The separation of the solids from the carrier gas during submerged powder injection

A fundamental aspect of submerged powder injection into melts which is not well understood is the extent to which the particles separate from the carrier gas upon injection, particularly under high solids loading conditions. In this study, the injection of nonwettable powders was investigated using a cold-model system at solids loadings from 1 to 25. Polyethylene powder was injected through a top-submerged lance into a cylindrical water bath under bubbling conditions. Air was used as the carrier gas. The apparatus was designed so that the particles remaining with the gas phase could be collected separately from those which escaped from the bubbles. The gas velocity (5.15 to 10.3 m/s), surface tension (0.03 to 0.072 N/m), lance diameter (4.7 to 7.4 mm), and particle size (< 500 μm) were independently varied. The separation of the powder from the primary gas bubbles was found to increase with increasing solids loading when the gas velocity, surface tension, and lance diameter were held constant. At constant solids loading, the separation increased with increasing gas velocity, increased with increasing lance diameter, and decreased with increasing surface tension. The separation was found to be independent of the particle size of the powder in the range of solids loadings tested. A theoretical relationship between the penetration efficiency and the particle jet Weber number successfully correlated with the experimental data.     

Thermodynamic properties of zinc-rich zinc-aluminum melts

A thermodynamic study of molten zinc-aluminum alloys in the range 450 °C to 650 °C and 0 to 0.43 atom fraction of aluminum was carried out by the electromotive force (emf) method using the reversible concentration cell W,pure Al |MgCl₂-NaCl-KCl-AlCl₃| Zn-Al (1),W The activities of aluminum derived from the measured cell potentials show considerable positive deviations from Raoult's law. The Henry's law constants and the self-interaction parameters of aluminum were obtained from the experimental data for the dilute solutions. The activities of aluminum extrapolated from the present experimental data agree well with the data from the literature at 727 °C. The values of relative partial molar enthalpy and entropy are also consistent with the results obtained by previous authors. The behavior of the α-function for aluminum indicates that the solution behaves approximately subregularly in the dilute region over the tem-perature range investigated, and regularly for atom fractions of aluminum greater than 0.1 at temperatures greater than 550 °C.     

Efficacy of an organization skills intervention to improve the academic functioning of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit significant academic impairments, as evidenced by poor academic achievement, grade retention, and school dropout. Deficits in organization skills may contribute to these academic impairments, as children with ADHD frequently lose assignments, misplace their completed work, and have difficulty planning for tests. The present study examined the pilot efficacy of an 8-week organization skills intervention for children with ADHD. Thirty-seven children were randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately or to a wait-list control. Participants made significant improvements in organization and homework management skills during the intervention and these gains were maintained at 8-week follow-up. Parents of children in the intervention group reported decreased homework problems. Children in the intervention group also demonstrated pre-post gains on teacher ratings of academic impairment and GPA. This study suggests that targeted academic skills interventions have the potential to improve overall academic performance among children with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The injection of solids using a reactive carrier gas

The injection of nonwettable powders into melts in the bubbling regime was studied experimentally using a cold-model system. Polyethylene powder was injected into a cylindrical vessel containing water, through a vertical top-submerged lance, with insoluble (air) and soluble (ammonia) carrier gases. The concentration of particles in the liquid and the penetration length of the particle-liquid jet into the bath were measured, as the carrier gas composition, the gas and solids flow rates, and the particle size were varied. It was found that the concentration of particles retained in the liquid was up to 10 times higher, and the penetration length of the jet was up to three times higher when the soluble carrier gas was used instead of the insoluble carrier gas. For both carrier gases, the dispersed particle concentration increased with increasing gas flow rate and increasing particle size, whereas the penetration length of the jet increased with increasing gas and solids flow rates.     

Resilient Network Coding in the Presence of Byzantine Adversaries

Network coding substantially increases network throughput. But since it involves mixing of information inside the network, a single corrupted packet generated by a malicious node can end up contaminating all the information reaching a destination, preventing decoding. This paper introduces distributed polynomial-time rate-optimal network codes that work in the presence of Byzantine nodes. We present algorithms that target adversaries with different attacking capabilities. When the adversary can eavesdrop on all links and jam links, our first algorithm achieves a rate of , where is the network capacity. In contrast, when the adversary has limited eavesdropping capabilities, we provide algorithms that achieve the higher rate of . Our algorithms attain the optimal rate given the strength of the adversary. They are information-theoretically secure. They operate in a distributed manner, assume no knowledge of the topology, and can be designed and implemented in polynomial time. Furthermore, only the source and destination need to be modified; nonmalicious nodes inside the network are oblivious to the presence of adversaries and implement a classical distributed network code. Finally, our algorithms work over wired and wireless networks.     

Randomized comparison of anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches to ablation of the slow pathway of atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare in random fashion an anatomic and an electrogram mapping approach for ablation of the slow pathway of atrioventricular (AV) node reentrant tachycardia. BACKGROUND: Ablation of the slow pathway in patients with AV node reentrant tachycardia can be performed by using either an anatomic or an electrogram mapping approach to identify target sites for ablation. These two approaches have never been compared prospectively. METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients with typical AV node reentrant tachycardia were randomly assigned to undergo either an anatomic or an electrogram mapping approach for ablation of the slow AV node pathway. In 25 patients randomly assigned to the anatomic approach, sequential radiofrequency energy applications were delivered along the tricuspid annulus from the level of the coronary sinus ostium to the His bundle position. In 25 patients assigned to the electrogram mapping approach, target sites along the posteromedial tricuspid annulus near the coronary sinus ostium were sought where there was a multicomponent atrial electrogram or evidence of a possible slow pathway potential. If the initial approach was ineffective after 12 radiofrequency energy applications, the alternative approach was then used. RESULTS: The anatomic approach was effective in 21 (84%) of 25 patients, and the electrogram mapping approach was effective in all 25 patients (100%) randomly assigned to this technique (p = 0.1). The four patients with an ineffective anatomic approach had a successful outcome with the electrogram mapping approach. On the basis of intention to treat analysis, there were no significant differences between the electrogram mapping approach and the anatomic approach with respect to the time required for ablation (28 +/- 21 and 31 +/- 31 min, respectively, mean +/- SD, p = 0.7) duration of fluoroscopic exposure (27 +/- 20 and 27 +/- 18 min, respectively, p = 0.9) or mean number of radiofrequency applications delivered (6.3 +/- 3.9 vs. 7.2 +/- 8.0, p = 0.6). With both the anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches, the atrial electrogram duration and number of peaks in the atrial electrogram were significantly greater at successful target sites than at unsuccessful target sites. CONCLUSIONS: The anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches for ablation of the slow AV nodal pathway are comparable in efficacy and duration. If the anatomic approach is initially attempted and fails, the electrogram mapping approach may be successful at sites outside the areas targeted in the anatomic approach. With both the anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches, there are significant differences in the atrial electrogram configuration between successful and unsuccessful target sites.     

Evaluation of microwave and radio frequency catheter ablation in amyocardium-equivalent phantom model

A highly localized burst of energy applied to the myocardium via a transvenous catheter-mounted power source can be used to destroy endocardial tissue regions which mediate life-threatening arrhythmias. In the past, high-voltage direct current pulses, radio-frequency (RF) current, and laser light have been used as energy sources. In this paper, the use of 2450 MHz microwave energy applied via a miniature coaxial cable-mounted helical coil antenna designed specifically for this application was investigated as a means to increase the treated volume of cardiac tissue in a controllable and efficient manner during ablation. Using an array of fiber optic temperature probes implanted in a saline-perfused, tissue-equivalent gel phantom model designed to simulate the myocardium during ablation, the heating pattern from the microwave antenna was characterized and compared to that induced by a commercial RF electrode catheter at 550 kHz. Effects of variable contact angle between the heat source and heart wall were assessed in terms of the radial penetration and overall volume of heated tissue. Heating patterns from the RF electrodes dropped off much more abruptly both radially and axially than the microwave antenna such that the volume of effectively heated tissue was more than ten times larger for the microwave antenna when the heat sources were well-coupled to the tissue, and more than four times larger for the microwave antenna when the sources were angled 30 degrees away from the tissue surface.     

Increased transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) immunoreactivity is independently associated with chronic injury in both consequential and primary radiation enteropathy

PURPOSE: Radiation enteropathy is characterized by sustained increase in transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) immunoreactivity and connective tissue mast cell (CTMC) hyperplasia that may be responsible for progressive fibrosis and lead to clinical complications. We examined to what extent these chronic molecular and cellular phenomena are associated with acute mucosal breakdown (consequential injury) and/or direct (primary) radiation injury in late-responding compartments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Rat small intestine was exposed to 50.4 Gy x-irradiation given either over 18 days (2.8 Gy daily or 5.6 Gy every other day) or 9 days (2.8 Gy twice daily or 5.6 Gy daily). Intestinal complications were recorded and groups of animals were euthanized at 2 and 26 weeks to assess subacute and chronic injury. Histopathologic changes were assessed with a radiation injury scoring system (RIS), total TGF-beta immunoreactivity was quantified with computerized image analysis, and CTMC hyperplasia was assessed in toluidine blue-stained sections. RESULTS: TGF-beta immunoreactivity and CTMC hyperplasia colocalized in areas of injury and were highly significantly correlated. Increased fraction size and decreased overall treatment time were associated with increased RIS (p < 0.01 and p < 0.00001), increased TGF-beta immunoreactivity (p = 0.01 andp < 0.001), and degree of CTMC hyperplasia (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001). Postradiation CTMC numbers increased across treatment groups from 2 to 26 weeks (p < 0.01). TGF-beta immunoreactivity was independently associated with chronic intestinal wall fibrosis (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: This in vivo study supports in vitro evidence linking increased TGF-beta immunoreactivity and mast cell hyperplasia and strongly suggests their involvement in the molecular pathogenesis of both primary and consequential radiation enteropathy.