Length Scale Selects Directionality of Droplets on Vibrating Pillar Ratchet

Directional control of droplet motion at room temperature is of interest for applications such as microfluidic devices, self‐cleaning coatings, and directional adhesives. Here, arrays of tilted pillars ranging in height from the nanoscale to the microscale are used as structural ratchets to directionally transport water at room temperature. Water droplets deposited onto vibrating chips with a nanostructured ratchet move preferentially in the direction of the feature tilt while the opposite directionality is observed in the case of microstructured ratchets. This remarkable switch in directionality is consistent with changes in the contact angle hysteresis. To glean further insights into the length scale dependent asymmetric contact angle hysteresis, the contact lines formed by a nonvolatile room temperature ionic liquid placed onto the tilted pillar arrays were visualized and analyzed in situ in a scanning electron microscope. The ability to tune droplet directionality by merely changing the length scale of surface features all etched at the same tilt angle would be a versatile tool for manipulating multiphase flows and for selecting droplet directionality in other lap‐on‐chip applications.     

燃油催化微粒捕集器微粒捕集与强制再生特性的研究

采用燃油催化再生微粒捕集器,对某排量为7.7 L柴油机的排放微粒进行捕集与强制再生。试验结果表明:在低排温工况下,随着微粒捕集器内微粒不断增加,微粒捕集器两端压差随捕集时间增加呈线性提高。燃油中加入的铁基催化剂可以降低碳粒燃烧的温度,增加微粒捕集器的微粒储备能力,并能够有效再生。当燃油中无添加剂时,在特定工况下发动机运行19.5 h后,微粒捕集器的两端压差达到10 kPa,而有添加剂时则可延长到23.5 h。在排气温度为530℃的强制再生工况下,燃油中有添加剂,约需6 min可全部强制再生累积的微粒,而无添加剂则约用时14 min,且有添加剂时强制再生程度较高。微粒捕集器经500 h耐久试验后,在有添加剂情况下其两端压差达到15 kPa,发动机需在微粒累积工况下运转23 h,无添加剂需要18.5 h。按ESC排放测试,微粒捕集器对微粒的过滤效率达到80%以上,微粒排放为0.017 g/(kW.h),试验结果还发现微粒捕集器对CO、HC及NOx的排放没有影响。     

Degradation of polymer electrolyte membranes

One of the predominant failure modes of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells is the degradation of the PEM, especially when the fuel cell is used for transportation applications. Numerous studies have been carried out regarding this issue but many aspects of the degradation are not yet understood. This paper reviews the available literature regarding membrane degradation, and attempts to classify the degradation modes into three categories: mechanical, thermal and chemical/electrochemical. The factors that contribute to each mode are discussed, along with detailed mechanisms for some degradations. Some possible mitigation strategies are also explored.     

The Effect of Nanotube Content and Orientation on the Mechanical Properties of Polymer–Nanotube Composite Fibers: Separating Intrinsic Reinforcement from Orientational Effects

We have measured the mechanical properties of coagulation‐spun polymer–nanotube composite fibers. Both the fiber modulus, Y, and strength, σ_B, scale linearly with volume fraction, V_f, up to V_f ～10%, after which these properties remain constant. We measured dY/dV_f = 254 GPa and dσ_B/dV_f = 2.8 GPa in the linear region. By drawing fibers with V_f < 10% to a draw ratio of ～60%, we can increase these values to dY/dV_f = 600 GPa and dσ_B/dV_f = 7 GPa. Raman measurements show the Herman's orientation parameter, S, to increase with drawing, indicating that significant nanotube alignment occurs. Raman spectroscopy also shows that the nanotube effective modulus, Y_Eff, also increases with drawing. We have calculated an empirical relationship between the nanotube orientation efficiency factor, η_o, and S. This allows us to fit the data for Y_Eff versus η_o, showing that the fiber modulus scales linearly with η_o, as predicted theoretically by Krenchel. From the fit, we estimate the nanotube modulus to be; Y_NT = 480 GPa. Finally, we show that the fiber strength also scales linearly with η_o, giving an effective interfacial stress transfer of τ = 40 MPa and a nanotube critical length of l_c=1250 nm. This work demonstrates the validity of the Cox‐Krenchel rule of mixtures and shows that continuum theory still applies at the near‐molecular level.     

Control of Multiple PWM Servos by a Single Programmable Timer

An algorithm for control of several servo motors by a microcontroller is presented.The limited number of programmable timers on the majority of microcontrollers presents a problem for multiple generation of timing pulses.Two software approaches are discussed in the paper and experimental results given for operation of a set of small servos using a single timer.     

A lead isotopic study of the human bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils from Glasgow, Scotland

The human bioaccessibility of lead (Pb) in Pb-contaminated soils from the Glasgow area was determined by the Unified Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) Method (UBM), an in vitro physiologically based extraction scheme that mimics the chemical environment of the human gastrointestinal system and contains both stomach and intestine compartments. For 27 soils ranging in total Pb concentration from 126 to 2160 mg kg^− 1 (median 539 mg kg^− 1), bioaccessibility as determined by the ‘stomach’ simulation (pH ~ 1.5) was 46-1580 mg kg^− 1, equivalent to 23-77% (mean 52%) of soil total Pb concentration. The corresponding bioaccessibility data for the ‘stomach + intestine’ simulation (pH ~ 6.3) were 6-623 mg kg^− 1 and 2-42% (mean 22%) of soil Pb concentration. The soil ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios ranged from 1.057 to 1.175. Three-isotope plots of ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb against ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb demonstrated that ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios were intermediate between values for source end-member extremes of imported Australian Pb ore (1.04) - used in the manufacture of alkyl Pb compounds (1.06-1.10) formerly added to petrol - and indigenous Pb ores/coal (1.17-1.19). The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios of the UBM ‘stomach’ extracts were similar (< 0.01 difference) to those of the soil for 26 of the 27 samples (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) and lower in 24 of them. A slight preference for lower ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio was discernible in the UBM. However, the source of Pb appeared to be less important in determining the extent of UBM-bioaccessible Pb than the overall soil total Pb concentration and the soil phases with which the Pb was associated. The significant phases identified in a subset of samples were carbonates, manganese oxides, iron-aluminium oxyhydroxides and clays.     

Carfilzomib Promotes the Unfolded Protein Response and Apoptosis in Cetuximab-Resistant Colorectal Cancer

Cetuximab is a common treatment option for patients with wild-type K-Ras colorectal carcinoma. However, patients often display intrinsic resistance or acquire resistance to cetuximab following treatment. Here we generate two human CRC cells with acquired resistance to cetuximab that are derived from cetuximab-sensitive parental cell lines. These cetuximab-resistant cells display greater in vitro proliferation, colony formation and migration, and in vivo tumour growth compared with their parental counterparts. To evaluate potential alternative therapeutics to cetuximab-acquired-resistant cells, we tested the efficacy of 38 current FDA-approved agents against our cetuximab-acquired-resistant clones. We identified carfilzomib, a selective proteosome inhibitor to be most effective against our cell lines. Carfilzomib displayed potent antiproliferative effects, induced the unfolded protein response as determined by enhanced CHOP expression and ATF6 activity, and enhanced apoptosis as determined by enhanced caspase-3/7 activity. Overall, our results indicate a potentially novel indication for carfilzomib: that of a potential alternative agent to treat cetuximab-resistant colorectal cancer.     

A systematic analysis of equivalence in multistage networks

Many approaches to switching in optoelectronic and optical networks decompose the switching function across multiple stages or hops. This paper addresses the problem of determining whether two multistage or multihop networks are functionally equivalent. Various ad-hoc methods have been used in the past to establish such equivalences. A systematic method for determining equivalence is presented based on properties of the link permutations used to interconnect stages of the network. This method is useful in laying out multistage networks, in determining optimal channel assignments for multihop networks, and in establishing the routing required in such networks. A purely graphical variant of the method, requiring no mathematics or calculations, is also described.