Validated simulation of droplet sedimentation with finite-element and level-set methods

In the present paper freely sedimenting n-butanol droplets in water are simulated by means of computational fluid dynamics. The finite-element and the extended finite-element methods were implemented and evaluated. The level-set function is used for capturing the interface movement. The three-dimensional nonstationary simulations included the stages of droplet acceleration, deformation, and stability in terms of shape and velocity. The influence of the grid resolution, the computational domain walls, and the droplet initial velocity was investigated and quantified. The droplet diameters that were studied spanned the region of spherical, deformed, and oscillating droplets. The simulation results were compared to experiments and empirical models in terms of droplet shape, oscillation behavior and terminal velocity, showing good agreement. The extended finite-element method was found to provide simulation results in better accordance to the experiments and empirical models than the conventional finite-element method.     

The impact of soy-based biodiesel on PAH, nitro-PAH and oxy-PAH emissions from a passenger car operated over regulated and nonregulated driving cycles

This study explores the impact of neat soy-based methyl ester and its 50% v/v blend with low sulphur automotive diesel on PAH, nitro-PAH and oxy-PAH emissions of a Euro 2 compliant diesel passenger car tested on a chassis dynamometer. Emission measurements were evaluated for the certification NEDC, a hot-start UDC (urban part of NEDC) and the non-legislated Artemis driving cycles which simulate urban, rural and highway driving conditions in Europe. Overall, 16 PAHs, 4 nitro-PAHs and 6 oxy-PAHs were determined in the exhaust. The results obtained, showed that PAH emissions decreased with the addition of biodiesel during all driving modes. However, their nitrated and oxygenated products were found to increase with biodiesel compared to diesel fuel. The use of pure biodiesel led in some increases in PAH emissions when compared to its 50% blend. PAH emissions were also found to be adversely influenced by cold-start conditions and certain fuel properties.     

Ink‐jet printing of cotton with natural dyes

Four natural dyes, annatto, cutch, pomegranate fruit rind, and golden dock, were used as colorants for the preparation of water‐based ink‐jet inks for digital textile printing. The physical and rheological properties (pH, conductivity, surface tension, and viscosity) of the inks were measured over a period of 90 days for the evaluation of ink stability and suitability for ink‐jet printing. The inks were found to be suitable and were used for the digital printing of cotton fabrics. The prints were subjected to wash, light, and rub fastness tests and colour measurements. Colour consistency and fastness results, especially after fixation, are comparable with those of synthetic dyes, which paves the way for the production of environmentally friendly ink‐jet inks using natural dyes for the digital printing of cotton through the formulation of suitable printing techniques.     

A pore network study of evaporation from the surface of a drying non‐hygroscopic porous medium

The phenomena occurring at the surface of a porous medium during drying in the capillary regime are investigated by pore network simulations. The impact of the formation of wet and dry patches at the surface on the drying rate is studied. The simulations indicate an edge effect characterized by a noticeable variation of saturation in a thin layer adjacent to the porous surface. Also, the results indicate a significant nonlocal equilibrium effect at the surface. The simulation results are exploited to test Schlünder's classical model which offers a simple closure relationship between the evaporation rate and the degree of occupancy of the surface by the liquid. In addition to new insights into the surface phenomena, the results open up new prospects for improving the continuum models of the drying process. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1435–1447, 2018     

Isothermal Drying of Pore Networks: Influence of Friction for Different Pore Structures

An existing network model for isothermal drying of capillary porous media is extended to account for viscosity in the liquid phase so that it is no longer restricted to structures with large pores. Modeling challenges and solution methods are presented in detail. The model is compared with a bundle of capillaries model of drying. Finally, simulation results for two-dimensional pore networks with mono-modal and bimodal pore structure are shown and discussed.     

Feature Extraction for Crack Detection in Rain Conditions

The solution of the features selection problem is critical for robust detection of crack signals in noisy environment, varying from short-time impulses such as raindrops to the wide-band white Gaussian noise. In this paper, two novel feature selection methods were used to reduce an initial set of 90 features, 67 estimated in the time domain and 23 in the frequency domain, decreasing significantly the memory requirements and the computational complexity of a Radial-Basis-Function (RBF) cracks detector. The evaluation process is carried out in a database including of more than 6000 cracks, raindrops and simultaneous crack and raindrops signals. Additive white Gaussian noise is used to distort the real signals at ?20 to 20 dB Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). The experimental results show that the number of features can be reduced to approximately 25, without affecting the classification rate of cracks and raindrops in the noisy signals, if the SNR is better than 0 dB. In noise-free environment a classification rate of 91% for a single crack/raindrop event is achieved using only five features. A different set of five features reaches a rate of 85% at 10 dB SNR.     

KnowBaSICS-M: an ontology-based system for semantic management of medical problems and computerised algorithmic solutions

In this paper, an ontology-based system (KnowBaSICS-M) is presented for the semantic management of Medical Computational Problems (MCPs), i.e., medical problems and computerised algorithmic solutions. The system provides an open environment, which: (1) allows clinicians and researchers to retrieve potential algorithmic solutions pertinent to a medical problem and (2) enables incorporation of new MCPs into its underlying Knowledge Base (KB). KnowBaSICS-M is a modular system for MCP acquisition and discovery that relies on an innovative ontology-based model incorporating concepts from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). Information retrieval (IR) is based on an ontology-based Vector Space Model (VSM) that estimates the similarity among user-defined MCP search criteria and registered MCP solutions in the KB. The results of a preliminary evaluation and specific examples of use are presented to illustrate the benefits of the system. KnowBaSICS-M constitutes an approach towards the construction of an integrated and manageable MCP repository for the biomedical research community.     

Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapeutic Management in Virus-Associated Digestive System Tumors

The development of cancer is a multifactorial phenomenon, while it constitutes a major global health problem. Viruses are an important factor that is involved in tumorigenesis and is associated with 12.1% of all cancer cases. Major examples of oncogenic viruses which are closely associated with the digestive system are HBV, HCV, EBV, HPV, JCV, and CMV. EBV, HPV, JCV, and CMV directly cause oncogenesis by expressing oncogenic proteins that are encoded in their genome. In contrast, HBV and HCV are correlated indirectly with carcinogenesis by causing chronic inflammation in the infected organs. In addition, the tumor microenvironment contains various immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts, as well as several growth factors, cytokines, and other tumor-secreted molecules that play a key role in tumor growth, progression, and migration, while they are closely interrelated with the virus. The presence of T-regulatory and B-regulatory cells in the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the anti-tumor immune reaction. The tumor immune microenvironments differ in each type of cancer and depend on viral infection. The alterations in the immune microenvironment caused by viruses are also reflected in the effectiveness of immunotherapy. The present review aims at shedding light on the association between viruses and digestive system malignancies, the characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment that develop, and the possible treatments that can be administered.