in comparison with the SiAlmodel, the adsorption energy of N₂H₄ on the SiNmodel is less than that on the SiALmodel to hinder the recovery of the nano-cage. As a result, the SiNAl₁₂N₁₁ is anticipated to be a potential novel sensor for detecting the presence of N₂H₄ molecule. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Clinical effects of topical antifungal therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intranasal fluconazole

Several studies have been in favor of fungi as a possible pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS); however, to date, there is no scientific consensus about the use of antifungal agents in disease management. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of intranasal fluconazole in improving disease symptoms and objective outcomes of patients with CRS. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 54 patients who were diagnosed with CRS and had not been responsive to routine medical treatments. They were randomly assigned to receive either fluconazole nasal drop 0.2 % or placebo in addition to the standard regimen for a duration of 8 weeks. Patients’ outcomes were evaluated according to Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 20 (SNOT-20), endoscopic scores, and Computed Tomography (CT) scores. No statistically significant difference was found in SNOT-20 (p = 0.201), endoscopic (p = 0.283), and CT scores (p = 0.212) of the patients at baseline and after 8-week course of treatment between drug and placebo group. Similar to many studies, the use of topical antifungal treatment for patients with CRS was not shown to be significantly effective. However, further studies are needed to obtain high levels of consistent evidence in order to arrive at a decision whether antifungal therapy is effective in management of CRS or not

Infrastructure Academy Transportation Program

The College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at the California State University, Los Angeles has expanded its National Summer Transportation Institute into a year-long program by creating the Infrastructure Academy Transportation Program (IATP). The goal of this program is to build a pipeline of diverse, well qualified young people for the transportation industry. The program works with high school students and teachers to offer academic courses, basic skills, workforce readiness training, internships, extracurricular activities, and career placements to prepare students and place them into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) College track. The academy emphasizes on transportation as an industry sector and aims to increase the number of underrepresented minorities and women who directly enter the transportation workforce. It also aims at increasing the number of young people who enter college to study engineering or technology and subsequently pursue careers in transportation- and infrastructure-related careers. The IATP was conducted as a full-year program with 30 student participants from high schools

MnFe2O4/bentonite nano composite as a novel magnetic material for adsorption of acid red 138

Magnetic MnFe2O4/bentonite nanocomposite was synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). XRD results indicated the presence of free quartz in bentonite. The magnetic ferrite MnFe2O4 has spinel structure. It is also found that the presence of bentonite in the magnetic composite has not made any changes in the spinel structure of MnFe2O4. SEM images of the sorbent shows nanocomposite with a uniform structure and nanochannels from 0.3 to 0.8 mμ in diameter having a surface area of 130 m2 g-1. The results also revealed that the composite has much higher catalytic activity than the bentonite. The process confirmed very fast kinetic and pseudo-second-order model for acid red 138 (AR138) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption of AR138 was strongly dependent on the pH of the medium, where the removal efficiency increased as the pH decreased in pH 2.Keywords: Acid Red 138, adsorption, bentonite, magnetic material, nanocomposit

Thermal Response Characterization and Low Fluid Velocity Measurements Using Specialized In-Situ Thermocouples Via The Loop Current Step Response Method

In this study, a specialized balanced-leads thermocouple was developed to perform in-situ thermal response characterization via the LCSR test method. Thermal response characterization of installed thermocouples is essential in order to obtain accurate positional temperature data in rapid transient applications. An analytical model is presented that fully describes the thermocouple system based on a first-principles approach to the heat transfer physics of the sensor. In conjunction with the LCSR test, the full model presented yields quantifiable characterization parameters useful for determining accurate positional temperature data. It is necessary to employ a balanced-leads thermocouple for this experimental procedure in order to ensure that the thermocouple bead and its leads are at the same initial temperature, when performing the LCSR test. If the installed thermocouple is in a fluid domain, it has been demonstrated that the LCSR test data may be calibrated against the fluid velocity. This finding was verified by comparison of the present experimental data with forced convection correlations obtained by previous researchers. The next task to improve the work of this study is to construct a balanced-leads thermocouple with a lead temperature ratio of unity. This new balanced-leads thermocouple will more closely satisfy the assumptions made for applying the full model to the thermocouple system. For this study, the data obtained was compared with previous researchers’ convection correlations to demonstrate a proof of concept. Lastly, the thermocouple sensor should be calibrated carefully over a wider velocity range before it can be implemented in an industrial application. This calibration procedure must be repeated for each individual thermocouple sensor to be installed. If these additional tasks are performed, a balanced-leads thermocouple characterized via the LCSR test method could become a valuable and versatile temperature-velocity probe for industrial processes