Experimental and theoretical study of radon levels and entry mechanisms in a mediterranean climate house

An experimental study has been carried out in an inhabited single-family house. Radon concentration in the different rooms of the house and in its garden soil has been measured with Nuclear Track Detectors. No high differences of radon concentration have been observed between the different rooms of the house, so that the proximity of the room level to the soil seems not to affect the radon concentration. The annual radon concentration obtained indoors and in the soil has been respectively 35 Bq m⁻³ and 24 kBq m⁻³. Since radon generation in the source, entry into indoor air and accumulation indoors depend on several parameters, the effect of a specific parameter on indoor radon concentration is difficult to explain from the radon measurements only. The RAGENA (RAdon Generation, ENtry and Accumulation indoors) model has been adapted to the room in the basement of the house. The mean radon concentration values obtained with the model are compared to experimental results derived from measurements using Nuclear Track Detectors. The use of the model, together with the experimental study, has allowed characterising radon sources, levels and entry mechanisms in the house. The concrete walls have been found to be the most relevant radon source, while the contribution of the soil is negligible in this case. The indoor radon level is given by the balance of the permanent exhalation from concrete and the removal due to ventilation. The indoor radon levels are close to the average value for the Barcelona area which, in turn, is close to the world averaged value.     

Surfactants – Compounds for inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses

We provide here a general view on the interactions of surfactants with viruses, with a particular emphasis on how such interactions can be controlled and employed for inhibiting the infectivity of enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses. The aim is to provide to interested scientists from different fields, including chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and medicine, an overview of the basic properties of surfactants and (corona)viruses, which are relevant to understanding the interactions between the two. Various types of interactions between surfactant and virus are important, and they act on different components of a virus such as the lipid envelope, membrane (envelope) proteins and nucleocapsid proteins. Accordingly, this cannot be a detailed account of all relevant aspects but instead a summary that bridges between the different disciplines. We describe concepts and cover a selection of the relevant literature as an incentive for diving deeper into the relevant material. Our focus is on more recent developments around the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, applications of surfactants against the virus, and on the potential future use of surfactants for pandemic relief. We also cover the most important aspects of the historical development of using surfactants in combatting virus infections. We conclude that surfactants are already playing very important roles in various directions of defence against viruses, either directly, as in disinfection, or as carrier components of drug delivery systems for prophylaxis or treatment. By designing tailor-made surfactants, and consequently, advanced formulations, one can expect more and more effective use of surfactants, either directly as antiviral compounds or as part of more complex formulations.     

Behaviors of the MS2 virus and related antibodies in capillary isoelectric focusing with whole-column imaging detection

Capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) has potential importance for the study of viruses. CIEF with whole-column imaging detection (WCID) is a novel CIEF mode, providing the advantages of high resolution, high speed, and easy method development. To facilitate the application of CIEF-WCID to the immunoassay of viruses, a basic knowledge of related aspects is necessary. In this study, the MS2 bacteriophage was used as a virus model, and the behaviors of MS2 and related antibodies in CIEF were investigated with UV absorbance-WCID and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF)-WCID. The adsorption of the virus and antibodies on the capillary wall was found to be the critical issue in method development. Addition of salt was found to be an effective way to reduce the adsorption and to improve peak shape. The formation of an immunocomplex, which forms the basis of an immunoassay, was monitored with CIEF-WCID. In comparison with UV-WCID, LIF-WCID was advantageous due to its higher detection sensitivity and the elimination of precipitation. Utilization of the noncovalent fluorescent dye, NanoOrange, was demonstrated to be a potential approach for the fluorescent labeling of the virus model and antibody and the associated immunocomplex. The change in microheterogeneity during the immune interactions at different ratios was also observed.     

Study on the melt entry flow characteristics in axisymmetric dies with abrupt contraction by a visualization technique

The die entry characteristics of low density polyethylenes (LDPE) were studied using a 45 mm diameter single-screw extruder. The extruder incorporated a “transparent” die to enable direct visualization to be performed. With the addition of a small percent of red colour masterbatch into the main polymer bulk, melt circulation near the die entry at the wall was clearly observed. The dynamic behaviour of the polymer melt was recorded by a digital video recorder. Upon replaying the films, detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of the flow characteristics was made. The die entry performance was defined by the dimensionless vortex size which was found to be most susceptible to the contraction ratio of a die. It was found that temperature and length to diameter ratio had little or no effects on the dimensionless vortex size which, in turn, may be estimated by either of the two correlations (one based on theory whereas the other was obtained from curve-fitting) developed.     

Hydrodynamic behavior of an underwater moving body after water entry

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the water entry phenomenon. A facility was designed to carry out the tests with the entry velocities of around 352 m/s. Visualization, pressure measurement, velocity measurement and underwater impact test were performed to investigate the hydroballistic behavior of the underwater moving body, the underwater flow field, the supercavitation, etc.. This study shows that the motion of a high-speed underwater body is strongly three-dimensional and chaotic. Furthermore, it is found that the distribution of the trajectory deflection of the underwater projectile depends on the depth of water. It is also found by measuring the deformation on a witness plate submerged in water, that the impact energy of an underwater projectile is reduced as it penetrates deeper into water. The project supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science under a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (Grant No. 12650162)     

Ambient mass spectrometry: Direct analysis of dimethoate,tebuconazole, and trifloxystrobin on olive and vine leaves by desorption electrospray ionization interface

A new field of application for a relatively new mass‐spectrometric interface such as desorption electrospray ionization was evaluated. For this purpose, its behavior was tested versus quantitative analysis of dimethoate, trifloxystrobin, and tebuconazole directly on olive and vine leaves surface. The goal was workers exposure assessment during field re‐entry operations since evidence suggests an association between chronic occupational exposure to some agrochemicals and severe adverse effects. Desorption electrospray ionization gave good response working in positive ionization mode, while numerous test were necessary for the choice of a unique blend of spray solvents suitable for all 3 substances. The best compromise, in terms of signal to noise ratios, was obtained with the CH₃OH/H₂O (80:20) mixture. The obvious difficulties related to the impossibility to use the internal standard were overcome through an accurate validation. Limits of detection and quantitation, dynamic ranges, matrix effects, and intraday precisions were calculated, and a small monitoring campaign was arranged to test method applicability and to evaluate potential dermal exposure. This protocol was developed in work safety field, but after a brief investigation, it was find to be suitable also for food residue evaluation.     

Numerical study of flow characteristics of the high speed train entering into a tunnel

When a high speed train enters into a tunnel, the aerodynamic forces severely change and, consequently, the stability and performance significantly deviate from the value of design point which is usually set at cruising speed on the plain ground. The compression wave is also generated ahead of the train due to the piston-like action of tunnel entry motion. The present work is to understand the flow field such as variation of aerodynamic forces and generation of compression wave during tunnel entry motion by applying three-dimensional unsteady Navier–Stokes equation solver. To account for the relative motion of stationary tunnel and moving train, the sliding multi-block method has been implemented.     

Exact solution for entrance region flow between parallel plates

A method of obtaining an exact solution of the complete Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flow has been developed to study the development of fluid flow between parallel plates. An analytical solution has been developed in the form of a convergent infinite series and a numerical solution obtained for Reynolds numbers of 10 and 500. These results have been compared with data available elsewhere. The method developed here is expected to have general application     

Underwater acoustics and cavitating flow of water entry

The fluid mechanics of water entry is studied through investigating the underwater acoustics and the supercavitation. Underwater acoustic signals in water entry are extensively measured at about 30 different positions by using a PVDF needle hydrophone. From the measurements we obtain (1) the primary shock wave caused by the impact of the blunt body on free surface; (2) the vapor pressure inside the cavity; (3) the secondary shock wave caused by pulling away of the cavity from free surface; and so on. The supercavitation induced by the blunt body is observed by using a digital high-speed video camera as well as the single shot photography. The periodic and 3 dimensional motion of the supercavitation is revealed. The experiment is carried out at room temperature. The project supported by the “BaiRen Plan” of Chinese Academy of Sciences