Unified equation of state based on the lattice fluid theory for phase equilibria of complex mixtures part I. Molecular thermodynamic framework

Consistent calculation of fugacities of fluid mixtures remains as one of the most important subjects in contemporary molecular thermodynamics. In practice, equations of state (EOSs) and g^E-models have been used. However, most EOSs are erroneous for condensed phases at high densities and g^E-models are inapplicable for pressuresensitive systems. Recently to remedy the shortcomings in both approaches, there has been a surge of new g^E-EOS mixing rules. By equating any set of EOS and g^E-models, the limitations in both approaches could be resolved significantly. However, the self-consistency in the underlying concept of those mixing rules remains controversial. During the last several years, the present authors proposed a new lattice-fluid EOS and its simplification relevant to phase equilibrium calculations. Without employing any g^E-EOS mixing rule and with only two parameters for a pure component and one adjustable interaction energy parameter for a binary mixture, results obtained to date demonstrated that the EOSs are quantitatively applicable to a great variety of phase equilibrium properties of mixtures, especially, for complex and/or macromolecular systems. In the present article we summarize the EOSs and extended the applications to liquid-liquid Equilibria. In part I, we discussed briefly the molecular thermodynamic aspects of general derivation of the EOS and a brief discussion of applying the EOSs to pure fluids while the illustrative application to various real mixture systems is discussed in part II.     

Improved performances of a S-SEED using extremely shallowquantum-wells and asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity structure

The authors report significantly improved performances of a symmetric self-electrooptic-effect device (S-SEED), with high on-off contrast ratio (>30:l) and large optical bistability loop widths (ΔP=44%) at an applied bias of V_a=0 V, i.e., with no power supply. The S-SEED is made of extremely shallow quantum wells (ESQWs) in an asymmetric Fabry-Perot (AFP) cavity structure. At V_a =5 V ΔP increased by up to 95%, preserving the high contrast ratio. The reflectivity changes at V_a=0 and 5 V were about 15% and 30%, respectively. These are believed to be the largest values ever reported for such structures     

Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of covariance matrices for signalsclosely spaced in frequency

The eigenstructures of common covariance matrices are identified for the general case of M closely spaced signals. It is shown that the largest signal-space eigenvalue is relatively insensitive to signal separation. By contrast, the ith largest eigenvalue is proportional to δω^2(i-1) or δω^4(i-1), where δω is a measure of signal separation. Therefore, matrix conditioning degrades rapidly as signal separation is reduced. It is also shown that the limiting eigenvectors have remarkably simple structures. The results are very general, and apply to planar far-field direction-finding problems involving almost arbitrary scenarios, and also to time-series analysis of sinusoids, exponentials, and other signals     

Efficacy of surgical treatment in traumatic central cord syndrome

BACKGROUND: Controversy surrounds the treatment of traumatic central cord syndrome (TCCS), as there are strong advocates for nonsurgical treatment for most patients. However, conservative treatment has been shown to yield a longer period of discomfort from pain and weakness in certain cases. METHODS: In a retrospective review of 114 patients presenting with acute or chronic TCCS from 1988-94, four different age groups were separately observed under different treatments. Motor and sensory recovery were assessed. RESULTS: Better results were achieved in younger patients, with or without radiographic abnormalities, and in patients with clinically correlated encroaching cord lesions who received early surgical decompression. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention for TCCS must be addressed with careful clinical and radiographic survey. Removal of offending lesions in the subacute period results in significant motor and sensory improvement in short-term and long-term follow-up.     

The nature of localized deformation in 6111-T6 aluminium alloy and polycarbonate

The nature of localized deformation that occurs both in metal and polymer samples was examined under uniaxial tension by measuring the complete strain distribution of a deforming specimen at a constant crosshead speed. The development of localized deformation in 6111-T6 aluminium alloy and polycarbonate was recorded along both the longitudinal and lateral directions as the specimen was stretched until it fractured. Determination of the true strain at various points on the tensile specimens was made by using an automated, vision-based image processing method using a CCD camera to measure the deformation of a silk-screened grid on the specimen. This vision-based system produced accurate results, allowing for careful analysis of the entire necking process from initiation to propagation. It has been observed that localized deformation develops principally in the longitudinal direction. The major and minor true strain are uniform for the uniform section specimens, however, these strains peak in the centre of the hourglass specimens in the longitudinal direction for both materials. For both specimen geometries, the major strain is uniform while the minor strain is non-uniform in the lateral direction. The longitudinal true strain to lateral true strain ratio remains at about two for the uniform section specimens, but this ratio increases to between 3 and 5 for the hourglass specimens, due to the constraining effect of the sample geometry.     

Modified atmosphere packaging of a mixed prepared vegetable salad dish

The aim of this study was to design a modified atmosphere package for a mixed vegetable salad consisting of 75 g of cut carrot, 55 g of cut cucumber, 20 g of sliced garlic and 50 g of whole green pepper. Respiration data of all the components were combined with film permeability data to predict package atmospheres and design optimal packages for experimental testing for improved shelf-life of the produce. The optimal package avoided minimum O₂ and maximum CO₂ tolerance limits, and chilling injury temperatures for any component. A pouch form package made of 27 mm low density polyethylene developed a modified atmosphere of 2.0–2.1% O₂ and 5.5–5.7% CO₂, which was beneficial for all components and provided better quality retention than other test packages.     

Model-based location of automated guided vehicles in the navigation sessions by 3d computer vision

A model-based approach to determining the location of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in the navigation session is proposed. Significant scenes along the navigation path are taken and stored as model images. Also, specific templates of each model image are chosen in advance for matching. When the AGV approaches one significant scene in the navigation session, an input image is taken and the corresponding model image is fetched. Each template in the model image is matched with the input image through the use of the three-step method. The templates are directly used for matching; therefore, no special image processing techniques are required for the input image in the navigation session. In addition, several templates in a model image are used for matching instead of the model image itself. This promotes the robustness of the matching results and saves the computation cost. Furthermore, the 2D string method is used as a post-verifier to discard erroneous matching results. The remaining correct matching results then can be used to determine the vehicle location on the navigation path. Simulated experiments are implemented and the results confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Detecting delaminations in a composite beam using anti-optimization

The present study proposes a detection technique for delaminations in a laminated beam. The proposed technique optimizes the spatial distribution of harmonic excitation so as to magnify the difference in response between the delaminated and intact beam. The technique is evaluated by numerical simulation of two-layered aluminum beams. Effects of measurement and geometric noise are included in the analysis. A finite element model for a delaminated composite, based on a layer-wise laminated plate theory is used in conjunction with a step function to simulate delaminations