Dust modelling using a combined CFD and discrete element formulation

The production and dispersal of airborne dust is an important issue in both environmental and industrial contexts. Dust pollution is a major environmental concern, and long exposure in occupational settings has been linked with numerous respiratory health issues. Industrial dust pollution can also present a significant explosion hazard, even in facilities with dust extraction systems. Computational models for dust generation and dispersal have, however, generally been formulated for specific geophysical applications and restricted to static, two‐dimensional, approaches. Here, we present a method for simulating dust production from a dynamic granular bed by using a three‐dimensional coupled discrete element method and Navier–Stokes computational model. Dust production is based on an energy formulation in which micro‐scale dust particles are assumed to overcome cohesion to macro‐scale grains. This model is used over the entire range of energies present within the system, from macro‐scale collisions to aerodynamic entrainment and bombardment of micro‐scale particles. The dust concentration is modelled as a scalar density field, which is advected and diffused through turbulence in the gas flow field. The model is tested against empirical predictions for two test cases, a slug of granular material dropped from a set height and air flow over a granular stockpile. Both give good agreement to the empirical relations, showing that the model can accurately predict the production and subsequent dispersal of dust from a dynamic granular bed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FREE VIBRATION ANALYSIS OF LATTICE SANDWICH BEAMS UNDER SEVERAL TYPICAL BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

Free vibration problems of lattice sandwich beams under several typical boundary conditions are investigated in the present paper. The lattice sandwich beam is transformed to an equivalent homogeneous three-layered sandwich beam. Unlike the traditional analytical model in which the rotation angles of the face sheets and the core are assumed the same, different rotation angles are considered in this paper to characterize the real response of sandwich beams. The analytical solutions of the natural frequencies for several typical boundary conditions are obtained. The effects of material properties and geometric parameters on the natural frequencies are also investigated.     

An adaptive enrichment algorithm for advection‐dominated problems

We are interested in developing a numerical framework well suited for advection–diffusion problems when the advection part is dominant. In that case, given Dirichlet type boundary condition, it is well known that a boundary layer develops. To resolve correctly this layer, standard methods consist in increasing the mesh resolution and possibly increasing the formal accuracy of the numerical method. In this paper, we follow another path: we do not seek to increase the formal accuracy of the scheme but, by a careful choice of finite element, to lower the mesh resolution in the layer. Indeed the finite element representation we choose is locally the sum of a standard one plus an enrichment. This paper proposes such a method and with several numerical examples, we show the potential of this approach. In particular, we show that the method is not very sensitive to the choice of the enrichment and develop an adaptive algorithm to automatically choose the enrichment functions.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid level set method for modelling detonation and combustion problems in complex geometries

We present an accurate and fast wave tracking method that uses parametric representations of tracked fronts, combined with modifications of level set methods that use narrow bands. Our strategy generates accurate computations of the front curvature and other geometric properties of the front. We introduce data structures that can store discrete representations of the location of the moving fronts and boundaries, as well as the corresponding level set fields, that are designed to reduce computational overhead and memory storage. We present an algorithm we call stack sweeping to efficiently sort and store data that is used to represent orientable fronts. Our implementation features two reciprocal procedures, a forward ‘front parameterization’ that constructs a parameterization of a front given a level set field and a backward ‘field construction’ that constructs an approximation of the signed normal distance to the front, given a parameterized representation of the front. These reciprocal procedures are used to achieve and maintain high spatial accuracy. Close to the front, precise computation of the normal distance is carried out by requiring that displacement vectors from grid points to the front be along a normal direction. For front curves in two dimensions, a cubic interpolation scheme is used, and G ¹ surface parameterization based on triangular patches is used for the three-dimensional implementation to compute the distances from grid points near the front. To demonstrate this new, high accuracy method we present validations and show examples of combustion-like applications that include detonation shock dynamics, material interface motions in a compressible multi-material simulation and the Stephan problem associated with dendrite solidification.     

Effectiveness of radiation processing in elimination of Campylobacter from poultry meat

Campylobacter, a common poultry intestine commensal, is a well known cause of human gastric illnesses across the globe. Consumption of contaminated poultry meat is a major cause of Campylobacter related infections. In the present study, radiation sensitivity of indigenous strains of C. jejuni and C. coli isolated from poultry was evaluated. The decimal reduction dose (D₁₀) values of different Campylobacter isolates at 0-4 °C in saline and blood broth were in the range of 0.120-0.210 kGy and 0.170-0.234 kGy, respectively. D₁₀ values in chicken meat homogenate for Campylobacter were in the range of 0.110-0.190 kGy. Chicken meat samples were inoculated with C. jejuni and exposed to gamma radiation to study the effectiveness of radiation treatment in elimination of Campylobacter. Radiation treatment with a dose of 1 kGy could achieve complete elimination of 10⁵ CFU of Campylobacter/g in poultry meat samples. No recovery of Campylobacter was observed, even after enrichment and selective plating in 1 kGy treated chicken meat samples stored at 4 °C up to 7 days. Present study shows that irradiation of poultry meat with 1 kGy can ensure safety of poultry meat.     

A Kinetic Spectrophotometric Method to Determine the Insecticide Methyl Parathion in Commercial Formulations and the Aqueous Environment

Abstract

A simple kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the analysis of the organophosphate insecticide methyl parathien is presented. The method is based on the alkaline hydrolysis of the insecticide into its main metabolite p-nitrophenol. The influence of reaction variables (pH and temperature), and the effect of other pesticides, are discussed. The calibration graphs (initial rate, fixed time, fixed absorbance) were linear from 2 to 30μg/ml. The precision was calculated for the different methods applied, the relative standard deviation being 6.25% for 4μg/ml.

The proposed kinetic method can be applied directly to synthetic mixtures, commercial formulations and different aqueous environment, with recoveries close to 100%.     

A rigid inclusion in an elastic space under the action of a uniform heat flow in the inclusion plane

A solution is presented for the three dimensional static thermoelastic problem of an absolutely rigid inclusion (anticrack) in the case when a uniform heat flow is directed along the inclusion plane. By using the potential method and the Fourier transform technique, the problem is reduced to a system of coupled two-dimensional singular integral equations for the shear stress jumps across the inclusion. As an illustration, a typical application to the circular anticrack is presented. Explicit expressions for the thermal stresses in the inclusion plane are obtained and discussed from the point of view of material failure.     

Determination of PF‐04620110, a novel inhibitor of diacylglycerol acyltransferase‐1, in rat plasma using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and its application in pharmacokinetic studies

In this study, we developed a method for the determination of PF‐04620110 (2‐{(1r,4r)‐4‐[4‐(4‐amino‐5‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydropyrimido[5,4‐f][1,4]oxazepin‐6(5H)‐yl)phenyl]cyclohexyl}acetic acid), a novel diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT‐1) inhibitor, in rat plasma and validated it using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Rat plasma samples were processed following a protein precipitation method by using acetonitrile and were then injected into an LC‐MS/MS system for quantification. PF‐04620110 and imipramine (internal standard) were separated using a Hypersil Gold C₁₈ column, with a mixture of acetonitrile and 10 mm ammonium formate (90:10, v/v) as the mobile phase. The ion transitions monitored in positive‐ion mode [M + H]⁺ of multiple‐reaction monitoring were m/z 397.0 → 260.2 for PF‐04620110 and m/z 280.8 → 86.0 for imipramine. The detector response was specific and linear for PF‐04620110 at concentrations within the range 0.05–50 µg/mL and the signal‐to‐noise ratios for the samples were ≥10. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy of the method matched the acceptance criteria for assay validation. PF‐04620110 was stable under various processing and/or handling conditions. PF‐04620110 concentrations in the rat plasma samples could be measured up to 24 h after intravenous or oral administration of PF‐04620110, suggesting that the assay is useful for pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and validation of a rapid RP‐HPLC method for analysis of (−)‐copalic acid in copaíba oleoresin

The Copaifera species (Leguminoseae) are popularly known as ‘copaíba’ or ‘copaíva’ and are grown in the states of Amazonas, Pará and Ceará in northern Brazil. The oleoresins obtained from these species have been extensively used owing to their pharmacological potential and their application in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations. In the present study, the development and validation of a novel, rapid and efficient RP‐HPLC methodology for the analysis of the diterpene (?)‐copalic acid (CA), pointed out as the only chemical marker of the Copaifera genus, are described. The regression equation (Y = 26,707x ? 29,498) was obtained with good linearity (r² = 0.9993) and the limits of quantification and detection were 9.182 and 3.032 µg/mL, respectively. The precision and the accuracy of the method were adequate (lower than 4%). Finally, the validation parameters evaluated were satisfactorily met, so the developed method represents a suitable tool for application in the quality control of such natural products. Further studies aiming to develop analytical methodologies for each Copaifera species using a more representative number of chemical markers should be performed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.