Experimental determination of sample stream focusing with fluorescent dye

This study aims to develop an experimental method for determining the focused-sample stream width in microfluidic chips. The focused-sample stream width in the junction of a cross-linked microchannel is determined by the distance between the two streamlines dividing the focusing sheath streams and the sample stream, which should be insensitive to the sample properties. However, the commonly used FWHM intensity method is dependent on the dye properties and cannot be used to estimate the sample focusing effects very accurately. The proposed method is based upon the fact that the cross-stream concentration profile of the sample stream in a region downstream of the junction matches the Gaussian distribution. Therefore, the width of the focused sample stream can be estimated from the channel widths and the variance and maximum concentration of the experimentally measured concentration profile. To validate this method, fluorescein dye has been used to obtain the concentration profile. It has been shown that the proposed method is independent of the fluorescent dye properties. Comparison between the proposed method, FWHM method, and some reported analytical methods also validates the proposed method.     

Multisyringe chromatography (MSC) using a monolithic column for the determination of sulphonated azo dyes

A methodology based on multisyringe chromatography with a monolithic column was developed to determine three sulphonated azo textile dyes: Acid Yellow 23, Acid Yellow 9 and Acid Red 97. An ion pair reagent was needed because of the low affinity between the monolithic column and the anionic dyes. The proposed analytical system is simple, versatile and low-cost and has great flexibility in manifold configuration.The method was optimized through experimentation based on experimental design methodology. For this purpose two blocks of full factorial 2³ were done sequentially. In the first experimental plan, the factors studied were: the % of acetonitrile in organic phase, the % of H₂O in the mobile phase and the kind of ion pair reagent. In this stage, a simple configuration was used which has only one syringe for the mobile phase.After the first experimentation, we added a second syringe with a second mobile phase to the multisyringe module and performed a second full factorial 2³. The factors studied in this case were: the % of acetonitrile in the second mobile phase, the pH and the concentration of ion pair reagent in both mobile phases. After this design, the optimal conditions were selected for obtaining a good resolution between the peaks of yellow dyes (1.47) and the elution of red dye in less than 8 min.The methodology was validated by spiking different amounts of each dye in real water samples, specifically, tap water, well water and water from a biological wastewater lagoon.     

Distribution of the full rank in residue classes for odd moduli

The distribution of values of the full ranks of marked Durfee symbols is examined in prime and nonprime arithmetic progressions. The relative populations of different residues for the same modulus are determined: the primary result is that k-marked Durfee symbols of n equally populate the residue classes a and bmod2k+1 if gcd(a,2k+1)=gcd(b,2k+1). These are used to construct a few congruences. The general procedure is illustrated with a particular theorem on 4-marked symbols for multiples of 3.     

Jordan derivations of full matrix algebras

Let A be a unital associative ring and M be a 2-torsion free A-bimodule. Using an elementary and constructive method we show that every Jordan derivation from M_n(A) into M_n(M) is a derivation.     

Full orientability of graphs with at most one dependent arc

Suppose that D is an acyclic orientation of a graph G. An arc of D is dependent if its reversal creates a directed cycle. Let () denote the minimum (maximum) of the number of dependent arcs over all acyclic orientations of G. We call Gfully orientable if G has an acyclic orientation with exactly d dependent arcs for every d satisfying . We show that a connected graph G is fully orientable if . This generalizes the main result in Fisher et al. [D.C. Fisher, K. Fraughnaugh, L. Langley, D.B. West, The number of dependent arcs in an acyclic orientation, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 71 (1997) 73-78].     

A Parallelizable Task Offloading Model with Trajectory-Prediction for Mobile Edge Networks

As an emerging computing model, edge computing greatly expands the collaboration capabilities of the servers. It makes full use of the available resources around the users to quickly complete the task request coming from the terminal devices. Task offloading is a common solution for improving the efficiency of task execution on edge networks. However, the peculiarities of the edge networks, especially the random access of mobile devices, brings unpredictable challenges to the task offloading in a mobile edge network. In this paper, we propose a trajectory prediction model for moving targets in edge networks without users’ historical paths which represents their habitual movement trajectory. We also put forward a mobility-aware parallelizable task offloading strategy based on a trajectory prediction model and parallel mechanisms of tasks. In our experiments, we compared the hit ratio of the prediction model, network bandwidth and task execution efficiency of the edge networks by using the EUA data set. Experimental results showed that our model is much better than random, non-position prediction parallel, non-parallel strategy-based position prediction. Where the task offloading hit rate is closed to the user’s moving speed, when the speed is less 12.96 m/s, the hit rate can reach more than 80%. Meanwhile, we we also find that the bandwidth occupancy is significantly related to the degree of task parallelism and the number of services running on servers in the network. The parallel strategy can boost network bandwidth utilization by more than eight times when compared to a non-parallel policy as the number of parallel activities grows.     

Realizing Low-Temperature Graphite-based Rechargeable Potassium-Ion Full Battery

Graphite (Gr) has been considered as the most promising anode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) commercialization due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low cost. However, Gr-based PIBs remain unfeasible at low temperature (LT), suffering from either poor kinetics based on conventional carbonate electrolytes or K⁺-solvent co-intercalation issue based on typical ether electrolytes. Herein, a high-performance Gr-based LT rechargeable PIB is realized for the first time by electrolyte chemistry. Applying unidentate-ether-based molecule as the solvent dramatically weakens the K⁺-solvent interactions and lowers corresponding K⁺ de-solvation kinetic barrier. Meanwhile, introduction of steric hindrance suppresses co-intercalation of K⁺-solvent into Gr, greatly elevating operating voltage and cyclability of the full battery. Consequently, the as-prepared Gr||prepotassiated 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylicacid-dianhydride (KPTCDA) full PIB can reversibly charge/discharge between −30 and 45 °C with a considerable energy density up to 197 Wh kg_cathode⁻¹ at −20 °C, hopefully facilitating the development of LT PIBs.     

Activation of Bulk Li2S as Cathode Material for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries through Organochalcogenide-Based Redox Mediation Chemistry

Lithium sulfide (Li₂S) is considered as a promising cathode material for sulfur-based batteries. However, its activation remains to be one of the key challenges against its commercialization. The extraction of Li⁺ from bulk Li₂S has a high activation energy (E_a) barrier, which is fundamentally responsible for the initial large overpotential. Herein, a systematic investigation of accelerated bulk Li₂S oxidation reaction kinetics was studied by using organochalcogenide-based redox mediators, in which phenyl ditelluride (PDTe) can significantly reduce the E_a of Li₂S and lower the initial charge potential. Simultaneously, it can alleviate the polysulfides shuttling effect by covalently anchoring the soluble polysulfides and converting them into insoluble lithium phenyl tellusulfides (PhTe-S_xLi, x>1). This alters the redox pathway and accelerates the reaction kinetics of Li₂S cathode. Consequently, the Li||Li₂S-PDTe cell shows excellent rate capability and enhanced cycling stability. The Si||Li₂S-PDTe full cell delivers a considerable capacity of 953.5 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2 C.     

A new blow-up criterion for the 2D full compressible Navier–Stokes equations without heat conduction in a bounded domain

This paper is to derive a new blow-up criterion for the 2D full compressible Navier–Stokes equations without heat conduction in terms of the density $\rho$ and the pressure $P$. More precisely, it indicates that in a bounded domain the strong solution exists globally if the norm $\left|\right|\rho {\left|\right|}_{L^{\infty }(0,t;L^{\infty })}+\left|\right|P{\left|\right|}_{L^{p_0}(0,t;L^{\infty })}<\infty$ for some constant  $p_0$ satisfying $1<p_0\le 2$. The boundary condition is imposed as a Navier-slip boundary one and the initial vacuum is permitted. Our result extends previous one which is stated as $\left|\right|\rho {\left|\right|}_{L^{\infty }(0,t;L^{\infty })}+\left|\right|P{\left|\right|}_{L^{\infty }(0,t;L^{\infty })}<\infty$.