Temperature-controlled 'breathing' of carbon dioxide bubbles

We report a microfluidic (MF) approach to studies of temperature mediated carbon dioxide (CO(2)) transfer between the gas and the liquid phases. Micrometre-diameter CO(2) bubbles with a narrow size distribution were generated in an aqueous or organic liquid and subsequently were subjected to temperature changes in the downstream channel. In response to the cooling-heating-cooling cycle the bubbles underwent corresponding contraction-expansion-contraction transitions, which we term 'bubble breathing'. We examined temperature-controlled dissolution of CO(2) in four exemplary liquid systems: deionized water, a 0.7 M aqueous solution of NaCl, ocean water extracted from Bermuda coastal waters, and dimethyl ether of poly(ethylene glycol), a solvent used in industry for absorption of CO(2). The MF approach can be extended to studies of other gases with a distinct, temperature-dependent solubility in liquids.     

Subitising activity relative to units construction: a case study

Subitising, a quick apprehension of the numerosity of a small set of items, has been found to change from an individual's reliance on perceptual to conceptual processes. In this study, we utilised a constructivist teaching experiment methodology to investigate how the subitising activity of one preschool student, Amy, related to her construction of prenumerical units. Subitising and counting tasks were designed to assess and perturb Amy's thinking relative to her construction of units, and to observe changes in Amy's activity associated with the different tasks. Findings indicate that as Amy's subitising activity changed from perceptual to conceptual, she constructed subitised motor units and subitised figurative units. Implications of this study suggest that the construction of subitised units may support young children's later development of arithmetic units.     

Converging flow of a viscoelastic liquid

Two-dimensional creeping sink flow of a Maxwell fluid is an accurate approximation to a bounded converging flow of contraction ratio at least 5 : 1 and covergence half-angles of up to 45°. In this range, a perturbation expansion in Weissenberg number can be used over most of the flow field in the range where stable processing can be carried out.     

On the discretisation error of the weighted Simpson rule

A method of estimating the discretisation error for the weighted Simpson rule is given. The results are used to obtain the convergence rates of a numerical method for solving integral equations with various singular kernel functions.     

Numerical investigations on gas-solid flow in circulating fluidized bed risers using a new cluster-based drag model

A cluster-based drag model is proposed for the gas-solid circulating fluidized bed (CFB) riser by including the cluster information collected from image process...     

Eco-friendly location of small hydropower

We address the problem of locating small hydropower dams in an environmentally friendly manner. We propose the use of a multi-objective optimization model to maximize total hydropower production, while limiting negative impacts on river connectivity. Critically, we consider the so called “backwater effects” that dams have on power generation at nearby upstream sites via changes in water surface profiles. We further account for the likelihood that migratory fish and other aquatic species can successfully pass hydropower dams and other artificial/natural barriers and how this is influenced by backwater effects. Although naturally represented in nonlinear form, we manage through a series of linearization steps to formulate a mixed integer linear programing model. We illustrate the utility of our proposed framework using a case study from England and Wales. Interestingly, we show that for England and Wales, a region heavily impacted by a large number of existing river barriers, that installation of small hydropower dams fitted with even moderately effective fish passes can, in fact, create a win-win situation that results in increased hydropower and improved river connectivity.     

Enantioselective synthesis of ferrocenyl nucleoside analogues with apoptosis-inducing activity

[reaction: see text] As a contribution to bioorganometallic chemistry, an enantioselective synthesis of novel carbocyclic nucleoside analogues with a ferroceno-cyclopentene backbone was developed. Diastereoselective cuprate 1,4-addition or Mukaiyama-Michael addition to a planar-chiral enoate (ethyl (E)-2-[2-methoxycarbonyl-ferrocenyl]-acrylate) allowed for the introduction of different side chains (RCH(2)). Other important steps include a Dieckmann cyclization and the attachment of the nucleobase (NB) in an iron-assisted S(N)1 reaction. Some of the target compounds were shown to exhibit significant apoptosis-inducing activity (LD(50) = 10-20 microM) against tumor cells.     

High resolution electromechanical imaging of ferroelectric materials in a liquid environment by piezoresponse force microscopy

High-resolution imaging of ferroelectric materials using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is demonstrated in an aqueous environment. The elimination of both long-range electrostatic forces and capillary interactions results in a localization of the ac field to the tip-surface junction and allows the tip-surface contact area to be controlled. This approach results in spatial resolutions approaching the limit of the intrinsic domain-wall width. Imaging at frequencies corresponding to high-order cantilever resonances minimizes the viscous damping and added mass effects on cantilever dynamics and allows sensitivities comparable to ambient conditions. PFM in liquids will provide novel opportunities for high-resolution studies of ferroelectric materials, imaging of soft polymer materials, and imaging of biological systems in physiological environments on, ultimately, the molecular level.