Fresnel biprism as a 1D refractive axicon

Fresnel biprism is a one dimensional refractive element that has a lateral linear phase. Having been considered this element as a refractive axicon, its focal depth was evaluated theoretically and experimentally by means of Fresnel–Kirchhoff integral. It is shown that its focal length is a function of its refractive index and its apex angle. Experimental results are in very good agreement with theoretical work.     

A detailed study of metallic surface-relief grating

This paper presents a more detailed interaction of an electromagnetics light with a metallic surface-relief subwavelength grating utilizing the rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The focus of this work is the accurate modeling of undetermined aspects of diffraction patterns produced by binary metallic grating structures, specially gold grating. First-order diffraction efficiency for rectangular-groove gold grating with equal groove and ridge widths are presented for various wavelengths as a function of period, groove depth, polarization and angle of incidence. We also studied diffraction efficiency of both of TE and TM polarization modes against increasing of incident angle as well as TE polarization against increment of grating period. As a result, very low reflectivity at zero-order was found out for TE and TM polarizations at the pitch of Λ = 2λ. Having been studied diffraction efficiency of metallic surface-relief gratings, we also examined polarization-dependent efficiency of diffraction orders, for different groove depths. Simulation results have been completely presented.     

Role of recording geometry in the performance of spectral diversity filters with spherical beam volume holograms

We present experimental demonstrations of spectral diversity filters with spherical beam volume holograms for multimodal multiplex spectroscopy. Major properties of filters under diffuse-light illumination are discussed. The comparisons of spectral diversity between the transmission geometry holograms and the reflection geometry holograms are also studied. The results show that there is a trade-off between the degree of the spatial coherence of the source and the spectral diversity of the filter. We also conclude that the reflection geometry holograms have better spectral diversity and less sensitivity to the spatial coherence of the source.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of ferronanofluid behavior in a nanochannel in the presence of constant and time-dependent magnetic fields

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - For the first time, double phosphates(V) Zn3Cr4(PO4)6 and Mg3Cr4(PO4)6 were synthesized by non-waste solid-state reaction, performed in the temperature...     

Determining elemental strontium distribution in rat bones treated with strontium ranelate and strontium citrate using 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual energy K-edge subtraction synchrotron imaging

Strontium-based medications, such as strontium ranelate, have been suggested to have therapeutic effects in patients with osteoporosis. Strontium salts available off-shelf in stores across North America are assumed to provide similar effects as strontium ranelate and thus should lead to similar distributions of elemental strontium incorporated in bone. The objective of this study was to compare the spatial distribution of strontium in animal bones following the administration of strontium ranelate and strontium citrate. Seventeen-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats were split into three groups over 10 weeks and given 625 mg/kg/day of strontium ranelate and 676 mg/kg/day of strontium citrate; the control group received no additional supplementary strontium. The humeri were collected from all animals, and strontium distribution was mapped using 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual energy K-edge subtraction (KES) imaging. 2D and 3D elemental mapping methods demonstrated that strontium delivered during treatment by both salts had the same spatial distribution. 3D elemental strontium maps of treated animal bones showed that strontium was largely observed in the trabecular regions under the epiphyseal (growth) plate. The thickness of the strontium layers in both the strontium ranelate and strontium citrate sample was not significantly different (p = .9201). 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual-energy KES images effectively elucidated the spatial distribution of elemental strontium in calcified tissue. These methods provide a novel approach to evaluating the potential efficacy of strontium supplements in the treatment of osteoporosis.     

A Geometric Theory of Growth Mechanics

In this paper we formulate a geometric theory of the mechanics of growing solids. Bulk growth is modeled by a material manifold with an evolving metric. The time dependence of the metric represents the evolution of the stress-free (natural) configuration of the body in response to changes in mass density and “shape”. We show that the time dependency of the material metric will affect the energy balance and the entropy production inequality; both the energy balance and the entropy production inequality have to be modified. We then obtain the governing equations covariantly by postulating invariance of energy balance under time-dependent spatial diffeomorphisms. We use the principle of maximum entropy production in deriving an evolution equation for the material metric. In the case of isotropic growth, we find those growth distributions that do not result in residual stresses. We then look at Lagrangian field theory of growing elastic solids. We will use the Lagrange–d’Alembert principle with Rayleigh’s dissipation functions to derive the governing equations. We make an explicit connection between our geometric theory and the conventional multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient, F=F _e F _g, into growth and elastic parts. We linearize the nonlinear theory and derive a linearized theory of growth mechanics. Finally, we obtain the stress-free growth distributions in the linearized theory.     

Gut microbiota, diet, and heart disease

Modulation of the gut microbiota is an area of growing interest, particularly for its link to improving and maintaining the systemic health of the host. It has been suggested to have potential to reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases, such as elevated cholesterol levels in coronary heart disease (CHD). Diets of our evolutionary ancestors were largely based on plant foods, high in dietary fiber and fermentable substrate, and our gut microbiota has evolved against a background of such diets. Therapeutic diets that mimic plant-based diets from the early phases of human evolution may result in drug-like cholesterol reductions. In contrast, typical Western diets low in dietary fiber and fermentable substrate, and high in saturated and trans fatty acids, are likely contributors to the increased need for pharmacological agents for cholesterol reduction. The gut microbiota of those consuming a Western diet are likely underutilized and depleted of metabolic fuels, resulting in a less than optimal gut microbial profile. As a result, this diet is mismatched to our archaic gut microbiota and, therefore, to our genome, which has changed relatively little since humans first appeared. While the exact mechanism by which the gut microbiota may modulate cholesterol levels still remains uncertain, end products of bacterial fermentation, particularly the short chain fatty acids (i.e., propionate), have been suggested as potential candidates. While more research is required to clarify the potential link between gut microbiota and CHD risk reduction, consuming a therapeutic diet rich in plant foods, dietary fiber, and fermentable substrate would be a useful strategy for improving systemic health, possibly by altering the gut microbiota.     

Inorganic polarography in organic solvents-III Analytical applications of metal-acetylacetonate complexes in toluene

Indium and palladium are determined polarographically with a dropping mercury electrode in a toluene phase, following extraction as the acetylacetonates from aqueous solutions containing 2-10 ppm of the metals (or 0.1-0.5 ppm with a greater ratio of sample volume to solvent volume). Of 31 elements examined, only Co(III), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), In, Mo(VI), Pd and Ti(IV) gave extractable complexes with reduction waves in the available potential range. Specificity for palladium is obtained by extraction at pH 0.5, and for indium at pH 9 m the presence of cyanide and ascorbic acid as masking agents.