An experimental semi-active anti-roll system

The use of anti-roll bars to provide additional roll stiffness and therefore to reduce the trade-off between ride and rollover performance has previously been studied. However, little work has been carried out to investigate the benefits of a switchable roll stiffness. Such a semi-active anti-roll system has the ability to have a low roll stiffness during straight-ahead driving for improved ride performance and high roll stiffness during cornering for improved roll performance. Modelling of such a system is conducted and the model is validated against a semi-active anti-roll system fitted to an experimental vehicle. Experimental and theoretical investigations are used to investigate the performance of such a system with several different strategies employed to switch to the high-stiffness state. The use of an air suspension on the vehicle to roll into corners is also investigated, as is the possibility of exploiting the road layout by allowing the vehicle to be in a low-roll-stiffness configuration during a corner, and then to switch to the high-roll-stiffness configuration midcorner, hence 'locking in' a roll angle. The best rollover performance improvement that was achieved was 12.5 per cent. © IMechE 2008.

Thin film shape memory alloys and microactuators

For Micro-electro-mechanical System (MEMS) applications, TiNi-based thin film Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) possess many desirable properties, such as high power density, large transformation stress and strain upon heating and cooling, superelasticity and biocompatibility. In this paper, recent development in TiNi-based thin film SMA and microactuator applications is discussed. The topics related to film deposition and characterisation is mainly focused on crystal nucleation and growth during annealing, film thickness effect, film texture, stress induced surface relief, wrinkling and trenches as well as Temperature Memory Effect (TME). The microactuator applications are mainly focused on microvalve and microcage for biological applications, micromirror for optical applications and data storage using nanoindentation method. Copyright © 2009, Inderscience Publishers.

A philosophical stance on developing industrially relevant strategic technology management toolkits

When considering the potential uptake and utilization of technology management tools by industry, it must be recognized that companies face the difficult challenges of selecting, adopting and integrating individual tools into a toolkit that must be implemented within their current organizational processes and systems. This situation is compounded by the lack of sound advice on integrating well-founded individual tools into a robust toolkit that has the necessary degree of flexibility such that they can be tailored for application to specific problems faced by individual organizations. As an initial stepping stone to offering a toolkit with empirically proven utility, this paper provides a conceptual foundation to the development of toolkits by outlining an underlying philosophical position based on observations from multiple research and commercial collaborations with industry. This stance is underpinned by a set of operationalized principles that can offer guidance to organizations when deciding upon the appropriate form, functions and features that should be embodied by any potential tool/toolkit. For example, a key objective of any tool is to aid decision-making and a core set of powerful, flexible, scaleable and modular tools should be sufficient to allow users to generate, explore, shape and implement possible solutions across a wide array of strategic issues. From our philosophical stance, the preferred mode of engagement is facilitated workshops with a participatory process that enables multiple perspectives and structures the conversation through visual representations in order to manage the cognitive load in the collaborative environment. The generic form of the tools should be configurable for the given context and utilized in a lightweight manner based on the premise of start small and iterate fast. © 2011 IEEE.

山羊mtDNA 多态性及其起源分化研究

　本文用14 种识别6 碱基的限制性内切酶Apa Ⅰ、BamH Ⅰ、Bgl Ⅰ、Bgl Ⅱ、Dra Ⅰ、 EcoR Ⅰ、EcoR Ⅴ、Kpn Ⅰ、Pvu Ⅱ、Pst Ⅰ、Sac Ⅰ、Sal Ⅰ、Sma Ⅰ和Xho Ⅰ研究了来自我国12 个省 和自治区共计18 个地方山羊品种218 个个体mtDNA 的RFL P ,并运用Nei 氏公式计算了各限制 性类型间的遗传距离P 和群体遗传多态度π值。结果表明,在研究的所有个体中共检测到41 个 酶切位点,18 种限制性态型,其中BamH Ⅰ、Bgl Ⅱ、Dra Ⅰ、EcoR Ⅰ和Sal Ⅰ共5 种酶表现出多态。 18 种限制性态型可归结为6 种基因单倍型,单倍型Ⅰ(BamH Ⅰ2B、Bgl Ⅱ2A、Dra Ⅰ2A、EcoR Ⅰ2A 和Sal Ⅰ2A) 和单倍型Ⅱ(BamH Ⅰ2B、Bgl Ⅱ2A、Dra Ⅰ2A、EcoR Ⅰ2A 和Sal Ⅰ2B) 为两种基本单倍 型,研究结果提示我国地方山羊品种起源于两种不同的母系祖先。各限制性类型间的平均遗传距 离为0100436 ,整个群体的平均遗传多态度π值为010487 % ,表明我国地方山羊品种mtDNA 遗传 多样性比较贫乏,分化程度较低。

浙江地方猪种线粒体DNA多态及遗传多样性研究

用ApaⅠ、AvaⅠ、BamHⅠ、BclⅠ、BglⅠ、BglⅡ、ClaⅠ、DraⅠ、Eco RI、Eco RV、HaeⅡ、HincⅡ、HindⅢ、HpaⅠ、KpnⅠ、PstⅠ、PvuⅠ、PvuⅡ、SacⅠ、SalⅠ、ScaⅠ、SmaⅠ、StuⅠ、XbaⅠ和XhoⅠ等25种识别6个碱基对的限制性内切酶分析了浙江地方品种猪、浙江野猪等30个个体的线粒体DNA,共检出30种限制性态型(morph),可归结成3种单倍型,其中BamHⅠ-B、BclⅠ-B、DraⅠ-B和XbaⅠ-C为首次发现;各单倍型间平均遗传距离(p)为0.005,群体的平均多态度(#pi#)为0.0008,均处于遗传多样性贫乏范围。

云南保种山羊线粒体DNA限制性酶切研究

　采用碱变性法,提取来自云南省不同地区4个保种山羊的13个个体的线粒体DNA(mtDNA),并用ApaⅠ,AvaⅠ,BamHⅠ,BclⅠ,BcIⅠ，BglⅡ,ClaⅠ,DraⅠ, EcoRⅠ,EcoRⅤ,HaeⅠ,HindⅢ,KpnⅠ,PstⅠ,PvuⅡ,SacⅠ,SalⅠ,SmaⅠ,StuⅠ和XhoⅠ等20种限制性内切酶进行酶切分析。结果发现它们的线粒体DNA的分子量大 小约为15.8Kb；不同限制性内切酶的酶切位点分别为：DraⅠ有7个酶切位点，AvaⅢ有6个酶切位点，EcoRⅤ和StuⅠ共有5个酶切位点，HindⅡ和HaeⅡ有4个酶 切位点，BamHⅠ,BglⅡ,PstⅠ和PvuⅡ有3个酶切位点，ApaⅠ，ClaⅠ有两个酶切位点，其余有1个酶切位点。各保种山羊间未发现变异，说明云南的4个保种山 羊极可能来自于共同的母性祖先。

云南龙陵黄山羊线粒体DNA限制性酶切分析

采用碱性变性法提取来自于龙陵县不同地区的18只黄山羊个体的线粒体DNA(mtDNA),并用Apa I、Ava I、BamH I、Bcl I、Bgl I、Bgl II、Cla I、Dra I、EcoR I、EcoR V、Hae I、Hind III、Kpn I、Pst I、Pvu II、Sac I、Sal I、Sma I、Stu I和Xba I等20种限制性内切酶进行酶切分析。 结果发现龙陵黄山羊线粒体DNA的分子量大小约为15.8Kb;不同酶的酶切位点分别为:Dra I有7个酶切位点,Ava II有6个酶切位点,EcoR V和Stu I共有5个酶切位点,Hind III和Hea II有4个酶切位点,BamH I、Bgl II、Pst I和Pvu II有3个酶切位点,Apa I、Cla I有2个酶切位点,其余有1个酶切位点。

Ranking binder creep performance using the arrb elastometer

This paper discusses a laboratory study used to characterize bituminous binders based on their dynamic creep resistance. Laboratory testing using four different loading regimes on asphalt mixes with six different bituminous binders was undertaken. Creep cycles to 2% accumulated strain were used to define the creep resistance of the asphalt mixes with the various binders. Underlying viscosities of the bitumens were derived using the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) Elastometer. Marshall stability was measured on the specimens that were prepared using gyratory compaction. Regression plots were prepared that link creep resistance, underlying viscosity, and Marshall stability. It was found that the ARRB Elastometer is able to measure underlying viscosity, which is a reasonable predictor of dynamic creep resistance. Marshall stability was also shown to be a good indicator of dynamic creep resistance. Therefore, simpler tests such as Marshall stability and Elastometer can be used to rank bituminous materials for asphalt mix design purposes in the laboratory. © 2010 ASCE.

Re-examination of the coefficient of determination (r2) using road materials engineering case studies

The analysis of scientific data is integral to materials engineering and science. The correlation between measured variables is often quantified by estimating the coefficient of determination or the r2 value. This is the recognised procedure for determining linear relationships. The authors review the derivation of the r2 value and derive an associated quantity, termed the relative deviation (RD), which is the ratio of the root mean square of the deviations about the fitted line to the root mean square of the deviations about the y bar line expressed as a percentage. The relative deviation has an advantage over the coefficient of determination in that it has greater numerical sensitivity to changes in the spread of data about the fitted line, especially when the scatter is small. In addition, the relative deviation is able to define, in percentage terms, the reduction in scatter when different independent variables are correlated with a common dependent variable. Four case studies in the materials field (aggregate crushing value, Atterberg limits, permeability and creep of asphalt) from work carried out at the Queensland Main Roads Department are presented to show the use of the new parameter RD.

Low molar mass organosiloxane liquid crystals for telecommunication applications

Mixtures of two proprietary low molar mass organosiloxane liquid crystals were studied in order to improve their alignment and optimize their electro-optic properties for telecommunication applications. Over a certain concentration range, mixtures exhibited an isotropic-chiral smectic A-chiral smectic C (Iso-SmA*-SmC*) phase sequence leading to exceptionally good alignment. At room temperature, the spontaneous polarization of these samples was reduced from 225 nC cm -2 in the pure SmC* liquid crystal to as low as 75 nC cm -2 in the mixture. Within this concentration range, the ferroelectric tilt angle could be varied between 35° and 15°, while the rise time decreased by 69.4%. The rise times were < 45 μs for moderate electric fields of ± 10 V μm -1 in the SmC* phase and ∼ 4 μs, independent of electric field, in the SmA* phase. At λ = 1550 nm, these mixtures exhibited very large extinction ratios of {\sim} 60 dB for binary switching in the SmC* phase and ∼ 55 dB continuous variable attenuation in the SmA* phase. © 2012 IEEE.

Identification of Materials from Construction Site Images Using Content Based Image Retrieval Techniques

The capability to automatically identify shapes, objects and materials from the image content through direct and indirect methodologies has enabled the development of several civil engineering related applications that assist in the design, construction and maintenance of construction projects. Examples include surface cracks detection, assessment of fire-damaged mortar, fatigue evaluation of asphalt mixes, aggregate shape measurements, velocimentry, vehicles detection, pore size distribution in geotextiles, damage detection and others. This capability is a product of the technological breakthroughs in the area of Image and Video Processing that has allowed for the development of a large number of digital imaging applications in all industries ranging from the well established medical diagnostic tools (magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy and nuclear medical imaging) to image searching mechanisms (image matching, content based image retrieval). Content based image retrieval techniques can also assist in the automated recognition of materials in construction site images and thus enable the development of reliable methods for image classification and retrieval. The amount of original imaging information produced yearly in the construction industry during the last decade has experienced a tremendous growth. Digital cameras and image databases are gradually replacing traditional photography while owners demand complete site photograph logs and engineers store thousands of images for each project to use in a number of construction management tasks. However, construction companies tend to store images without following any standardized indexing protocols, thus making the manual searching and retrieval a tedious and time-consuming effort. Alternatively, material and object identification techniques can be used for the development of automated, content based, construction site image retrieval methodology. These methods can utilize automatic material or object based indexing to remove the user from the time-consuming and tedious manual classification process. In this paper, a novel material identification methodology is presented. This method utilizes content based image retrieval concepts to match known material samples with material clusters within the image content. The results demonstrate the suitability of this methodology for construction site image retrieval purposes and reveal the capability of existing image processing technologies to accurately identify a wealth of materials from construction site images.

A simple bioconjugate attachment protocol for use in single molecule force spectroscopy experiments based on mixed self-assembled monolayers.

Single molecule force spectroscopy is a technique that can be used to probe the interaction force between individual biomolecular species. We focus our attention on the tip and sample coupling chemistry, which is crucial to these experiments. We utilised a novel approach of mixed self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols in conjunction with a heterobifunctional crosslinker. The effectiveness of the protocol is demonstrated by probing the biotin-avidin interaction. We measured unbinding forces comparable to previously reported values measured at similar loading rates. Specificity tests also demonstrated a significant decrease in recognition after blocking with free avidin.

Experimental and numerical investigation of fracture mechanics of bitumen beams

This work presents an experimental and numerical investigation to characterise the fracture properties of pure bitumen (the binder in asphalt paving materials). The paper is divided into two parts. The first part describes an experimental study of fracture characterisation parameters of pure bitumen as determined by three-point bend tests. The second part deals with modelling of fracture and failure of bitumen by Finite Element analysis. Fracture mechanics parameters, stress intensity factor, KIC, fracture energy, GIC, and J-integral, JIC, are used for evaluation of bitumen's fracture properties. The material constitutive model developed by Ossa et al. [40,41] which was implemented into a FE code by Costanzi [18] is combined with cohesive zone models (CZM) to simulate the fracture behaviour of pure bitumen. Experimental and numerical results are presented in the form of failure mechanism maps where ductile, brittle and brittle-ductile transition regimes of fracture behaviour are classified. The FE predictions of fracture behaviour match well with experimental results. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.