Spring-to-Spring Balancing as Energy-Free Adjustment Method in Gravity Equilibrators

Generally, adjustment of gravity equilibrator to a new payload requires energy, e.g. to increase the pre-load of the balancing spring. A novel way of energy-free adjustment of gravity equilibrators is possible by introducing the concept of a storage spring. The storage spring supplies or stores the energy necessary to adjust the balancer spring of the gravity equilibrator. In essence the storage spring mechanism maintains a constant potential energy within the spring mechanism; energy is exchanged between the storage and balancer spring when needed. Various conceptual designs using both zero-free-length springs and regular extension springs are proposed. Two models were manufactured demonstrating the practical embodiments and functionality.

A method for individual identification of echolocation signals in free-ranging finless porpoises carrying data loggers

Echolocation click events of a free-ranging juvenile and an adult finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) were recorded with an acoustic data logger. Additionally, dive depth and swim speed of the juvenile were recorded with a behavior data logger. Echoes of echolocation signals from the water surface were clearly detected in shallow dives approximately less than 2 m. The delay time between a surface echo and a direct signal corresponded with the two-way transmission time for the animal's depth, indicating that the signals originated from the animal wearing the data loggers. The finless porpoises produced echolocation signals frequently and were thought to be able to detect their depth by listening to echoes from the water surface. (C) 2000 Acoustical Society of America. [S0001-4966(00)01609-X].

An augmented method for free boundary problems with moving contact lines

An augmented immersed interface method (IIM) is proposed for simulating one-phase moving contact line problems in which a liquid drop spreads or recoils on a solid substrate. While the present two-dimensional mathematical model is a free boundary problem, in our new numerical method, the fluid domain enclosed by the free boundary is embedded into a rectangular one so that the problem can be solved by a regular Cartesian grid method. We introduce an augmented variable along the free boundary so that the stress balancing boundary condition is satisfied. A hybrid time discretization is used in the projection method for better stability. The resultant Helmholtz/Poisson equations with interfaces then are solved by the IIM in an efficient way. Several numerical tests including an accuracy check, and the spreading and recoiling processes of a liquid drop are presented in detail. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a precolumn derivatization method for the determination of free amines in wastewater by high-performance liquid chromatography via fluorescent detection with 9-(2-hydroxyethyl)acridone

A simple, sensitive, and mild method for the determination of amino compounds based on a condensation reaction with fluorescence detection has been developed. 9-(2-Hydroxyethyl)acridone reacts with coupling agent N,N-carbonyldiimidazole at ambient temperature to form activated amide intermediate 9-(2-acridone)oxyethylcarbonylimidazole (AOCD). The amide intermediate (AOCD) preferably reacts with amino compounds under mild reactions in the presence of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (base catalyst) in acetonitrile to give the corresponding sensitively fluorescent derivatives with an excitation maximum lambda(ex) 404 mn and an emission maximum at lambda(em) 440 nm. The labeled derivatives exhibit high stability under reversed-phase conditions. The fluorescence intensities of derivatives in various solvents or at different temperatures were investigated. The method, in conjunction with a gradient elution, offers a baseline resolution of the common amine derivatives on a reversed-phase C-18 column. The LC separation for the derivatized amines shows good reproducibility with acetonitrile-water including 2.5% DMF as mobile phase. The relative standard deviations (n = 6) for each amine derivative are <4.5%. The detection limits (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) per injection were 0.16-12.8 ng/mL. Further research for the field of application, based on the AOCD amide intermediate as derivatization reagent, for the determination of free amines in real water samples is achieved.

Rapid label-free detection of metal-induced Alzheimer's amyloid beta peptide aggregation by electrochemical method

Amyloid beta peptide plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Metal ions are highly enriched in cerebral amyloid deposits in AD and are proposed to be able to mediate A beta conformation. Therefore, a rapid, low-cost, and sensitive detection of metal-induced A beta aggregation and their relation to AD is clearly needed for the clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this report, we study metal-induced A beta aggregation by a rapid, label-free electrochemical method and monitor both the aggregation kinetics and the morphology in the absence or presence of Zn (II) and Cu (II).

Aptamer-based label-free method for hemin recognition and DNA assay by capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection

An aptamer-based label-free approach to hemin recognition and DNA assay using capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection is introduced here. Two guanine-rich DNA aptamers were used as the recognition element and target DNA, respectively. In the presence of potassium ions, the two aptamers folded into the G-quartet structures, binding hemin with high specificity and affinity. Based on the G-quartet-hemin interactions, the ligand molecule was specifically recognized with a K (d)approximate to 73 nM, and the target DNA could be detected at 0.1 mu M. In phosphate buffer of pH 11.0, hemin catalyzed the H2O2-mediated oxidation of luminol to generate strong chemiluminescence signal; thus the target molecule itself served as an indicator for the molecule-aptamer interaction, which made the labeling and/or modification of aptamers or target molecules unnecessary. This label-free method for molecular recognition and DNA detection is therefore simple, easy, and effective.

A comparison of stress intensity factors through crack closure integral and other approaches using eXtended element-free Galerkin method

In this paper, a new approach for extracting stress intensity factors (SIFs) by the extended element-free Galerkin method, through a crack closure integral (CCI) scheme, is proposed. The CCI calculation is used in conjunction with a local smoothing technique to improve the accuracy of the computed SIFs in a number of case studies of linear elastic fracture mechanics. The cases involve problems of mixed-mode, curved crack and thermo-mechanical loading. The SIFs by CCI, displacement and stress methods are compared with those based on the M-integral technique reported in the literature. The proposed CCI method involves very simple relations, and still gives good accuracy. The convergence of the results is also examined.

Production of a broad specificity antibody for the development and validation of an optical SPR screening method for free and intracellular microcystins and nodularin in cyanobacteria cultures

A highly sensitive broad specificity monoclonal antibody was produced and characterised for microcystin detection through the development of a rapid surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical biosensor based immunoassay. The antibody displayed the following cross-reactivity: MC-LR 100%; MC-RR 108%; MC-YR 68%; MC-LA 69%; MC-LW 71%; MC-LF 68%; and Nodularin 94%. Microcystin-LR was covalently attached to a CM5 chip and with the monoclonal antibody was employed in a competitive 4min injection assay to detect total microcystins in water samples below the WHO recommended limit (1µg/L). A 'total microcystin' level was determined by measuring free and intracellular concentrations in cyanobacterial culture samples as this toxin is an endotoxin. Glass bead beating was used to lyse the cells as a rapid extraction procedure. This method was validated according to European Commission Decision 96/23/EC criteria. The method was proven to measure intracellular microcystin levels, the main source of the toxin, which often goes undetected by other analytical procedures and is advantageous in that it can be used for the monitoring of blooms to provide an early warning of toxicity. It was shown to be repeatable and reproducible, with recoveries from spiked samples ranging from 74 to 123%, and had % CVs below 10% for intra-assay analysis and 15% for inter-assay analysis. The detection capability of the assay was calculated as 0.5ng/mL for extracellular toxins and 0.05ng/mL for intracellular microcystins. A comparison of the SPR method with LC-MS/MS was achieved by testing six Microcystis aeruginosa cultures and this study yielded a correlation R(2) value of 0.9989.