Steady drainage in emulsions: corrections for surface Plateau borders and a model for high aqueous volume fraction

We compare extensive experimental results for the gravity-driven steady drainage of oil-in-water emulsions with two theoretical predictions, both based on the assumption of Poiseuille flow. The first is from standard foam drainage theory, applicable at low aqueous volume fractions, for which a correction is derived to account for the effects of the confinement of the emulsion. The second arises from considering the permeability of a model porous medium consisting of solid sphere packings, applicable at higher aqueous volume fractions. We find quantitative agreement between experiment and the foam drainage theory at low aqueous volume fractions. At higher aqueous volume fractions, the reduced flow rate calculated from the permeability theory approaches the master curve of the experimental data. Our experimental data demonstrates the analogy between the problem of electrical flow and liquid flow through foams and emulsions.     

Yield drag in a two-dimensional foam flow around a circular obstacle: Effect of liquid fraction

We study the two-dimensional flow of foams around a circular obstacle within a long channel. In experiments, we confine the foam between liquid and glass surfaces. In simulations, we use a deterministic software, the Surface Evolver, for bubble details and a stochastic one, the extended Potts model, for statistics. We adopt a coherent definition of liquid fraction for all studied systems. We vary it in both experiments and simulations, and determine the yield drag of the foam, that is, the force exerted on the obstacle by the foam flowing at very low velocity. We find that the yield drag is linear over a large range of the ratio of obstacle to bubble size, and is independent of the channel width over a large range. Decreasing the liquid fraction, however, strongly increases the yield drag; we discuss and interpret this dependence.     

Computer-generated, three-dimensional reconstruction of histological parallel serial sections displaying microvascular and glandular structures in human endometrium

This paper describes a technique to develop high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images of microvasculature structures in curettage, hysterectomy or endometrial resection biopsies using parallel histological serial sections. Employing a labelled streptavidin-biotin-alkaline phosphatase (LSAB(+)) method and visualising by using DAB(+) with the primary antibody, mouse anti human Q-Bend-10, the images were directly digitised from a light microscope into the KS400 Universal Image Processing and Analysis software via a CCD colour camera; binary images of the structures were created and the binary images were exported into VoxBlast 3D rendering software to view still and rotating 3D images on a computer monitor. This in turn enabled hard copies of the full sequence to be printed.     

Syzygies and the Rees algebra

Let a,b,c be linearly independent homogeneous polynomials in the standard Z-graded ring R?k[s,t] with the same degree d and no common divisors. This defines a morphism P¹→P². The Rees algebra of the ideal I=〈a,b,c〉 is the graded R-algebra which can be described as the image of an R-algebra homomorphism h: . This paper discusses one result concerning the structure of the kernel of the map h and its relation to the problem of finding the implicit equation of the image of the map given by a, b, c. In particular, we prove a conjecture of Hong, Simis and Vasconcelos. We also relate our results to the theory of adjoint curves and prove a special case of a conjecture of Cox.     

Electrochemical and electron spin resonance studies of selected benzazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium salts

The electrochemical reduction of the chloride or perchlorate salts of benzazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium ion and several of its analogues is reported. The compounds studied are the perchlorate salt of 3-nitrobenzothiazolo-and 3-nitro-9-methoxybenzothiazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium, and the chloride salts of 7-ethyl-, 3-nitro-7-methyl-, 3-nitro-7-ethyl-, 3-nitro-7-isopropyl-, 3-nitro-7-butyl- and 3-nitro-7-benzylbenzimidazolo[3,2-a]-quinolinium, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry of the corresponding 3-nitrobenzothiazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium derivatives in N,N-dimethylformamide shows an irreversible peak potential at -0.6 and a quasi-reversible peak at -(1.2–1.3) volts, respectively, relative to the standard calomel electrode. In contrast, the corresponding 3-nitrobenzimidazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium derivatives show, in general, reversible peaks at near -0.8 and -(1.2–1.4) volts, respectively. Upon electrolytic reduction, only the nitro-substituted derivatives produced observable electron paramagnetic resonance electron spin resonance spectra. This observation is explained in terms of the stabilization of the radicals produced by the nitro group. Theoretical MM+/AM1/UHF calculations support the idea that the larger nitrogen splitting is caused by N-12 and the minor splittings by N-7 in the benzimidazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium ion series.     

An Aluminophosphate Molecular Sieve with 36 Crystallographically Distinct Tetrahedral Sites

The structure of the new medium‐pore aluminophosphate molecular sieve PST‐6 is determined by the combined use of rotation electron diffraction tomography, synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction, and computer modeling. PST‐6 was prepared by calcination of another new aluminophosphate material with an unknown structure synthesized using diethylamine as a structure‐directing agent, which is thought to contain bridging hydroxy groups. PST‐6 has 36 crystallographically distinct tetrahedral sites in the asymmetric unit and is thus crystallographically the most complex zeolitic structure ever solved.     

Bond length and local energy density property connections for non-transition-metal oxide-bonded interactions

For a variety of molecules and earth materials, the theoretical local kinetic energy density, G(r(c)), increases and the local potential energy density, V(r(c)), decreases as the M-O bond lengths (M = first- and second-row metal atoms bonded to O) decrease and the electron density, rho(r(c)), accumulates at the bond critical points, r(c). Despite the claim that the local kinetic energy density per electronic charge, G(r(c))/rho(r(c)), classifies bonded interactions as shared interactions when less than unity and closed-shell when greater, the ratio was found to increase from 0.5 to 2.5 au as the local electronic energy density, H(r(c)) = G(r(c)) + V(r(c)), decreases and becomes progressively more negative. The ratio appears to be a measure of the character of a given M-O bonded interaction, the greater the ratio, the larger the value of rho(r(c)), the smaller the coordination number of the M atom and the more shared the bonded interaction. H(r(c))/rho(r(c)) versus G(r(c))/rho(r(c)) scatter diagrams categorize the M-O bonded interactions into domains with the local electronic energy density per electron charge, H(r(c))/rho(r(c)), tending to decrease as the electronegativity differences for the bonded pairs of atoms decrease. The values of G(r(c)) and V(r(c)), estimated with a gradient-corrected electron gas theory expression and the local virial theorem, are in good agreement with theoretical values, particularly for the bonded interactions involving second-row M atoms. The agreement is poorer for shared C-O and N-O bonded interactions.     

Theoretical evaluation of structural models of the S2 state in the oxygen evolving complex of Photosystem II: protonation states and magnetic interactions

Protonation states of water ligands and oxo bridges are intimately involved in tuning the electronic structures and oxidation potentials of the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystem II, steering the mechanistic pathway, which involves at least five redox state intermediates S(n) (n = 0-4) resulting in the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. Although protons are practically invisible in protein crystallography, their effects on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of metal active sites can be probed using spectroscopy. With the twin purpose of aiding the interpretation of the complex electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic data of the OEC and of improving the view of the cluster at the atomic level, a complete set of protonation configurations for the S(2) state of the OEC were investigated, and their distinctive effects on magnetic properties of the cluster were evaluated. The most recent X-ray structure of Photosystem II at 1.9 ? resolution was used and refined to obtain the optimum structure for the Mn(4)O(5)Ca core within the protein pocket. Employing this model, a set of 26 structures was constructed that tested various protonation scenarios of the water ligands and oxo bridges. Our results suggest that one of the two water molecules that are proposed to coordinate the outer Mn ion (Mn(A)) of the cluster is deprotonated in the S(2) state, as this leads to optimal experimental agreement, reproducing the correct ground state spin multiplicity (S = 1/2), spin expectation values, and EXAFS-derived metal-metal distances. Deprotonation of Ca(2+)-bound water molecules is strongly disfavored in the S(2) state, but dissociation of one of the two water ligands appears to be facile. The computed isotropic hyperfine couplings presented here allow distinctions between models to be made and call into question the assumption that the largest coupling is always attributable to Mn(III). The present results impose limits for the total charge and the proton configuration of the OEC in the S(2) state, with implications for the cascade of events in the Kok cycle and for the water splitting mechanism.     

Absorption spectrum and kinetics of the acetylperoxy radical

The UV absorption spectrum of acetylperoxy radicals, produced in several photochemical systems, has been investigated using the molecular modulation technique. Rate coefficients were determined at 28 and 715 Torr for the reaction CH₃COO₂ + NO₂(+M) → CH₃COO₂NO₂(+M), which exhibits a pressure dependence.