Effects of Loading Conditions on the Pelvic Fracture Biomechanism and Discrimination of Forensic Injury Manners of Impact and Run-Over Using the Finite Element Pelvic Model

This study aimed to systematically simulate the responses of pelvic fracture under impact and run-over to clarify the effects of boundary and loading conditions on the pelvic fracture mechanism and provide complementary quantitative evidence for forensic practice. Based on the THUMS finite element model, we have validated the simulation performance of the model by a real postmortem human pelvis side impact experiment. A total of 54 simulations with two injury manners (impact and run-over), seven loading directions (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 270°, 300°, 330°), and six loading velocities (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 km/h) were conducted. Criteria of effective strain, Von-Mises stress, contact force, and self-designed normalized eccentricity were used to evaluate the biomechanism of pelvic fracture. Based on our simulation results, it’s challenging to distinguish impact from run-over only rely on certain characteristic fractures. Loads on the front and back were less likely to cause pelvic fractures. In the 30°, 60°, 300° load directions, the overall deformation caused a “diagonal” pelvic fracture. The higher is the velocity (kinetic energy), the more severe is the pelvic fracture. The contact force will predict the risk of fracture. In addition, our self-designed eccentricity will distinguish the injury manner of impact and run-over under the 90° loads. The “biomechanical fingerprints” based on logistic regression of all biomechanical variables have an AUC of 0.941 in discriminating the injury manners. Our study may provide simulation evidence and new methods for the forensic community to improve the forensic identification ability of injury manners.

Investigations of The Hybrid Effects of The Operational Parameters In The Radial Forging Process Based On The Validation of The Hardness Test

In this study, considering all the parameters in radial forging and a three-dimensional model has been simulated using the finite element method. By implementing an elastoplastic state for the specimen tube, parameters such as friction type, residual stress distribution, effective strain distribution, material flow velocity and its effect on the neutral plate and the distribution of force in the die have been studied and analyzed. The effects of angle on the quality and characteristics of the specimen and the longevity of the die have also been obtained. Experimental results have been used to confirm the accuracy of the simulation. The results of the hardness test after forging were compared with the simulation results. Good agreement between the results indicates the accuracy of the simulation in terms of hardness. Therefore, this validation allows confirming the other obtained results for the analysis and prediction of various components in the forging process. After the validation and confirmation of the results through the hardness test, the hardness distribution was obtained by considering temperature changes and the effective strain on the specimen.

Isolation and Characterization of Effective Bacteria That Reduce Ammonia Emission from Livestock Manure

Ammonia from livestock manure reacts with chemical components discharged from various emission sources to produce airborne particulate matter. This study aimed to investigate a novel effective microbial agent to suppress ammonia gas emitted from manure. Both isolated L12I and 12III strains, identified as Pediococcus acidilactici (PA), were selected for their superior activity in assays performed with the evaluation criteria such as acid production, ammonia decomposition, and urease inhibition, which are key factors influencing ammonia excretion. The survivability of PA strains was confirmed by an increase in DNA abundance in the manure. PA strains lowered the pH of manure and suppressed the growth of hyper-ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) possessing urease activity. The L12I and 12III treatment groups showed 23.58% and 38.00% emission reductions, respectively. Especially, the 12III strain was proven to be the more effective strain for reducing ammonia gas emission, with the best ability to reduce pH and inhibit HAB. The strains could have an additive effect in improving the manure quality as a nitrogen fertilizer by preserving the total nitrogen and urea content. These results suggest that PA strains can be used as unprecedented microbial agents to improve manure-derived environmental pollution and improve fertilizer quality.

Strain Improvement and Strain Maintenance Revisited. The Use of Actinoplanes teichomyceticus ATCC 31121 Protoplasts in the Identification of Candidates for Enhanced Teicoplanin Production

Multicellular cooperation in actinomycetes is a division of labor-based beneficial trait where phenotypically specialized clonal subpopulations, or genetically distinct lineages, perform complementary tasks. The division of labor improves the access to nutrients and optimizes reproductive and vegetative tasks while reducing the costly production of secondary metabolites and/or of secreted enzymes. In this study, we took advantage of the possibility to isolate genetically distinct lineages deriving from the division of labor, for the isolation of heterogeneous teicoplanin producer phenotypes from Actinoplanes teichomyceticus ATCC 31121. In order to efficiently separate phenotypes and associated genomes, we produced and regenerated protoplasts. This approach turned out to be a rapid and effective strain improvement method, as it allowed the identification of those phenotypes in the population that produced higher teicoplanin amounts. Interestingly, a heterogeneous teicoplanin complex productivity pattern was also identified among the clones. This study suggests that strain improvement and strain maintenance should be integrated with the use of protoplasts as a strategy to unravel the hidden industrial potential of vegetative mycelium.

Numerical study of the effect of geometric parameters on compressive mechanical properties of metallic lattice cylinders

In the current research, the numerical simulations were done on 15 cylindrical lattice specimens under compressive stress at a constant strain rate using Abaqus software. The lattice cylinders have different strut thicknesses of 3, 4, and 5 mm, and with the fillets in the radiuses of 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 mm, respectively. The mechanical properties of the AlSi11Cu2 (Fe) aluminum alloy were used. The Mises stress distribution was evaluated to determine the effect of fillet radius on the lattice structure for the strut thickness of 3 mm. Also, the effective strain distribution of the lattice structure was investigated after different stages of deformation. After comparing the simulation results, it was shown that by applying fillets with a radius of 0.3 mm in lattice cylinders, the maximum energy absorption and maximum force can be achieved at the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) point. Also, the optimal strain can be obtained at the UTS point.

Modeling the Mechanical Response of Auxetic Metamaterials to Dynamic Effects

The paper investigates the mechanical response of a 3D auxetic structure created on the basis of a unit cell with pre-buckled structural elements to dynamic loading. The aim of the work is to study deformations of the auxetic structure made of an alpha titanium alloy during uniaxial compression at 100 m/s, to evaluate dissipative properties of the structure during high-speed deformation, and to estimate the characteristic time of the metamaterial’s compaction with a relative density of 0.0115. The numerical simulation of the metamaterial at effective strain rate of 2000 1/s has been performed using LS DYNA solver. To describe the mechanical behavior of the titanium alloy in frame elements, we use a model of an elastic-plastic damaged medium, which takes into account the strain rate sensitivity of the plastic flow, temperature changes due to dissipative effects, and the effect of the stress state triaxiality parameter on nucleation and growth of structural damages. The numerical studies have shown that the auxetic effect in the studied metamaterial is retained under high-rate elastoplastic deformation. At a speed of the uniaxial compression of 100 m/s, deformation in the volume of the metamaterial proceeds nonuniformly. Under dynamic loading of the considered auxetic metamaterial, the deformation and fracture modes depend not only on the parameters of the cell geometry, but also on the mechanical behavior of the framework material, as well as on the relative density. This makes it possible to control the deformations of the cells under mechanical stress. Layers of compacted cells are formed near the dynamic loading surface. The instability of the cells of the auxetic metamaterials increases the absorbed energy. The calculated value of the specific absorbed energy under dynamic uniaxial compression reaches 3.4 kJ/kg, and is comparable with the values for frame structures made of Ti-6Al-4V with an equivalent specific mass density. The results indicate the possibility of creating protective structures using auxetic cellular structures on the base of the pre-buckled elements of the rolled metal.

BIOREMEDIATION OF CHROMIUM (VI) BY A MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM ISOLATED FROM TANNERY EFFLUENTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

West Bengal has several leather industries and as such huge amount of leather are processed every year. The tannery effluents are discharged into the land and open water causing soil and water pollution respectively. Chromium is one of the most toxic inorganic contaminants which is well known for its carcinogenicity. Thus, our study focuses on investigating the bioremediation potential of common microflora isolated from tannery wastewater. In our study, Isolate 1 has the highest ability to reduce chromium (Cr6+) as compared to others. Isolate 4 has the highest protease, lipase and leather degradation activities. Isolate 1 shows the maximum keratinase activity making it an effective strain for keratinase production. Also, it has been found that pH 8 and temperature 40 °C was most suitable for keratinase production. Owing to the multidimensional ability of these two isolates, they were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and it reveals that Isolate 1 and Isolate 4 belong to Bacillus cereus F4810/72 and Brevibacillus brevis F4810/72 respectively. Thus, this study establishes the role and efficiencies of these microorganisms in combatting pollution, particularly in the water bodies in which harmful chemicals leak regularly owing to improper waste management by various industries.

Sheet Bulk Forming of Thin-Walled Components with External Gearing through Upsetting Using Controllable Deformation Zone Method

Sheet-bulk metal forming (SBMF) is a promising process for manufacturing complex sheet components with functional elements. In this study, the entire forming process for a typical thin-walled component with external gearing is investigated, including sheet forming and bulk forming processes. Deep drawn cups are prepared during sheet forming; subsequently, upsetting is performed on the sidewall to form external gearing. The upsetting method performed is known as upsetting with a controllable deformation zone (U-CDZ). Compared with the conventional upsetting method, a floating counter punch with a counter force is used in the U-CDZ method such that the forming mechanism is changed into the accumulation of the deformation zone instead of deformation throughout the entire sidewall. The effects of the counter force and material flow are investigated to understand the mechanism. The forming quality, i.e., the formfilling and effective strain distribution, improved, whereas a high forming load is avoided. In addition, a punch with a lock bead is used to prevent folding at the inner corner during the experiment.

Experimental analysis and design strength models adopted by international guides for FRP-confined concrete columns subjected to axial compression

Carbon fiber jacketing is an efficient technique for increasing the strength and strain capacity of concrete circular and square section columns subjected to axial load, although confinement efficiency decreases for rectangular cross-section members. The research project BIA 2016-80310-P includes an experimental program on intermediate-size plain concrete specimens strengthened with carbon fiber jackets, mostly with square and rectangular cross-sections. The results, alongside others with similar characteristics from two databases published, are compared to predictions of four international guides. The incidence of the key parameters in the experimental results is analyzed, such as the aspect ratio of the section, the effective strain in FRP jacket attained at failure or the rounded corner radius. As a result, two efficiency strain factors are proposed, one for circular and another for rectangular specimens. The predictions contained in certain guides, based on a simple linear design-model, are improved by using the proposed efficiency strain factor for rectangular sections.