Residence Time Distribution Models Derived from Non-Ideal Laminar Velocity Profiles in Tubes

The theoretical E-curve for the laminar flow of non-Newtonian fluids in circular tubes may not be accurate for real tubular systems with diffusion, mechanical vibration, wall roughness, pipe fittings, curves, coils, or corrugated walls. Deviations from the idealized laminar flow reactor (LFR) cannot be well represented using the axial dispersion or the tanks-in-series models of residence time distribution (RTD). In this work, four RTD models derived from non-ideal velocity profiles in segregated tube flow are proposed. They were used to represent the RTD of three tubular systems working with Newtonian and pseudoplastic fluids. Other RTD models were considered for comparison. The proposed models provided good adjustments, and it was possible to determine the active volumes. It is expected that these models can be useful for the analysis of LFR or for the evaluation of continuous thermal processing of viscous foods.

Chaos-based communication systems in non-ideal channels

Recently, many chaos-based communication systems have been proposed. They can present the many interesting properties of spread spectrum modulations. Besides, they can represent a low-cost increase in security. However, their major drawback is to have a Bit Error Rate (BER) general performance worse than their conventional counterparts. In this paper, we review some innovative techniques that can be used to make chaos-based communication systems attain lower levels of BER in non-ideal environments. In particular, we succinctly describe techniques to counter the effects of finite bandwidth, additive noise and delay in the communication channel. Although much research is necessary for chaos-based communication competing with conventional techniques, the presented results are auspicious. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Modeling of continuous thermal processing of a non-Newtonian liquid food under diffusive laminar flow in a tubular system

The classic conservative approach for thermal process design can lead to over-processing, especially for laminar flow, when a significant distribution of temperature and of residence time occurs. In order to optimize quality retention, a more comprehensive model is required. A model comprising differential equations for mass and heat transfer is proposed for the simulation of the continuous thermal processing of a non-Newtonian food in a tubular system. The model takes into account the contribution from heating and cooling sections, the heat exchange with the ambient air and effective diffusion associated with non-ideal laminar flow. The study case of soursop juice processing was used to test the model. Various simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the model assumptions. An expressive difference in the predicted lethality was observed between the classic approach and the proposed model. The main advantage of the model is its flexibility to represent different aspects with a small computational time, making it suitable for process evaluation and design. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remarks on Parametric Surface Waves in a Nonlinear and Non-Ideally Excited Tank

We studied free surface oscillations of a fluid in a cylinder tank excited by an electric motor with limited power supply. We investigated the possibility of parametric resonance in this system, showing that the excitation mechanism can generate chaotic response. Numerical experiments are carried out to present the existence of several types of regular and chaotic attractors. For the first time powers (power of the motor, power consumed by the damping force under fluid free surface oscillations, and a total power) are calculated, investigated, and shown for different regimes, regular and chaotic ones for parametric resonance interactions. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005844]

Solvation in aqueous binary mixtures: consequences of the hydrophobic character of the ionic liquids and the solvatochromic probes

Information on the solvation in mixtures of water, W, and the ionic liquids, ILs, 1-allyl-3-R-imidazolium chlorides; R = methyl, 1-butyl, and 1-hexyl, has been obtained from the responses of the following solvatochromic probes: 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-R-pyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, R = methyl, MePMBr2; 1-octyl, OcPMBr(2), and the corresponding quinolinium derivative, MeQMBr(2). A model developed for solvation in binary mixtures of W and molecular solvents has been extended to the present mixtures. Our objective is to assess the relevance to solvation of hydrogen-bonding and the hydrophobic character of the IL and the solvatochromic probe. Plots of the medium empirical polarity, E-T(probe) versus its composition revealed non-ideal behavior, attributed to preferential solvation by the IL and, more efficiently, by the IL-W hydrogen-bonded complex. The deviation from linearity increases as a function of increasing number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group of the IL, and is larger than that observed for solvation by W plus molecular solvents (1-propanol and 2-(1-butoxy)ethanol) that are more hydrophobic than the ILs investigated. This enhanced deviation is attributed to the more organized structure of the ILs proper, which persists in their aqueous solutions. MeQMBr(2) is more susceptible to solvent lipophilicity than OcPMBr(2), although the former probe is less lipophilic. This enhanced susceptibility agrees with the important effect of annelation on the contributions of the quinonoid and zwitterionic limiting structures to the ground and excited states of the probe, hence on its response to both medium composition and lipophilicity of the IL.

Dynamical changes from harmonic vibrations of a limited power supply driving a Duffing oscillator

The harmonic oscillations of a Duffing oscillator driven by a limited power supply are investigated as a function of the alternative strength of the rotor. The semi-trivial and non-trivial solutions are derived. We examine the stability of these solutions and then explore the complex behaviors associated with the bifurcations sequences. Interestingly, a 3D diagram provides a global view of the effects of alternate strength on the appearance of chaos and hyperchaos on the system.

Development of a recombinant fusion protein based on the dynein light chain LC8 for non-viral gene delivery

The low efficiency of gene transfer is a recurrent problem in DNA vaccine development and gene therapy studies using non-viral vectors such as plasmid DNA (pDNA). This is mainly due to the fact that during their traffic to the target cell's nuclei, plasmid vectors must overcome a series of physical, enzymatic and diffusional barriers. The main objective of this work is the development of recombinant proteins specifically designed for pDNA delivery, which take advantage of molecular motors like dynein, for the transport of cargos from the periphery to the centrosome of mammalian cells. A DNA binding sequence was fused to the N-terminus of the recombinant human dynein light chain LC8. Expression studies indicated that the fusion protein was correctly expressed in soluble form using E. coli BL21(DE3) strain. As expected, gel permeation assays found the purified protein mainly present as dimers, the functional oligomeric state of LC8. Gel retardation assays and atomic force microscopy proved the ability of the fusion protein to interact and condense pDNA. Zeta potential measurements indicated that LC8 with DNA binding domain (LD4) has an enhanced capacity to interact and condense pDNA, generating positively charged complexes. Transfection of cultured HeLa cells confirmed the ability of the LD4 to facilitate pDNA uptake and indicate the involvement of the retrograde transport in the intracellular trafficking of pDNA: LD4 complexes. Finally, cytotoxicity studies demonstrated a very low toxicity of the fusion protein vector, indicating the potential for in vivo applications. The study presented here is part of an effort to develop new modular shuttle proteins able to take advantage of strategies used by viruses to infect mammalian cells, aiming to provide new tools for gene therapy and DNA vaccination studies. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.