Parallel finite element computation of unsteady incompressible flows

A parallel semi-explicit iterative finite element computational procedure for modelling unsteady incompressible fluid flows is presented. During the procedure, element flux vectors are calculated in parallel and then assembled into global flux vectors. Equilibrium iterations which introduce some ‘local implicitness’ are performed at each time step. The number of equilibrium iterations is governed by an implicitness parameter. The present technique retains the advantages of purely explicit schemes, namely (i) the parallel speed-up is equal to the number of parallel processors if the small communication overhead associated with purely explicit schemes is ignored and (ii) the computation time as well as the core memory required is linearly proportional to the number of elements. The incompressibility condition is imposed by using the artificial compressibility technique. A pressure-averaging technique which allows the use of equal-order interpolations for both velocity and pressure, this simplifying the formulation, is employed. Using a standard Galerkin approximation, three benchmark steady and unsteady problems are solved to demonstrate the accuracy of the procedure. In all calculations the Reynolds number is less than 500. At these Reynolds numbers it was found that the physical dissipation is sufficient to stabilize the convective term with no need for additional upwind-type dissipation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Nano-threading of Polymers

When guest polymers are threaded by host cyclodextrins (CDs) to form crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs), the included polymer chains are highly extended and separated from neighboring chains. This is a consequence of the stacking of the cyclic oligosaccharides, α-, β-, or γ-CD containing 6, 7, or 8 glucose units, respectively, which produces continuous narrow channels (~0.5–1.0 nm diameters), where the guest polymers are included and confined. Observations that illuminate several important aspects of the nano-threading of polymers to form polymer-CD-ICs are described. These include (i) the competitive CD threading of polymers with different chemical structures and molecular weights from their solutions containing suspended solid or dissolved CDs, (ii) the threading and insertion of undiluted liquid polymers into solid CDs, and (iii) suspension of polymer A or B-CD-IC crystals in a solution of polymer B or A and observation of the transfer of polymer B or A from solution to displace polymer A or B and form polymer B or A-CD-ICs, without dissolution of the CD-ICs. In addition, we report observations of polyolefins adsorbed on zeolites, where we believe the adsorbed polyolefin chains are actually threaded and absorbed into the interiors of the zeolite nano-pores, rather than adsorbed on the zeolite surfaces. All of the above observations were made to assist in answering the question “Why do randomly-coiling polymer chains in solution or the melt become threaded or thread into the nano-pores of dissolved or solid CDs and solid zeolites, where they are highly extended and segregated from other polymer chains?” Though still not fully able to answer this question, we are able to assess the importance of several factors that have been previously suggested to be important in the formation of CD-ICs with both polymer and small-molecule guests and to the nano-threading of polymers in general. In particular, the value in observations of the inclusion of guest polymers, as well as small-molecule guests, into solid CDs suspended in their solutions and in neat guest liquids were made apparent, because interactions between host CDs, between CDs and solvents, and between quests and solvents, which complicate and make understanding the formation of polymer-CD-ICs difficult, are either eliminated or can be independently varied in these experiments.     

Effects of coil dimensions and field polarization on RF heating inside a head phantom

Deterioration of radiofrequency (RF) inhomogeneity with increasing static magnetic field in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the fundamental challenges preventing their clinical rendition and posing safety hazards. Variation in RF coil designs could help redistribute RF energy absorption over the imaged object. This work is intended to determine experimentally the difference in RF heating produced within a human head phantom by in situ measurement of RF inhomogeneity as a function of coil design utilized at 8 T. The heating patterns of 1/4 wavelength (long) and 1/8 wavelength 11-cm (short) transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coils loaded with a homogeneous human head phantom at 340 MHz were evaluated. In addition, different transmit/receive (T/R) configurations were used in search for the possibility of "hot-spot" formation. Fluoroptic thermometry was used to measure temperatures in multiple positions in a head phantom made of ground turkey breast for RF powers corresponding to a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4.0 W/kg for 10 min. Numerical simulations were performed to study the general RF power deposition patterns in phantoms at 340 MHz including the effects of field polarization. The temperature increases varied from 0 to 0.8 degrees C for the long RF coil, while the short RF coil produced a maximum temperature change of 0.5 degrees C. Similar to ultra high-field electromagnetic simulations, these measurements revealed low peripheral and high deep-tissue heating at 8 T. The findings indicated that the largest temperature changes for both cases were less than 1 degrees C. While these results showed an increase in localized heating due to RF pulses at 8 T, they highlight that RF inhomogeneity could be redistributed using different RF coil designs through which the hot spots could be made cooler.     

Theoretical investigations on nonlinear optical and spectroscopic properties of 6-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluoro-2-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-2,4-pyrimidinedione: An efficient NLO material

In this study, quantum chemical calculations of geometric parameters, conformational, natural bond orbital (NBO) and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, vibrational frequencies, ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of the title molecule [C₉H₇F₅N₂O₃] in the ground state have been calculated with the help of Density Functional Theory (DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)) and Hartree-Fock (HF/6-311++G(d,p)) methods. The optimized geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies, ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts values are compared with experimental values of the investigated molecules. Comparison between experimental and theoretical results showed that B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method is able to provide more satisfactory results. In order to understand this phenomenon in the context of molecular orbital picture, we examined the molecular frontier orbital energies (HOMO, HOMO-1, LUMO, and LUMO + 1), the energy difference (ΔE) between E _HOMO and E _LUMO, electronegativity (χ), hardness (η), softness (S) calculated by HF/6-311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) levels. The molecular surfaces, Mulliken, NBO, and Atomic polar tensor (APT) charges of the investigated molecule have also been calculated by using the same methods.     

On fusible rings

We answer in negative two of questions posed in Ghashghaei and McGovern. We also establish a new characterization of semiprime left Goldie rings by showing that a semiprime ring R is left Goldie iff it is regular left fusible and has finite left Goldie dimension.     

柔性多体系统的计算策略

对柔性多体系统计算建模的研究现状和近期进展进行了总结. 重点讨论了柔性多体 动力学的以下内容: 柔性构件的建模, 约束建模, 求解技术, 控制策略, 耦合问 题, 设计和实验的研究. 对柔性多体系统建模的浮动坐标系,转动坐标系和惯性系 等3种坐标系的特点进行了对比. 指出了未来的研究方向, 包括柔性多体系统的新 的应用,如微观力学系统和超微观力学系统等; 提高这些模型的计算精度和效率的 技巧和策略; 以及可以用于改善柔性多体系统的工具. 本综述文章引用了877篇参 考文献.     

Stable supramolecular complex of porphyrin macroring with pyridyl and fullerenyl ligands

Binding constants and thermodynamic parameters for 1:1 complexation of a porphyrin macroring, self-assembled from three trisporphyrinatozinc through imidazole-Zn coordination on the terminal porphyrins, with several multidentate pyridyl and fullerenyl ligands were examined. In benzonitrile, the ligand having one fullerenyl and two coordinative pyridyl moieties surprisingly afforded the highest affinity. The thermodynamic data of the complexation indicated that an unusual and fairly large positive entropic change, which may be attributed to extensive desolvation of the solutes especially from the large cavity of porphyrin macroring and fullerene surface, significantly contributed to the enhancement of the binding constant.     

Formulation of Quaternized Aminated Chitosan Nanoparticles for Efficient Encapsulation and Slow Release of Curcumin

An effective drug nanocarrier was developed on the basis of a quaternized aminated chitosan (Q-AmCs) derivative for the efficient encapsulation and slow release of the curcumin (Cur)-drug. A simple ionic gelation method was conducted to formulate Q-AmCs nanoparticles (NPs), using different ratios of sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as an ionic crosslinker. Various characterization tools were employed to investigate the structure, surface morphology, and thermal properties of the formulated nanoparticles. The formulated Q-AmCs NPs displayed a smaller particle size of 162 ± 9.10 nm, and higher surface positive charges, with a maximum potential of +48.3 mV, compared to native aminated chitosan (AmCs) NPs (231 ± 7.14 nm, +32.8 mV). The Cur-drug encapsulation efficiency was greatly improved and reached a maximum value of 94.4 ± 0.91%, compared to 75.0 ± 1.13% for AmCs NPs. Moreover, the in vitro Cur-release profile was investigated under the conditions of simulated gastric fluid [SGF; pH 1.2] and simulated colon fluid [SCF; pH 7.4]. For Q-AmCs NPs, the Cur-release rate was meaningfully decreased, and recorded a cumulative release value of 54.0% at pH 7.4, compared to 73.0% for AmCs NPs. The formulated nanoparticles exhibited acceptable biocompatibility and biodegradability. These findings emphasize that Q-AmCs NPs have an outstanding potential for the delivery and slow release of anticancer drugs.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of ofloxacin

The fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent ofloxacin was studied by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Controlled interfecial accumulation of ofloxacin on a static mercury drop electrode in the hanging mercury drop mode provides high sensitivity. The linear concentration range was 0.079–197.5 μg ml^?1 when using a 60-s preconcentration at ?1 V vs. Ag/AgCl in Britton-Robinson buffer of pH 6.00. The detection limit of ofloxacin was 1 ng ml^?1. The precision is excellent with a relative standard deviation of ca. 0.75% at a concentration of 0.848 μg ml^?1.     

Torsional wave dispersion relations in a pre-stressed bi-material compounded cylinder with an imperfect interface

This paper studies the influence of the imperfectness of the contact condition on the torsional wave propagation in the initially stressed (stretched) bi-material compounded circular cylinder. The investigation is carried out within the scope of the piecewise homogeneous body model with the use of the Three-dimensional Linearized Theory of Elastic Waves in Initially Stresses Bodies. The mathematical formulation of the corresponding eigen-value problem is formulated and the solution method for that is developed. The two cases considered are the bi-material compounded cylinder consists of the solid inner and surrounding hollow outer cylinders (Case 1); the bi-material compounded cylinder consists of the hollow inner and surrounding hollow outer cylinders (Case 2). The mechanical relations of the cylinders’ materials are written through the Murnaghan potential. It is proven that the imperfectness of the contact condition does not influence the asymptotic-limit values of the wave propagation velocity. Moreover, the numerical results on the effects of the imperfectness of the boundary condition on the influence of the initial stresses on the wave propagation velocity are presented and discussed.