Shape Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization Using NASTRAN∗

Abstract

Major software improvements have been made by the developers of NASTRAN in the area of structural optimization. Grid point sensitivity is available in version 67. This paper tests this capability by comparison with analytical solutions. Suggestions for further improvements are identified as well as recommendations for its use. The new capability has been integrated into an optimization system for component design. Several examples, including a cantilever beam, a simplified engine connecting rod, a cantilever plate, and an upper suspension control arm, are analyzed and optimized using this system.     

The early-stage diagnosis of albinic embryos by applying optical coherence tomography

Albinism is a kind of congenital disease of abnormal metabolism. Poecilia reticulata (guppy fish) is chosen as the model to study the development of albinic embryos as it is albinic, ovoviviparous and with short life period. This study proposed an imaging method for penetrative embryo investigation using optical coherence tomography. By imaging through guppy mother’s reproduction purse, we found the embryo’s eyes were the early-developed albinism features. As human’s ocular albinism typically appear at about four weeks old, it is the time to determine if an embryo will grow into an albino.     

Determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A in biological fluids of patients with traumatic brain injury by UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS after injection of Xuebijing

A simple, novel, specific, rapid and reproducible ultra‐performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the determination of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) in biological fluids (plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury after intravenous injection of Xuebijing (XBJ). Liquid–liquid extraction was performed, and separation was carried out on an Acquity UPLC? BEH C₁₈ column, with gradient elution using a mobile phase composed of methanol and 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization was used for the detection of HSYA. The mass transition followed was m/z 611.0 → 491. The retention time was less than 3.0 min. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range from 2 to 6125 ng/mL for cerebrospinal fluid, plasma and urine. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were <10%, and the relative standard deviation of recovery was <15% for HSYA in biological matrices. The method was successfully applied for the first time to quantify HSYA in the biological fluids (especially in cerebrospinal fluid) of patients with traumatic brain injury following intravenous administration of XBJ. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of aramid fibre reinforced laminates subjected to low velocity impact

The low velocity impact performance of domestic aramid fibre reinforced laminates is investigated experimentally and numerically. Laminates with different thicknesses are impacted by drop-weight test machine under different impact energies. The time histories of impact force are recorded and ultrasonic C-scan technology is used to inspect the internal damage of the laminates. Numerical simulation is conducted using finite element method (FEM), taking into account both intralaminar and interlaminar damage. The intralaminar damage model is based on the continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach, which consists of the strain-based Hashin failure criteria and the exponential damage evolution law, and considers the nonlinear shear behaviour of the material. The interlaminar damage is simulated by interface elements with cohesive zone model. The numerical results show good agreements with the experiments, thus verifying the validity of the presented numerical model.     

Determination of Sulfonamides in Pharmaceuticals and Rabbit Plasma by Microchip Electrophoresis with LED-IF Detection

In this paper, we describe a compact and low-cost light-emitting diode-induced fluorescence (LED-IF) detection coupled to microchip electrophoresis for the determination of sulfonamides in pharmaceutical formulations and rabbit plasma. Three fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled sulfonamides in rabbit plasma were separated in the running buffer of 40 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at the separation voltage of 2.0 kV, and detected by LED-IF detector in which the high-power blue LED was driven at the constant current of 150 mA and the emitted fluorescence over 510 nm was collected by a planar photodiode. The linear concentration ranged from 2.0 to 125.0 μg mL⁻¹, both for sulfadiazine and sulfamethazine with the correlation coefficients (r ²) of 0.995 and 0.997, respectively, and from 2.0 to 100.0 μg mL⁻¹ with the correlation coefficients (r ²) of 0.997 for sulfaguanidine. The limits of detection for the three sulfonamides were 0.36–0.50 μg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). Intra-day and inter-day precision of migration time and peak area for the determination of sulfonamides were <4.5 %. This method has been successfully applied to the analysis of sulfonamides in pharmaceuticals, and could be used to study the pharmacokinetics of sulfonamides in rabbit.

     

Study of the purifying affects of thermal annealing for polymer‐wall liquid crystal cells

The thermal annealing process was proposed to purify the pixel regions of a liquid crystal (LC) cell with polymer walls. This technique, based on thermal‐induced phase separation, successfully evicts the residual monomers from the LC volume and significantly improves electro‐optical properties of the polymer‐wall LC devices. The influence of the annealing process on the purity of LC‐rich domain and the electro‐optic properties of a LC cell was explored with a series of experiments. According to the experimental results, the annealing technique is extremely prospective for constructing flexible polymer‐wall LC display applications.     

Thermal degradation kinetics and heat properties of cellulosic cigarette paper: influence of potassium carboxylate as combustion improver

Accurate determination of the thermal properties of cellulose is of particular significance in studying the mechanism of cellulosic cigarette paper combustion. This paper probes into the influence of four kinds of potassium carboxylates on the thermal degradation kinetics and the heat properties of cigarette paper through simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement under air atmosphere. Reduced mass loss and mass loss rate, and increased solid residue for samples containing four potassium salts implied that potassium carboxylates may retard the formation of levoglucosan and volatiles by inhibiting the depolymerization reaction and simultaneously accelerate char formation by catalyzing the dehydration reaction. Kinetic parameters were analyzed based on three non-isothermal models available in literature. The results indicated that three modeling methods exhibit good consistency. A global activation energy range of 106–155 kJ mol^?1 was proposed for cigarette paper with potassium carboxylates. The four potassium salts studied considerably reduced the activation energy in the following descending order: potassium 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylate (PBTCA) > citrate > gluconate > ascorbate. The heat properties of cigarette paper were also determined by integrating the DSC curves. The results demonstrated that both cellulose degradation and char oxidation have strong exothermic peaks. Cigarette paper samples with potassium salts have lower exothermic cellulose degradation process and higher exothermic char oxidation process, which were further confirmed by greater differences as the amounts of salt citrate or PBTCA increased.