Normal Feedback Stabilization of Periodic Flows in a Three-Dimensional Channel

We present an extension from two dimensions to three dimensions of a boundary control law, which stabilizes the parabolic profile of an infinite channel flow. The controller acts on the normal component of the velocity only. The stability is achieved without any a priori condition on the viscosity coefficient, that is on Reynolds number.     

Minimal Translation Hypersurfaces in Euclidean Space

The graph of a function f defined in some open set of the Euclidean space of dimension (p + q) is said to be a translation graph if f may be expressed as the sum of two independent functions ? and ψ defined in open sets of the Euclidean spaces of dimension p and q, respectively. We obtain a useful expression for the mean curvature of the graph of f in terms of the Laplacian, the gradient of ? and ψ as well as of the mean curvatures of their graphs. We study translation graphs having zero mean curvature, that is, minimal translation graphs, by imposing natural conditions on ? and ψ, like harmonicity, minimality and eikonality (constant norm of the gradient), giving several examples as well as characterization results.     

Shubnikov-de Haas effect in tricrystals of the system of alloys Bi1−x Sbx (x=0.1; 0.13) with n-type conductivity

The Shubnikov-de Haas effect has been investigated in tricrystals of the alloy system Bi_1−x Sb_x (x=0.1; 0.13) with n-type conductivity in stationary (up to 14 T) and pulsed (up to 40 T) magnetic fields. Reconstruction of the internal boundary of the tricrystals was observed, along with a number of new component oscillations of ρ(B) indicating a rotation of the constant-energy surfaces of the L electrons on the intercrystallite boundary at an angle of ∼74° in the binary-trigonal plane. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 991–993 (June 1999)     

On some Closed Magnetic Curves on a 3-torus

We consider two magnetic fields on the 3-torus obtained from two different contact forms on the Euclidean 3-space and we study when their corresponding normal magnetic curves are closed. We obtain periodicity conditions analogues to those for the closed geodesics on the torus.     

On the complexity and analysis of auxetic systems

A challenge in creating a model for an auxetic system based on a formalism that is fully computable, is the aim of this paper. Two major levels of complexity are discussed in a way of understanding the structure and processes that define an auxetic system. The auxeticity and structural complexity are interpreted in the light of Cosserat elasticity which admits degrees of freedom not present in classical elasticity, i.e. the rotation of points in the material, and a couple per unit area or the couple stress. The Young'modulus computing for a laminated periodic system made up of alternating aluminum and an auxetic material is an example of computing complexity. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Polylactic acid (PLA)/Silver-NP/VitaminE bionanocomposite electrospun nanofibers with antibacterial and antioxidant activity

The antibacterial property of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and the antioxidant activity of Vitamin E have been combined by incorporation of these two active components within polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibers via electrospinning (PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers). The morphological and structural characterizations of PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The average fiber diameter was 140 ± 60 nm, and the size of the Ag-NP was 2.7 ± 1.5 nm. PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers inhibited growth of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhymurium up to 100 %. The amount of released Ag ions from the nanofibers immersed in aqueous solution was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and it has been observed that the release of Ag ions was kept approximately constant after 10 days of immersion. The antioxidant activity of PLA/Ag-NP/VitaminE nanofibers was evaluated according to DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method and determined as 94 %. The results of the tests on fresh apple and apple juice indicated that the PLA/Ag/VitaminE nanofiber membrane actively reduced the polyphenol oxidase activity. The multifunctional electrospun PLA nanofibers incorporating Ag-NP and Vitamin E may be quite applicable in food packaging due to the extremely large surface area of nanofibers along with antibacterial and antioxidant activities. These materials could find application in food industry as a potential preservative packaging for fruits and juices.     

Electrochemical preparation and characterization of a cobalt oxide–platinum composite with promising capacitive and electrocatalytic features

In the present work, boron-doped diamond polycrystalline films were used as support for direct anodic deposition of the cobalt oxide, and continuous Co₃O₄ coatings with reasonably good conductivity were obtained by appropriately adjusting the deposition charge. Further electrochemical deposition of platinum particles on the oxide substrate enabled the formation of a stable composite with a specific capacitance of ca. 431 F?cm^?3 that compares well with that available with similar materials obtained by non-electrochemical methods. Additional advantages of electrochemically obtained composites are the lower content of noble metal, the uniform distribution of the charge over an extended potential range, and, importantly, the simplicity of the preparation method. It was also found that when deposited on a Co₃O₄ substrate, Pt particles show, besides an enhanced active surface area, an improved catalytic activity for methanol anodic oxidation. This behavior was tentatively ascribed to the presence of a high amount of platinum-oxidized species.