Perturbation solutions of weakly compressible Newtonian Poiseuille flows with Navier slip at the wall

We consider both the planar and axisymmetric steady, laminar Poiseuille flows of a weakly compressible Newtonian fluid assuming that slip occurs along the wall following Navier’s slip equation and that the density obeys a linear equation of state. A perturbation analysis is performed in terms of the primary flow variables using the dimensionless isothermal compressibility as the perturbation parameter. Solutions up to the second order are derived and compared with available analytical results. The combined effects of slip, compressibility, and inertia are discussed with emphasis on the required pressure drop and the average Darcy friction factor.     

Characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of diterpenoid resinous materials in Roman-age amphorae from northern Greece

A combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry approach has been used for the characterization of two lumps of resin and 17 adsorbed residues on Roman-age vessels, mainly amphorae, from northern Greece. The data show that a diterpenic resin from plants of the Pinacae family is the main component of the tarry material associated with the analyzed archaeological samples. The identification and mass spectrometric fragmentation of several characteristic diterpenoid biomarkers is discussed. The abundance of secondary products identified in the archaeological samples suggests that the oxidative degradation of abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid to aromatic products was the main pathway. Of particular interest is the presence of characteristic saturated abietane hydrocarbons in one sample, which indicate that a reductive process also occurred on a small scale. The overall similarity in the composition of the residues suggests the common use of pine tar as a waterproofing and sealing agent at different sites in northern Greece during the Roman period.     

The bimodal theory of plasticity: A form-invariant generalisation

The bimodal plasticity model of fibre-reinforced materials is currently available and applicable only in association with thin-walled fibrous composites containing a family of straight fibres which are conveniently assumed parallel with the x₁-axis of an appropriately chosen Cartesian co-ordinate system. Based on reliable experimental evidence, the model suggests that plastic slip in the composite operates in two distinct modes; the so-called matrix dominated mode (MDM) which depends on a matrix yield stress, and the fibre dominated mode (FDM) which depends also on the fibre yield stress. Each mode is activated by different states of applied stress, has its own yield surface (or surfaces) in the stress space and has its own segment on the overall yield surface of the composite. This paper employs theory of tensor representations and produces a form-invariant generalisation of both modes of the model. This generalisation furnishes the model with direct applicability to relevant plasticity problems, regardless of the shape of the fibres or the orientation of the co-ordinate system. It thus provides a proper mathematical foundation that underpins important physical concepts associated with the model while it also elucidates several technical relevant issues. A most interesting of those issues is the revelation that activation of the MDM plastic regime is possible only if the applied stress state allows the fibres to act like they are practically inextensible. Moreover, activation of the more dominant, between the two MDM plastic slip branches is possible only if conditions of material incompressibility hold, in addition to the implied condition of fibre inextensibility. A direct mathematical connection is thus achieved between basic, experimentally verified concepts of the bimodal plasticity model and a relevant mathematical model originated earlier from the theory of ideal fibre-reinforced materials. An additional issue of discussion involves the number of independent yield stress parameters that the bimodal theory needs to take into consideration. Moreover, an analytical expression is provided of a relatively simple mathematical surface that possesses all known features of the FDM yield surface; currently captured with the aid of both experimental and computational means. The present study is guided by the existing relevant experimental evidence which, however, is principally associated with the plastic behaviour of solids reinforced by strong fibres. Nevertheless, several of the outlined developments are expected to be applicable to composite materials containing a single family of more compliant or even weak fibres.     

Making carbon nanotubes biocompatible and biodegradable

Carbon nanotubes are promising nanomaterials with great potential in the field of nanomedicine for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Different approaches have been developed to render this material biocompatible and to modulate any ensuing toxic effects. In the context of medical use, although chemically functionalised carbon nanotubes display reduced toxicity, they are still considered with scepticism due to their perceived non-biodegradability. Recently, it has been demonstrated that functionalised carbon nanotubes can be degraded by oxidative enzymes. This finding is offering a new perspective for the development of carbon nanotubes in medicine. This article highlights recent advances that can act as paradigm-shifts towards the design of biocompatible and biodegradable functionalised carbon nanotubes and allow their translation into the clinic.     

Biotechnological Approaches on Two High CBD and CBG Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) Varieties: In Vitro Regeneration and Phytochemical Consistency Evaluation of Micropropagated Plants Using Quantitative 1H-NMR

High cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) varieties of Cannabis sativa L., a species with medicinal properties, were regenerated in vitro. Explants of nodal segments including healthy axillary bud, after sterilization, were placed in Murashige-Skoog (MS) culture medium. The shoots formed after 30 days were subcultured in full- or half-strength MS medium supplemented with several concentrations of 6-benzyl-amino-purine (BA) or thidiazuron (TDZ). The highest average number and length of shoots was achieved when both full and half-strength MS media were supplemented with 4.0 μM BA. The presence of 4.0 μM TDZ showed also comparable results. BA and TDZ at concentrations of 4.0, 8.0 μM and 2.0, 4.0 μM respectively, displayed the maximum shooting frequency. The new shoots were transferred on the same media and were either self-rooted or after being enhanced with different concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Presence of 2.0 or 4.0 μM IBA or 4.0 μM NAA resulted to the optimum rooting rates. The maximum average number and length of roots per shoot was observed when the culture media was supplemented with 4.0 μM IBA or NAA. Approximately 92% of the plantlets were successfully established and acclimatized in field. The consistency of the chemical profile of the acclimatized in vitro propagated clones was assessed using quantitative ¹H-NMR high throughput screening. In each variety, analysis of the micropropagated plant in comparison with the mother plant showed no statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in CBD+ cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and CBG+ cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) content respectively, thus indicating stability of their chemical profile.     

Mechanical properties and crystallization of high-density polyethylene composites with mesostructured cellular silica foam

In this study, composites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with mesostructured cellular foam (MCF) silicas have been prepared by melt mixing and studied for the first time. Two different MCF silica analogues having different pore size were used, i.e., 12 nm (MCF-12) and 50 nm (MCF-50). The MCF content in the mesocomposites was 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mass%. All HDPE/MCF-50 mesocomposites exhibited improved mechanical properties compared with neat HDPE, indicating that the mesocellular silica foam particles with the large mesopore size can act as efficient reinforcing agents. On the other hand, the MCF-12 silica with the smaller size mesopores induced inferior mechanical properties, mainly due to the poorer dispersion of the silica particles and the formation of large aggregates. The mesocellular silica foam particles also affected the thermal properties and the crystallization characteristics of HDPE. Crystallization of mesocomposites was faster than that of neat HDPE. Crystallization kinetics was analyzed with the Avrami equation for both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. For isothermal crystallization, the Avrami exponent increased with increasing crystallization temperature from 2 to 3. In non-isothermal crystallization, the values of the Avrami exponent increased from 3 to 6.3 with decreasing cooling rate. Lower activation energy values of non-isothermal crystallization were calculated using the isoconversional method of Friedman, as well as using the Kissinger’s equation. Finally, the nucleation efficiency of the mesocellular silica foam particles was estimated from data associated with non-isothermal crystallization, according to the method of Dobreva.