High-resolution electrohydrodynamic jet printing

Efforts to adapt and extend graphic arts printing techniques for demanding device applications in electronics, biotechnology and microelectromechanical systems have grown rapidly in recent years. Here, we describe the use of electrohydrodynamically induced fluid flows through fine microcapillary nozzles for jet printing of patterns and functional devices with submicrometre resolution. Key aspects of the physics of this approach, which has some features in common with related but comparatively low-resolution techniques for graphic arts, are revealed through direct high-speed imaging of the droplet formation processes. Printing of complex patterns of inks, ranging from insulating and conducting polymers, to solution suspensions of silicon nanoparticles and rods, to single-walled carbon nanotubes, using integrated computer-controlled printer systems illustrates some of the capabilities. High-resolution printed metal interconnects, electrodes and probing pads for representative circuit patterns and functional transistors with critical dimensions as small as 1 mum demonstrate potential applications in printed electronics.     

Predictions on bubble and solids movement in laboratory polyethylene fluid beds as visualized by X-ray computer assisted tomography (CAT) scanning

Solid and gas distributions are tomographically quantified as a function of position with high resolution in a series of laboratory fluid beds containing air and polyethylene particles. The resolution used is 0.4 mm by 0.4 mm by 3 mm. The laboratory models are Plexiglas columns of 10 cm in diameter and the settling bed L/D ratios vary between one and three. Large particles (up to 1.5 mm in diameter) of high density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene are used. The superficial gas velocities vary from the minimum fluidization velocity to 50 cm/s. In this paper, the analysis of fluid bed CAT scanner images is extended to show bubble, emulsion and dense phase distribution. The analysis is also used to determine the bubble diameter and to predict the flow direction of solid particles as well as the velocity of descending solids. The voidage frequency distributions of a bed at different gas flow rates are compared to each other and the voidage threshold values corresponding to gas, emulsion and dense phases are determined. These threshold values are used to prepare ternary images that clearly show the parts of the bed cross-section corresponding to bubble, emulsion and dense phases.     

Smart Antennas with Two-Dimensional Array Configurations for Performance Enhancement of a Joint Detection CDMA Mobile Radio System

Smart antennas for base stations of cellular mobile radio systems offer the potential of system performance enhancement by taking advantage of the directionally inhomogeneous signal reception at the receiver. In this paper, two-dimensional array configurations employed at the uplink receiver of a joint detection CDMA (JD-CDMA) mobile radio system are investigated. This smart antenna concept can be split up into a novel channel estimator and data detector which incorporate explicitely the information of the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of signals emerging from users assigned to the considered base station. Proceeding from channel models that model the directional inhomogeneity of the mobile radio channel with single DOAs, the link level performance of a JD-CDMA mobile radio system using this smart antenna concept is evaluated for the rural propagation environment. The performance evaluation is based on Monte Carlo simulations of data transmission and average bit error rates versus the average signal to noise ratio per net information bit are presented for different array configurations. Although these results should be considered as upper bounds for the link level performance, they reveal the advantages of implementing two-dimensional array configurations at the uplink receiver of a JD-CDMA mobile radio system.     

Aedes aegypti Piwi4 Structural Features Are Necessary for RNA Binding and Nuclear Localization

The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway provides an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism known from Drosophila studies to maintain the integrity of the germline genome by silencing transposable elements (TE). Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are the key vectors of several arthropod-borne viruses, exhibit an expanded repertoire of Piwi proteins involved in the piRNA pathway, suggesting functional divergence. Here, we investigate RNA-binding dynamics and subcellular localization of A. aegypti Piwi4 (AePiwi4), a Piwi protein involved in antiviral immunity and embryonic development, to better understand its function. We found that AePiwi4 PAZ (Piwi/Argonaute/Zwille), the domain that binds the 3′ ends of piRNAs, bound to mature (3′ 2′ O-methylated) and unmethylated RNAs with similar micromolar affinities (K_D = 1.7 ± 0.8 μM and K_D of 5.0 ± 2.2 μM, respectively; p = 0.05) in a sequence independent manner. Through site-directed mutagenesis studies, we identified highly conserved residues involved in RNA binding and found that subtle changes in the amino acids flanking the binding pocket across PAZ proteins have significant impacts on binding behaviors, likely by impacting the protein secondary structure. We also analyzed AePiwi4 subcellular localization in mosquito tissues. We found that the protein is both cytoplasmic and nuclear, and we identified an AePiwi4 nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the N-terminal region of the protein. Taken together, these studies provide insights on the dynamic role of AePiwi4 in RNAi and pave the way for future studies aimed at understanding Piwi interactions with diverse RNA populations.     

Effect study of modulation of molecules of natural resin from black and Halepensis pinus in the removal of humidity from diesel fuel

One of the important stages in the preparation of fuel for the smooth progress of combustion is to remove humidity from it. Natural resin, a natural product from Pinus nigra and Pinus halepensis were used in order to remove water residues from petroleum fuels. The mass of resin (P. nigra and P. halepensis) was mixed with diesel fuel and the humidity eliminated, 38% and 69% of diesel fuel also. The proposed method can be used in a simple fuel cleaning process using a metal mesh vessel consisted of the natural resin of P. nigra sample.     

Differential ion transport induced electroosmosis and internal recirculation in heterogeneous osmosis membranes

Water and ion transport through a heterogeneous membrane separating two electrolyte solutions at different concentrations is investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations. The membrane features pairs of oppositely charged pores with identical diameters. Simulation results indicate that the differential transport of K(+) and Cl(-) ions through the membrane pores creates an electrical potential difference across the membrane, which then induces an electroosmotic water flux. The induced electroosmosis creates an internal recirculation loop of water between adjacent pores. The implications of these new observations are discussed.     

Undrained Lateral Pile Response in Sloping Ground

Three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to study the behavior of piles in sloping ground under undrained lateral loading conditions. Piles of different diameter and length in sloping cohesive soils of different undrained shear strength and several ground slopes were considered. Based on the results of the finite element analyses, analytical formulations are derived for the ultimate load per unit length and the initial stiffness of hyperbolic p-y curves. New p-y criteria for static loading of piles in clay are proposed, which take into account the inclination of the slope and the adhesion of the pile-slope interface. These curves are used through a commercial subgrade reaction computer code to parametrically analyze the effect of slope inclination and pile adhesion on lateral displacements and bending moments. To validate the proposed p-y curves, a number of well documented lateral load tests are analyzed. Remarkable agreement is obtained between predicted and measured responses for a wide range of soil undrained shear strength and pile diameter, length, and stiffness.     

Undrained Bearing Capacity of Strip Footings on Slopes

The undrained bearing capacity of foundations on or near slopes is commonly calculated using empirical equations or from design charts which have been produced based on limit equilibrium or upper bound plasticity calculations. Many of the available methods do not take account of important parameters that affect the undrained bearing capacity factor, such as the distance of the footing from the slope, the slope height, or the soil properties. This paper presents finite element analyses of strip footings on or near undrained soil slopes performed in order to investigate the influence of the various parameters that affect undrained bearing capacity. The results of the analyses are compared to available methods. It is found that while some of these methods compare well with the finite element results for certain combinations of geometrical parameters and soil properties, they cannot produce sufficiently accurate results as they either do not take account of all of the affecting parameters or are generally not conservative. Based on the finite element results, design charts, equations, and a design procedure are proposed for the calculation of the undrained bearing capacity factor Nc as a function of the undrained shear strength and the bulk unit weight of the soil, the footing width, the distance of the footing from the slope, the slope angle and the slope height.     

SLIDING CONTACT WITH FRICTION OF A THERMOELASTIC SOLID AT SUBSONIC,TRANSONIC, AND SUPERSONIC SPEEDS

The steady-state two-dimensional sliding contact of a half-space by a rigid indentor subject to Coulomb friction is considered. Coupled thermoelasticity governs, and the indentor translates at any constant speed. Results show the existence of three distinctive sliding speeds in addition to those found for frictionless isothermal sliding and speed ranges for physically acceptable solutions that differ from their frictionless isothermal counterparts. Results also show that friction defines surface temperature change outside the contact zone for subsonic sliding but that such change occurs in the transonic case whether friction exists or not. Transonic sliding also exhibits a speed at which no temperature change occurs anywhere in the half-space, while surface temperature change for supersonic sliding occurs only on the contact zone and is always positive.     

Performance evaluation of ad hoc routing protocols for military communications

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are of much interest to both the research community and the military because of the potential to establish a communication network in any situation that involves emergencies. Examples are search‐and‐rescue operations, military deployment in hostile environments, and several types of police operations. One critical open issue is how to route messages considering the characteristics of these networks. The nodes act as routers in an environment without a fixed infrastructure, the nodes are mobile, the wireless medium has its own limitations compared to wired networks, and existing routing protocols cannot be employed, at least without modifications. Over the last few years, a number of routing protocols have been proposed and enhanced to address the issue of routing in MANETs. It is not clear how those different protocols perform under different environments. One protocol may be the best in one network configuration but the worst in another. This article provides an analysis and performance evaluation of those protocols that may be suitable for military communications. The evaluation is conducted in two phases. In the first phase, we compare the protocols based on qualitative metrics to locate those that may fit our evaluation criteria. In the second phase, we evaluate the selected protocols from the first phase based on quantitative metrics in a mobility scenario that reflects tactical military movements. The results disclose that there is no routing protocol in the current stage without modifications that can provide efficient routing to any size of network, regardless of the number of nodes and the network load and mobility. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.