Comparison of two models for managing reliability growth during product design

Relying on reliability growth testing to improve system designis neither usually effective nor efficient. Instead it is importantto design in reliability. This requires models to estimate reliabilitygrowth in the design that can be used to assess whether goalreliability will be achieved within the target timescale forthe design process. Many models have been developed for analysisof reliability growth on test, but there has been much lessattention given to reliability growth in design. This paperdescribes and compares two models: one motivated by the practicalengineering process; the other by extending the reasoning ofstatistical reliability growth modelling. Both models are referencedin the recently revised edition of international standard IEC61164. However, there has been no reported evaluation of theirproperties. Therefore, this paper explores the commonalitiesand differences between these models through an assessment oftheir logic and their application to an industrial example.Recommendations are given for the use of reliability growthmodels to aid management of the design process and to informproduct development.     

Effect of induced shielding current transmission in longitudinal direction on levitation force of melt grown single-domain YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x) cylindrical superconductor

YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) bulk is one of the most important high temperature superconducting materials for magnetic levitation applications, because it has a high magnetic irreversibility field Hirr at liquid nitrogen temperature, and can grow into large grains. The levitation force of YBCO bulk is proportional to the critical current density (Jc) and grain radius (r)[1], so higher Jc and r are appreciated for YBCO bulks to achieve higher levitation force. Now single-domain YBCO bulks up to s…     

电子束驱动的回旋激射不稳定性

对弱相对论性电子束驱动的回旋激射(maser)不稳定性的一般理论作了详细讨论.对在获得增长率实用表达式过程中若干解析表达式的推导与细节做了仔细的补充讨论和说明，还增加了增长率的近似表达式，并由此得到了回旋激射不稳定性主要特征的解析分析以及与精确计算的比较，使整个理论有一个完整的描述.侧重解析讨论，也提供了部分一般性的数值计算结果. 关键词： 回旋激射不稳定性 弱相对论性电子束 增长率     

Rhythmic growth of ring‐banded spherulites in blends of liquid crystalline methoxy‐poly(aryl ether ketone) and poly(aryl ether ether ketone)

Rhythmic growth of ring‐banded spherulites in blends of liquid crystalline methoxy‐poly(aryl ether ketone) (M‐PAEK) and poly(aryl ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has been investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The measurements reveal that the formation of the rhythmically grown ring‐banded spherulites in the M‐PAEK/PEEK blends is strongly dependent on the blend composition. In the M‐PAEK‐rich blends, upon cooling, an unusual ring‐banded spherulite is formed, which is ascribed to structural discontinuity caused by a rhythmic radial growth. For the 50:50 M‐PAEK/PEEK blend, ring‐banded spherulites and individual PEEK spherulites coexist in the system. In the blends with PEEK as the predominant component, M‐PAEK is rejected into the boundary of PEEK spherulites. The cooling rate and crystallization temperature have great effect on the phase behavior, especially the ring‐banded spherulite formation in the blends. In addition, the effects of M‐PAEK phase transition rate and phase separation rate on banded spherulite formation is discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3011–3024, 2007     

Microcalorimetric measurements of the metabolic activity by bacteria and fungi in some Brazilian soils amended with different organic matter

The effect of bacterial and fungal activities on organic matter degradation in Brazilian soils was studied by a microcalorimetric method. Bacteria and fungi isolated from tropical soils and added to: Rhodic eutrudox (R), Typic eutrudox (V) and Quartzipsamment (Q) soils amended separately with moisture (control) (A) and 25% of cattle manure (E), municipal refuse compost (L), earthworm casts (H) or 23 μg of trifluralin (T) were investigated. The number of colony forming units in soil suspension was quantified by microscopy and inoculated in respective soil. All processes were measured at intervals of 7 days over a period of 35 days. The exothermic thermal effect (μJ) per cm³ of bacteria or fungi per gram of dry soil, respectively, for each substrate was: [(9±1), (4±1)] RA; [(478±24), (105±5)] RE; [(121±6), (71±4)] RL; [(121±6), (71±4)] RH; [(8±1); (3±1)] RT; [(10±1), (9±1] VA; [(347±17), (261±13)] VE; [(71±4), (28±1)] VL; [(22±1), (33±2)] VH; [(7±1), (10±1)] VT; [(19±1), (12±1)] QA; [(1301±65), (46±2)] QE; [(89±4), (9±1)] QL; [(130±7), (11±1)] QH; [(32±2), (8±1)] QT. The calorimetric values are higher for bacteria than for fungi. In general, the results showed higher activities in the soil amended with cattle manure than with other additives.     

Indole and Isatin Oximes: Synthesis, Reactions, and Biological Activity. (Review)

Data on methods for the production of isatin and indole aldoximes, ketoximes, and amidoximes and their reactions are reviewed. Individual syntheses of new heterocycles from indole and isatin oximes are discussed. The principal results from investigation of the biological activity of derivatives of the oximes are also presented.     

Detecting instabilities in flows of viscoelastic fluids

There is a growing interest in developing numerical tools to investigate the onset of physical instabilities observed in experiments involving viscoelastic flows, which is a difficult and challenging task as the simulations are very sensitive to numerical instabilities. Following a recent linear stability analysis carried out in order to better understand qualitatively the origin of numerical instabilities occurring in the simulation of flows viscoelastic fluids, the present paper considers a possible extension for more complex flows. This promising method could be applied to track instabilities in complex (i.e. essentially non‐parallel) flows. In addition, results related to transient growth mechanism indicate that it might be responsible for the development of numerical instabilities in the simulation of viscoelastic fluids. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of sulfate-reducing bacteria in yeast industry waste by microcalorimetry and PCR amplification

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from anaerobic sludge of yeast factory wastewater treatment plant by cultivation on Postgate C medium. Microcalorimetry was used to monitor the anaerobic digestion processes and to measure the growth rates of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The maximum growth rates determined by microcalorimetry and ATP analysis were different—μ_max(dQ/dt) = 0.165 ± 0.008 h⁻¹ and μ_max(N_ATP) = 0.207 ± 0.013 h⁻¹. Experiments on the cultivation of SRB from yeast industry wastewater treatment plant in batch culture showed that during the first 20 h the concentration of sulfate decreased from 78.3 mM down to 62.2 mM while the increase of sulfide production was negligible. Perceptible amount of sulfide (7.82 mM) appeared on the 33.5 h of fermentation together with a peak on the power–time curve and considerable increase in the cell count (1.26 × 10⁹). First steps of sulfate metabolism (activation of sulfate by ATP sulfurylase, production of H₂) are accompanied by endothermic heat effects, therefore the values of thermal power remain moderate until the evolution of sulfide starts. The influence of green microalgae Chlorococcum sp. (preparation Biotreat 100) on the growth characteristics of microorganisms was also studied. Identification of one SRB strain was started by sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene. Two sets of primers were used for PCR amplification, both specific for domain Bacteria but giving different gene fragments. PCR-products were purified with JETQUICK kit according to the manufacturer instructions.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of a potent antimalarial alkaloid, (+)-febrifugine

A novel and stereocontrolled synthetic path to a potential antimalarial piperidine alkaloid, (+)-febrifugine, was established by employing the reductive deamination and simultaneous recyclization of a proline derivative with samarium diiodide, as a key step.