The approach to building the algorithm for controlling rotor motion in a hybrid mechatronic bearing

The paper describes the approach to building the algorithm for controlling the rotor motion in a hybrid mechatronic bearing. Such bearings include a rolling bearing, a gas foil bearing, an electromagnetic and a piezo actuator. Fuzzy logic techniques are used in the proposed algorithm. Its main aim is to minimize the deviation of the rotor position in the bearing from the equilibrium position. It results in reducing the vibrational activity of the rotor-bearing system and reducing the friction losses

Rationalizing the Optimization of Detergents for Membrane Protein Purification

Membrane protein purification by means of detergents is key to isolating membrane-bound therapeutic targets. The role of the detergent structure in this process, however, is not well understood. Detergents are optimized empirically, leading to failed preparations, and thereby raising costs. Here we evaluate the utility of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) concept, which was introduced by Griffin in 1949, for guiding the optimization of the hydrophobic tail in first-generation, dendritic oligoglycerol detergents ([G1] OGDs). Our findings deliver qualitative HLB guidelines for rationalizing the optimization of detergents. Moreover, [G1] OGDs exhibit strongly delipidating properties, regardless of the structure of the hydrophobic tail, which delivers a methodological enabling step for investigating binding strengths of endogenous lipids and their role for membrane protein oligomerization. Our findings will facilitate the analysis of challenging drug targets in the future

NaViA: A Program for the Visual Analysis of Complex Mass Spectra

MOTIVATION: Native mass spectrometry is now a well-established method for the investigation of protein complexes, specifically their subunit stoichiometry and ligand binding properties. Recent advances allowing the analysis of complex mixtures lead to an increasing diversity and complexity in the spectra obtained. These spectra can be time consuming to tackle through manual assignment and challenging for automated approaches. RESULTS: Native Mass Spectrometry Visual Analyser (NaViA) is a web-based tool to augment the manual process of peak assignment. In addition to matching masses to the stoichiometry of its component subunits it allows raw data processing, assignment and annotation and permits mass spectra to be shared with their respective interpretation. AVAILABILITY: NaViA is open-source and can be accessed online under https://navia.ms. The source code and documentation can be accessed at https://github.com/d-que/navia, under the BSD 2-Clause license. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

NaViA : a program for the visual analysis of complex mass spectra

Motivation: Native mass spectrometry is now a well-established method for the investigation of protein complexes, specifically their subunit stoichiometry and ligand binding properties. Recent advances allowing the analysis of complex mixtures lead to an increasing diversity and complexity in the spectra obtained. These spectra can be time-consuming to tackle through manual assignment and challenging for automated approaches. Results: Native Mass Spectrometry Visual Analyser is a web-based tool to augment the manual process of peak assignment. In addition to matching masses to the stoichiometry of its component subunits, it allows raw data processing, assignment and annotation and permits mass spectra to be shared with their respective interpretation. Availability and implementation: NaViA is open-source and can be accessed online under https://navia.ms. The source code and documentation can be accessed at https://github.com/d-que/navia, under the BSD 2-Clause licence. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Applying Automated and Robotic Means in Construction as a Factor for Providing Constructive Safety of Buildings and Structures

The paper considers introduction of automated and robotic means in the construction industry, in particular for building from block materials, and its possible impact at improvement of building process quality and reliability of buildings and structures. Currently, manual labor is used for most operations during the block-laying process. Unstable quality of manual labor causes numerous defects that are detected during the technical inspection and monitoring of buildings and structures. Simultaneously, the current technological level is enough high for developing automated and robotic means for main operations in the considered process. At the same time there is the issue of ensuring the quality of the operations performed by such devices. The most significant limiting factor is measurement means, like sensors and algorithms used for processing the data obtained from the sensors. Thus, the basic requirements to the measurement means based on the current standards have been formulated during this research. Applying the automated and robotic means meeting these requirements will allow improve the block-laying process qualitatively, both in terms of its performance and in terms of reliability of the resulting constructions

Applying Automated and Robotic Means in Construction as a Factor for Providing Constructive Safety of Buildings and Structures

The paper considers introduction of automated and robotic means in the construction industry, in particular for building from block materials, and its possible impact at improvement of building process quality and reliability of buildings and structures. Currently, manual labor is used for most operations during the block-laying process. Unstable quality of manual labor causes numerous defects that are detected during the technical inspection and monitoring of buildings and structures. Simultaneously, the current technological level is enough high for developing automated and robotic means for main operations in the considered process. At the same time there is the issue of ensuring the quality of the operations performed by such devices. The most significant limiting factor is measurement means, like sensors and algorithms used for processing the data obtained from the sensors. Thus, the basic requirements to the measurement means based on the current standards have been formulated during this research. Applying the automated and robotic means meeting these requirements will allow improve the block-laying process qualitatively, both in terms of its performance and in terms of reliability of the resulting constructions

Rotor Trajectories in Fluid-Film Bearings, Adjustment of Them and Energy Efficiency Parameters

The problem of rotor machines modification requires development of new approaches to the design of specific nodes. As bearings are considered the most important elements of rotor machines, such approaches can imply the application of active control. In the present paper using the example of fluid-film bearings the approach is considered to enchancing energy efficiency of rotor machines by means of generating optimal trajectories. Means are shown to analyze the dynamics of a rotor system and types of the obtained trajectories. The paper also covers the approach to setting the criteria of energy efficiency of rotor’s trajectories. After the optimal trajectory is obtained, active bearings are proved feasible to control the displacement of a rotor by generating a force to match the actual trajectory to the calculated one, and by this to decrease the energy loss

Method for On-Line Remaining Useful Life and Wear Prediction for Adjustable Journal Bearings Utilizing a Combination of Physics-Based and Data-Driven Models: A Numerical Investigation

RUL (remaining useful life) estimation is one of the main functions of the predictive analytics systems for rotary machines. Data-driven models based on large amounts of multisensory measurements data are usually utilized for this purpose. The use of adjustable bearings, on the one hand, improves a machine’s performance. On the other hand, it requires considering the additional variability in the bearing parameters in order to obtain adequate RUL estimates. The present study proposes a hybrid approach to such prediction models involving the joint use of physics-based models of adjustable bearings and data-driven models for fast on-line prediction of their parameters. The approach provides a rather simple way of considering the variability of the properties caused by the control systems. It has been tested on highly loaded locomotive traction motor axle bearings for consideration and prediction of their wear and RUL. The proposed adjustable design of the bearings includes temperature control, resulting in an increase in their expected service life. The initial study of the system was implemented with a physics-based model using Archard’s law and Reynolds equation and considering load and thermal factors for wear rate calculation. The dataset generated by this model is used to train an ANN for high-speed on-line bearing RUL and wear prediction. The results show good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the statistics of operation of traction motor axle bearings. A number of recommendations for further improving the quality of predicting the parameters of active bearings are also made as a summary of the work

Structure and elevator mechanism of the mammalian sodium/proton exchanger NHE9

Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) are ancient membrane-bound nanoma- chines that work to regulate intracellular pH, sodium levels and cell volume. NHE activities contribute to the control of the cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell migration and vesicle trafficking. NHE dysfunction has been linked to many diseases, and they are targets of pharma- ceutical drugs. Despite their fundamental importance to cell home- ostasis and human physiology, structural information for the mammalian NHEs was lacking. Here, we report the cryogenic elec- tron microscopy structure of NHE isoform 9 (SLC9A9) from Equus caballus at 3.2 Å resolution, an endosomal isoform highly expressed in the brain and associated with autism spectrum (ASD) and atten- tion deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders. Despite low sequence identity, the NHE9 architecture and ion-binding site are remarkably most similar to distantly related bacterial Na+/H+ antiporters with 13 transmembrane segments. Collectively, we reveal the conserved architecture of the NHE ion-binding site, their elevator-like structural transitions, the functional implications of autism disease mutations and the role of phosphoinositide lipids to promote homodimerization that, together, have important physiological ramifications

Combining native and ‘omics’ mass spectrometry to identify endogenous ligands bound to membrane proteins

Ligands bound to protein assemblies provide critical information for function, yet are often difficult to capture and define. Here we develop a top-down method, ‘nativeomics’, unifying ‘omics’ (lipidomics, proteomics, metabolomics) analysis with native mass spectrometry to identify ligands bound to membrane protein assemblies. By maintaining the link between proteins and ligands, we define the lipidome/metabolome in contact with membrane porins and a mitochondrial translocator to discover potential regulators of protein function