A comparison of two conformal methods for FDTD modeling

Two conformal finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods are considered, the contour path (CPFDTD) method of Jurgens et al. (see IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol.40, p.357, 1992) and the overlapping grid (OGFDTD) method of Yee et al. (see IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., vol.40, p.1068, 1992). Both TE and TM scattering from a two-dimensional (2-D), perfectly conducting circular cylinder are used to test the accuracy of the methods for curved surfaces. Also, TE and TM scattering from a 2-D, perfectly-conducting rotated square cylinder are used to test the accuracy for corners and edges. It is shown that the conformal method proposed by Yee et al. provide significant improvement in accuracy over the original FDTD algorithm for most of the geometries studied. However, implementation becomes more difficult as the geometries become more complex. The conformal method proposed by Jurgens et al. provide significant improvement in accuracy as well for most of the geometries studied. However, improvement does not occur for the TM case when the square cylinder is not aligned properly with the grid. Implementation of the CPFDTD method is relatively straightforward. For the majority of the cases studied, the OGFDTD method is more accurate than the CPFDTD method     

Longitudinal diffusion and resistance to mass transfer as causes of nonideality in chromatography : J. J. van Deemter, F. J. Zuiderweg and A. Klinkenberg, Chem. Engng Sci. 5 271–289, 1956

The sharpness of separation in a gas-liquid chromatographic column is effected by longitudinal molecular diffusion, slowness to reach absorption equilibrium, and by flow irregularities in channels and across the column. The total effect of all these causes can be described by a simple equation which can be derived from the rigorous mathematical solution by introducing reasonable simplifying assumptions.     

Sequence capture-PCR improves detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical specimens

The rapid identification of mycobacterial DNA in clinical samples by PCR can be useful in the diagnosis of tuberculous infections, but several large studies have found that the sensitivity of this approach is not better than that of culture. In order to improve the sensitivity of detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical specimens from patients with paucibacillary forms of tuberculosis, we have developed a procedure permitting the specific capture of mycobacterial DNA in crude samples prior to amplification, thereby concentrating the target sequences and removing irrelevant DNA and other potential inhibitors of the amplification reaction (sequence capture-PCR). By using this approach to capture and amplify two different sequences specific for organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (IS6110 and the direct repeat region), it was possible to detect as little as one genome of mycobacterial DNA in samples containing up to 750 micrograms of total DNA, representing a 10- to 100-fold increase in sensitivity compared with that obtained by purifying total DNA prior to amplification. Detection of the IS6110 sequence in pleural fluid samples from patients with tuberculous pleurisy by sequence capture-PCR gave positive results in 13 of 17 cases, including 3 of 3 culture-positive samples and 10 of 14 culture-negative samples. In contrast, when total DNA was purified from these samples by adsorption to a silica matrix prior to amplification, only the three culture-positive samples were positive by PCR. The sensitivity of detection of the direct repeat sequence in these samples by sequence capture-PCR was similar to that of IS6110 and, in addition, permitted immediate typing of the strains from some patients. We conclude that sequence capture-PCR improves the sensitivity of detection of mycobacterial DNA in paucibacillary samples. This approach should be useful in detecting rare target sequences from organisms implicated in other pathologic processes.     

Suppressive effect of corticosteroids on the gene expression of interleukin-5 and eosinophil activation in asthmatics

Although cortico steroids are effective anti-inflammatory agents in ameliorating asthma symptoms and bronchial hperreactivity, their mechanism of action is unknown. Interleukin (IL)-5 is known to play a key role in regulating eosinophil proliferation and activation. Therefore, we examined the changes of IL-5 mRNA expressions in PBMC semi-quantitatively with RT-PCR as well as serum ECP levels and MCH-PC20 values in asthmatics before and after being treated with corticosteroids. The results revealed that there were significant decrease in the level of IL-5 mRNA and serum ECP concentration after therapy (P < 0.05) and there was remarkable improvement in the values of MCH-PC20 and FEV1% (P < 0.05). It was also found that the changes of serum ECP levels or MCH-PC20 values were accompanied by a reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression (r = 0.5426 or 0.4857, P < 0.05). These results suggested that the therapeutic effects of corticosteroids in asthma may result from modulation of IL-5 gene expression with consequent inhibition of eosinophil activation.     

Optimized partitioning of a wavelength distributed data interfacering network

A fiber optic ring network, such as fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), can be operated over multiple wavelengths on its existing fiber plant consisting of point-to-point fiber links. Using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology, FDDI nodes can be partitioned to operate over multiple subnetworks, with each subnetwork operating independently on a different wavelength, and inter-subnetwork traffic forwarding performed by a bridge. For this multiwavelength version of FDDI, which we refer to as wavelength distributed data interface (WDDI), we examine the necessary upgrades to the architecture of a FDDI node, including its possibility to serve as a bridge. The main motivation behind this study is that, as network traffic scales beyond (the single-wavelength) FDDI's information-carrying capacity, its multiwavelength version, WDDI, can gracefully accommodate such traffic growth. A number of design choices exist in constructing a good WDDI network. Specifically, we investigate algorithms using which, based on prevailing traffic conditions, partitioning of nodes into subnetworks can be performed in an optimized fashion. Our algorithms partition the nodes into subrings, such that the total traffic flow in the network and/or the network-wide average packet delay is minimized     

A new monitoring system for piping systems in fossil fired power plants

A CEC-funded project has been performed to tackle the problem of producing an advanced Life Monitoring System (LMS) which would calculate the creep and fatigue damage experienced by high temperature pipework components. Four areas were identified where existing Life Monitoring System technology could be improved:

1. 1. the inclusion of creep relaxation

2. 2. the inclusion of external loads on components

3. 3. a more accurate method of calculating thermal stresses due to temperature transients

4. 4. the inclusion of high cycle fatigue terms.

The creep relaxation problem was solved using stress reduction factors in an analytical in-elastic stress calculation. The stress reduction factors were produced for a number of common geometries and materials by means of non-linear finite element analysis. External loads were catered for by producing influence coefficients from in-elastic analysis of the particular piping system and using them to calculate bending moments at critical positions on the pipework from load and displacement measurements made at the convenient points at the pipework. The thermal stress problem was solved by producing a completely new solution based on Green's Function and Fast Fourier transforms. This allowed the thermal stress in a complex component to be calculated from simple non-intrusive thermocouple measurements made on the outside of the component. The high-cycle fatigue problem was dealt with precalculating the fatigue damage associated with standard transients and adding this damage to cumulative total when a transient occurred.

The site testing provided good practical experience and showed up problems which would not otherwise have been detected.     

Magnetization and rotation of MTG HTSC ring in magnetic field

The magnetization of a melt-texture growth (MTG) HTSC ring has been studied. It is shown that the magnetic field inside the ring is larger than the external field under a certain range of external magnetic fields. We have also investigated the magnetic field dependence of the response of a detective coil near a rotating superconducting ring. The responses of the MTG sample are different for different cooling methods.     

A mechanism for transgranular stress-corrosion cracking

A model is proposed to explain transgranular-stress corrosion cracking (T-SCC) in face-centered cubic (fcc) materials. Crack propagation is shown to be anisotropic, in that growth near {110} < 001> is discontinuous due to crack arrest by dislocation blunting whereas growth away from this growth orientation is continuous. For the former case, renucleation of arrested cracks involves active dissolution of shear bands at the crack tip, which changes the stress state at Lomer-Cottrell locks, causing them to fail by cleavage. Once the crack is nucleated, its instantaneous macroscopic crack-growth velocity is considered to be comprised of multiple nucleation of microcracks with intervening arrests. This microcracking results from the interaction of the stress fields from neighboring cracks which are forming simultaneously, the crack-opening constraint due to ligaments which act as “bridges” behind the crack front, and the localized dissolution at the microcrack tip which affectsK _IC and leads to the “cobblestone” appearance. Experimental evidence and theoretical considerations are presented to support the model. The system studied was Cu-25 at. pct Au in 0.6 M NaCl solution at potentials between 300 and 400 mV (sce), which precludes hydrogen embrittlement. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Quasi-Brittle Fracture” presented during the TMS fall meeting, Cincinnati, OH, October 21–24, 1991, under the auspices of the TMS Mechanical Metallurgy Committee and the ASM/MSD Flow and Fracture Committee.