A modeling concept of a mechanical system having a piecewise linear spring property for its diagnosis

Machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of rotating machinery are very important because of the wide use of rotating machinery in industry. Couplings and gears are used in many mechanical systems to connect elements and transmit power. The system is usually modeled as a single-degree-of-freedom system with a piecewise linear spring property, where the mass of main machine is only considered. In the present study, the dynamic behavior of a system with an unsymmetrical nonlinearity and a significant mass of the connecting part was investigated both experimentally and by numerical simulation. In the experiment, a 1/3 sub-harmonic oscillation was observed, but this oscillation was not found in the simulation using a single-degree-of-freedom system, in which the mass of the connecting part was ignored. However, when a two-degrees-of-freedom system was used that considered both the mass of the connecting part and the impact property, the 1/3 sub-harmonic oscillation was observed. Thus it is recognized that an adequate mathematical model for diagnosis in the early stage of abnormality must be selected on the basis of the mass ratio between the connecting part and the main body.     

Growth of GaN single crystals with extremely low dislocation density by two-step dislocation reduction

We have discovered a mechanism which can significantly reduce the dislocation density during the growth of GaN single crystals in the Na flux method. The significant reduction of the dislocation density occurs in the later stage of LPE growth, rather than solely at the seed-LPE interface for which we have already reported evidence indicating the presence of bundling dislocations. The two-step dislocation reduction is the key in achieving extremely low dislocation density using this method.     

AC 1 make or break lemma

Mañé suggested the following question: Consider aC ^r flow on a compact manifold without boundary and suppose that the ω-limit set of a pointp intersets the α-limit set ofq, i.e. ω(p)∩α(q)≠Ø. Can the flow beC ^r-perturbed so that either (a)p is connected toq (p andq in the same orbit) or (b) ω(p)∩α(q)=Ø for the new flow? Here we solve positively a stronger version of this problem forC ¹ small perturbations of the original flow.     

Binding of a surfactant counterion to low-charge-density poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid)

The binding of a cationic surfactant, dodecylpyridinium (C12Py) chloride, with a low-charge-density poly (methacrylic acid) (PMA) was investigated in buffer solutions under the condition of constant pH. The binding isotherms with PMA consisted of two and three steps at a pH lower and higher than 3.2, respectively. Bindings in the first step were independent of pH and this step was considered to correspond to the solubilization of the hydrocarbon chains of C12Py into the nonpolar region of the compact form of PMA. This is the indication of the compact form from the binding isotherm. At pH higher than 3.2, the second step was discriminated and it depended on the pH. In the third step, a sharp rise in the degree of binding (β) was observed accompanying the solubilization of the precipitates of the PMA–C12Py complex. The binding with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and PMA in conventional unbuffered NaCl solutions was also examined and the pH profile of the solution during the binding process was determined. In the case of unbuffered NaCl solutions, the binding with PAA took place cooperatively at the critical association concentration (cac). The binding isotherm consisted of two steps and the pH decreased with the increase in β. The binding isotherm of PMA, on the other hand, consisted of three steps: the pH decreased slightly in the first step and considerably in the second step with the increase in β but it increased with β in the third step, exhibiting a pH minimum around 3.2. The binding in the first step coincided with that obtained in the buffered solutions. Linear relationships between β and the pH were found for both polymers. In the case of PMA, no cac was observed in both buffered and unbuffered NaCl solutions. Received: 24 January 2001 Accepted: 23 May 2001     

Interlaboratory comparison of actinides in human tissue239Pu and240Pu

An international laboratory intercomparison of actinides in human tissues was organized by the United States Transuranium Registry and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Five laboratories from the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan participated in the intercomparison. The laboratories were requested to analyze Standard Reference Materials 4351 (Human Lung) and 4352 (Human Liver) for²³⁹Pu and²⁴⁰Pu concentration. Approximately equivalent measurement capabilities were generally found among the participants. The results of this intercomparison were statistically comparable to those used for the original certification of the SRM's and were combined for a re-evaluation of the certified values. The combined data sets provide a better characterization of the inhomogeneity of these reference materials and result in a better basis for certification.Deceased.     

Effects of the Calcination and Reduction Conditions on a Cu/ZnO Methanol Synthesis Catalyst

The CuO crystallite size of the catalysts obtained from aurichalcite greatly depends on the heating rate of calcination for highly active and selective Cu/ZnO catalyst was prepared by reduction with methanol at 443 K for 17 h.     

Syndiotactic‐specific radical polymerization of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide in the presence of tartrates: A proposed mechanism for the polymerization

Radical polymerization of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) was investigated in the presence of tartrates, such as diethyl L ‐tartrate, diisopropyl L ‐tartrate, and di‐n‐butyl L ‐tartrate, in toluene at low temperatures. Syndiotactic polymers were obtained in the presence of tartrates, whereas isotactic polymers were obtained in the absence of tartrates. The syndiotactic‐specificity increased with increasing amount of tartrates and with decreasing polymerization temperature. NMR analysis suggested that DMAAm and tartrates formed a 1:1 complex through double hydrogen bonding. A mechanism for the syndiotactic‐specific radical polymerization of DMAAm is proposed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1192–1203, 2009     

Chemoselective N-acetylation of primary aliphatic amines promoted by pivalic or acetic acid using ethyl acetate as an acetyl donor

The combination of pivalic or acetic acid as a promoter and EtOAc as a solvent and acetyl donor proved to be efficient for the chemoselective N-acetylation of primary aliphatic amines to afford the corresponding acetamides. We developed a simple and convenient approach, which requires mild reaction conditions. Competitive inter- and intramolecular reactions between aliphatic amines, alcohols, and aromatic amines were examined, and chemoselectivity was achieved by adjusting the conditions of the reaction.     

Influences of Acidic Conditions on Formazan Assay: A Cautionary Note

Formazan assay has been used for several decades to evaluate metabolic activity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. In particular, it has been often applied for quantitative assessment of viable cells under acidic circumstances caused by, e.g., ischemia and hypoxia. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of acidic pH on formazan assays. We found that acidic culture conditions significantly affect outcomes of the assays. Absorbance of tetrazolium–formazan decreased in a pH-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. This nonspecific effect was ascribed to influences of acidic pH on the production of formazan. Replacement of culture media to fresh medium at physiologic pH partially overcame this problem. The influence of acidic culture conditions should be carefully considered when formazan assays are used for the assessment of viable cells under various experimental situations.