Electromagnetic Forming of Longitudinal Strengthening Ribs in Roll Formed Automotive Profiles

In the automotive industry, increasing ecological concerns and demands for higher performance have become lightweight construction a key aspect. Due to the gradual introduction of high strength materials on the one side, and greater consideration with regard to continuous manufacturing technologies on the other side, it is possible nowadays to address the demands that structural and complex automotive parts have to face, from the standpoint of lightweight manufacturing. Thickness, shape and impact conditions constitute the main aspects to consider for such parts and shape conditions in particular require from complex, costly and lengthy procedures, especially when discontinuous forming operations such as stamping and hydro forming procedures are selected. However, continuous forming operations like Roll Forming (RF) can prove to be advantageous and suited for scalable parts (e.g in length) and at the same time be economically reasonable. RF lines as well generally incorporate additional installations to perform multiple forming operations destined to imprint strengthening ribs perform punching operations or weld certain parts. It is in this context where the usefulness of the electromagnetic forming technology for completion of auxiliary operations can be proven, given its flexibility and reasonable investment costs. Electromagnetic forming (EMF) is a contact-free technique where large forces can be imparted to a conductive metallic workpiece by a pure electromagnetic interaction. The produced electromagnetic pressure can produce stresses in the workpiece that are several times larger than the material flow stress. Ultimately this can cause the workpiece to deform plastically and to be accelerated achieving high velocities. Once the velocity is imparted to the workpiece, the shape can be developed either by free or die forming. The work described in this paper explores the potential of the EMF process to adequately form shallow longitudinal ribs or stiffeners in components previously formed utilizing an innovative concept called Flexible Roll Forming, developed at The Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, by means of magnetic pulse forming, maintaining the integrity of the workpiece while trying to meet industry standard tolerances. Profiles exhibiting hat-like cross sections made of AHSS steels were subjected to localized impulses in order to achieve strengthening features in the roll formed part. ZStE340 steel alloy profiles were first roll formed and then inserted in the EM forming installation designed for the occasion. A high strength copper alloy (Cr-Zr-Cu) was used as a conductor for the single turn coil, placed opposite to the sidewall in the moment of the energy delivery. Formed specimens were subsequently measured to account for existing dimensional deviations

Bacteriophages in bathing wàters: A feasibility study on the development of a method based on bacteriophages for the determination of microbiological quality of bathing waters

Projecte: Project report. BCR Information. EU project KINA19506ENC_001. EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Community Research. DG XII/C - Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme. Published by EU Directorate General ΧΠ - Science, Research and Development ISBN 92-828-9145-3Informe final projecte europeu aigües de bany i bacteriòfagsMethods for the detection and enumeration of somatic coliphages, F-specific RNA bacteriophages and bacteriophages infecting Bacteroides fragilis had been standardised and validated. Conditions for the preparation, transport and distribution of bacteriophage reference materials and preservation of samples had been defined. A method based on flocculation with Mg(OH2) with concentration efficiencies from about 40% was settled to concentrate phages from bathing waters. All methods were successfully implemented in routine laboratories all around the EU. Data on the occurrence of bacteriophages as compared to E. coli and Enterococci are available from diverse situations encountered in the EU. Results allow to conclude that the potential of phages for the determination of the microbiological quality of bathing waters merits to be considered since their determination is feasible and their behaviour in natural water differs from the behaviour of bacterial indicators and consequently they add valuable information

In vivo activity of plant-based interleukin-12 in the lung of Balb/c mouse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the last years, plants are being used for the production of a wide variety of biopharmaceuticals, including cytokines, and have the potential to serve as vehicles for mucosal administration of these molecules. We had previously reported the expression of a cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12), in transgenic tomato plants and had demonstrated that it retained its biologic activity <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>In this work, we administered crude extracts of IL-12-containing tomato fruits to mice through the intratracheal route, measuring endogenous IL-12 and determining biologic activity by quantification of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in lungs and by histological analysis. IFN-γ expression in lungs, as well as histological analysis, indicate that tomato-expressed IL-12 retains its biologic activity and, most importantly, its effects are restricted to the site of administration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicate that the functional activity of tomato-expressed IL-12 is comparable to that of commercial recombinant IL-12 when given via the mucosal route. This opens the possibility of using crude extracts prepared from tomatoes expressing IL-12 for certain immunotherapies.</p

Transient shallow reservoirs beneath small eruptive centres: Constraints from Mg-Fe interdiffusion in olivine

Small eruptive centres commonly have more primitive lavas than those associated with stratovolcanoes, an observation that has been taken to indicate a short magma residence in the crust relative to those reservoirs below stratovolcanoes. The Caburgua cones of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone from a basaltic small eruptive centre where this can be tested. Here, we use MELTS simulations, and the available thermobarometry data to determine the conditions of olivine crystal rim formation and the Mg-Fe diffusion modelling to determine the magma residence times of those rims in the crust. Results yield timescales varying from a few days to dozens of days, and if freezing is to be avoided, can only be explained by some form of storage or slow transport through at least one shallow magma body. The longest durations of magma residence seen in the olivine rim zones are up to 471 days. These timescales are shorter than those estimated (decadal) from the nearby, more-differentiated, and well-established stratovolcano, Villarrica, which has a dominantly basaltic andesite composition. For Caburgua cones, we propose the existence of a transient reservoir, in contrast to a long-lived reservoir such as that inferred beneath the adjacent Villarrica stratovolcano

Aula invertida: experiencia en el Grado de Enfermería

En el aula invertida, los estudiantes trabajan autónomamente tareas previamente preparadas con este fin por el profesorado. Objetivo: evaluar el aula invertida como innovación docente y contrastar los resultados con grupo con docencia tradicional. Contexto: primer curso del Grado de Enfermería en la asignatura troncal Ciencias Psicosociales Aplicadas a la Salud (grupo C, n=81). Metodología: cualitativa y cuantitativa con la inclusión de instrumentos estandarizados ad hoc. Destaca la evaluación por pares y contrastes verbales sobre contenidos tutelados por el profesorado. Se realizó evaluación del grupo control y el grupo experimental y se contrastaron los resultados de las cualificaciones obtenidas. Resultados. Puntuación sobre 10 con medias y desviación estándar: Intraclase, superior en el aula invertida (7,96 + 0,67) frente a (5,89 + 1,26) en examen (p-valor < 0,001). Interclase, grupo experimental (5,89 + 1,26) y grupo control (6,02 + 1,16), (p-valor 0,508). Sin hallazgo de diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Conclusión: Sin preparación para el examen y gran esfuerzo adicional, destacó la satisfacción por parte del profesorado y de los estudiantes, el aula invertida se mostró claramente favorable para la adquisición de conocimientos en la asignatura de Enfermería probada

XRCC2 R188H (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M (rs861539) and R243H (rs77381814) single nucleotide polymorphisms in cervical cancer risk

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions. Transformation may be induced by several mechanisms, including oncogene activation and genome instability. Individual differences in DNA damage recognition and repair have been hypothesized to influence cervical cancer risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the double strand break gene polymorphisms XRCC2 R188H G>A (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M C>T (rs861539) and R243H G>A (rs77381814) are associated to cervical cancer in Argentine women. A case control study consisting of 322 samples (205 cases and 117 controls) was carried out. HPV DNA detection was performed by PCR and genotyping of positive samples by EIA (enzyme immunoassay). XRCC2 and 3 polymorphisms were determined by pyrosequencing. The HPV-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of XRCC2 188 GG/AG genotypes was OR = 2.4 (CI = 1.1-4.9, p = 0.02) for cervical cancer. In contrast, there was no increased risk for cervical cancer with XRCC3 241 TT/CC genotypes (OR = 0.48; CI = 0.2-1; p = 0.1) or XRCC3 241 CT/CC (OR = 0.87; CI = 0.52-1.4; p = 0.6). Regarding XRCC3 R243H, the G allele was almost fixed in the population studied. In conclusion, although the sample size was modest, the present data indicate a statistical association between cervical cancer and XRCC2 R188H polymorphism. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.Fil: Perez, Luis Orlando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Crivaro, Andrea Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Barbisan, Gisela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Poleri, Lucía Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Golijow, Carlos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentin

Counting Membrane Systems

A decision problem is one that has a yes/no answer, while a counting problem asks how many possible solutions exist associated with each instance. Every decision problem X has associated a counting problem, denoted by #X, in a natural way by replacing the question “is there a solution?” with “how many solutions are there?”. Counting problems are very attractive from a computational complexity point of view: if X is an NP-complete problem then the counting version #X is NP-hard, but the counting version of some problems in class P can also be NP-hard. In this paper, a new class of membrane systems is presented in order to provide a natural framework to solve counting problems. The class is inspired by a special kind of non-deterministic Turing machines, called counting Turing machines, introduced by L. Valiant. A polynomial-time and uniform solution to the counting version of the SAT problem (a well-known #P-complete problem) is also provided, by using a family of counting polarizationless P systems with active membranes, without dissolution rules and division rules for non-elementary membranes but where only very restrictive cooperation (minimal cooperation and minimal production) in object evolution rules is allowed

An introduction to Graph Data Management

A graph database is a database where the data structures for the schema and/or instances are modeled as a (labeled)(directed) graph or generalizations of it, and where querying is expressed by graph-oriented operations and type constructors. In this article we present the basic notions of graph databases, give an historical overview of its main development, and study the main current systems that implement them

Prevalencia, impacto clínico y tratamiento de la Sarcopenia en la EPOC : revisión sistemática

Introducción - La sarcopenia es un síndrome clínico caracterizado por pérdida generalizada de la masa muscular y disminución de su función, que aumenta el riesgo de incapacidad física, pobre estado de salud y de mortalidad. - La disfunción del músculo esquelético es una reconocida manifestación de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). - No se ha establecido la prevalencia el impacto clínico y la respuesta al tratamiento de la sarcopenia en la EPOC

Change in genetic size of small-closed populations: Lessons from a domestic mammal population

The aim of this study was to monitor changes in genetic size of a small-closed population of Iranian Zandi sheep, by using pedigree information from animals born between 1991 and 2005. The genetic size was assessed by using measures based on the probability of identity-by-descend of genes (coancestry, f, and effective population size, Ne ), as well as measures based on probability of gene origin (effective number of founders, fe , effective number of founder genomes, fg , and effective number of non-founder genomes, fne ). Average coancestry, or the degree of genetic similarity of individuals, increased from 0.81% to 1.44% during the period 1993 to 2005, at the same time that Ne decreased from 263 to 93. The observed trend for fe was irregular throughout the experiment in a way that fe was 68, 87, 77, 92, and 80 in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2005, respectively. Simultaneously, fg , the most informative effective number, decreased from 61 to 35. The index of genetic diversity (GD) which was obtained from estimates of fg , decreased about 2% throughout the period studied. In addition, a noticeable reduction was observed in the estimates of fne from 595 in 1993 to 61 in 2005. The higher than 1 ratio of fe to fg indicated the presence of bottlenecks and genetic drift in the development of this population of Zandi sheep. From 1993 to 1999, fne was much higher than fe , thereby indicating that with respect to loss of genetic diversity, the unequal contribution of founders was more important than the random genetic drift in non-founder generations. Subsequently, random genetic drift in non-founder generations was the major reason for fe > fne . The minimization of average coancestry in new reproductive individuals was recommended as a means of preserving the population against a further loss in genetic diversity