Suspended core tellurite glass optical fibers for infrared supercontinuum generation

We report the fabrication and characterization of tellurite TeO₂-ZnO-Na₂O (TZN) microstructured suspended core optical fibers (MOFs). These fibers are designed for infrared supercontinuum generation with zero dispersion wavelength (ZDW) at 1.45 μm. The measured losses at this wavelength are approximately 6 dB/m for a MOF with a 2.2 μm diameter core. The effective area of a particular fiber is 3.5 μm² and the nonlinear coefficient is calculated to be 437 W⁻¹km⁻¹. By pumping a 20 cm long fiber at 1.56 μm with a sub-nJ femtosecond laser source, we generate a supercontinuum (SC) spanning over 800 nm in the 1-2 μm wavelength range.     

Ueber das Ferrinatriumsalicylat und die Bestimmung der Bors?ure in den Boraten der Alkalien und Erdalkalien

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Heat transfer to a silicon carbide/water nanofluid

Heat transfer experiments were performed with a water-based nanofluid containing 170-nm silicon carbide particles at a 3.7% volume concentration and having potential commercial viability. Heat transfer coefficients for the nanofluid are presented for Reynolds numbers ranging from 3300 to 13,000 and are compared to the base fluid water on the bases of constant Reynolds number, constant velocity, and constant pumping power. Results were also compared to predictions from standard liquid correlations and a recently altered nanofluid correlation. The slip mechanisms of Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis postulated in the altered correlation were investigated in a series of heating and cooling experiments.     

A spatial equational logic for the applied π-calculus

Spatial logics have been proposed to reason locally and modularly on algebraic models of distributed systems. In this paper we define the spatial equational logic A π L whose models are processes of the applied π-calculus. This extension of the π-calculus allows term manipulation and records communications as aliases in a frame, thus augmenting the predefined underlying equational theory. Our logic allows one to reason locally either on frames or on processes, thanks to static and dynamic spatial operators. We study the logical equivalences induced by various relevant fragments of A π L, and show in particular that the whole logic induces a coarser equivalence than structural congruence. We give characteristic formulae for some of these equivalences and for static equivalence. Going further into the exploration of A π L’s expressivity, we also show that it can eliminate standard term quantification.     

Sediment mercury dynamics and historical trends of mercury deposition in the St. Lawrence River area of concern near Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

The St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario was designated an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission in 1985. Sediments from this area have historically been contaminated with mercury (Hg), and although concentrations have decreased since the 1970s, they still remain high. Nine sediment cores were collected from three sites within the Area of Concern in 2004/05 to determine the variability in historical profiles of Hg deposition to the river. Sediment and pore water phases were analyzed for total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) and cores were analyzed for ²¹⁰Pb to determine chronologies of sedimentation at these sites. Mercury diffusion rates in pore waters within the sediment column were determined to be very low (between 0 and 2.15 ng cm^− 2 year^− 1, n = 3) compared to the recent Hg sedimentation rates at these sites (183 ± 30 ng cm^− 2 year^− 1 SE, n = 9) determined by multiplying surface Hg concentrations with ²¹⁰Pb-derived sedimentation rates. These results indicate that Hg profiles in these cores accurately depict historical releases of Hg to the river bed. The influence of federal regulations in the early 1970s to restrict Hg emissions to the river was apparent in these dated sediment cores, as were the closures of several local industries in the mid 1990s. Mercury accumulation rates prior to 1970 were 60 times higher than those occurring after 1995. Methyl mercury showed surface enrichment in most of these sediment cores providing evidence that mercury methylation occurred most rapidly near the sediment surface.     

Nanostraws for direct fluidic intracellular access

Nanomaterials are promising candidates to improve the delivery efficiency and control of active agents such as DNA or drugs directly into cells. Here we demonstrate cell-culture platforms of nanotemplated "nanostraws" that pierce the cell membrane, providing a permanent fluidic pipeline into the cell for direct cytosolic access. Conventional polymeric track-etch cell culture membranes are alumina coated and etched to produce fields of nanostraws with controllable diameter, thickness, and height. Small molecules and ions were successfully transported into the cytosol with 40 and 70% efficiency, respectively, while GFP plasmids were successfully delivered and expressed. These platforms open the way for active, reproducible delivery of a wide variety of species into cells without endocytosis.     

Comparison of experimental designs using neural networks

Experimental designs were compared using stacked‐layer feed‐forward neural networks. Several traditional three‐level designs and uniform designs were investigated using three‐factor linear and nonlinear models. The prediction error was found to be inversely proportional to the number of experiments. Uniform designs displayed better performance than traditional three‐level designs for the same number of experiments. The sum of squares of prediction errors was generally smaller for uniform designs. The performance difference between three‐level designs and uniform designs was attributed to the number of factor levels. This was confirmed by further investigation on random designs with more factor levels.