Ultrahigh-sensitivity temperature fiber sensor based on multimode interference

The proposed sensing device relies on the self-imaging effect that occurs in a pure silica multimode fiber (coreless MMF) section of a single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS)-based fiber structure. The influence of the coreless-MMF diameter on the external refractive index (RI) variation permitted the sensing head with the lowest MMF diameter (i.e., 55 μm) to exhibit the maximum sensitivity (2800 nm/RIU). This approach also implied an ultrahigh sensitivity of this fiber device to temperature variations in the liquid RI of 1.43: a maximum sensitivity of -1880 pm/°C was indeed attained. Therefore, the results produced were over 100-fold those of the typical value of approximately 13 pm/°C achieved in air using a similar device. Numerical analysis of an evanescent wave absorption sensor was performed, in order to extend the range of liquids with a detectable RI to above 1.43. The suggested model is an SMS fiber device where a polymer coating, with an RI as low as 1.3, is deposited over the coreless MMF; numerical results are presented pertaining to several polymer thicknesses in terms of external RI variation.     

The effects of cell spacing and distribution of intermetallic fibers on the mechanical properties of hypoeutectic Al–Fe alloys

The aim of the present investigation was to contribute to provide a basis for understanding how to control solidification parameters, microstructure and mechanical strength of Al–Fe alloys. Upward directional solidification experiments have been carried-out with commercially pure Al and Al–0.5 wt.% Fe, Al–1.0 wt.% Fe and Al–1.5 wt.% Fe alloys. The tensile tests results have been correlated to cell spacing (λ₁), since cellular growth has prevailed along all obtained Al–Fe castings. The used casting assembly was designed in such way that the heat was extracted only through the water-cooled system at the bottom of the casting. In order to investigate the nature of Al–Fe intermetallic fibers, they were extracted from the aluminum-rich matrix by using a dissolution technique. These fibers were then investigated by SEM-EDAX microscopy. It was found that the ultimate tensile strength, yield tensile strength and elongation increase with decreasing cell spacing. The highest ultimate tensile strength was that obtained for the most refined microstructure, i.e. for the Al–1.5 wt.% Fe alloy sample, where a higher density of eutectic fibers was found distributed in a more homogeneous way along the casting section due to lower cell spacings. In contrast, the elongation was found to decrease with increasing solute content.     

A new strategy for assessing sensitivities in biochemical models

An integral part of any systems biology approach is the modelling and simulation of the respective system under investigation. However, the values of many parameters of the system have often not been determined or are not identifiable due to technical experimental difficulties or other constraints. Sensitivity analysis is often employed to quantify the importance of each of the model's parameters in the behaviour of the system. This approach can also be useful in identifying those parts of the system that are most sensitive with the potential of becoming drug targets. A problem of the commonly used methods of sensitivity analysis is that they constitute local methods meaning that they depend directly on the exact parameter space, which in turn is not known exactly. One way to circumvent this problem is to carry out sensitivity analysis over a wide range of values for all parameters, but this is handicapped by expensive computations when the systems are high dimensional. Another approach is to employ global sensitivity analysis, which in this context is mostly based on random sampling methods. In this paper we present an efficient approach that involves using numerical optimizing methods that search a wide region of parameter space for a given model to determine the maximum and minimum values of its metabolic control coefficients. A relevant example for drug development is presented to demonstrate the strategy using the software COPASI.     

Quasi‐static crack propagation in plane and plate structures using set‐valued traction‐separation laws

We introduce a numerical technique to model set‐valued traction‐separation laws in plate bending and also plane crack propagation problems. By using of recent developments in thin (Kirchhoff–Love) shell models and the extended finite element method, a complete and accurate algorithm for the cohesive law is presented and is used to determine the crack path. The cohesive law includes softening and unloading to origin, adhesion and contact. Pure debonding and contact are obtained as particular (degenerate) cases. A smooth root‐finding algorithm (based on the trust‐region method) is adopted. A step‐driven algorithm is described with a smoothed law which can be made arbitrarily close to the exact non‐smooth law. In the examples shown the results were found to be step‐size insensitive and accurate. In addition, the method provides the crack advance law, extracted from the cohesive law and the absence of stress singularity at the tip. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heat and mass transfer on a cylinder surface in cross flow under supersaturated frosting conditions

In this paper a semi-empirical model describing heat and mass transfer on a cylinder surface in humid air cross flow under supersaturated frosting conditions is presented. The lack of psychrometric data in the supersaturated zone of the psychrometric chart has historically impeded the ability of researchers to accurately predict heat and mass transfer in supersaturated air. The work described in this paper has been partially made possible by developing a systematic procedure to compute the properties of supersaturated moist air, especially in the low temperature zone of the psychrometric chart. Development of such a capability will allow us to predict the amount of frost collected on a coil, the frost deposition and coil heat transfer rates, frost thickness and frost surface temperature, and other important coil frost parameters under supersaturated conditions.     

Cellular and in vitro toxicity of nanodiamond-polyaniline composites in mammalian and bacterial cell

The composite nanodiamond (ND) particles are rapidly emerging as promising material for the next generation agent for drug delivery, biosensors, or imaging contrast applications. Consequently, the health risks associated with the exposure to nanocomposite materials are utmost important. The objective of our work is to study the toxic effects of the nanodiamond-polyaniline (ND-Pani) composites in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) cell line. Toxic effects of either ND or ND-Pani nanocomposite in powder form on HEK293 are tested using MTT assay. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the cell survival between samples treated with ND-Pani nanocomposite and the control sample for the two lower concentrations used in the experiments (p < 0.05). Morphology of the cells was not significantly affected due to the inclusion of nanocomposites during the incubation phase. The stability of the film was also improved due to the inclusion of the nanodiamond particles into the polymeric matrix making it suitable for electrochemical sensing applications. Experimental results have shown that the toxicity effect of lower concentration of ND-Pani composite is negligible, thus indicating that below 1 μg/ml could be a safer range without secondary toxicity effect.     

Functional finishing of polyamide fabrics using ZnO–PMMA nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites offer possibility of developing a new class of nanofinishing materials for textiles with their own manifold of structure property relationship. Approaches to modify the polymer nanocomposites by various inorganic substances can lead to a huge number of additional functionalities which are increasingly demanded by the textile industries. In the present work, zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by wet chemical method and ZnO–PMMA nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing the ZnO nanoparticles in solution of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and applied on polyamide fabrics by padding. The aims are to impart superhydrophobicity and UV protection function to the polyamide textile surface and the functional properties of coated fabrics were studied. The nanofinished polyamide fabrics showed superhydrophobicity of about 163°. The results also showed that the impregnation of fabrics with ZnO–PMMA nanofinishings also enhanced the protection of polyamide fabrics against UV radiation.     

Monte Carlo simulation of the movement and detection efficiency of a whole-body counting system using a BOMAB phantom

This study reports on the computational analysis and experimental calibration of the whole-body counting detection equipment at the Nuclear and Technological Institute (ITN) in Portugal. Two state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulation programmes were used for this purpose: PENELOPE and MCNPX. This computational work was undertaken as part of a new set of experimental calibrations, which improved the quality standards of this study's WBC system. In these calibrations, a BOMAB phantom, one of the industry standards phantoms for WBC calibrations in internal dosimetry applications, was used. Both the BOMAB phantom and the detection system were accurately implemented in the Monte Carlo codes. The whole-body counter at ITN possesses a moving detector system, which poses a challenge for Monte Carlo simulations, as most codes only accept static configurations. The continuous detector movement was approximately described in the simulations by averaging several discrete positions of the detector throughout the movement. The computational efficiency values obtained with the two Monte Carlos codes have deviations of less than 3.2 %, and the obtained deviations between experimental and computational efficiencies are less than 5 %. This work contributes to demonstrate the great effectiveness of using computational tools for understanding the calibration of radiation detection systems used for in vivo monitoring.     

Thickness dependence of amplified spontaneous emission in low-absorbing organic waveguides

The effect of varying film thickness (h) on the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties of 0.5 wt.% perylenediimide-doped polystyrene waveguides is reported. The threshold dependence on h, not previously investigated in detail, is analyzed in terms of the film absorption and photoluminescence, the confinement of the fundamental waveguide mode (TE0), and the presence of high-order modes. For h<400 nm and down to 150 nm, the ASE wavelength blueshifts, while the linewidth and threshold increase. The detrimental ASE operation in very thin films is due to the low absorption as well as to the poor confinement of the TE0 mode.     

New insights into the growth mechanism and surface structure of palladium nanocrystals

This paper presents a systematic study of the growth mechanism for Pd nanobars synthesized by reducing Na₂PdCl₄ with L-ascorbic acid in an aqueous solution in the presence of bromide ions as a capping agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM analyses revealed that the growth at early stages of the synthesis was dominated by particle coalescence, followed by shape focusing via recrystallization and further growth via atomic addition. We also investigated the detailed surface structure of the nanobars using aberration-corrected scanning TEM and found that the exposed {100} surfaces contained several types of defects such as an adatom island, a vacancy pit, and atomic steps. Upon thermal annealing, the nanobars evolved into a more thermodynamically favored shape with enhanced truncation at the corners.