Towards an Understanding of the Influence of Sedimentation on Colloidal Aggregation by Peclet Number

The Peclet number is a useful index to estimate the importance of sedimentation as compared to the Brownian motion. However, how to choose the characteristic length scale for the Peclet number evaluation is rather critical because the diffusion length increases as the square root of the time whereas the drifting length is linearly related to time. Our Brownian dynamics simulation shows that the degree of sedimentation influence on the coagulation decreases when the dispersion volume fraction increases. Therefore using a fixed length, such as the diameter of particle, as the characteristic length scale for Peclet number evaluation is not a good choice when dealing with the influence of sedimentation on coagulation. The simulations demonstrated that environmental factors in the coagulation process, such as dispersion volume fraction and size distribution, should be taken into account for more reasonable evaluation of the sedimentation influence.

Toward an understanding of the turbidity measurement of fleterocoagulation rate constants of dispersions containing particles of different sizes

Our previous studies have shown that the determination of coagulation rate constants by turbidity measurement becomes impossible for a certain operating wavelength (that is, its blind point) because at this wavelength the change in the turbidity of a dispersion completely loses its response to the coagulation process. Therefore, performing the turbidity measurement in the wavelength range near the blind point should be avoided. In this article, we demonstrate that the turbidity measurement of the rate constant for coagulation of a binary dispersion containing particles of two different sizes (heterocoagulation) presents special difficulties because the blind point shifts with not only particle size but also with the component fraction. Some important aspects of the turbidity measurement for the heterocoagulation rate constant are discussed and experimentally tested. It is emphasized that the T-matrix method can be used to correctly evaluate extinction cross sections of doublets formed during the heterocoagulation process, which is the key data determining the rate constant from the turbidity measurement, and choosing the appropriate operating wavelength and component fraction are important to achieving a more accurate rate constant. Finally, a simple scheme in experimentally determining the sensitivity of the turbidity changes with coagulation over a wavelength range is proposed.

Jet:progress in performance and understanding

In 1990 JET operated with a number of technical improvements which led to advances in performance and permitted the carrying out of experiments specifically aimed at improving physics understanding of selected topics relevant to the "NEXT STEP". The new facilities include beryllium antenna screens, a prototype lower hybrid current drive system, and modification of the NI system to enable the injection of He-3 and He-4. Continued investigation of the hot-ion H-mode produced a value of n(D)(0)tau-E(T)(i)(0) = 9 x 10(20)m-3s keV, which is near conditions required for Q(DT) = 1, while a new peaked density profile H-mode was developed with only slightly lower performance. Progress towards steady state operation has been made by achieving ELMy H-modes under certain operating conditions, while maintaining good tau-E values. Experimental simulation of He ash transport indicates effective removal of alpha-particles from the plasma core for both L and H mode plasmas. Detailed analyses of particle and energy transport have helped establish a firmer link between particle and energy transport, and have suggested a connection between reduced energy transport and reversed shear. Numerical and analytic studies of divertor physics carried out for the pumped divertor phase of JET have helped clarify the key parameters governing impurity retention, and an intensive model validation effort has begun. Experimental simulation of alpha-particle effects with beta-fast up to 8% have shown that the slowing down processes are classical, and have given no evidence of deleterious collective effects.

Toward an understanding of the molecular mechanism for successful blood feeding by coupling proteomics analysis with pharmacological testing of horsefly salivary glands

Horseflies are economically important blood-feeding arthropods and also a nuisance for humans and vectors for filariasis. They rely heavily on the pharmacological properties of their saliva to get a blood meal and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on antihemostatic substances in horsefly salivary glands; especially no horsefly immune suppressants have been reported. By proteomics or peptidomics and coupling transcriptome analysis with pharmacological testing, several families of proteins or peptides, which act mainly on the hemostatic system or immune system of the host, were identified and characterized from 30,000 pairs salivary glands of the horsefly Tabanus yao (Diptera, Tabanidae). They are: (i) a novel family of inhibitors of platelet aggregation including two members, which possibly inhibit platelet aggregation by a novel mechanism and act on platelet membrane, (ii) a novel family of immunosuppressant peptides including 12 members, which can inhibit interferon-gamma production and increase interleukin-10 secretion, (iii) a serine protease inhibitor with 56 amino acid residues containing anticoagulant activity, (iv) a serine protease with anticoagulant activity, (v) a protease with fibrinogenolytic activity, (vi) three families of antimicrobial peptides including six members, (vii) a hyaluronidase, (viii) a vasodilator peptide, which is an isoform of vasotab identified from Hybomitra bimaculata, and interestingly (ix) two metallothioneins, which are the first metallothioneins reported from invertebrate salivary glands. The current work will facilitate the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the ectoparasite-host relationship and help in identifying novel vaccine targets and novel leading pharmacological compounds.

A wide-narrow well design for understanding the efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

The electroluminescence efficiency at room temperature and low temperature (15 K) in a wide-narrow-well InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode with a narrow last well (1.5 nm) and a narrow next-to-last barrier (5 nm) is investigated to study the efficiency droop phenomenon. A reduced droop in the wide wells and a reduced droop at low temperatures reveals that inferior hole transportation ability induced Auger recombination is the root for the droop at high excitation levels.

scenario-based interactive intention understanding in pen-based user interfaces

Interactive intention understanding is important for Pen-based User Interface (PUI). Many works on this topic are reported, and focus on handwriting or sketching recognition algorithms at the lexical layer. But these algorithms cannot totally solve the problem of intention understanding and can not provide the pen-based software with high usability. Hence, a scenario-based interactive intention understanding framework is presented in this paper, and is used to simulate human cognitive mechanisms and cognitive habits. By providing the understanding environment supporting the framework, we can apply the framework to the practical PUI system. The evaluation of the Scientific Training Management System for the Chinese National Diving Team shows that the framework is effective in improving the usability and enhancing the intention understanding capacity of this system.

Understanding the branching ratios of chi(c1) -> phi phi,omega omega,omega phi observed at BES-III

In this work, we discuss the contribution of the mesonic loops to the decay rates of chi(c1) -> phi phi, omega omega, which are suppressed by the helicity selection rules and chi(c1) -> phi omega, which is a double- Okubo- ZweigIizuka forbidden process. We find that the mesonic loop effects naturally explain the clear signals of chi(c1) -> phi phi, omega omega decay modes observed by the BES Collaboration. Moreover, we investigate the effects of the omega - phi mixing, which may result in the order of magnitude of the branching ratio BR(chi(c1) -> omega phi) being 10(-7). Thus, we are waiting for the accurate measurements of the BR(chi(c1) -> omega omega), BR(chi(c1) -> phi phi) and BR(chi(c1) -> omega phi) which may be very helpful for testing the long- distant contribution and the omega - phi mixing in chi(c1) -> phi phi, omega omega, omega phi decays.

an analysis for understanding software security requirement methodologies

IEEE Reliabil Soc, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ