Microdroplet size prediction in microfluidic systems via artificial neural network modeling for water-in-oil emulsion formulation

In this paper, an experimental study and modeling by artificial neural networks were carried out to predict the generated microdroplet dimensionless size in a microfluidic system in order to formulate a water-in-oil emulsion. The various parameters that affect the size of microdroplets (flow rates, viscosities, surface tensions of both the two phases and the diameter of the microchannel) are studied and further grouped into dimensionless numbers; we used these numbers as input to the neural network and the dimensionless length as output. The better neural network architecture has 10 neurons in the hidden layer with a mean square error of 1.4 10^?6 and a determination’s coefficient near 1 value. The relative importance of inputs on the size of the microdroplets has been determined using the Garson algorithm and the results are in good agreement with other works.     

Forced convection of gaseous slip-flow in porous micro-channels under Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium conditions

Steady laminar forced convection gaseous slip-flow through parallel-plates micro-channel filled with porous medium under Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium (LTNE) condition is studied numerically. We consider incompressible Newtonian gas flow, which is hydrodynamically fully developed while thermally is developing. The Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer model embedded in the Navier–Stokes equations is used to model the flow within the porous domain. The present study reports the effect of several operating parameters on velocity slip and temperature jump at the wall. Mainly, the current study demonstrates the effects of: Knudsen number (Kn), Darcy number (Da), Forchheimer number (Γ), Peclet number (Pe), Biot number (Bi), and effective thermal conductivity ratio (K _R) on velocity slip and temperature jump at the wall. Results are given in terms of skin friction (C _f Re ^*) and Nusselt number (Nu). It is found that the skin friction: (1) increases as Darcy number increases; (2) decreases as Forchheimer number or Knudsen number increases. Heat transfer is found to (1) decreases as the Knudsen number, Forchheimer number, or K _R increases; (2) increases as the Peclet number, Darcy number, or Biot number increases.     

Strategies for the on-line preconcentration and separation of hypolipidaemic drugs using micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Three strategies were investigated for the simultaneous separation and on-line preconcentration of charged and neutral hypolipidaemic drugs in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). A background electrolyte (BGE) consisting of 20 mM ammonium bicarbonate buffer (pH 8.50) and 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used for the separation and on-line preconcentration of the drugs. The efficiencies of sweeping, analyte focusing by micelle collapse (AFMC), and simultaneous field-amplified sample stacking (FASS) and sweeping, were compared for the preconcentration of eight hypolipidaemic drugs in different conductivity sample matrices. When compared with a hydrodynamic injection (5 s at 50 mbar, 0.51% of capillary volume to detection window) of drug mixture prepared in the separation BGE, improvements of detection sensitivity of 60-, 83-, and 80-fold were obtained with sweeping, AFMC and simultaneous FASS and sweeping, respectively, giving limits of detection (LODs) of 50, 36, and 38 μg/L, respectively. The studied techniques showed suitability for focusing different types of analytes having different values of retention factor (k). This is the first report for the separation of different types of hypolipidaemic drugs by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The three methods were validated then applied for the analysis of target analytes in wastewater samples from Hobart city.     

Preparation and evaluation of solid-phase microextraction fibres based on functionalized latex nanoparticle coatings for trace analysis of inorganic anions

The use of a functionalized latex nanoparticle coating as a new sorbent phase for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was examined. By means of electrostatic absorption onto ionized silanol groups, a fused-silica rod was coated with polymeric nanoparticles functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups. Optimum conditions for the preparation of the coated fibre are presented. The fibre was used for the extraction of a mixture of seven anions from water samples which are analysed by coupling the SPME fibre to an ion chromatographic system via a special interface. The results obtained proved the suitability of this novel coating as a new SPME fibre. A linear calibration for the target analytes was achieved over the concentration range from 5 μg L⁻¹ to 5 mg L⁻¹ (r² > 0.988), while limits of detection for these ions were all below 3.7 μg L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The reproducibility of a single fibre (n = 4) under similar conditions was between 7 and 12%, while the fibre to fibre reproducibility (n = 5) was between 8.9 and 14%.     

Excess properties and vapour pressure of {3-diethylaminopropylamine + cyclohexane}

The vapour pressures of liquid {3-diethylaminopropylamine (3-DEPA) + cyclohexane} were measured by a static method between T = (273.15 and 363.15) K at 10 K intervals. The excess molar volumes V^E at 298.15 K and excess molar enthalpies H^E at 303.15 K were also measured. The molar excess Gibbs free energies G^E were obtained with Barker’s method and fitted to the Redlich–Kister equation. The Wilson equation was also used. Deviations between experimental and predicted G^E and H^E, by using DISQUAC model, were evaluated     

Measurement and prediction of (solid + liquid) equilibria of gun powder’s and propellant’s stabilizers mixtures

A differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) was used to determine binary (solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) for four binary mixtures, viz. (n-nitrosodiphenylamine + diphenylamine), (2-nitrodiphenylamine + ethyl centralite), (2,4-dinitro-N-ethylaniline + methyl centralite), and (2,4-diphenylamine + 4,4′-dinitroethylcentralite). These compounds are used as stabilizers in gun powders and propellants. Results obtained with this technique are compared with those correlated by NRTL and ideal models. It was found out that all the systems are simple eutectic systems and deviations between experimental and predicted SLE results were observed.     

Multistability,bifurcations, and biological neural networks: A synaptic drive firing model for cerebral cortex transition in the induction of general anesthesia

This paper focuses on multistability theory for discontinuous dynamical systems having a set of multiple isolated equilibria and/or a continuum of equilibria. Multistability is the property whereby the solutions of a dynamical system can alternate between two or more mutually exclusive Lyapunov stable and convergent equilibrium states under asymptotically slowly changing inputs or system parameters. In this paper, we extend the definition and theory of multistability to discontinuous autonomous dynamical systems. In particular, nontangency Lyapunov-based tests for multistability of discontinuous systems with Filippov and Carathéodory solutions are established. The results are then applied to excitatory and inhibitory biological neuronal networks to explain the underlying mechanism of action for anesthesia and consciousness from a multistable dynamical system perspective, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for general anesthesia using the network properties of the brain.     

Global stability of a two-species piecewise linear volterra ecosystem

This paper extends the results of Goh [1], and Takeuchi and Adachi [2,3] concerning the generalized linear Volterra model. We introduce a piecewise linear Volterra model for a two- species system. The solution of the steady-state problem is then shown to be equivalent to finding the solution to the Generalized Linear Complementarity Problem. We show when this nonnegative equilibrium is unique and globally asymptotically stable in the sense of Goh [1].