Search

Excellence in casting design and manufacturing engineering will create a high value structural component at reasonable cost. Castings offer the designer incredible flexibility and many avenues to use that geometric [...]

Focused concern and education related to filling damage and oxide inclusions has been widely promoted among the foundry industry in the past three decades, with special regards to aluminum. However, [...]

In-process weld reworked parts can meet the requirements of aerospace, military and commercial structural specifications when reworked with proper capability. But since it is expensive, foundries should try to minimize [...]

Previous research suggests that loss of social status adversely impacts subjective well-being. Here, we show that important factors modulating this relationship are age differences in beliefs in opportunities and upward mobility. Across two preregistered longitudinal analyses (N1= 5,487 and N2= 1,092; 18–89 years), we found that individuals who hold a stronger belief that they have more opportunities in the future to improve their social status are less likely to suffer from status loss. Further analyses revealed that this interaction effect can be explained by age differences in these beliefs. Specifically, younger individuals were more likely to hold opportunity and upward mobility beliefs and, thus, were better able to maintain their relative level of life satisfaction when experiencing status loss. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of how individuals may mitigate the detrimental consequences of status loss to their subjective well-being across the adult life span.

Cerium oxide is a low-value byproduct of rare-earth mining yet constitutes the largest fraction of the rare earth elements. The reduction of cerium oxide by liquid aluminum is proposed as an energy- and cost-efficient route to produce high-strength Al–Ce alloys. This work investigated the mechanism of a multi-step reduction reaction to facilitate the industrial adaptation of the process. Differential scanning calorimetry in combination with time-resolved synchrotron diffraction data uncovered the rate-limiting reaction step as the origin of the reported temperature dependence of reduction efficiency. This is the first in situstudy of a metallothermic reaction mechanism and will serve as guidance for cost- and energy efficient industrial process control.

The use of inserts allows for the selective reinforcement of castings to improve mechanical properties, including surface hardness and wear rate. Metal surfaces that undergo wear on account of friction can be strengthened using metal matrix composite (MMC) inserts. An essential factor in the manufacture and application of compound casting involving MMC inserts has been the bond strength between the insert and alloy. This work studied fluxes (CsAlF4 and LiAlF4), preheating, and nickel (Ni) plating to improve the bond strength between A206 and A201-Al2SiO5fiber MMC. It was observed that Flux 1 (G-2004), Flux 2 (CS-2020), and Ni plating, when used with preheating the insert up to 200 °C, led to the formation of a diffusion bond. The effect of fluxes and plating has been discussed, along with the impact of the insert oxide layer on the formation of diffusion bonds. The microstructure formed at the interface between casting and insert was analyzed.

Breakthrough fungal infections in patients on antimicrobial prophylaxis during allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) represent a major and often unexplained cause of morbidity and mortality. Candida parapsilosisis a common cause of invasive candidiasis and has been classified as a high-priority fungal pathogen by the World Health Organization. In high-risk allo-HCT recipients on micafungin prophylaxis, we show that heteroresistance (the presence of a phenotypically unstable, low-frequency subpopulation of resistant cells (~1 in 10,000)) underlies breakthrough bloodstream infections by C. parapsilosis. By analyzing 219 clinical isolates from North America, Europe and Asia, we demonstrate widespread micafungin heteroresistance in C. parapsilosis. Standard antimicrobial susceptibility tests, such as broth microdilution or gradient diffusion assays, which guide drug selection for invasive infections, fail to detect micafungin heteroresistance in C. parapsilosis. To facilitate rapid detection of micafungin heteroresistance in C. parapsilosis, we constructed a predictive machine learning framework that classifies isolates as heteroresistant or susceptible using a maximum of ten genomic features. These results connect heteroresistance to unexplained antifungal prophylaxis failure in allo-HCT recipients and demonstrate a proof-of-principle diagnostic approach with the potential to guide clinical decisions and improve patient care.

The present study investigated the effect of cooling rate on the solidification of hypereutectic Al–Ce alloys, where varying cooling rates were obtained using a step casting mold. The thinner section sizes led to higher cooling rates, leading to a decrease in grain size. The microstructure, density, hardness, and phase composition of the alloy samples were observed and analyzed. The results showed that a high cooling rate led to a reduction in the size of the intermetallic particles while improving the hardness of the alloy. The phase identification showed that the phases consisted of eutectic Al, eutectic Al11Ce3, and primary Al11Ce3.

Background Teenagers are at high-risk of obesity and related co-morbidities, and yet, are notoriously challenging to engage for behavior change.Focus This work offers an innovative integrated theoretical model, the Enhanced Integrated Behavioral Model (EIBM), drawing from communication, persuasion, and behavior-change theories to inform social marketing.Research Question Can the EIBM prove effective to reach and engage teens in both behavior- and social norms-change?Program Design/Approach We used EIBM to pilot a social marketing campaign aimed at increasing water consumption among teens and their networks.Importance to Field Social marketing is an approach, not a theory. Behavior change models usually provide only limited instruction on messaging. Communication theories can lack practical application guidance. By combining both, we propose a theoretical framework to maximize social marketing campaigns.Methods We piloted a two-tiered social media driven social marketing campaign for high school students to promote increased water consumption and decreased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in rural New Mexico to change their behaviors and engage them as change agents.Results Our campaign guided students through various stages of attitude, empowerment, and behavior change, for themselves and their families and friends, supporting our model’s utility for social marketing campaign design and implementation.Recommendations for Research Further testing of EIBM for social marketing.

The internal scrap rate in a metalcaster's shop is a major concern for casting producers and customers alike. An excessive scrap rate can hurt a foundry's competitive position and result [...]

Metalcasters often talk about castability, but what does that mean? Castability is the ease of forming a quality casting. A very castable part design is one that is easily developed, [...]

Byline: David Weiss The recent passing of 86-year-old gizmo guru Ron Popeil will yield few flags lowered in his honor, despite his having waged endless war for our fleeting attention [...]

Eutectic aluminum-cerium (Al-Ce) alloy systems have good mechanical properties at high temperatures and are very castable. Their castability is as good or better than the aluminum-silicon system with some deterioration [...]

Hydrodynamics accurately describe relativistic heavy-ion collision experiments well before local thermal equilibrium is established1. This unexpectedly rapid onset of hydrodynamics—which takes place on the fastest available timescale—is called hydrodynamization2–4. It occurs when an interacting quantum system is quenched with an energy density that is much greater than its ground-state energy density5,6. During hydrodynamization, energy gets redistributed across very different energy scales. Hydrodynamization precedes local equilibration among momentum modes5, which is local prethermalization to a generalized Gibbs ensemble7,8in nearly integrable systems or local thermalization in non-integrable systems9. Although many theories of quantum dynamics postulate local prethermalization10,11, the associated timescale has not been studied experimentally. Here we use an array of one-dimensional Bose gases to directly observe both hydrodynamization and local prethermalization. After we apply a Bragg scattering pulse, hydrodynamization is evident in the fast redistribution of energy among distant momentum modes, which occurs on timescales associated with the Bragg peak energies. Local prethermalization can be seen in the slower redistribution of occupation among nearby momentum modes. We find that the timescale for local prethermalization in our system is inversely proportional to the momenta involved. During hydrodynamization and local prethermalization, existing theories cannot quantitatively model our experiment. Exact theoretical calculations in the Tonks–Girardeau limit12show qualitatively similar features.

The entire supply chain--metal casting suppliers and purchasers included--are conscious of minimizing waste and cost, while improving so-called green practices. The North American metalcasting industry faces increased government regulation for [...]

No surface is safe. The specialty known as projection mapping is hitting its stride, with a steady evolution since the practice debuted. Its premiere was perhaps as early as 1969 [...]

Think back to the first high-tech buzzwords you ever heard, and 'interactive' very well may be on that list. But there's a reason that this golden oldie remains a goodie, [...]

In a field that's racing forward as fast as AV, who's got time to look back? Turns out, not taking a moment to review the roots of the industry that [...]

The article focuses on the development of an improved repair welding alloy and process for Al-Cu sand castings, addressing challenges in welding 200 series alloys like A206 and emphasizing the importance of controlling temperature during welding. Topics include optimizing weld alloy chemistry; improving repair welding practices; and evaluating the effects of welding parameters and post-weld heat treatments on weld quality and mechanical properties.

You know that old cliche about content and how it's personified by a guy who wears a crown and also happens to be on lots of playing cards? Yeah, you've [...]

In this paper, we present the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to assess castability, porosity, molten metal fluidity and other technological properties of a new Al–Ce alloy. A thermodynamic analysis of a new Al–Ce alloy is done to obtain the physical properties as a function of temperature across both solid and liquid phases. These properties are then used to build the CFD model of the full casting process from initial pouring through to final solidification of the part, here an example of a heavy duty MOR mount is used. This process shows that CFD can be used to assess the capability of the alloy to properly fill the mold, as well as give predictions where scattered porosity or large-scale defects may occur in the casting. Unlike the commercially available software (e.g., ProCAST, SOLIDCast, MAGMASOFT®) the complex 3D-analysis of the stress/strain fields in cast parts is not performed at this time. The simulation are performed in Star-CCM+ using a volume of fluid analysis. However, the availability of free software for assessing the required thermodynamic/thermo-physical properties of new alloys (OpenCALPHAD) and CFD codes such as OpenFOAM®makes the developed option attractive and economical to adapt in future, especially for the analysis of new Al–Ce alloys, for which the available data does not exist.

Developing a successful, repeatable, reliable process for pouring aluminum into a permanent mold is no simple task. The many variables include metal and mold temperatures, shrink factors, mold coatings, casting [...]

AV is blowing up all over--literally. Every day, AV integrators are faced with scenarios subjecting their installations to the worst of what the world has to offer: weather, climate, voltage [...]

If you want to know where you're going, you've got to know where you've been--unless you're talking about video. When it comes to visual displays, clients are finding that virtually [...]

Similar to ablation of ice glaciers, where the snow and ice accumulated in the winter months is worn away in the summer by melting, erosion, evaporation and sublimation, ablation casting [...]

Face it: Living large is everyone's goal, whether you're talking lifestyle or AV aspirations. And as clients' visions grow in scope, not surprisingly, there's an increasingly wide array of large [...]

I USED MY CANE to hit the handicapped door opener. My hands shook and shadows danced on the wall. In the back of my mind, I saw train tracks. My [...]

Trends show that newer natural gas equipment technologies are allowing residential, commercial, and industrial customers to save energy and money. Some energy-efficient options include gas tankless water heaters and high-efficiency condensing furnaces. The use of gas humidifiers is also discussed.

Aluminum alloy A535 is well suited for automotive, marine and military applications because of its corrosion resistance in mild alkaline and salt spray exposure and combination of strength, ductility, shock [...]

Byline: David Weiss Confession: I am that annoying, low self-control boor at a play or movie constantly nudging his wife and snark-whispering while the room rocks with laughter (which is [...]

Byline: David Weiss Leave it to a Swedish documentarian to unearth a nearly forgotten chapter in the history of American jazz: the brilliant life and ugly death of trumpeter Lee [...]

The automotive industry recognizes that weight reduction and improved engine efficiency will make the greatest contribution to improved fuel economy with current powertrains. This is evidenced by the increased use [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2005.10.016 Byline: David L. Weiss (a), Khan M. Siddiqui (b), Joe Scopelliti (a) Keywords: User interface device; picture archiving and communications systems; workstation; interpretation Abstract: The process of radiologic interpretation has been revolutionized with the adoption of filmless imaging. Despite the radical change in viewing techniques and a rapidly expanding array of display, navigation, and manipulation tools, the keyboard-and-mouse configuration remains the standard for user interaction during radiologic interpretation. Author Affiliation: (a) Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa (b) VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, Md

The constant drive to reduce part weight for automotive applications makes aluminum alloys attractive candidates for producing structural components because they are lighter than ferrous metals while featuring the necessary [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2005.08.016 Byline: Khan M. Siddiqui (a), David L. Weiss (b), Anne P. Dunne (b), Barton F. Branstetter (c) Keywords: Imaging informatics; education; residency training; medical informatics Abstract: Imaging informatics, as part of the wider emerging discipline of medical informatics, remains poorly defined. However, many educators agree that formalized and flexible training in the collection, display, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and communication of imaging data, as well as the integration of these data into larger databases, should be introduced into the period of radiology residency training. The authors review the importance of such training to those individuals now preparing for clinical practice and research. They describe a sample imaging informatics curriculum that can be incorporated into a 4-year radiology residency program and the significance of such training in establishing a new subdiscipline focusing on imaging information technologies. Author Affiliation: (a) VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, Md. (b) Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa. (c) University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.

A study examining the need for an approach towards taking up leadership development programs in organizations, is presented.

Inside This Story: * Detailed are the melt operations of two aluminum casting facilities, including charging, fluxing and degassing. * This overview of the operations can help guide other plants [...]

Background: Many expert panels recommend colorectal cancer screening for average-risk asymptomatic individuals older than 50 years of age. Recent studies have found that 24% to 64% of primary care providers use only the digital fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as their primary screening test. The effectiveness of a single digital FOBT is unknown. Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of digital FOBT and the recommended 6-sample at-home FOBT for advanced neoplasia in asymptomatic persons. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: 13 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Patients: 3121 asymptomatic patients 50 to 75 years of age. Intervention: 2665 patients had 6-sample at-home FOBT and digital FOBT, followed by complete colonoscopy. Measurements: We measured the sensitivity of digital and 6-sample FOBT for advanced neoplasia and the specificity for no neoplasia. We calculated predictive values and likelihood ratios for advanced neoplasia, defined as tubular adenomas 10 mm or greater, adenomas with villous histology or high-grade dysplasia, or invasive cancer. Results: of all participants, 96.8% were men; their average age was 63.1 years. The 6-sample FOBT and the single digital FOBT had specificities of 93.9% and 97.5%, respectively, as defined by studying 1656 patients with no neoplasia. Sensitivities for detection of advanced neoplasia in 284 patients were 23.9% for the 6-sample FOBT and 4.9% for the digital FOBT. The likelihood ratio for advanced neoplasia was 1.68 (95% CI, 0.96 to 2.94) for positive results on digital FOBT and 0.98 (CI, 0.95 to 1.01) for negative results. Limitations: Most patients were men. Conclusions: Single digital FOBT is a poor screening method for colorectal neoplasia and cannot be recommended as the only test. When digital FOBT is performed as part of a primary care physical examination, negative results do not decrease the odds of advanced neoplasia. Persons with these results should be offered at-home 6-sample FOBT or another type of screening test.

Together with Macs and laser printers, flatbed scanners helped herald the desktop-publishing revolution of the 1980s. By the mid-1990s, flatbed scanners had shrunk in size and plummeted in price (some […]

Elicitation treatments of grape cell cultures with methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation, and sucrose induce mild production of stilbenes and flavonoids due to limited substrate availability. However, these treatments cause a synergistic boost of stilbenes production when applied to two phenylalanine (Phe)-enriched transgenic grape cell lines, AroG* + STSand AroG* + FLS. The combined treatment of UV-C elicitation on the Phe-fed AroG* + STSline resulted in the highest content of stilbenes (37.8-fold increase, 17.39 mg/g dry weight (DW)) mainly due to resveratrol (64-fold, 3.23 mg/g DW) and viniferin (1343-fold, 13.43 mg/g DW). The synergistic increase following either UV-C or MeJA elicitation was due to the induction of stilbene-related genes, while sucrose treatment had no effect on gene expression levels and served as an additional carbon source for phenylpropanoids. The combined strategy presented may enable future usage of grape cell cultures for the production of stilbenes and in particular viniferin.

The U.S. Department of Energy funded a number of proposals in 2004 under the Energy Saving Melting and Revert Reduction Technology (E-SMARRT) program, which included a project lead by Canmet [...]

'Can you hear me now?' It's irksome enough to have to say it during a one-on-one cell phone call--but in the weekly videoconference, with 40 people in your room, and [...]