Theoretical modeling of water vapor transport in cellulose-based materials

The theory of mass transport in porous media is of fundamental importance for different applications such as food, paper packaging, textiles, and wood for building materials. In this study, a theoretical water vapor transport model has been developed for cellulose-based materials, such as paper and regenerated cellulose film. Pore diffusivities were determined from the dynamic moisture breakthrough experiments comprising a stack of paper sheets and regenerated cellulose films in a configuration similar to a packed adsorption column. Other mass transfer parameters were determined from transient moisture uptake rate measurements. The model incorporates pore and surface diffusion as a lump parameter into a variable effective diffusion coefficient. The mass transport, involving both pore and surface diffusions, is evaluated independently. The theoretical water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) obtained from the model were compared with experimentally determined WVTRs measured under steady-state conditions. The theoretical model, based on intrinsic diffusion, stipulates higher WVTR values compared to the experimental results. However, the theoretical water vapor transfer rates agree well with the experimental results when external mass transfer resistance is incorporated in the model.     

Effect of Nozzle Exit Turbulence on the Column Trajectory and Breakup Location of a Transverse Liquid Jet in a Gaseous Flow

This study examines the effect of fully developed turbulent flow at the exit of nozzle/injector on the trajectory and column breakup location of a liquid jet injected transverly into a gaseous crossflow. Liquid jet trajectory and column breakup for different nozzle geometries at different velocities of liquid jet and crossflow are analytically and experimentally Investigated. Shadowgraph imaging technique is used to determine the jet trajectory and breakup location of a transverse liquid jet in a uniform airflow. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is used to measure the near-field velocity profile of a liquid jet discgarged into a quiescent atmosphere. The experimental results show a higher penetration and breakup height for the liquid jet ensuing from a nozzle with a smaller length to diameter ratio. This is due to the surface irregularities of the liquid column of a turbulent jet, which breaks up and consequently follows the cross airflow sooner. In order to capture the effect of turbulence, the analytical trajectory correlation developed in our previous studies is modified to account for the discharge coefficient of a nozzle. The discharge coefficient is estimated indirectly by comparing the liquid column trajectory predicted by the modified analytical correlation with that determined experimentally. The indirectly determined discharge coefficient is then used in the analytical correlation for predicting the breakup height of a transverse liquid jet. The results predicted using this approach are in good agreement with the experimental data of the present study at standard temperature and pressure (STP) test conditions.     

An Attempt to Realize Experimental Isotropic Turbulence at Low Reynolds Number

This paper presents an attempt to realize experimental isotropicturbulence at low Reynolds number. For this aim an experimentalapparatus, a turbulence chamber “Box”, was designed and built togenerate a turbulent flow field in the center of the chamber. Theturbulent airflow field was generated by eight electrical fans placedsymmetrically at the eight internal corners of the externally cubicchamber. The turbulence intensity was controlled by the fans speed.Laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) in single and two-point velocitymeasurements was used to fully characterize the turbulent field insidethe chamber. The main results indicate that the turbulence ishomogeneous and isotropic with a quasi-zero mean velocity within aspherical region of 20 mm radius from the center of the chamber. Themeasured turbulent integral length scale was found to be constant andindependent of the turbulence intensity (or fans speed). Furthermore, anoticeable spectral inertial subrange as prescribed by the Kolmogorovtheory has not been observed at the range of Reynolds number exploredhere, where Re_λ < 100. But rather a scaling region characterized by anexponent that is lower than the Kolmogorov value, ?5/3, has beenidentified. Moreover, the value of this exponent showed no definedtrend, while the width of the inertial scaling region expands as themicroscale Reynolds number increases.     

Antireflection properties of germanium–carbon coating on zinc supplied substrate

In this research, germanium–carbon coatings were deposited on ZnS and glass substrates by a RF plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using GeH₄ and CH₄ as precursors. ZnS/Ge_1?xC_x double-layer antireflection coating with optical thickness of one quarter wavelength was designed. The samples were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation. The coatings exhibited a structure free of pores with a very good adhesion to substrate. Based on the XRD patterns, no diffraction peak was found, so all the coatings mainly had an amorphous structure. The infrared (IR) transmittance spectrum show that the maximum IR transmittance in the band of 1030–1330 cm^?1 was about 84.6%, which is higher than ZnS substrate by 10%. In addition, the reflection of ZnS substrate is about 25%. This system has reduced the reflection from the substrate by 15%.     

Rational Structure‐Based Design of Bright GFP‐Based Complexes with Tunable Dimerization

Fluorescent proteins are transformative tools; thus, any brightness increase is a welcome improvement. We invented the “vGFP strategy” based on structural analysis of GFP bound to a single‐domain antibody, predicting tunable dimerization, enhanced brightness (ca. 50 %), and improved pH resistance. We verified all of these predictions using biochemistry, crystallography, and single‐molecule studies. We applied the vsfGFP proteins in three diverse scenarios: single‐step immunofluorescence in vitro (3× brighter due to dimerization); expression in bacteria and human cells in vivo (1.5× brighter); and protein fusions showing better pH resistance in human cells in vivo. The vGFP strategy thus allows upgrading of existing applications, is applicable to other fluorescent proteins, and suggests a method for tuning dimerization of arbitrary proteins and optimizing protein properties in general.     

Stability of Cubic and Quartic Functional Equations in Non-Archimedean Spaces

We prove generalized Hyers-Ulam–Rassias stability of the cubic functional equation f(kx+y)+f(kx?y)=k[f(x+y)+f(x?y)]+2(k ³?k)f(x) for all \(k\in \Bbb{N}\) and the quartic functional equation f(kx+y)+f(kx?y)=k ²[f(x+y)+f(x?y)]+2k ²(k ²?1)f(x)?2(k ²?1)f(y) for all \(k\in \Bbb{N}\) in non-Archimedean normed spaces.     

Scattering by random rough surfaces: Study of direct and inverse problem

In order to study the problems of scattering by rough metallic surfaces, we have used Maxwell’s equations in covariant form within the framework of a non-orthogonal coordinates system adapted to the geometry of the problem. Electromagnetic fields are written in Fourier’s integral form. The solution is found by using a perturbation method applied to the smooth surface problem; this is fully justified when the defects are of small magnitude.For the direct problem, the mean value of diffraction intensity is obtained for random rough surfaces of finite conductivity by computer simulation.In the case of the inverse problem, the reconstruction of the profile of the metal surface from values of the diffraction intensity, obtained by simulation, is found using an iterative algorithm.     

Orthogonal sets: The axiom of choice and proof of a fixed point theorem

In this paper, we prove some fixed point theorem on orthogonal spaces. Our result improve the main result of the paper by Eshaghi Gordji et al. [On orthogonal sets and Banach fixed point theorem, to appear in Fixed Point Theory]. Also we prove a statement which is equivalent to the axiom of choice. In the last section, as an application, we consider the existence and uniqueness of a solution for a Volterra-type integral equation in L ^p space.