Influence of the parameters of deforming cutting on the features of the resulting slotted filter structures

Introduction. Slot filters are in demand in petrochemical, machine-building, food, mining and other industries. DC is an edge cutting machining method based on undercutting and plastic deformation of the workpiece’s surface layer without its removal in the form of chip. DC stands out from the other slot structure forming methods for its capability of obtaining fine filters (slot width upwards of 20 µm) while maintaining relatively high productivity rate and being waste-free. Nevertheless, patterns of through slots cutting by means of DC had virtually not been investigated previously. The purpose of the work is to establish the influence of the main parameters of deformational cutting, namely feed and depth of cut, on features of through slots obtained, as well as identifying combinations of parameters that ensure the production of structures suitable for filtration. Method of investigation consisted of experiments on through-cutting of corrugations stamped on copper strips and a visual analysis of the structures obtained. Cutting through the corrugations by DC was conducted on a lathe while using a special attachment – a barrel which workpiece corrugated strips were wrapped around and fixed on with tension. Results and discussion. The resulting typical structures obtained under different combinations of depth of cut and feed are systemized and divided into the following groups: “0” – the absence of the through cut; “1” – uniform slots; “2” – “twinning” (pairwise convergence of slot walls), “3” – stripping of every second slot wall; “4” – non-regular or complete stripping of slot walls; “5” – uniform slots with a continuous burr (“skirt”) formed along the slot row on the internal side of the corrugation; “6” – uniform slots with a “skirt” opened incompletely. In the range of feeds 0.2 ... 0.4 mm/rev with increasing cutting depth, there is a transition from structures of group “1” to structures of group “2”, and the greater the feed, the greater the maximum depth of cut, at which uniform slots remain. Group “1” is assigned to the area of structures suitable for filtration applications, although it is characterized by the formation of individual burrs on the inner side of each slot. At lower feeds (up to 0.2 mm/rev) with further increase of the depth of cut another group of structures potentially suitable for filtering purposes is reached: groups “5” and “6”. With the “skirt” formed, individual burrs next to each slots are absent, and the shape of slots is cleaner. With a decrease in feed, the width of the resulting slots decreases. The least tool feed value, at which uniform slots are obtained, is 0.05 mm/rev which corresponds to 19 µm slot width. Establishing the causes of “twinning” and the formation of “skirts” requires further investigation.

Fire safety evaluation of different internal insulation measures in European and Danish context

In about the last 10 years there has been an increased focus on energy upgrading the existing building stock. This have included several international and national projects dealing with internal insulation. Many of the studies have considered the internal insulation as a measure to achieve a specific energy consumption of buildings. Later, the focus has been on the durability of the ‘new’ structure with additional insulation on the internal side of walls, i.e. if the measure is moisture safe. These measures have been applied in both theoretical studies, laboratory and real buildings. None of the studies have reported whether or not the suggested retrofit measures fulfil respective fire regulations. The height of the building is also considered in fire regulations, and therefore, measures that are applicable in e.g. single-family houses might not be applicable in apartment buildings. This study includes a review of a number of different insulation materials and – systems used for internal insulation. These measures are evaluated against the EU-harmonized and Danish fire regulations, as many countries might have adapted national requirements. The study evaluates, whether the measure is applicable at all floor levels or not.

Probe Standoff Optimization Method for Phased Array Ultrasonic TFM Imaging of Curved Parts

The reliability of the ultrasonic phased array total focusing method (TFM) imaging of parts with curved geometries depends on many factors, one being the probe standoff. Strong artifacts and resolution loss are introduced by some surface profile and standoff combinations, making it impossible to identify defects. This paper, therefore, introduces a probe standoff optimization method (PSOM) to mitigate such effects. Based on a point spread function analysis, the PSOM algorithm finds the standoff with the lowest main lobe width and side lobe level values. Validation experiments were conducted and the TFM imaging performance compared with the PSOM predictions. The experiments consisted of the inspection of concave and convex parts with amplitudes of 0, 5 and 15 λAl, at 12 standoffs varying from 20 to 130 mm. Three internal side-drilled holes at different depths were used as targets. To investigate how the optimal probe standoff improves the TFM, two metrics were used: the signal-to-artifact ratio (SAR) and the array performance indicator (API). The PSF characteristics predicted by the PSOM agreed with the quality of TFM images. A considerable TFM improvement was demonstrated at the optimal standoff calculated by the PSOM. The API of a convex specimen’s TFM was minimized, and the SAR gained up to 13 dB, while the image of a concave specimen gained up to 33 dB in SAR.

EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF NIGHT AUDITOR FUNCTION TOWARD INTERNAL CONTROL AT HOTEL WO SURABAYA

The rapid development of hotels in Indonesia is making existing hotels have the urge to develop themselves to survive and compete. The bigger the hotel is, the more complex its activities will be. Internal control in the hotel is especially important so that no theft or neglection occurs from the internal side of the organization. In result, the hotel can operate optimally. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the night auditor function towards the internal control at Hotel WO, Surabaya. This research is based on a qualitative method. The object of this research is a private hotel in Surabaya and it has a three-star hotel rating. The subjects in this study includes officials and staffs who are directly experience the effectiveness and efficiency of the night auditor at Hotel WO in Surabaya. The data obtained in this study came from interviews and observations conducted at the hotel.The results of this study indicate that the night auditor at Hotel WO Surabaya has fulfilled several indicators of effectiveness, but not all. While the efficiency of the night auditor only meets one of the several indicators that have been determined in this study. The internal control at Hotel WO Surabaya is sufficient because double checks or re- examination of reports are always made. All reports made by the night auditor will be re- examined by the income auditor. Keywords: Night Auditor, Effectiveness, Efficiency.

A Novel Method to Gently Mix and Uniformly Suspend Particulates for Automated Assays

The SpinVessel system provides a methodology using pulsed radial flow to gently mix and uniformly suspend particulates (cells, magnetic beads, silica beads, and microcarrier beads) for automated assays. SpinVessels are well suited for aliquoting on robotic liquid handlers and with robotic reagent dispensers, as well as manually. The SpinVessel system combines two critical features: (1) special internal side fins and projections in the bottom of the vessels and (2) an instrument that quickly spins the vessels and repeatedly reverses the spin direction. This rapid reversing motion sends multiple pulses of fluid up the side walls of the SpinVessel, creating a circular radial flow pattern. We tested five different particulates and six different SpinVessels with volume capacities varying from 50 mL to 1200 mL. SpinVessels are compatible with either single-, 8-, 12-, 96-, or 384-channel pipettors or with siphon tubing on robotic reagent dispensers. Experiments have demonstrated high viability of cells and undamaged morphology of microcarrier beads even after hours of constant agitation. The uniformity of aliquots collected at various vertical depths and horizontally across the SpinVessels demonstrated that cells, magnetic beads, and silica beads were uniformly suspended throughout the height and breadth of the SpinVessels, and uniformity of samples was consistent from the beginning to the end of the aliquoting procedure. Only 5 min of mixing is required to resuspend settled particulates. This novel mixing methodology has many applications in laboratory automation where particulate aliquot uniformity and/or particulate integrity are important to automating assays.

Metallic Orthodontic Materials Induce Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis of Metallothioneins

Background: Due to the long-term contact with metallic elements of orthodontic appliances, the potential influence of released metal ions on living organisms and the type of induced changes was investigated. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four young domestic pigs classified in two groups (experimental and control) were chosen as the object of this study. In the experimental group of animals, two metal plates consisting of orthodontic bands representing the mass of orthodontic appliance were mounted on the internal side of the cheek for six months. The liver, lung, and brain samples were taken post mortem from animals of both groups. The gene expression of two isoforms of metallothionein (MT-1 and MT-2) were investigated using the qPCR technique. Protein expression was confirmed by the Western blot and ELISA techniques. Results: The differences in metallothionein concentrations were observed in the lung and brain in the the group of experimental animals, but not in the liver. The expression of MT-1 and MT-2 genes in the experimental vs. control group (respectively) was as follows: lung MT-1 1.04 vs. 1.11, MT-2 0.96 vs. 1.05, liver MT-1 0.89 vs. 0.91 vs. 1.12, MT-2 0.91 vs. 1.05, brain MT-1 1.24 vs. 1.20, and MT-2 0.955 vs. 0.945. These results were confirmed by gene activity, which was tested by qPCR. This increased the activity of metallothionein genes in the lungs and brain as a consequence of the release of metal ions into these tissues. The possible effects of detected change in metallothionein-2 gene expression could be the alteration of physiological functions of lung tissue. Conclusions: The effect of long-term exposure to metal orthodontic appliances on metallothioneins gene expression, as well as the induction of protein synthesis was proved.

Precast Concrete Building Construction and Envelope Thermal Behavior: A Case Study on Portuguese Public Social Housing

A considerable part of Southern European countries building stock was constructed before the implementation of national thermal regulations, and as such, it is currently exposed to challenges such as energy poverty and climate change. Portuguese public social housing presents a significant variety of construction systems and applied typologies. Among them, the “Novobra NK1”, a precast concrete construction system that exploits some innovative features in envelope components, has been used in several projects. Considering the importance of retrofitting to improve and adapt the thermal behaviors of buildings to face the aforementioned challenges, this article aims to provide an understanding of the behavior of a NK1 thermal envelope of a dwelling located in Covilhã, Portugal, and the impact of some constructive envelope retrofit measures applied. Results show that existing opaque envelope elements and glazed areas present characteristics that are no longer able to provide proper responses to contemporary building constructive requirements. External insulation was identified as a key retrofit measure, window replacement also being an advised solution for rigorous heating seasons. Improvements from the internal side of windows, such as roller shades, may provide few benefits during cooling seasons, and applying solar films is not advised without a proper thermal repercussion analysis.

The European Union and Human Rights

This book maps and critiques the European Union’s commitment to human rights in both internal and external affairs. The book covers the evolution as well as the current state of the EU’s engagement with human rights, focusing, on the internal side, on the role of EU law in the multi-faceted system of human rights protection and, on the external side, on the EU’s efforts to bind its foreign policy to promoting human rights. This book combines analysis of key developments with a wide of range of sources, including extracts from legislation, case law, policy documents, and research of other scholars. The inclusion of both primary and secondary materials is intended to develop a deep understanding of EU human rights law and policy. This title devotes significant attention to explicating the fundamental concepts and systemic features of the EU’s human rights protection and promotion. In addition, chapters devoted to individual topics provide more depth on a range of policy areas in both the internal and external dimension of EU affairs. Topics covered by these individual chapters and examined through EU human rights lens include non-discrimination and competition law, migration, trade policy, and development cooperation.

Unexpected death of an infant suffocated in the course of breastfeeding when the mother fell asleep

Death following accidental suffocation due to overlaying is often overlooked, and still attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). We report a case of sudden infant death following accidental suffocation due to breast overlaying during breastfeeding. We report the death of a two-month-old male baby, without medical history, who was found lifeless wedged under his mother’s breast. The mother subsequently admitted that she had fallen asleep while breastfeeding and awoke a few minutes later to find him wedged under her breast and not breathing. External examination of the infant’s body revealed right frontal congestion with reddish-purple colour of the right frontal skin corresponding to where the mother’s breast had overlaid his face with bilateral conjunctival petechiae with no signs of external injury. Internal examination revealed congestion with petechiae marks of the internal side of the right frontal scalp, with moderate congestion and few petechiae marks at the level of the lungs. The histopathological examination showed non-specific passive congestion, with no abnormalities. The cause of death was attributed to accidental suffocation following obstruction of external airways by the mother’s breast during breastfeeding. Accidental asphyxia cases require extensive investigation of the circumstances surrounding death, reconstruction of events, and careful documentation of the findings observed at autopsy with full histological examination which may become relevant in a specific case in later stages of the investigation.

Influence of the Thermal Conductivity and Ambient Temperature Uncertainty on the Heat Losses through the External Wall

Numerous parameters assumed in the calculations of the buildings’ energy demand are uncertain. Therefore, calculations should be accompanied by determination of propagation of such uncertainties in the mathematical model. In the article, the influence of uncertainty of thermal conductivity and ambient temperature has been studied by means of the generalized perturbation stochastic finite element method and compared against the Monte Carlo results, indicating good accordance. Expected value and variance of heat flux on the internal side of the wall have been investigated. The perturbation stochastic finite element method is much more efficient than the Monte Carlo method for the analysed problem. The largest variance of temperature is noted in the node between the constructive layer and insulation.