Nonlinear Parameter Identification of a Mechanical Interface Based on Primary Wave Scattering

We study stress-wave propagation in an impulsively forced split Hopkinson bar system incorporating a threaded interface. We first consider only primary transmission and reflection and reduce the problem to a first-order, strongly nonlinear ordinary differential equation governing the displacement across the interface, called the primary-pulse model. The interface is modeled as an adjusted-Iwan element, which is characterized by matching experimental and numerical eigenfrequencies as well as primary pulse amplitudes. We find that the adjusted-Iwan element parameters are dependent on preload and impact velocity (input force). A high-order finite element model paired with the identified adjusted-Iwan element is used to simulate multiple transmissions and reflections across the interface. We find that the finite element simulation reproduces the experimental results in both the wavelet and Fourier domains, validating the identification method. Our findings demonstrate that the primary-pulse model can be used for experimental parameter identification of nonlinear interfaces in waveguides.     

No-discharge atmospheric pressure chemical ionization: evaluation and application to the analysis of animal drug residues in complex matrices

Alternative ionization methods are increasingly being utilized to increase the versatility and selectivity of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). One such technique is the practice of using commercially available atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources with the corona discharge turned off, a process termed no-discharge APCI (ND-APCI). The relative LC/MS responses for several different classes of veterinary drugs were obtained by using ND-APCI, electrospray ionization (ESI), and APCI. While the ND-APCI-MS and -MSn spectra for these compounds were comparable with ESI, ND-APCI provided advantages in sensitivity and selectivity for some compounds. Drugs that were charged in solution as cations or sodium adducts responded particularly well with this technique. Instrumental parameters such as temperatures, gas and liquid flow rates, and source design were investigated to determine their effect on the process of ND-APCI. This paper explores advantages of using ND-APCI for the determination and confirmation of drug residues that might be found in food matrices, including malachite green residues in fish tissue and avermectin residues in milk.     

Ultraviolet B light stimulates interleukin-20 expression by human epithelial keratinocytes

The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-20 (IL-20) may exert the majority of its activity in the skin. We examined the effect of various treatments including several forms of phototherapy on IL-20 expression using cultured normal human epithelial keratinocytes (NHEK). Broadband UVB light, recombinant (r) IL-1 and rIL-8 increased, while hydrocortisone reduced, NHEK supernatant IL-20 levels. Elevation of NHEK IL-20 mRNA and maximal supernatant IL-20 levels occurred with a UVB light dose (40 mJ cm(-2)) that reduced cell viability by approximately 50%. While this UVB light dose also elevated supernatant IL-1 alpha and IL-8 levels, antibody neutralization studies indicated that neither of these cytokines was directly responsible for this increase in IL-20 expression. However, the elevation in IL-20 levels was fully inhibited by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB-203580, suggesting involvement of this stress signaling pathway in this UVB light response. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with the photosensitizer lemuteporfin, UVA light, cisplatin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) either had little effect or decreased NHEK supernatant IL-20 levels. Reduced IL-20 levels paralleled the cytotoxic actions of PDT, UVA light or cisplatin and the antiproliferative effect of rIFN-gamma. Neither rIL-20 supplementation nor anti-IL-20 antibody treatments affected cell viability indicating that soluble IL-20 did not affect the short-term survival of UVB light-irradiated NHEK. Stimulation of IL-20 expression in keratinocytes by UVB light suggests that this cytokine might participate in skin responses to this ever-present environmental factor and potentially has a role in UV light-associated dermatoses.     

Retention in gas-liquid chromatography with a polyethylene oxide stationary phase: molecular simulation and experiment

Configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations in the isobaric-isothermal Gibbs ensemble were carried out to investigate the partitioning of normal alkanes, primary and secondary alcohols, symmetric alkyl ethers and arenes between a helium vapor phase and a polyethylene oxide stationary phase (M(W)=382 g mol(-1)). The united-atom version of the transferable potentials for phase equilibria force field was used to model all solutes, polyethylene oxide and helium. The Gibbs free energies of transfer and Kovats retention indices of the solutes were calculated directly from the partition constants at two different temperatures, 353 and 393 K. Chromatographic experiments on a Carbowax 20M retentive phase were performed for the same set of solutes and temperatures ranging from 333 to 413 K. The predicted retention indices for alcohols, ethers and arenes are overestimated by about 120, 70 and 20 retention index units, respectively, pointing to an overestimation of the first-order electrostatic interactions in the model system. Molecular-level analysis shows that hydrogen-bonding and dipole-dipole interactions lead to orientational ordering for the alcohol and ether analytes, whereas the weaker dipole-quadrupole interactions for the arene solutes are not sufficient to induce orientational ordering. The retention indices of alcohols and ethers decrease with increasing temperature because of the large entropic cost of hydrogen-bonding and orientational ordering. In contrast, the retention indices for arenes increase with increasing temperature because the entropic cost of cavity formation is smaller for arenes than for comparable alkanes.     

Determination of pesticides in soy-based infant formula using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive method using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) was developed and validated to quantify and confirm 13 pesticides, including aldicarb sulfoxide, aldicarb sulfone, oxamyl, methomyl, formetanate, 3-hydroxycarbofuran, carbendazim, thiabendazole, aldicarb, propoxur, carbofuran, carbaryl, and methiocarb, in soy-based infant formula. Data acquisition under MS/MS was achieved by applying multiple reaction monitoring of 2 fragment ion transitions to provide a high degree of sensitivity and selectivity for both quantitation and confirmation. Different approaches to constructing calibration curves were compared and discussed to address issues of the extraction efficiency or recovery, and matrix effects. Matrix-matched standard calibration curves with the use of isoprocarb as an internal standard were finally used to achieve the best accuracy of the method. Under most circumstances, recoveries of 13 pesticides, spiked at 5.0, 25.0, and 45.0 microg/kg, were close to 100%. The method detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio > or =3:1; microg/kg) of 13 pesticides were 0.2 for thiabendazole and methiocarb, 0.6 for aldicarb, and 0.1 for the others.     

Quantification of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the knee in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis based on pharmacokinetic modeling

Improved management of arthritis requires a reliable, quantifiable, noninvasive method to monitor the degree of inflammation and therapeutic response during the early phase of the disease. For this purpose, the uptake of Gd-DTPA in the distal femoral physis and synovium in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) was evaluated with a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Employing a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model, the theoretical signal enhancement from Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic 3D gradient-recalled echo (GRE) images was shown to have a simple linear relationship with tissue concentration independent of flip angle. The signal-enhancement patterns for each individual knee were found to be characterized by three pharmacokinetic parameters: k(ep) (min(-1)), the rate constant; k(el) (min(-1)), the elimination rate constant; and E(R) (min(-1)), the initial enhancement rate, which is proportional to the transfer constant K(trans) (min(-1)). Characteristic patterns were observed in the image signal intensity-time course. The initial enhancement rate, E(R), in regions of interest (ROIs) was found to have a wide range of variation: 5 to 38 min(-1) over the distal femoral physis and 1 to 10 min(-1) in the synovium. The E(R) of the synovium was correlated with the E(R) of the distal femoral physis (P<.05). In addition, the E(R) of the synovium was correlated to the clinical outcome measures of knee swelling. Further investigation is needed to determine whether wide variations in the pharmacokinetic parameters reflect the degree of disease activity, and whether there are changes in response to therapy. This method can also be applied in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other disorders where T(1)-weighted contrast is used (breast cancer, brain tumors).     

Geometric distortion in clinical MRI systems Part I: evaluation using a 3D phantom

Recently, a 3D phantom that can provide a comprehensive and accurate measurement of the geometric distortion in MRI has been developed. Using this phantom, a full assessment of the geometric distortion in a number of clinical MRI systems (GE and Siemens) has been carried out and detailed results are presented in this paper. As expected, the main source of geometric distortion in modern superconducting MRI systems arises from the gradient field nonlinearity. Significantly large distortions with maximum absolute geometric errors ranged between 10 and 25 mm within a volume of 240 x 240 x 240 mm(3) were observed when imaging with the new generation of gradient systems that employs shorter coils. By comparison, the geometric distortion was much less in the older-generation gradient systems. With the vendor's correction method, the geometric distortion measured was significantly reduced but only within the plane in which these 2D correction methods were applied. Distortion along the axis normal to the plane was, as expected, virtually unchanged. Two-dimensional correction methods are a convenient approach and in principle they are the only methods that can be applied to correct geometric distortion in a single slice or in multiple noncontiguous slices. However, these methods only provide an incomplete solution to the problem and their value can be significantly reduced if the distortion along the normal of the correction plane is not small.     

Phonetogram Changes for Trained Singers Over a Nine-Month Period of Vocal Training

Professional vocalists encounter demands requiring voluntary control of phonation, while utilizing a considerable range of frequency and intensity. These quantifiable acoustic events can be measured and represented in a phonetogram. Previous research has compared the phonetograms of trained and untrained voices and found significant differences between these groups. This study was designed to assess the effects of vocal training for singers over a period of nine months. Phonetogram contour changes were examined, with the primary focus on expansion of frequency range and/or intensity control. Twenty-one first-year, master's level, vocal music students, who were engaged in an intensive vocal performance curriculum, participated in this study. Following nine months of vocal training, significant differences were revealed in the subjects' mean frequency range and minimum vocal intensity across frequency levels. There was no significant difference for the mean maximum vocal intensity across frequency levels following vocal training.     

Unconventional, highly selective CO2 adsorption in zeolite SSZ-13

Low-pressure adsorption of carbon dioxide and nitrogen was studied in both acidic and copper-exchanged forms of SSZ-13, a zeolite containing an 8-ring window. Under ideal conditions for industrial separations of CO(2) from N(2), the ideal adsorbed solution theory selectivity is >70 in each compound. For low gas coverage, the isosteric heat of adsorption for CO(2) was found to be 33.1 and 34.0 kJ/mol for Cu- and H-SSZ-13, respectively. From in situ neutron powder diffraction measurements, we ascribe the CO(2) over N(2) selectivity to differences in binding sites for the two gases, where the primary CO(2) binding site is located in the center of the 8-membered-ring pore window. This CO(2) binding mode, which has important implications for use of zeolites in separations, has not been observed before and is rationalized and discussed relative to the high selectivity for CO(2) over N(2) in SSZ-13 and other zeolites containing 8-ring windows.