A transcriptomic analysis of the kidney tissue of Tra catfish (pangasianodon hypophthalmus) reared in saline condition: De novo assembly, annotation, SNP discovery

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus is a commercially important freshwater fish used in inland aquaculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The current study using Ion Torrent technology generated EST resources from the kidney for Tra catfish reared at a salinity level of 9 ppt. We obtained 2,623,929 reads after trimming and processing with an average length of 104 bp. De novo assemblies were generated using CLC Genomic Workbench, Trinity and Velvet/Oases with the best overall contig performance resulting from the CLC assembly. De novo assembly using CLC yielded 29,940 contigs, and allowing identification of 5,710 putative genes when comppared with NCBI non-redundant database. A large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also detected. The sequence collection generated in our study represents the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource for P. hypophthalmus available to date.

Data mining for telecommunications network log analysis

Telecommunications network management is based on huge amounts of data that are continuously collected from elements and devices from all around the network. The data is monitored and analysed to provide information for decision making in all operation functions. Knowledge discovery and data mining methods can support fast-pace decision making in network operations. In this thesis, I analyse decision making on different levels of network operations. I identify the requirements decision-making sets for knowledge discovery and data mining tools and methods, and I study resources that are available to them. I then propose two methods for augmenting and applying frequent sets to support everyday decision making. The proposed methods are Comprehensive Log Compression for log data summarisation and Queryable Log Compression for semantic compression of log data. Finally I suggest a model for a continuous knowledge discovery process and outline how it can be implemented and integrated to the existing network operations infrastructure.

How do construction firms learn on collaborative infrastructure projects?

Construction firms that employ collaborative procurement approaches develop operating routines through joint learning so as to improve infrastructure project performance. This paper reports a study based on a survey sample of 320 construction practitioners which were involved in collaborative infrastructure delivery in Australia. The study developed valid and reliable scales for measuring collaborative learning capability (CLC), and used the scales to evaluate the CLC of contractor and consultant firms within the sample. The evaluation suggests that whilst these firms explore knowledge from both internal and external sources, transform both explicit and tacit knowledge, and apply and internalise new knowledge, they can improve the extent to which these routines are applied to optimise project performance.

Non-destructive evaluation of porosity and its effect on mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite materials

In this work, an attempt is made to induce porosity of varied levels in carbon fiber reinforced epoxy based polymer composite laminates fabricated using prepregs by varying the fabrication parameters such as applied vacuum, autoclave pressure and curing temperature. Different NDE tools have been utilized to evaluate the porosity content and correlate with measurable parameters of different NDE techniques. Primarily, ultrasonic imaging and real time digital X-ray imaging have been tried to obtain a measurable parameter which can represent or reflect the amount of porosity contained in the composite laminate. Also, effect of varied porosity content on mechanical properties of the CFRP composite materials is investigated through a series of experimental investigations. The outcome of the experimental approach has yielded interesting and encouraging trend as a first step towards developing an NDE tool for quantification of effect of varied porosity in the polymer composite materials.

Non-destructive evaluation of porosity and its effect on mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite materials

Structural adhesive bonding is widely used to execute assemblies in automobile and aerospace structures. The quality and reliability of these bonded joints must be ensured during service. In this context non destructive evaluation of these bonded structures play an important role. Evaluation of adhesively bonded composite single lap shear joints has been attempted through experimental approach. Series of tests, non-destructive as well as destructive were performed on different sets of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite lap joint specimens with varied bond quality. Details of the experimental investigations carried out and the outcome are presented in this paper.

Computational Study of the Formation of Short Centrosymmetric N-center dot center dot center dot S Supramolecular Synthon and Related Weak Interactions in Crystalline 1,2,4-Triazoles

A comprehensive analysis of the crystal packing and the energetic features of a series of four biologically active molecules belonging to the family of substituted 4-(benzylideneamino)-3-(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-(4 H)-thione derivatives have been performed based on the molecular conformation and the supramolecular packing. This involves the formation of a short centrosymmetric R-2(2)(8) NH...S supramolecular synthon in the solid state, including the presence of CH...S, CH...O, CH...N, CH...F, CH...Cl, CF...FC, CCl...ClC, and CH...pi intermolecular interactions along with pp stacking to evaluate the role of noncovalent interactions in the crystal. The presence of such synthons has a substantial contribution toward the interaction energy (-18 to -20 kcal/mol) as obtained from the PIXEL calculation, wherein the Coulombic and polarization contribution are more significant than the dispersion contribution. The geometrical characteristics of such synthons favor short distance, and the population of related molecules having these geometries is rare as has been obtained from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). Furthermore, their interaction energies have been compared with those present in our molecules in the solid state. The topological characteristics of the NH...S supramolecular synthon, in addition to related weak interactions, CH...N, CH...Cl, CF...FC, and CCl...ClC, have been estimated using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). In addition, an analysis of the Hirshfeld surface and associated fingerprint plots of these four molecules also have provided a platform for the evaluation of the contribution of different atom...atom contacts, which contribute toward the packing of the molecules in solids.

Study of Degradation in Composite Lap Shear joints using a Guided Wave Technique

Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out using lamb waves to study the degradation in adhesive joints made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) adherends and epoxy adhesive. Degradation was inducted into the epoxy adhesive by adding different amounts of polyvinyl alcohol. Fundamental lamb wave modes were excited in the CFRP adherends using piezoelectric transducer disks and made to propagate through the adhesive layer. The received waveforms across adhesive joints with varied degradation were studied. A 2D finite element model was utilized to verify the experimental results. Good correlation was observed between numerical and experimental results. Details of the investigation and results obtained are presented in the paper.

Behavior of Brick-Mortar Interfaces in FRP-Strengthened Masonry Assemblages under Normal Loading and Shear Loading

Determination of shear strength of brick-mortar bed joint is critical to overcome the sliding-shear or joint-shear failure in masonry. In the recent past, researchers have attempted to enhance the shear strength and deformation capacity of brick-mortar bed joints by gluing fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite across the bed joint. FRP composites offer several advantages like high strength-to-weight ratio, and ease of application in terms of labor, time, and reduced curing period. Furthermore, FRP composites are desirable for strengthening old masonry buildings having heritage value because of its minimal interference with the existing architecture. A majority of earlier studies on shear strengthening of masonry available in the literature adopted masonry having the ratio of modulus of elasticity of masonry unit (Emu) to modulus of elasticity of mortar (Em) greater than one. Information related to shear behavior of FRP glued masonry composed of masonry units having Young's modulus lower than mortar is limited. Hence the present study is focused on characterizing the interfacial behavior of brick-mortar bed joint of masonry assemblages composed of solid burnt clay bricks and cement-sand mortar (E-mu/E-m ratio less than one), strengthened with FRP composites. Masonry triplets and prisms with bed joint inclined to loading axis (0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees) are employed in this study. Glass and carbon FRP composites composed of bidirectional FRP fabric with equal density in both directions are used for strengthening masonry. Masonry triplets are glued with glass and carbon FRP composites in two configurations: (1) both faces of the triplet specimens are fully glued with GFRP composites; and (2) both faces of the triplet specimens are glued with GFRP and CFRP composites in strip form. The performance of masonry assemblages strengthened with FRP composites is assessed in terms of gain in shear strength, shear displacement, and postpeak behavior for various configurations and types of FRP composites considered. A semianalytical model is proposed for the prediction of shear strength of masonry bed joints glued with FRP composites. A composite failure envelope consisting of a Coulomb friction model and a compression cap is obtained for unreinforced masonry and GFRP-strengthened masonry based on the test results of masonry triplets and masonry prisms with bed joints having various inclinations to the loading (C) 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.

AN INVESTIGATION OF CUTTING MECHANISMS AND STRAIN FIELDS DURING ORTHOGONAL CUTTING IN CFRPs

Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) are typically difficult to machine due to their highly heterogeneous and anisotropic nature and the presence of two phases (fiber and matrix) with vastly different strengths and stiffnesses. Typical machining damage mechanisms in FRPs include series of brittle fractures (especially for thermosets) due to shearing and cracking of matrix material, fiber pull-outs, burring, fuzzing, fiber-matrix debonding, etc. With the aim of understanding the influence of the pronounced heterogeneity and anisotropy observed in FRPs, ``Idealized'' Carbon FRP (I-CFRP) plates were prepared using epoxy resin with embedded equispaced tows of carbon fibers. Orthogonal cutting of these I-CFRPs was carried out, and the chip formation characteristics, cutting force signals and strain distributions obtained during machining were analyzed using the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. In addition, the same procedure was repeated on Uni-Directional CFRPs (UD-CFRPs). Chip formation mechanisms in FRPs were found to depend on the depth of cut and fiber orientation with pure epoxy showing a pronounced ``size effect.'' Experimental results indicate that in-situ full field strain measurements from DIC coupled with force measurements using dynamometry provide an adequate measure of anisotropy and heterogeneity during orthogonal cutting.

Different methods of manufacturing FE-based oxygen carrier particles for reforming via chemical looping, and their effect on performance

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a means of combusting carbonaceous fuels, which inherently separates the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the remaining combustion products, and has the potential to be used for the production of high-purity hydrogen. Iron-based oxygen carriers for CLC have been subject to considerable work; however, there are issues regarding the lifespan of iron-based oxygen carriers over repeated cycles. In this work, haematite (Fe2O3) was reduced in an N2+CO+CO2 mixture within a fluidised bed at 850°C, and oxidised back to magnetite (Fe3O4) in a H2O+N2 mixture, with the subsequent yield of hydrogen during oxidation being of interest. Subsequent cycles started from Fe3O4 and two transition regimes were studied; Fe3O4↔Fe0.947O and Fe 3O4↔Fe. Particles were produced by mechanical mixing and co-precipitation. In the case of co-precipitated particles, Al was added such that the ratio of Fe:Al by weight was 9:1, and the final pH of the particles during precipitation was investigated for its subsequent effect on reactivity. This paper shows that co-precipitated particles containing additives such as Al may be able to achieve consistently high H2 yields when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe, and that these yields are a function of the ratio of [CO2] to [CO] during reduction, where thermodynamic arguments suggest that the yield should be independent of this ratio. A striking feature with our materials was that particles made by mechanical mixing performed much better than those made by co-precipitation when cycling between Fe3O4 and Fe0.947O, but much worse than co-precipitated particles when cycling between Fe3O 4 and Fe.

Kinetics of the chemical looping oxidation of H2 by a co-precipitated mixture of CuO and Al2O3

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has the inherent property of separating CO2 from flue gases. Instead of air, it uses an oxygen-carrier, usually in the form of a metal oxide, to provide oxygen for combustion. When used for the combustion of gaseous fuels, such as natural gas, or synthesis gas from the gasification of coal, the technique gives a stream of CO2 which, on an industrial scale, would be sufficiently pure for geological sequestration. An important issue is the form of the metal oxide, since it must retain its reactivity through many cycles of complete reduction and oxidation. Here, we report on the rates of oxidation of one constituent of synthesis gas, H2, by co-precipitated mixtures of CuO+Al2O3 using a laboratory-scale fluidised bed. To minimise the influence of external mass transfer, and also of errors in the measurement of [H2], particles sized to 355-500μm were used at low [H2], with the temperature ranging from 450 to 900°C. Under such conditions, the reaction was slow enough for meaningful measurements of the intrinsic kinetics to be made. The reaction was found to be first order with respect to H2. Above ∼800°C, the reaction of CuO was fast and conformed to the shrinking core mechanism, proceeding via the intermediate, Cu2O, in: 2CuO+H2→Cu2O+H2O, ΔH1073 K0=- 116.8 kJ/mol; Cu2O+H2→2Cu+H2O, ΔH1073 K0-80.9 kJ/mol. After oxidation of the products Cu and Cu2O back to CuO, the kinetics in subsequent cycles of chemical looping oxidation of H2 could be approximated by those in the first. Interestingly, the carrier was found to react at temperatures as low as 300°C. The influence of the number of cycles of reduction and oxidation is explored. Comparisons are drawn with previous work using reduction by CO. Finally, these results indicate that the kinetics of reaction of the oxygen carrier with gasifier synthesis gases is very much faster than rates of gasification of the original fuel. © 2010 The Institution of Chemical Engineers.

An experimental-study of the bending behavior of call hybrid composites

The bending behavior and damage characteristics of CALL (Carbon fiber/epoxy/AL Laminate) hybrid composites have been studied by moire interferometry. The shear strain distribution along the cross-section and the forms of damage of bending beams are obtained. The results show that the magnitude of the shear strain in a carbon/epoxy layer is obviously larger than that in a corresponding aluminum layer and the shear strain distribution of a CFRP layer along the cross-section conforms basically to a parabolic distribution curve, as for the shear strain distribution in aluminum layers along the cross-section. Shear damage, either in the interfaces or in carbon-fiber/epoxy laminae, and tensile failure of CFRP laminae in the tension surface represent, respectively, the damage forms of the longitudinal and transverse bending specimen.

Genetics of Type III Bartter Syndrome in Spain, Proposed Diagnostic Algorithm

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Influence of Humidity on Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

We demonstrate the influence of the relative humidity (RH) on the wavelength of fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGS), performing tests with five FBGS at different humidity and temperature conditions. These tests were performed in a climate chamber whose RH changes according to a scheduled profile from 30% to 90%, in steps of 10%. These profiles were repeated for a wide range of temperatures from to , in steps of . Two different types of instrumentation methods have been tested, spot welding and epoxy bonding, in two different materials, steel and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). We discuss the results for each type of sensor and instrumentation method by analyzing the linearity of the Bragg wavelength with RH and temperature.

Multilayer Active Shell Mirrors

This thesis presents a novel active mirror technology based on carbon fiber composites and replication manufacturing processes. Multiple additional layers are implemented into the structure in order to provide the reflective layer, actuation capabilities and electrode routing. The mirror is thin, lightweight, and has large actuation capabilities. These features, along with the associated manufacturing processes, represent a significant change in design compared to traditional optics. Structural redundancy in the form of added material or support structures is replaced by thin, unsupported lightweight substrates with large actuation capabilities.

Several studies motivated by the desire to improve as-manufactured figure quality are performed. Firstly, imperfections in thin CFRP laminates and their effect on post-cure shape errors are studied. Numerical models are developed and compared to experimental measurements on flat laminates. Techniques to mitigate figure errors for thicker laminates are also identified. A method of properly integrating the reflective facesheet onto the front surface of the CFRP substrate is also presented. Finally, the effect of bonding multiple initially flat active plates to the backside of a curved CFRP substrate is studied. Figure deformations along with local surface defects are predicted and characterized experimentally. By understanding the mechanics behind these processes, significant improvements to the overall figure quality have been made.

Studies related to the actuation response of the mirror are also performed. The active properties of two materials are characterized and compared. Optimal active layer thicknesses for thin surface-parallel schemes are determined. Finite element simulations are used to make predictions on shape correction capabilities, demonstrating high correctabiliity and stroke over low-order modes. The effect of actuator saturation is studied and shown to significantly degrade shape correction performance.

The initial figure as well as actuation capabilities of a fully-integrated active mirror prototype are characterized experimentally using a Projected Hartmann test. A description of the test apparatus is presented along with two verification measurements. The apparatus is shown to accurately capture both high-amplitude low spatial-frequency figure errors as well as those at lower amplitudes but higher spatial frequencies. A closed-loop figure correction is performed, reducing figure errors by 94%.