Characterization of short glass fiber filled polystyrene by fiber orientation and mechanical properties

A quasi-steady state, non-isothermal, compressible, inelastic, and creeping flow of polymer melt into a thin cavity is analyzed to predict fiber orientation states. Modified Cross model and Tait's state equation are adopted to consider shear-thinning behavior and compressibility of the polymer melt. Second order tensors are introduced to describe 3-dimensional fiber orientation. Flow-induced fiber orientation can be predicted by solving the equations of change for the orientation tensor with a suitable closure approximation. The orthotropic closure is applied except for the case of low interaction coefficient. Fiber orientation develops mainly due to shear flow in the skin layer and due to stretching effect in the core layer. It turns out that the compressibility, which induces additional velocity gradients during packing, reduces development of the fiber orientation. Results are dependent upon the magnitude of the interaction coefficient. The larger the interaction coefficient, the smaller the orientation development and the effect of compressibility. To predict orientation dependent mechanical properties, the orientation averaging for an arbitrary orientation is carried out from the properties of a transversely isotropic unit cell. The compressibility reduces the axial modulus and increases the transverse modulus. Opposite trends are observed for thermal expansion coefficients. It is also observed that the consideration of compressibility reduces the overall anisotropy of the molded product. Effects of compressibility on mechanical properties of the parts are reduced as the interaction coefficient becomes larger.     

Depth‐profile analysis from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy on As‐implanted ZnO activated in ozone ambient

Chemical bonds of As‐implanted ZnO annealed in ozone molecular (O₃) ambient were analyzed through the x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy as a function of the etching depth. With the etching depth increased to 25 nm from surface, the peaks of Zn2p and O1s core levels shifted toward the low‐binding energy, and the bonding formation of As 3d core level gradually varied from As₂O₅ to As₂O₃. The new peaks were observed, which were posited to high‐binding energy of 4.4 eV from Zn2p and O1s core levels. Finally, the chemical bonds of As‐based oxides were found to consist of Zn(AsO₃)₂, As₂O₅, and As₂O₃. (© 2007 WILEY ‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A study on the correlation between the thermal contact conductance and effective factors in fin–tube heat exchangers with 9.52 mm tube

The thermal contact resistance is a principal parameter interfering with heat transfer in a fin–tube heat exchanger. However, the thermal contact resistance in the interface between tubes and fins has not been clearly investigated. The objective of the present study is to examine the thermal contact conductance for various fin–tube heat exchangers with tube diameter of 9.52 mm and to find a correlation between the thermal contact conductance and effective factors such as expansion ratio, fin type, fin spacing and hydrophilic coating. In this study, experiments have been conducted only to measure heat transfer rate between hot and cold water. To minimize heat loss to the ambient air by the natural convection fin–tube heat exchangers have been placed in an insulated vacuum chamber. Also, a numerical scheme has been employed to calculate the thermal contact conductance with the experimental data. As a result, a new correlation including the influences of expansion ratio, slit of fin and fin coating has been introduced, and the portion of each thermal resistance has been estimated in the fin–tube heat exchangers with 9.52 mm tube.     

Heat and Mass Transfer in MHD Micropolar Flow Over a Vertical Moving Porous Plate in a Porous Medium

An analysis is presented for the problem of free convection with mass transfer flow for a micropolar fluid via a porous medium bounded by a semi-infinite vertical porous plate in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. The plate moves with constant velocity in the longitudinal direction, and the free stream velocity follows an exponentially small perturbation law. A uniform magnetic field acts perpendicularly to the porous surface in which absorbs the micropolar fluid with a suction velocity varying with time. Numerical results of velocity distribution of micropolar fluids are compared with the corresponding flow problems for a Newtonian fluid. Also, the results of the skin-friction coefficient, the couple stress coefficient, the rate of the heat and mass transfers at the wall are prepared with various values of fluid properties and flow conditions.     

A viscoelastic constitutive model of rubber under small oscillatory load superimposed on large static deformation considering the Payne effect

The viscoelastic behavior of carbon-black-filled rubber under small oscillatory loads superimposed on large static deformation is dealt with. In this class of problems, as the strain amplitudes of the load increase, the dynamic stiffness decreases, and this phenomenon is known as the Payne effect. Besides the effects of the static deformation and the frequencies of the superimposed dynamic load, the Payne effect is considered in this study. Influence factors are introduced in this model in order to consider the influence of static predeformation, the dynamic-strain-dependent properties, and frequency-dependent properties. For simplicity, separation of the three dominant variables, frequency, prestatic deformation, and dynamic amplitude of strain, is assumed. The Kraus model is used for describing the Payne effect. Dynamic tension tests are executed to obtain the model parameters and also for the verification of the proposed model. The suggested constitutive equation shows reasonable agreement with test data.     

The least-squares meshfree method for rigid-plasticity with frictional contact

The least-squares meshfree method (LSMFM) for rigid-plasticity based on J₂-flow rule and infinitesimal theory is proposed. In the least-squares formulation the squared residuals of the constitutive and equilibrium equations are minimized. Those residuals are represented in a form of first-order differential system using the velocity and stress components as nodal unknowns and thus the proposed formulation is a mixed-type method. Also the penalty scheme for the enforcement of the boundary and frictional contact conditions is devised and the reshaping of nodal supports is introduced to avoid the difficulties due to the severe local deformation near the contact interface. The proposed method does not require any structure of extrinsic cells for the construction of shape functions, the treatment of incompressibility, the integration of variational formulation and the reconstruction of approximation. Through some numerical examples of metal forming processes, the validity and effectiveness of the method are discussed.     

Three-Dimensional Analytical Models for Virus Transport in Saturated Porous Media

Analytical models for virus transport in saturated, homogeneous porous media are developed. The models account for three-dimensional dispersion in a uniform flow field, and first-order inactivation of suspended and deposited viruses with different inactivation rate coefficients. Virus deposition onto solid particles is described by two different processes: nonequilibrium adsorption which is applicable to viruses behaving as solutes; and colloid filtration which is applicable to viruses behaving as colloids. The governing virus transport equations are solved analytically by employing Laplace/Fourier transform techniques. Instantaneous and continuous/periodic virus loadings from a point source are examined.     

A novel pH-responsive polysaccharidic ionic complex for proapoptotic D-(KLAKLAK)2 peptide delivery

We report charge-switching ionic nanocomplexes comprised of glycol chitosan grafted with 2,3-dimethylmaleic acid (DMA) (denoted as 'GCS-g-DMA' hereafter) and a proapoptotic peptide. This system allowed for improved peptide delivery to tumor sites via a mechanism of selective peptide release when the pH was dropped from 7.4 to 6.8.     

NRBF2-mediated autophagy contributes to metabolite replenishment and radioresistance in glioblastoma

Overcoming therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma (GBM) is an essential strategy for improving cancer therapy. However, cancer cells possess various evasion mechanisms, such as metabolic reprogramming, which promote cell survival and limit therapy. The diverse metabolic fuel sources that are produced by autophagy provide tumors with metabolic plasticity and are known to induce drug or radioresistance in GBM. This study determined that autophagy, a common representative cell homeostasis mechanism, was upregulated upon treatment of GBM cells with ionizing radiation (IR). Nuclear receptor binding factor 2 (NRBF2)—a positive regulator of the autophagy initiation step—was found to be upregulated in a GBM orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Furthermore, ATP production and the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) increased upon activation of NRBF2-mediated autophagy. It was also discovered that changes in metabolic state were induced by alterations in metabolite levels caused by autophagy, thereby causing radioresistance. In addition, we found that lidoflazine—a vasodilator agent discovered through drug repositioning—significantly suppressed IR-induced migration, invasion, and proliferation by inhibiting NRBF2, resulting in a reduction in autophagic flux in both in vitro models and in vivo orthotopic xenograft mouse models. In summary, we propose that the upregulation of NRBF2 levels reprograms the metabolic state of GBM cells by activating autophagy, thus establishing NRBF2 as a potential therapeutic target for regulating radioresistance of GBM during radiotherapy.Subject terms: Cancer metabolism, Prognostic markers