Thermo-osmosis of sorbable gases in porous media : Part II. Cascades

The theoretical basis of mixture separation by thermo-osmosis has been developed for two different experimental arrangements. In the first of these two vessels are connected only by a membrane across which a temperature gradient is maintained. Expressions were obtained for the separation factor of binary mixtures in terms of heats of transport, for pressure and composition changes across the membrane, and for determining the heat of transport of each component. In the second arrangement the vessels are connected via the membrane and also by a capillary of appropriate geometry, so that in the steady state there is a constant circulation of each component of the mixture. Expressions have again been derived for the steady state separation factor, and pressure and composition differences for binary mixtures.     

An acoustic wave sensor incorporated with a microfluidic chip for analyzing muscle cell contraction

We report the fabrication of a microfluidic chip or lab-on-a-chip integrated with a thickness-shear mode (TSM) acoustic wave sensor for muscle cell analysis. The sensor, essentially an AT-cut quartz crystal, serves as a detector for recording changes in acoustic wave properties occurring in an attached cardiomyocyte (single heart muscle cell) during its contraction and relaxation. Presumably, the changes resulted from alterations in viscoelastic properties (e.g. stiffness) of the cells. The effects of excitation electrode size, the presence of a microfluidic channel plate, and liquid loading on the sensor were first examined. Thereafter, muscle cell contraction analysis upon chemical stimuli were described. The potential of the chip for screening of cardiovascular drugs is discussed.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in 5-hydroxy flavone: A DFT study

Potential energy surfaces (PES) for the ground and excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) processes in 5-hydroxy-flavone (5HF) were studied using DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(d) and TD-DFT/6-31G(d) level of theory, respectively. Our calculations suggest the non-viability of ground state intramolecular proton transfer (GSIPT) in 5HF. Excited states PES calculations support the existence of ESIPT process in 5HF. ESIPT in 5HF has been explained in terms of HOMO, LUMO electron density of the enol and keto tautomer of 5HF. PES scan by phenyl group rotation suggests that the twisted form, i.e., phenyl group rotated by 18.7° out of benzo-γ-pyrone ring plane is the most stable conformer of 5HF.     

In vivo and in vitro testing of microelectronically fabricated planar sensors designed for applications in cardiology

Summary Ion-sensitive, planar micro-electrode arrays were fabricated by photolithographic microelectronics technology on a flexible polyimide substrate. The steps of the microelectronics processing are summarized. The electrodes were tested in blood serum, whole blood and in the hamstring muscle of anesthetized rabbits. The performance characteristics of planar pH-sensors are compared with commercial glass electrodes. The close correlation of the data are encouraging for further acute and later chronic applications.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius     

Simulating the Transport of Coal across Canada — Strategic Route Planning

This paper describes the strategic problem of moving coal from mines in the west of Canada to power stations 3000 km away in the east. The western coal industry has a number of opportunities for expansion, but these depend on its ability to remain competitive. Transport accounts for over 60% of final selling price, so it is particularly important that this is organized efficiently. A simulation model was built to evaluate alternative routes across Canada. Many organizations are involved in this movement, so the model provides a range of information. This requires a substantial database to describe all aspects of operations. The information supplied by the model can help in making strategic decisions in a number of areas.     

Photoelastic determination of stresses in multiple-pin connectors

The design, fabrication, and testing of photoelastic models of double-lap, multiple-pin connectors are discussed. Interest is in the stresses in the inner laps. These stresses are determined by constructing models with photoelastic inner laps and transparent-acrylic outer laps. The connectors have two pins, in tandem, parallel to the load direction. A photoelastic-isotropic point is shown to permit the evaluation of load sharing between the two pins. A numerical scheme, utilizing the isochromatic- and isoclinic-photoelastic data and a finite-difference representation of the planestress equilibrium equations, is used to compute the stresses around the two pins. Representative stress distributions and stress-concentration factors are shown.     

Note on heat transfer in laminar,fully developed pipe flow with axial conduction

Zusammenfassung Der Wärmeübergang bei laminarer Rohrströmung mit konstanter Wandtemperatur wurde analytisch untersucht. Das Resultat ist eine Darstellung der Nusseltschen Zahl als Funktion von der Pecletschen Zahl.