Unlimited Volume Research Articles

Production of a continuous and transparent macrotube consisting of carbon nanotubes

A transparent macrotube with diameter of 15–25mm was synthesized at 1380°C. The macrotube can be continuously sprayed out of the reactor. Microscopic examination showed that the macrotube mainly consists of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a limited number of walls (<5) and a small diameter (about 4.6–6.3nm). The graphenes making the tube walls show very little distortion. The macrotube has a high activity, and its surface can easily adhere to liquids with low surface energies. Therefore, macroscopic CNTs of continuous fibers, super-large area (greater than 2×1m2) films, and bulk structures with unlimited volume could be assembled from the macrotube. In addition, the CNT bundles in these macroscopic architectures have a high alignment.

A P2P-to-UPnP Proxy Gateway Architecture for Home Multimedia Content Distribution

Deploying advanced home networking technologies and modern home-networked devices in residential environments provides a playground for new home applications and services. Because home multimedia entertainment is among the most essential home applications, this paper presents an appealing home media content sharing scenario: home-networked devices can discover neighboring devices and share local media content, as well as enormous amounts of Internet media content in a convenient and networked manner. This ideal scenario differs from traditional usages that merely offer local media content and require tedious manual operations of connection setup and file transfer among various devices. To achieve this goal, this study proposes a proxy gateway architecture for home multimedia content distribution. The proposed architecture integrates several functional mechanisms, including UPnP-based device discovery, home gateway, Internet media provision, and in-home media content delivery. This design addresses several inherent limitations of device heterogeneity and network interoperability on home and public networks, and allows diverse home-networked devices to play media content in an identical and networked manner. Prototypical implementation of the proposed proxy gateway architecture develops a proof-of-concept software, integrating a BitTorrent peer-to-peer client, a UPnP protocol stack, and a UPnP AV media server, as well as media distribution and management components on the OSGi home gateway platform. Practical demonstration shows the proposed design and scenario realization, offering users an unlimited volume of media content for home multimedia entertainment.

Sweeping under controlled electroosmotic flow and micellar electrokinetic chromatography for on-line concentration and determination of trace phlorizin and quercitrin in urine samples

A novel sweeping under controlled electroosmotic flow scheme was developed for preconcentration and determination of neutral compounds by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). An anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was added into the buffer for sweeping and separation. By controlled electroosmotic flow (EOF) equal to the counter electrophoretic flow, the surfactants were at an immobile state in capillary. The neutral analytes with sample solution was injected electroosmotically into capillary and swept by SDS micelle for essentially an unlimited volume. The injected sample plug lengths for phlorizin and quercitrin under 18 kV for 70 min were experimentally estimated as 1532 cm, corresponding to 51-fold the effective capillary length. The sweeping under controlled EOF scheme resulted in increased detection factors for phlorizin and quercitrin of 2.3 × 10 4 and 2.1 × 10 4 using 70 min injection relative to a traditional pressure injection. The proposed method has been adopted to analyze trace phlorizin and quercitrin in urine samples successfully.

Autogenous and Allogenic Stem Cell Usage in Foot and Ankle Fusions

Orthobiologics are helping surgeons to manipulate healing and reduce delayed unions and nonunions. Surgeons are no longer limited to harvesting the iliac crest to obtain osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenic materials for grafting purposes. Synthetic substitutes have evolved that have nearly unlimited volume, no associated harvest site morbidity, and may even eclipse the healing capabilities of autogenous grafts. Mesenchymal stem cells, available both by bone marrow aspirate harvest and by commercially available allografts, provide adjuncts to facilitate bone healing in foot and ankle surgery.

The rise of hemodialysis machines: new technologies in minimizing cardiovascular complications

Hemodialysis (HD) is a life-saving treatment for more than 1,700,000 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage V. Every year the HD population becomes increasingly older (average age: 75 years) and more ill due to the associated comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (heart failure, coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disease), diabetes, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease. Most of the complications associated with HD involve the cardiovascular system. HD machines have been greatly improved over the last 30 years. We have moved from HD machines simply allowing extracorporeal circulation to high technological medical devices capable of very precisely controlling ultrafiltration, dialysis dose, the patient’s core temperature, circulating plasma volume, plasma sodium and producing unlimited volumes of ultrapure dialysate. In this article, we will focus on some of the fundamental achievements in HD machine technology, with particular reference to monitoring tools and bioengineering approaches for biosignal analysis. We propose that along these lines of further development, HD machines in the future will enable a better online identification of patients at higher cardiovascular risk, thus allowing clinicians to select more appropriate treatment modalities and parameters.

Flows and Limit States in Bidirectional Resource Networks

AbstractThe resource network is a flow model represented by oriented weighted graph, in which every two vertices are either not adjacent or connected by a pair of oppositely directed arcs. Resources are assigned to vertices, which have unlimited volume; the weights of arcs indicate their capacities. The vertices exchange resources, following the definite rules. The flows of resources in the networks with arbitrary capacities of edges are considered. The conditions of their stabilization are analyzed.

Interlayer nanoparticles of copper, nickel, and silver in Bi2Te3

According to electronic micropictures and results of roentgen diffractometry (RD) in the Bi2Te3 metal system, nanodimensional fragments are formed in the van der Waals slot Te(1)-Te(1). These structural vacuum nanoreactors are filled not only with metal nanoparticles (Cu, Ni, and Ag) but also with formed semiconductor nanofragments and fractal surfaces on their basis. They are formed upon adhesion of diffusing atoms according to a mechanism specific to the known solid fractal structures. Their analysis based on the physical concept of fractals formed upon deposition of atoms in unlimited volume on crystal faces is carried out.

Voluntary Colostrum Intake in Holstein Heifer Calves

An observational study was done to determine voluntary colostrum intake at the first feeding in nipple bottle-fed Holstein heifer calves. Thirty-two Holstein heifer calves resulting from observed births were hand fed using a nipple bottle for a total of 15 minutes at two hours of age. Each calf was offered a maximum of 3 liters (L) total intake. Median colostral intake was 2.34 L with a range of 0.0 to 3.0 L. Ten (31.25%) calves consumed less than 2 L and 14 calves (43.75%) consumed the maximum 3 L offered. Exclusive voluntary intake using a nipple bottle is an inadequate method of colostrum administration unless more rigorous feeding practices than those described are used. Under conditions of limited labor availability, bottle-fed calves should be offered an unlimited volume of colostrum at the time of the first feeding, and tube fed using an oroesophageal feeder if they fail to ingest a minimum of 2 L in a timely manner. This practice improves the likelihood that calves will achieve consistent, adequate passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins.

On-line continuous hemodiafiltration in sepsis

On-line products of substitution fluid by bicarbonate buffered dialysate permits virtually unlimited fluid volume exchange during continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) to critical care. In on-line hemodiafiltration (HDF), endotoxin free dialysate obtained using pyrogen cut filters is infused into the blood circuit, and HDF is automatically performed using the close-loop balancing system of the dialysis machine. On-line CHDF is the application of this on-line HDF to continuous renal replacement therapy in the critical care field. We performed on-line CHDF of the totally in 123 septic shock patients during a 5-year period and the mean survival rate was 54%. We concluded that on-line CHDF system is safe and effective at maintaining acute kidney injury with sepsis.

Pumping-Induced Ebullition: A Unified and Simplified Method for Measuring Multiple Dissolved Gases

The incorporation of multiple dissolved gas measurements in biogeochemical studies remains a difficult and expensive challenge. Incompatibilities in collection, handling, and storage procedures generally force the application of multiple sampling procedures for multiple gases. This paper introduces the concept and application of pumping-induced ebullition (PIE), a unified approach for routine measurement of multiple dissolved gases in natural waters and establishes a new platform for development of in situ real-time dissolved gas monitoring tools. Ebullition (spontaneous formation of bubbles) is induced by pumping a water sample through a narrow-diametertube (a "restrictor") to decrease hydrostatic pressure (PH) below total dissolved gas pressure (PT). Buoyancy is used to trap bubbles within a collection tower where gas accumulates rapidly (1 mL/min) to support multiple chemical analyses. Providing for field collection of an essentially unlimited and unified volume of gas sample, PIE afforded accurate and precise measurements of major (N2, 02, Ar), trace (CO2, N20, CH4) and ultratrace (CFC11, CFC12, CFC113, SF6) dissolved gases in Wisconsin groundwater, revealing interrelationships between denitrification, apparent recharge age-dates, and historical land use. Compared to conventional approaches, PIE eliminates multiple gas-specific sampling methods, reduces data computations, simplifies laboratory instrumentation, and avoids aqueous production and consumption of biogenic gases during sample storage. A lake depth profile for CO2 demonstrates PIE's flexibility as an in situ real-time platform for dissolved gas measurements. The apparent departures of some gases (SF6, H2, N2O, CO2) from solubility equilibrium behavior warrant further confirmation and theoretical investigation.

Dynamics of variable systems and lie groups

Mechanical systems whose configuration space is a Lie group and whose Lagrangian is invariant to left translations on that group are considered. It is assumed that the mass geometry of the system may change under the action of only internal forces. The equations of motion admit of a complete set of Noether integrals which are linear in the velocities. For fixed values of these integrals, the equations of motion reduce to a non-autonomous system of first-order differential equations on the Lie group. Conditions under which the system can be brought from any initial position to another preassigned position by changing its mass geometry are discussed. The “falling cat” problem and the problem of the motion of a body of variable shape in an unlimited volume of ideal fluid are considered as examples.

MIMA-9, a valuable antibody for screening for rare donors

Abstract Since monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) are potentially available in an unlimited volume, they can be used to screen numerous donor blood samples to identify antigen-negative donors. We have used a Mab (MIMA-9) with characteristics that allow for the simultaneous screening of RBCs of any ABO group for high-incidence antigennegativity in the Kell and Gerbich blood group systems. MIMA-9, a murine IgG2a antibody, previously shown to facilitate the identification of K+k–, Kp(a+b–), K0, McLeod, or Ge:–3 red blood cells (RBCs), was used in MTS gel cards containing anti-mouse IgG as the second antibody to test 1134 K– donors. Among the 1134 donors tested, we found one Kp(a+b–) and one Ge:–2,–3,4 donor. If random donor samples had been used instead of preselecting for K–, we would have expected to identify two K+k– donors. One reagent (MIMA-9) can be used to simultaneously screen for K+k–, Kp(a+b–), K0, McLeod, and Ge:–3 RBCs and thereby conserve rare antisera. Inclusion of anti-mouse IgG in gel cards allowed for rapid screening. MIMA-9 is also a useful reagent to type RBCs with a positive direct antiglobulin test. This antibody is available to donor screening laboratories at no cost for this specific use. Immunohematology 2002:18:43–45.

Modeling of the Internal Structure of Randomly Formed Microporous Material of Unlimited Volume, Following Thermodynamic Limitations

The problem of pore formation in unlimited (very large) volume has been considered. General equations describing the system have been obtained for three possible situations of pore formation: Monte Carlo-like case, entropy mechanism of pore formation, and thermodynamically limited situation. The applicability of each approach to real systems has been considered. It has been proved that, in the fractal description of pore formation, the geometry of a porous cluster–random fractal does not differ from that of the initial fractal. The values of surface area and fractal dimensionality in various situations have been estimated. Solutions following thermodynamic limitations have been compared to those obtained for random (Monte Carlo approach) situations.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) digital subtraction angiography: 26-year experience at the University of Florida.

Although the vascular system is presently being imaged by multiple high technology modalities, contrast angiography continues to be the gold standard; however, severe complications rarely occur. During the last 25 years (in over 1400 patients), CO2 has proven to be extremely safe (no allergy or renal failure). However, it is imperative to understand CO2's physical properties and potential dangers. Recently, CO2 is being routinely utilized not only because of safety, but for detection of minute amounts of bleeding, better collateral filling, and for most interventional procedures since unlimited volumes of CO2 can be injected between the catheter and guidewire. Presently, safe, reliable and "user-friendly" delivery systems are now commercially available. CO2 DSA images are now nearly comparable to iodinated contrast, and improvement in DSA images are evolving, including "stacking" software.

Methods of granular and fragmented material packing density calculation

This paper is the first in the series devoted to the problems of granular and fragmented material package density calculation. It considers the theory of the calculation of loosening for materials consisting of irregular shape particles. Two new methods for the density calculation of unlimited volume granular materials are offered. a crude method based on the empirical relation between density and the index (worked out by the author) of the uniform distribution of particles in individual fractions; the other method, a more precise one, allows for the consideration of fraction mixture quality. On this basis, problems pertaining to the calculation of granular and fragmented material package density in containers of various shapes and dimensions, to dilatancy packing or loosening of such media, blasted rock density computation and methods of overburden blasting, are discussed.

Comparative colony development of Africanized and European honey bees (Apis mellifera) in lowland neotropical Yucatan, Mexico

SUMMARYWe recorded the annual schedules of brood production and comb construction in Africanized (AHB) and European (EHB) honey bee colonies in the lowland neotropical Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, across complete calendar years in colonies given an unrestricted cavity volume. Total areas of worker and drone capped brood and areas of worker- and drone-sized wax cells constructed in a ‘test frame’ were quantified at regular intervals. The brood production and comb construction schedules of both bee types all showed a single annual peak between December and June, the dry season and the period of greatest resource abundance. The peak of worker and drone brood production in AHB colonies preceded those of worker and drone brood production respectively in EHB colonies. However, over the year, EHB colonies contained slightly more capped worker brood and the same amount of capped drone brood as AHB colonies. The estimated annual production of imagine workers and drones was similar in the two bee types, averaging 68 250 workers and 3650 drones. The relationship between the amount of capped drone brood to capped worker brood in a colony was similar for the two bee types, suggesting that similar factors influenced drone brood production in AHB and EHB colonies. The differences between bee types in their schedules of wax comb construction were less clear, though EHB colonies constructed a greater total amount of comb, and AHB colonies constructed more drone comb. AHB colonies built up faster than EHB colonies, and AHB colonies invested less in colony maintenance (comb construction) than EHB colonies in Yucatan. Our results contradict other comparative studies of AHB and EHB colonies as we found that the differences between bee types in their total annual production of drones and workers were slight or non-existent, possibly reflecting the unlimited cavity volumes offered to both bee types in our study, or the local provenance of the EHB colonies. These results suggest that AHB colonies may prove useful in commercial and rural small-scale beekeeping operations in the neotropics when they are given unlimited cavity volumes in which to expand their brood nest as their survival and propensity to swarm may then be similar to those of EHB. However, we did not measure the honey production of colonies and any potential advantages of using AHB in beekeeping operations will have to be weighed against the disadvantages imposed by the greater defensiveness of AHB and their more rapid colony development which demand more frequent colony inspections.

Boundary element modeling of nondissipative and dissipative waves

A boundary element (BE) algorithm is developed to compute acoustic or SH‐waves in models consisting of limited or unlimited volumes and irregular interfaces. We solve the BE system in the frequency domain so that anelasticity can be easily represented by different viscoelastic models, such as the Kelvin‐Voigt type. Three illustrative computations are shown. The waveform given by the BE method for a circular inclusion model agrees well with that given by the finite‐difference (FD) method. Dissipation of waves at high frequency caused by the presence of multi‐cracks in an elastic medium resembles the masking effect of anelasticity. The waveforms for nondissipative and dissipative models containing hexagonal inclusions illustrate some interesting characteristics of the composite media.

An Optimized L-Band Ceramic Resonator for EPR Imaging of Biological Samples

The design, engineering parameters, and EPR performance of ceramic re-entrant resonators optimized for L-band EPR imaging of biological samples are reported. Modified equivalent schematics and resonant frequency expressions for the three-loop two-gap re-entrant resonator design are presented. Fabrication techniques and test data for two resonators with a resonant frequency of approximately 1.2 GHz are provided. The unique properties of ceramics enabled the development of a highly stable and highly sensitive re-entrant resonator design of minimum thickness optimally suited for EPR imaging experiments. This resonator yields a signal-to-noise ratio at L band as high as that of X-band cavities for a given-concentration aqueous radical solution of unlimited volume.

Effects of nectar volume and concentration on sugar intake rates of Australian honeyeaters (Meliphagidae)

Sugar intake rates of captive Australian honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) feeding at artificial flowers varied across species, and as a function of nectar volume and concentration within each species. Red Wattlebirds (Anthochaera carunculata, 110 g), achieved higher intake rates than New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, 20 g), and both achieved higher rates than Eastern Spinebills (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, 10 g). These results reflect differences in bill and tongue dimensions as well as in body mass. Sugar intake rates for all three species increased with volume (5-50 μl) at any given concentration (10-60% mass/mass sucrose). For a given volume, sugar intake rates peaked at intermediate concentrations: 40-50% for the two larger species, and 30-40% for the smallest species. Published studies for other nectarivores foraging at unlimited volume feeders also show optimal nectar concentrations of 30-50%. However, biophysical theory predicts optima at 20-26% for small volumes, and plants presumed to be adapted for bird-pollination often have dilute nectar (20-30%). To explore this discrepancy further, we presented New Holland Honeyeaters with a range of sucrose concentrations (10-50%) using two presentation schemes. In the first we varied concentration but kept volume constant, thus varying gross sugar reward available in each concentration. This gave maximum sugar intake rates at 50%. In the second we varied both volume and concentration so that gross sugar rewards were equal for all solutions, decoupling high concentrations and large sugar rewards. This gave optima at 20%. We argue that variation among plants in nature more closely resembles the latter, "equal sugar presentation" scheme, and therefore, that dilute nectars may indeed represent adaptations for bird pollination.

On the interaction of cylindrical and spherical elastic shells during vibrations in an incompressible fluid

Extensively studied at this time are the vibrations of individual cylindrical or spherical shells in an incompressible fluid. Vibrations of systems of parallel cylindrical shells or systems of spherical shells (bodies) are examined in [3, 6, 9]. Considered in this paper is the problem of the forced vibrations of cylindrical and spherical shells arranged in an unlimited volume of incompressible fluid so that it iS impossible to neglect their mutual influence. The solution of the problem relies on the possibility or reexpansion of the solution of the Laplace equation written in cylindrical coordinates into a system of spherical volume harmonic functions and vice-versa. Consequently, an infinite system of algebraic equations is obtained in the coefficients of the desired solution.