Contamination by larger particles of two almost-uniform latices: analysis by combined dynamic light scattering and turbidimetry

Multiangle dynamic light scattering (MDLS) and turbidimetry (T) were applied (both individually and combined) for determining the contamination by larger particles of two almost-uniform polystyrene (PS) latices. Latex 1 was synthesized in our laboratories, and it contained a main population diameter of 340 nm together with a small fraction of larger particles. This latex was used as the base material for producing an immunoassay kit. Latex 2 was obtained by a simple blend of two uniform PS standards. The proposed data treatment calculates the diameter and number fraction of the large particles contamination assuming that the PSDs are bimodal. The calculation involves minimizing the errors between the measurements and their theoretical predictions. When analyzed by combined MDLS-T, the contamination of Latex 1 involved number fraction 0.6% and particle diameter 865 nm. The T average diameter is a function of the measurement wavelength, and the highest deviations of this average to an increasing contamination by large particles were always observed at the higher wavelengths. The DLS average diameter is a function of the measurement angle, but in this case it is impossible to determine a priori the angle of observation that provides the largest deviation of this average diameter to an increasing contamination.     

Transmission of vibronic signals in molecular circuits

It is proposed and demonstrated using molecular dynamics and digital signal processing techniques that molecular vibrations can be used to transport signals in molecular circuits, revealing that signals transmitted along polypeptide molecules by a frequency-modulated carrier in the terahertz domain consume only 0.2 eV to successfully transfer one information bit; this energy is several orders of magnitude smaller than the several thousands of electronvolts needed using electrons in present electronic devices.     

Multidimensional analyses of voicing offsets and onsets in female speakers

This study investigates cross-speaker differences in the factors that predict voicing thresholds during abduction-adduction gestures in six normal women. Measures of baseline airflow, pulse amplitude, subglottal pressure, and fundamental frequency were made at voicing offset and onset during intervocalic /h/, produced in varying vowel environments and at different loudness levels, and subjected to relational analyses to determine which factors were most strongly related to the timing of voicing cessation or initiation. The data indicate that (a) all speakers showed differences between voicing offsets and onsets, but the degree of this effect varied across speakers; (b) loudness and vowel environment have speaker-specific effects on the likelihood of devoicing during /h/; and (c) baseline flow measures significantly predicted times of voicing offset and onset in all participants, but other variables contributing to voice timing differed across speakers. Overall, the results suggest that individual speakers have unique methods of achieving phonatory goals during running speech. These data contribute to the literature on individual differences in laryngeal function, and serve as a means of evaluating how well laryngeal models can reproduce the range of voicing behavior used by speakers during running speech tasks.     

Shear-thickening and entropy-driven reentrance

We discuss a generic mechanism for shear thickening analogous to entropy-driven phase reentrance. We implement it in the context of nonrelaxational mean-field glassy systems: although very simple, the microscopic models we study present a dynamical phase diagram with second- and first-order stirring-induced jamming transitions leading to intermittency, metastability, and phase coexistence as seen in some experiments. The jammed state is fragile with respect to change in the stirring direction. Our approach provides a direct derivation of a mode-coupling theory of shear thickening.     

Complete-angle projection diffuse optical tomography by use of early photons

We present the first, to our knowledge, experimental images of complex-shaped phantoms embedded in diffuse media by use of optical tomography. Imaging is based on a complete-angle projection tomographic technique that utilizes transmitted early photons. Results are contrasted with measurements obtained at later gates as well as pseudocontinuous-wave data. The scanning system developed employs noncontact illumination and detection technologies that allow for high spatial sampling of transmitted photons. Combining this system with complete-angle illumination is found to be an important strategy toward improved imaging performance, resulting in a better-posed inversion problem. The appropriateness of reconstruction algorithms similar to those employed in x-ray computed tomography are showcased, and suggestions for model improvements are provided.     

Synthesis and theoretical analysis of samarium nanoparticles: perspectives in nuclear medicine

The use of lanthanides as radionuclides in nuclear medicine is well-known, because they can be used for detecting and treating cancerous tumors. Due to the fact that the doses are directly related to the number of unstable atoms involved, the possibility of obtaining controlled-size lanthanide nanoparticles opens a wide scope for their application in nuclear medicine. In this work, we report the synthesis of anew samarium nanoparticle by using the bioreduction method, where the pH conditions play an important role in the size control of the produced clusters. The nanoparticles were characterized by using an transmission electron microscope, in addition to the use of a quantum mechanical method to relate the atomic and electronic structures to the chemical selectivity, which allows us to predict a direct coordination between the DTPA-bis-biotin molecules with the samarium nanoparticles larger than 55 atoms. This work involves experimental and theoretical methods to propose a totally new application for nanotechnology in nuclear medicine.     

Anticipating Integral Equations

In this paper we deduce some estimates of the L ^p()-norm of the Skorohod and the forward integrals. These estimates allow us to study the existence of a unique solution to anticipating Volterra equations of the Skorohod and forward type. The coefficients F _i(t,s,x),ts, are -measurable and satisfy some differentiability conditions (in the sense of the stochastic calculus of variations).     

A physical,mechanistic and fully coupled hillslope hydrology model

We present the mathematical development and numerical solution of a new model of flow processes on an infiltrating hillslope. We also present validation and sample applications. The model is a distributed, mechanistic, physically based hillslope hydrologic model. The model describes the small‐scale processes associated with overland flow, erosion, and sediment transport on an infiltrating surface and is capable of capturing small‐scale variations in flow depth, flow velocities, interactive infiltration, erosion rates, and sediment transport. The model couples the fully two‐dimensional hydrodynamic equations for overland flow, the one‐dimensional Richards equation for infiltration, and a sediment detachment and transport model. Two simulations are presented highlighting the model's ability to capture and describe the interaction between precipitation, overland flow, erosion and infiltration at very small scales. Results of the two‐dimensional simulations indicate the system of equations produces hillslopes possessing characteristics of self‐organization as observed in real world systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On vectorial addition chains

We prove the equivalence between the problem of computing a multinominal x₁^n₁·x₂^n₂···x_k^n_k, posed by R. E. Bellman (Amer. Math. Monthly70 1963, 765), and the problem of computing simultaneously the monomials x^n₁,…, x^n_k, posed by D. E. Knuth (“Seminumerical Algorithms”, Sect. 4.6.3, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass 1969.