INTERACTION OF THERMAL RADIATION IN THE LAMINAR PIPE FLOW OF OPTICALLY THIN GASES

The influence of thermal radiation on laminar forced convection of a gray gas in a pipe flow is studied semi-analytically. The gas is considered as an absorbing-emitting medium and the thin gas model approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. Invoking the method of lines (MOL), the nonlinear boundary value problem is reduced to an initial value problem which is eventually solved by a standard Runge-Kutta integration scheme. Numerical results are presented graphically for a selected group of thermal parameters encompassing the thin gas behavior. Additionally, it is found that limiting cases namely: laminar plug flow and laminar parabolic flow, both in the absence of radiation define an envelope for the curves of bulk temperature and total Nusselt number describing the combined thermal process for a thin gas in laminar motion. In general, the comparisons reveal that these asymptotic solutions are valid when the entrance-to-wall temperature ratio is less than 2.     

Thermal Decomposition of Diammonium Tetrachloroplatinate to form Platinum Nanoparticles and its Application as Electrodes

Pt nanoparticles were obtained via the thermal decomposition of (NH₄)₂[PtCl₄] (diammonium tetrachloroplatinate) by heating from room temperature to 760 °C. The thermal decomposition process was analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray thermodiffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The size and structure of the platinum particles were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical activity of Pt particles was assessed by cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. The TGA and DTA results suggested that the thermal decomposition of the precursor proceeded in two stages: loss of NH₄Cl at ~300 °C, followed by loss of NH₄Cl and Cl₂ at ~372 °C. Metallic Pt particles were then produced at temperatures of 372 °C and above. At 760 °C, the mean ± SD size of the Pt particles was (4.1 ± 1.6) nm, as determined from TEM measurements. In cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements, an electrode comprised of glassy carbon and Pt particles in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ exhibited behavior similar to that observed using a polycrystalline Pt electrode.     

Resistance of High-Nickel,Heat-Resisting Alloys to Air and to Supercritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> at High Temperatures

The reduction behaviour of wustite-type iron oxide scale on a low-carbon, low-silicon steel by dissolved carbon in the steel at 650–900 °C under pure nitrogen was studied. It was found that dissoved carbon in the steel examined was able to react with the wustite scale on the surface, leading to reduction of this scale. It was also found that the scale reduction rate was the most rapid within 750–800 °C, followed by that at 700 °C and then at 850 °C, whereas the rates were essentially zero at 650 and 900 °C. Decarburization occurred to the steel as a result of scale reduction, and the degree of decarburization at 750–800 °C was also the most severe. The rate of scale–carbon reaction was primarily controlled by carbon diffusion through the decarburization layer as the calculated carbon permeability, defined as the product of carbon diffusivity and the carbon concentration difference across the decarburization layer, also reached its maximum within 750–800 °C. Scale reduction led to the formation of pores at the scale–steel interface as a result of volume shrinkage when wustite was reduced to iron, but the porosity volume was smaller than calculated at 800–850 °C, which could have an inhibiting effect on the scale–carbon reaction. The calculated volume of CO + CO₂ gases generated as a result of scale–carbon reactions was about 100 times the calculated porosity volume. It was believed that the wustite scale was permeable to CO and/or CO₂, allowing the much larger volume of CO and CO₂ gases to escape through the scale layer.     

Crude oil aggregation by microscopy and dynamic light scattering

This research is focused on establishing a methodology to evaluate the aggregation state of Mexican crude oil solutions from two different sources and SARA compositions, by using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Different crude oil concentrations were established and monitored through time in order to determine their effects on the aggregation state. DLS results indicate that the aggregation state of the studied solutions is influenced by crude oil composition, specifically by the amount of resins. Particle size and elemental analysis of the aggregates were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. Results from these techniques reveal particulated low-porosity smooth surfaces due to the presence of resin, as well as the determination of the characteristic elements found in asphaltenes. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HTEM) indicated the presence of asphaltene aggregates constituted by nanometric particles and asphaltene stacking as well as ultrafine nanocrystalline-oriented structures.     

Sources of nutrition information of Chilean schoolers, metropolitan region, Chile, survey 1986-1987.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative importance of different sources of nutrition information used by Chilean schoolers to learn the basics of nutrition. In this respect, a representative sample of 4,509 elementary and high-school children was randomly selected and stratified according to grade, sex, type of school and geographic area. Schoolers were individually interviewed in order to collect data related with socioeconomic status (SES) and sociocultural conditions, as well as to learn as to what they considered to be the most important sources of nutrition information influencing their nutritional learning, gathering the necessary data through a questionnaire especially designed for this purpose. Results indicated that 87.8% schoolers mentioned their family (mainly the mother), as the most important source of nutrition information; 10.7% said the school teacher, and 1.5%, mass media (0.8% television, 0.5% books, 0.1% magazines and 0.1% radio) without significant differences by sex, age and geographic area. The role attributed to the family (mother) was important in all SES categories, but proved to be significantly higher in the high SES group (91.9%) than in the low SES group (84.6%). The role attributed to the school teacher, in contrast, was lower (6.7%) in the high SES group than in the low SES group (13.8%) (p less than 0.001). In relation to mass media, the influence attributed to books and magazines was high in the high SES group, but television and radio were more important in the low SES group. On the other hand, significant differences found by type of school were related to SES. These findings could be useful in the establishment of food and nutrition policies, as well as in educational planning focused on the Chilean school population, considering that few studies have been carried out along these lines.     

Catalytic performance of silica-aluminas synthesised with the help of chitosan biopolymer

Mesoporous amorphous silica-aluminas were synthesised with standard aluminium and silicon sources by means of the formation of inorganic–organic composites with the addition of chitosan biopolymer, and compared to analogous catalysts synthesised conventionally. Some catalysts were subjected to hydrothermal treatment. The resulting specific surface areas were from 480 to 573 m²/g in the untreated samples and 300–430 m²/g in the hydrotreated catalysts, average pore sizes ranging from 32 to 100 Å with sharp, unimodal distributions. The chitosan materials showed higher specific surface areas and larger pore sizes than those of their non-chitosan counterparts. The most important differences in the acidic properties were in the relationships between tetrahedral and octahedral aluminium atoms, the chitosan materials having higher relative amounts of tetrahedral aluminium than the conventional silica-aluminas. Evidences of stabilization in the physical and chemical properties were observed in the chitosan-containing catalysts. The catalytic performance was evaluated with the conversion of tri-isopropylbenzene at 400 °C, to assess activity and accessibility, and cyclohexene at 300 °C, to assess hydrogen transfer properties. The highest activity and accessibility was observed in the hydrotreated, chitosan-containing catalyst, while hydrogen transfer capabilities were similar to those of medium unit cell sizes, equilibrium commercial FCC catalysts.     

Two-Color Capillary Electrophoresis with On-Column Excitation and Wave-Guide Based Fluorescent Detection

An optical wave-guide based two-color capillary electrophoresis laser induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) instrument is described. The wave-guide based approach allows for on column excitation and detection with two-color discrimination. The instrument is designed to allow either electrokinetic or hydrodynamic injections. In its present configuration, the attainable limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) was 50 X 10⁻²¹ moles of fluorescein with a 488-nm excitation source. This study was designed to test the instrument design for applications in protein analyses. Fluorescent dyes with two different wavelengths were simultaneously separated and detected as were complexes formed by labeled antibodies to NFκB p65 and cdc2p34. Quantification of both proteins in THP-1 cell lysates performed using this approach illustrates a rapid screening application of this instrument.     

A mixed pixel- and region-based approach for using airborne laser scanning data for individual tree crown delineation in Pinus radiata D. Don plantations

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of high-resolution airborne laser scanner (ALS) data to detect and measure individual trees. We developed and tested a new mixed pixel- and region-based algorithm (using Definiens Developer 7.0) for locating individual tree positions and estimating their total heights. We computed a canopy height model (CHM) of pixel size 0.25 m from dense first-pulse point data (8 pulses m^?2) acquired with a small-footprint discrete-return lidar sensor. We validated the results of individual tree segmentation with accurate field measurements made in 37 plots of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) distributed over an area of 36 km². Fieldwork consisted of labelling all of the trees in each plot and measuring their height and position, for posterior integration of the data from both sources (field and lidar). The proposed algorithm correctly detected and linked 59.8% of the trees in the 37 sample plots. We also manually located the trees by using FUSION software to visualize the raw lidar data cloud. However, because the latter method is extremely time-consuming, we only considered 10 randomly selected plots. Manual location correctly detected and linked 71.9% of the trees (in this subsample the algorithm correctly detected and measured 63.5% of the trees). The R² values for the linear model relating field- and lidar-measured heights of the linked trees located manually and with the automatic location algorithm were 0.90 and 0.88, respectively.     

Postfailure Mechanics of Landslides: Laboratory Investigation of Flowslides in Pyroclastic Soils

Of all landslides, subaerial flowslides are the most dangerous. According to the literature, flowslides in saturated granular deposits are caused by static liquefaction induced by loss of stability. However, the catastrophic flowslides that occurred on steep slopes in Campania (southern Italy) in 1998, 1999, and 2005 were triggered by rainwater infiltration into shallow deposits of pyroclastic soils, which were initially unsaturated. Starting from the experience collected during the investigations of some of these landslides, the writers consider flowslide evolution as a result of a mechanical chain process characterized by saturation increase due to rainwater infiltration, mechanical degradation, volumetric collapse, and static liquefaction, culminating in complete fluidization of the soil. In the paper this chain process is investigated through wetting tests both in suction controlled triaxial apparatuses and in a well-equipped small scale slope model.     

On reactive routing protocols in ZigBee wireless sensor networks

ZigBee is the primary standard solution for wireless sensor networks, implementing the Ad hoc On‐Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol in the network layer and supported by the standard IEEE 802.15.4. This study is focused on mesh topologies and the critical problems encountered when AODV is executed in conjunction with the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance protocol. These problems are mainly related to the packet overhead required to carry out route creation. To perform preliminary experiments to be able to implement AODV in a real network, a new metric is proposed herein. This metric uses fuzzy logic to help in the decision‐making process. The objective of the fuzzy routine is to determine, during the route‐discovery process, the best node to forward request/reply packets, with the aim of reducing packet overhead and energy consumption. Moreover, minor changes are also added to the discovery procedure of AODV to improve the performance of the route‐creation process. This intelligent version of AODV has provided promising experimental results, greatly reducing the number of packets required, with the consequent energy saving while selecting the best nodes to be part of the routes.