Evaluation of Digitally Encoded Layer‐by‐layer Coated Microparticles as Cell Carriers

To obtain more biologically relevant data there is a growing interest in the use of living cells for assaying the biological activity of unknown chemical compounds. Density ‘multiplex’ cell‐based assays, where different cell types are mixed in one well and simultaneously investigated upon exposure to a certain compound are beginning to emerge. To be able to identify the cells they should be attached to microscopic carriers that are encoded. This paper investigates how digitally encoded microparticles can be loaded with cells while keeping the digital code in the microcarriers readable. It turns out that coating the surface of the encoded microcarriers with polyelectrolytes using the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) approach provides the microcarriers with a ‘highly functional’ surface. The polyelectrolyte layer allows the growth of the cells, allows the orientation of the cell loaded microcarriers in a magnetic field, and does not hamper the reading of the code. It has further been shown that the cells growing on the polyelectrolyte layer can become transduced by adenoviral particles hosted by the polyelectrolyte layer. It is concluded that the digitally encoded microparticles are promising materials for use in biomedical and pharmaceutical in‐vitro research where cells are used as tools.     

Modeling of the AC Arc Discharge on Snow-covered Insulators

A mathematical model for predicting the ac flashover voltage of snow-covered insulators is presented. The arc constant parameters in air gaps and inside snow, as well as the arc reignition condition are determined using a cylindrical model. The effects of the arc length on the arc constants parameters are also investigated. The model is then applied to an EPDM insulator artificially covered with natural snow. There is good concordance between the flashover results determined from the mathematical model and those obtained experimentally.     

High-speed techniques for estimating t1, t2, and density images

This work presents methods for estimating relaxation times T1 and T2 and proton density using a real time digital video processor. This device performs each mathematical step of the fitting algorithms in one video frame interval (1/30 s). Two-point fits of T1 and T2 may be generated in approximately 15 video frame intervals or about 0.5 s; generation of a T2 image from four acquired images requires about 30 video frame intervals or about 1 s. The hardware is common to many commercial MR scanners and requires no array processor. Such high-speed techniques can expedite the clinical use of computed images and facilitate the implementation of image synthesis.     

Investigation into the effect of carboxylic acid monomer on particle nucleation and growth in emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene-butadiene-acrylic acid

Latexes of carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber were prepared via batch emulsion copolymerization with different amounts of acrylic acid in the absence of emulsifier. The effect of acid monomer was investigated in the particle formation and growth. It was observed that the amount of acrylic acid strongly affected the particle formation. The number of particles and thus polymerization rate increased with increasing of the acid content. There was no significant difference in the polymerization rate per particle in all experiments. The results show that in this case particle growth process is less dependent on the acrylic acid amount in comparison with its influence on nucleation stage and then particle number. Several parameters such as polymerization rate and number of latex particle per unit volume of the aqueous phase were calculated. Attempt was made to evaluate the average number of growing chain per particle. Also average particle diameter of the above carboxylated SBR latexes was obtained through some calculations from the direct measurement of average particle diameter in the swollen state by light scattering technique for the first time.     

A Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making Methodology Using Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets: Application to Water Resources Management

In this paper, a new fuzzy group decision-making methodology which determines and incorporates negotiation powers of decision makers is developed. The proposed method is based on a combination of interval type-2 fuzzy sets and a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model, namely TOPSIS. To examine the applicability of the proposed methodology, it is used for finding the best scenario of allocating water and reclaimed wastewater to domestic, agricultural, and industrial water sectors and restoring groundwater quantity and quality in the Varamin region located in Tehran metropolitan area in Iran. The results show that the selected scenario leads to an acceptable groundwater conservation level during a long-term planning horizon. Although the capital cost of this scenario is high, which leads to groundwater restoration during the 34-year planning horizon, it is determined as the best allocation scenario. This scenario also entails the second least pumping cost, due to less water allocation from the groundwater. To evaluate the results of the proposed methodology, they are compared with those obtained using some well-known interval type-2 decision-making approaches including arithmetic-based, TOPSIS-based, and likelihood-based comparison methods. The Spearman correlation coefficient shows that the obtained results generally concur with those of the other methods. It is also concluded that the proposed methodology gives more reasonable results by calculating and considering the negotiation powers of decision makers in an extended TOPSIS-based group decision-making model.

     

Relating Sediment Yield Estimations to the Wet Front Term Using Rainfall Simulator Field Experiments

Water Resources Management - Depth to wet front is generally considered as the amount of water that penetrates into soil and wets the internal soil layer. This is an important variable especially...     

Knowledge Diffusion of the Internet of Things (IoT): A Main Path Analysis

Wireless Personal Communications - The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept that has attracted significant attention since the emergence of wireless technology. The knowledge diffusion of IoT...     

CQARPL: Congestion and QoS-aware RPL for IoT applications under heavy traffic

The Journal of Supercomputing - The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a common platform to connect the heterogeneous devices over the internet. Hence, the number of devices connected via the...     

Définition théorique des paramètres en fort niveau d’un multipôle actif non linéaire

In this paper, large signal non linear P parameters are rigorously defined, allowing the characterization of non linear active n-port circuits in the frequency domain with the aim of computer aided design of power microwave devices. No a priori conditions bind the parameters to the variables describing the input signal. However the following rules apply to the parameters: they may be function of any input variables of the n-port circuit; the expression of the large-signal parameters should become identical to the expression of the linear parameters characterizing the n-port circuit under linear operating conditions when the values of the input variables tend to zero. An application of the definition to afet is demonstrated.     

Modeling industrial thickener using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a case study: Tailing thickener in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine

Separation of particles from liquid in the large gravitational tanks is widely used in mining and industrial wastewater treatment process. Thickener is key unit in the operational processes of hydrometallurgy and is used to separate solid from liquid. In this study, population balance models were combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for modeling the tailing thickener. Parameters such as feed flow rate, flocculant dosage, inlet solid percent and feedwell were investigated. CFD was used to simulate the industrial tailing thickener with settled bed of 120 m diameter which is located in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine. Important factor of drag force that defines the rake torque of rotating paddles on the bed was also determined. Two phases turbulence model of Eulerian/Eulerian in accordance with turbulence model of k-ε was used in the steady-state. Also population balance model consists of 15 groups of particle sizes with Luo and Lehr kernel was used for aggregation/breakage kernel. The simulation results showed good agreement with the operational data.