Non-Invasive, Continuous, Quantitative Detection of Solvent Content in Vacuum Tray Drying.

A non-invasive capacitance instrument was embedded in the base of a vacuum-drying tray to monitor continuously the residual amount of solvent left in a pharmaceutical powder. Proof of concept was validated with Microcrystalline Cellulose laced with water, as well as water/acetone mixtures absorbed in a spray-dried Copovidone powder. To illustrate the role of impermeability of the base, we derive a model of vapor sorption that reveals the existence of a kinetic limit when solids are thinly spread, and a diffusion limit with greatly diminished effective diffusivity at large powder thickness.

Statistical Mechanics of Electrowetting.

We derive the ab initio equilibrium statistical mechanics of the gas-liquid-solid contact angle on planar periodic, monodisperse, textured surfaces subject to electrowetting. To that end, we extend an earlier theory that predicts the advance or recession of the contact line amount to distinct first-order phase transitions of the filling state in the ensemble of nearby surface cavities. Upon calculating the individual capacitance of a cavity subject to the influence of its near neighbors, we show how hysteresis, which is manifested by different advancing and receding contact angles, is affected by electrowetting.

Statistical mechanics of the triple contact line.

We outline a statistical mechanics of the triple gas-solid-liquid contact line on a rough plane. The analysis regards the neighborhood of the line as a solid dotted with cavities. It adopts the simplest mean-field statistical mechanics, in which each cavity is either full or empty, while being connected to near neighbors by thin necks.

Microbial Characterization of Qatari Barchan Sand Dunes.

This study represents the first characterization of sand microbiota in migrating barchan sand dunes. Bacterial communities were studied through direct counts and cultivation, as well as 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequence analysis to gain an understanding of microbial abundance, diversity, and potential metabolic capabilities. Direct on-grain cell counts gave an average of 5.

Statistical mechanics of unsaturated porous media.

We explore a mean-field theory of fluid imbibition and drainage through permeable porous solids. In the limit of vanishing inertial and viscous forces, the theory predicts the hysteretic "retention curves" relating the capillary pressure applied across a connected domain to its degree of saturation in wetting fluid in terms of known surface energies and void space geometry. To avoid complicated calculations, we adopt the simplest statistical mechanics, in which a pore interacts with its neighbors through narrow openings called "necks," while being either full or empty of wetting fluid.

Granular flows on a dissipative base.

We study inclined channel flows of sand over a sensor-enabled composite geotextile fabric base that dissipates granular fluctuation energy. We record strain of the fabric along the flow direction with imbedded fiber-optic Bragg gratings, flow velocity on the surface by correlating grain position in successive images, flow thickness with the streamwise shift of an oblique laser light sheet, velocity depth profile through a transparent side wall using a high-speed camera, and overall discharge rate. These independent measurements at inclinations between 33∘ and 37∘ above the angle of repose at 32.

Program for the epidemiological evaluation of stroke in Tandil, Argentina (PREVISTA) study: rationale and design.

The availability of population-based epidemiological data on the incident risk of stroke is very scarce in Argentina and other Latin American countries. In response to the priorities established by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, PREVISTA was envisaged as a population-based program to determine the risk of first-ever and recurrent stroke and transient ischemic attack incidence and mortality in Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The study will be conducted according to Standardized Tools for Stroke Surveillance (STEPS Stroke) methodology and will enroll all new (incident) and recurrent consecutive cases of stroke and transient ischemic attack in the City of Tandil between May 1st, 2013 and April 30, 2015.

[Impact of methicillin resistance on mortality and surveillance of vancomycin susceptibility in bacteremias caused by Staphylococcus aureus].

Staphylococcus aureus is a major nosocomial pathogen that causes severe morbidity and mortality in many hospitals worldwide. Besides, the incidence of S. aureus bacteremia has significantly increased over the past decades.

Rheology of confined granular flows: scale invariance, glass transition, and friction weakening.

We study fully developed, steady granular flows confined between parallel flat frictional sidewalls using numerical simulations and experiments. Above a critical rate, sidewall friction stabilizes the underlying heap at an inclination larger than the angle of repose. The shear rate is constant and independent of inclination over much of the flowing layer.

Towards a theoretical picture of dense granular flows down inclines.

Unlike most fluids, granular materials include coexisting solid, liquid or gaseous regions, which produce a rich variety of complex flows. Dense flows down inclines preserve this complexity but remain simple enough for detailed analysis. In this review we survey recent advances in this rapidly evolving area of granular flow, with the aim of providing an organized, synthetic review of phenomena and a characterization of the state of understanding.

Developing and implementing a comprehensive debt management policy.

A debt management policy should be considered an essential part of a hospital's comprehensive approach to balance sheet management. Management and the board should be educated regarding capital structure management benefits and risks. The debt management policy should outline the policy statement and purpose, scope of authority and responsibilities, analytical requirements, approved financial products, and specific debt and derivatives policies.

Model for dense granular flows down bumpy inclines.

We consider dense flows of spherical grains down an inclined plane on which spherical bumps have been affixed. We propose a theory that models stresses as the superposition of a rate-dependent contribution arising from collisional interactions and a rate-independent part related to enduring frictional contacts among the grains. We show that dense flows consist of three regions.

Anomalous behavior of normal kinematic restitution in the oblique impacts of a hard sphere on an elastoplastic plate.

We observe oblique impacts of a hard aluminum oxide sphere on a thick elastoplastic polycarbonate plate by recording stroboscopic photographs of the sphere trajectory and spin. The apparent kinematic coefficient of normal restitution grows monotonically with the magnitude of the tangent of the angle of incidence, and the apparent coefficient of friction decreases with increasing normal impact velocity. Although every collision dissipates the total kinetic energy of the sphere, we observe restitution coefficients exceeding unity for the most grazing impacts.

Optical fiber measurements of particle concentration in dense suspensions: calibration and simulation.

A fiber-optic sensor that measures the particle volume fraction in dense suspensions is calibrated against a quantitative capacitance probe. For homogeneous, dense, random suspensions of smooth, monodisperse, transparent dielectric spheres, the calibration is simulated by using a ray-tracing Monte Carlo algorithm that predicts systematic uncertainties of the sensor's output, the extent of its measurement volume, and the effects of changing its optical properties. The simulation shows that the output and accuracy of the sensor increase with a decreasing sphere diameter and with an increasing N.

Optical fiber measurements of particle velocity using laser-induced phosphorescence.

An optical fiber anemometer that uses laser-induced phosphorescence to measure particle time of flight in dense gas-solid suspensions is described. The anemometer is tested using a spinning disk coated with a phosphor having a persistent afterglow. The diagnostic technique is illustrated by measuring the velocity of free-falling particles coated with the same phosphor.