De La Salle University

About: De La Salle University is a education organization based out in Manila, Philippines. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Computer science. The organization has 2951 authors who have published 4374 publications receiving 49567 citations. The organization is also known as: Pamantasang De La Salle.

Control and Mechanical Design of a Multi-diameter Tri-Legged In- Pipe Traversing Robot

Abstract: In this paper a versatile and adaptive in-pipe robot is designed and tested The existing problem of versatility and adaptability of in pipe inspection robots are addressed in this study. The robot is equipped with a screw type assembly, which uniformly contracts and retracts a tri-arm assembly of wheels connected to it. This mechanism ensures that the robot grips the pipe walls when the arms are expanded. The dynamic model of the robot is derived and implemented in a proportional integral controller. The robot can maintain vertical position by maintaining the force exerted on the screw system Simulations and experiments were conducted to determine the robustness and stability of the robot system In addition, the robot is also capable of rust mapping, which enables easier pipe monitoring. The rust mapping yielded an S3.2% success rate.

Cytotoxic Isothiocyanates from Moringa oleifera Lam Seeds

Abstract: seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam afforded 4-(4′-Oacetyl-α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate (1), 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate (2), squalene (3) and sitosterol (4). The dichloromethane extract of the air-dried leaves of M. oleifera afforded polyprenol (5), phytyl fatty acid ester (6) and lutein (7). The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, while those of 3-7 were identified by comparison of their C NMR data with those reported in the literature. T

Micro and Nano Silver-Graphene Composite Manufacturing via Horizontal Vapor Phase Growth (HVPG) Technique

Abstract: In this study, nanosilver-graphene composites were successfully manufactured via the horizontal vapor phase growth (HVPG) technique. A quartz tube loaded with the starting material, equal masses silver (Ag) powder and multi-layer graphene (Ge), was evacuated to ~10-6 Torr, sealed, and then baked at 1200°C for 6 hours, with its orientation such that a horizontal temperature gradient was generated across the tube. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis revealed variations in the structure and composition of the nanomaterials deposited on different regions of the tube, and the diameter of the nanomaterials was found to decrease with decreasing temperature.

Lipidomics reveals associations between rice quality traits

Abstract: Lipids are a diverse group of macromolecules that occur in rice grains and are known to impact rice grain properties. Identifying the relationships between specific lipids and traits of quality is important to improve varietal selection for high quality rice. Using untargeted lipidomics, this study aims to understand the role of lipids on different traits of quality by identifying the genotypic effect of lipids and their impact on traits of cooking and eating quality of a rice mapping population. Lipids from milled rice grains of three sets of rice samples were screened by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) in the positive ionisation mode. Lipid features were putatively identified using analytical standards and online databases. Multivariate statistics were carried out to identify the lipid profile of varieties across three experiments. Correlation analysis was carried out between lipid features and 12 quality traits across a rice mapping population that segregates for grain physical and texture-associated traits. Thousands of features in rice grain lipids were detected, and were grouped into six categories—fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, sterol lipids and prenol lipids. A strong genotypic basis for the lipid profile was observed among the four varieties grown under five nitrogen treatments. Clear differentiation in lipid profiles between waxy and non-waxy rice was observed. Strong correlations were observed for putative lipids that form the amylose–lipid complex and with amylose content and viscosity parameters. This study demonstrates the strength of untargeted lipidomics in putatively determining features that differentiate varieties from each other, and reveals the role of specific lipids on the physical and textural quality of rice.

Flexibility Optimization for a Palm Oil-Based Integrated Biorefinery with Demand Uncertainties

Abstract: The flexibility of a manufacturing process is defined as its ability to accommodate variations and thus, operate in a stable manner for a range of conditions. The subject of flexibility arises in the space of uncertain design parameters that include volatility of raw materials and products price, variability of feedstock supply, and product demand, etc. In this paper, a flexibility model is developed to assess the capacities of process units in a plant to absorb variations in product demand. The flexibility index is introduced in this work to quantitatively measure the capability of the plant to accommodate to the maximum or minimum changes in the demand of multiple products. This involves determining the region for change in the production portfolio at which the plant still operates feasibly while absorbing tolerances between each product demand. The concept of corner points is adapted which forms a geometric boundary to the region of feasible operation. The region considered accounts for process adjustm...