Local velocity measurements in a thermally-stratified sodium mixing layer using a permanent-magnet probe

Mean and fluctuating velocities have been measured in a sodium mixing layer experiment, i.e. in a fluid with very low Prandtl number (Pr10⁻²), with a miniature permanent-magnet velocity probe in the presence of strong temperature gradients. A mathematical model for the probe, based upon Faraday's law of induction and including thermoelectric as well as inertia effects due to the finite response time of thermocouples, is presented together with a new dynamic method to compensate for these effects. The sensitivity of the four different probes used in this experiment is in the range of 81–65 (μV/ms⁻¹). Electrical pertubations arising from large-scale thermoelectric effects inside the test section and their influence on the velocity signal are also discussed. The electronic measurement system, combining low noise and high resolution, was specially developed to match the experimental requirements. With this system it was possible to measure velocity RMS-values down to 1 mm/s corresponding to a voltage of 100 nV, and mean velocities with an accuracy of about 6 mm/s. This paper deals with the peculiarities of the measurement technique and its performance, but does not analyze the experimental results, which will be presented in a separate publication.     

Pulsed Plasma Polymerization of Cyclic Ethers: Production of Biologically Nonfouling Surfaces

Polymerization of low molecular weight cyclic ethers was investigated under pulsed plasma conditions. Film formation conditions were adjusted to optimize retention of ethylene oxide (EO) content of the monomers in the resultant plasma generated polymers. To a large extent this goal was achieved with the 12-crown-4 and 15-crown-5 monomers, but not with dioxane. Films obtained from the 12-crown-4 monomer under ultra low power inputs are shown to be highly resistant to protein adsorption, while exhibiting good chemical compositional stability and adhesion during prolonged immersion in aqueous solutions. The dramatic differences observed in contrasting polymer film compositions from 12-crown-4 and dioxane are believed to arise from distinctive differences in the low electron impact fragmentation patterns of these two compounds, as discussed in this report.     

Application of the maximum likelihood principle to separate exponential terms in T2 relaxation of nuclear magnetic resonance

The method of maximum likelihood has been implemented for the estimation of multiple exponential components of T2 decay curves in spin echo NMR measurements on biologic tissues. Each Each component contributes an exponential term described by two parameters (initial amplitude and T2) to the T2 decay curve. The maximum likelihood method estimates the parameters and their standard errors for all terms simultaneously, avoiding the subjectivity inherent in methods such as graphical peeling. In the model used, it was assumed that water protons are compartmentalized and that the measured spin echo signals from the protons undergoing relaxation obey the Poisson distribution. A system of non-linear equations was derived and solved iteratively for the values of the exponential parameters which maximize the likelihood of obtaining the observed data under these assumptions. The approach was implemented for bi- and tri-exponential models on a MicroVAX II computer (Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, MA). Simulations of bi- and tri-exponential data, with and without system noise, were analyzed to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the method. A subset of the simulations was repeated with non-linear least squares techniques and was compared to the results obtained with maximum likelihood. Rabbit muscle and gerbil brain samples were measured and analyzed with the maximum likelihood method. The simulations showed that within specific limits on relative sizes and relaxation rates of components, these parameters can be estimated with errors less than 5%. The comparison to non-linear least squares analysis showed that the maximum likelihood method is generally superior in estimating the parameters in difficult cases. The results from tissue measurements demonstrate that the method is effective even in cases where graphical peeling would clearly not yield reliable results.     

Adsorption and flocculation by polymers and polymer mixtures

Polymers of various types are in widespread use as flocculants in several industries. In most cases, polymer adsorption is an essential prerequisite for flocculation and kinetic aspects are very important. The rates of polymer adsorption and of re-conformation (relaxation) of adsorbed chains are key factors that influence the performance of flocculants and their mode of action. Polyelectrolytes often tend to adopt a rather flat adsorbed configuration and in this state their action is mainly through charge effects, including ‘electrostatic patch’ attraction. When the relaxation rate is quite low, particle collisions may occur while the adsorbed chains are still in an extended state and flocculation by polymer bridging may occur. These effects are now well understood and supported by much experimental evidence. In recent years there has been considerable interest in the use of multi-component flocculants, especially dual-polymer systems. In the latter case, there can be significant advantages over the use of single polymers. Despite some complications, there is a broad understanding of the action of dual polymer systems. In many cases the sequence of addition of the polymers is important and the pre-adsorbed polymer can have two important effects: providing adsorption sites for the second polymer or causing a more extended adsorbed conformation as a result of ‘site blocking’.     

Experimental investigation of an oscillator with discontinuous support considering different system aspects

Non-smooth characteristics are, in general, the source of difficulties for the modeling and simulation of natural systems. These characteristics are usually related to either the friction phenomenon or the discontinuous behavior as intermittent contacts. This article develops an experimental investigation concerning non-smooth systems with discontinuous support. An experimental apparatus is developed in order to analyze the nonlinear dynamics of a single-degree of freedom system with discontinuous support. The apparatus is composed by an oscillator constructed by a car, free to move over a rail, connected to an excitation system. The discontinuous support is constructed considering mass–spring systems separated by a gap to the car position. This apparatus is instrumented to obtain all the system state variables. System dynamical behavior shows a rich response, presenting dynamical jumps, bifurcations and chaos. Different configurations of the experimental set up are treated in order to evaluate the influence of the internal impact within the car and also support characteristics in the system dynamics.     

Synthesis and NMR spectral assignments of novel 1,4-benzothiazepine-5-one derivatives

The one-pot reaction between 2-aminobenzo[d]isothiazol-3-one and alkyl propiolates in presence of triphenylphosphine leads to the corresponding alkyl 4-amino-5-oxobenzo[f][1,4]thiazepine-3-carboxylates. A plausible mechanism of the reaction is proposed and unambiguous evidence for the structures is obtained from a detailed magnetic resonance spectral analysis. 1D and 2D NMR spectra such as COSY, ¹H-¹³C and ¹H-¹⁵N HSQC and HMBC heteronuclear correlations and an INADEQUATE experiment are reported and discussed.     

Effects of uneven moisture distribution on the strength of and wave velocity in concrete

Earlier findings showed that the effects of moisture (liquid or free water) in hardened concrete on its behavior, especially the lesser known effects ofuneven moisture distribution, can (a) be significant, and (b) vary from property to property. This distribution, for instance whether or not the surface layer is drier than the overall average moisture content, can be characterized by the difference between the velocity of the longitudinal wave (pulse velocity) measured in the standard through-thickness manner, and the velocity of the longitudinal wave propagating on the concrete surface. The summary of earlier findings on the effects of moisture distribution is followed by a recent investigation on pulse velocity in the special case, occurring frequently in practice, when the distribution is uneven because the liquid is concentrated in cracks in the concrete.