Global Analysis of the Flows of Fluids with Pressure-Dependent Viscosities

 To describe the flows of fluids over a wide range of pressures, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the viscosity of the fluid depends on the pressure. That the viscosity depends on the pressure has been verified by numerous careful experiments. While the existence of solutions local-in-time to the equations governing the flows of such fluids are available for small, special data and rather unrealistic dependence of the viscosity on the pressure, no global existence results are in place. Our interest here is to establish the existence of weak solutions for spatially periodic three-dimensional flows that are global in time, for a large class of physically meaningful viscosity-pressure relationships. (Accepted May 1, 2002) Published online November 15, 2002 Communicated by S. S. ANTMAN     

An experimental investigation on heat transfer enhancement in circular jet impingement on hot surfaces by using Al2O3/water nano-fluids and aqueous high-alcohol surfactant solution

The present article reports the heat transfer characteristics of a vertical stainless steel foil of 0.15 mm thickness (SS304) by circular impinging jets of various fluids such as pure water, nano-fluids (Al₂O₃-water, ф = 0.15%, 0.6%), and aqueous high-alcohol surfactant (HAS, i.e., 2-ethyl-hexanol, 100–400 ppm) studied using an infrared thermal imaging camera (A655sc, FLIR System). The enhancement in the heat transfer rates for Al₂O₃-water nano-fluids with ф = 0.15%, ф = 0.60%, and aqueous surfactant solution (150ppm) is found to be 140%, 207%, and 117% higher compared to pure water results, respectively. The surface characteristics of the foil after jet impingement by various fluids are also studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and surface wettability.     

Solid state structure and absolute configuration of filifolinol acetate

Careful reevaluation of the 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic data of filifolinol acetate (4) led to the reassignment of the C-10 and C-11 signals, as well as the gem-dimethyl signals. Single crystal X-ray analysis provided an independent structural confirmation of 4, and comparison of the experimental vibrational circular dichroism spectrum with calculations performed using density functional theory provided the absolute configuration of this 3H-spiro-1-benzofuran-2,1'-cyclohexane and related molecules.     

Electronic structure of MgB2

Results of ab initio electronic structure calculations on the compound MgB₂ using the FPLAPW method employing GGA for the exchange-correlation energy are presented. Total energy minimization enables us to estimate the equilibrium volume, c/a ratio and the bulk modulus, all of which are in excellent agreement with experiment. We obtain the mass enhancement parameter by using our calculated D (E _F) and the experimental specific heat data. The T _c is found to be 24.7 K.     

Guided modes of integrated optical guides. A mathematical study

A waveguide in integrated optics is defined by its refractiveindex. The guide is assumed to be invariant in the propagationdirection while in the transverse direction it is supposed tobe a compact perturbation of an unbounded stratified medium.We are interested in the modes guided by this device, whichare waves with a transverse energy confined in a neighbourhoodof the perturbation. Our goal is to analyse the existence of such guided modes. Underthe assumptions of weak guidance the problem reduces to a two-dimensionaleigenvalue problem for a scalar field. The associated operatoris unbounded, selfadjoint, and bounded from below. Its spectrumconsists of the discrete spectrum corresponding to the guidedmodes and of the essential spectrum corresponding to the radiationmodes. We present existence results of guided modes and an asymptoticstudy at high frequencies, which shows that contrarily to thecase of optical fibers, the number of guided modes can remainbounded. The major tools are the min-max principle and comparisonof results between different eigenvalue problems. The originalityof the present study lies in the stratified character of theunbounded reference medium.     

Mechanisms of the aquation of tris-(substituted) malonatochromate(III) complexes

Summary Investigations on the aquation of tris-(substituted)malonatochromate(III)ion, between 25°–40° in the presence of acid (I=1.0M) show that the mono- and dimethyl substituted complexes aquate by a two term rate law, only one of which is acid dependent. All other complexes aquate by a one term rate law which is first-order with respect to acid concentration; the unsubstituted malonato complex behaves in this way. Aquation of the first two complexes is dissociative, while for others appreciable associative character has been observed.     

Interaction of the mu-opioid receptor with GPR177 (Wntless) inhibits Wnt secretion: potential implications for opioid dependence

Background  

Opioid agonist drugs produce analgesia. However, long-term exposure to opioid agonists may lead to opioid dependence. The analgesic and addictive properties of opioid agonist drugs are mediated primarily via the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). Opioid agonists appear to alter neuronal morphology in key brain regions implicated in the development of opioid dependence. However, the precise role of the MOR in the development of these neuronal alterations remains elusive. We hypothesize that identifying and characterizing novel MOR interacting proteins (MORIPs) may help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of opioid dependence.     

High precision delta(17)O isotope measurements of oxygen from silicates and other oxides: method and applications

The use of infrared laser-assisted fluorination to release oxygen from milligram quantities of silicates or other oxide mineral grains is a well-established technique. However, relatively few studies have reported the optimisation of this procedure for oxygen-17 isotope measurements. We describe here details of an analytical system using infrared (10 μm) laser-assisted fluorination, in conjunction with a dual inlet mass spectrometer of high resolving power ( approximately 250) to provide (17)O and (18)O oxygen isotope measurements from 0.5-2 mg of silicates or other oxide mineral grains. Respective precisions (1) of typically 0.08 and 0.04 per thousand are obtained for the complete analytical procedure. Departures from the mass-dependent oxygen isotope fractionation line are quantified by Delta(17)O; our precision (1) of such measurements on individual samples is shown to be +/-0.024 per thousand. In turn, this permits the offset between parallel, mass-dependent fractionation lines to be characterised to substantially greater precision than has been possible hitherto. Application of this system to investigate the (17)O versus (18)O relationship for numerous terrestrial whole-rock and mineral samples, of diverse geological origins and age, indicates that the complete data set may be described by a single, mass-dependent fractionation line of slope 0.5244+/- 0.00038 (standard error). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.