Fingerprinting Soft Materials: A Framework for Characterizing Nonlinear Viscoelasticity

We introduce a comprehensive scheme to physically quantify both viscous and elastic rheological nonlinearities simultaneously, using an imposed large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) strain. The new framework naturally lends a physical interpretation to commonly reported Fourier coefficients of the nonlinear stress response. Additionally, we address the ambiguities inherent in the standard definitions of viscoelastic moduli when extended into the nonlinear regime, and define new measures which reveal behavior that is obscured by conventional techniques.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, full-page double-space preprint forma

Mathematical model of blood and interstitial flow and lymph production in the liver.

We present a mathematical model of blood and interstitial flow in the liver. The liver is treated as a lattice of hexagonal \u2018classic\u2019 lobules, which are assumed to be long enough that end effects may be neglected and a two-dimensional problem considered. Since sinusoids and lymphatic vessels are numerous and small compared to the lobule, we use a homogenized approach, describing the sinusoidal and interstitial spaces as porous media. We model plasma filtration from sinusoids to the interstitium, lymph uptake by lymphatic ducts, and lymph outflow from the liver surface. Our results show that the effect of the liver surface only penetrates a depth of a few lobules\u2019 thickness into the tissue. Thus, we separately consider a single lobule lying sufficiently far from all external boundaries that we may regard it as being in an infinite lattice, and also a model of the region near the liver surface. The model predicts that slightly more lymph is produced by interstitial fluid flowing through the liver surface than that taken up by the lymphatic vessels in the liver and that the on-peritonealized region of the surface of the liver results in the total lymph production (uptake by lymphatics plus fluid crossing surface) being about 5 % more than if the entire surface were covered by the Glisson\u2013peritoneal membrane. Estimates of lymph outflow through the surface of the liver are in good agreement with experimental data. We also study the effect of non-physiological values of the controlling parameters, particularly focusing on the conditions of portal hypertension and ascites. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to model lymph production in the liver. The model provides clinically relevant information about lymph outflow pathways and predicts the systemic response to pathological variations

Neighborhood Racial Characteristics, Credit History, and Bankcard Credit in Indian Country

We examine whether concerns about lenders’ discrimination based on community racial characteristics can be empirically substantiated in the context of neighborhoods on and near American Indian reservations. Drawing on a large-scale dataset consisting of individual-level credit bureau records, we find that residing in a predominantly American Indian neighborhood is ceteris paribus associated with worse bankcard credit outcomes than residing in a neighborhood where the share of American Indian residents is low. While these results are consistent with the possibility of lenders’ discrimination based on community racial characteristics, we explain why our findings should not be readily interpreted as conclusive evidence thereof. We further find that consumer’s credit history is a robust and quantitatively more important predictor of bankcard credit outcomes than racial composition of the consumer’s neighborhood, and that the consumer’s location vis-à-vis a reservation exhibits no effect on bankcard credit outcomes

Hyperbolic contraction measuring systems for extensional flow

In this paper an experimental method for extensional measurements on medium viscosity fluids in contraction flow is evaluated through numerical simulations and experimental measurements. This measuring technique measures the pressure drop over a hyperbolic contraction, caused by fluid extension and fluid shear, where the extensional component is assumed to dominate. The present evaluative work advances our previous studies on this experimental method by introducing several contraction ratios and addressing different constitutive models of varying shear and extensional response. The constitutive models included are those of the constant viscosity Oldroyd-B and FENE-CR models, and the shear-thinning LPTT model. Examining the results, the impact of shear and first normal stress difference on the measured pressure drop are studied through numerical pressure drop predictions. In addition, stream function patterns are investigated to detect vortex development and influence of contraction ratio. The numerical predictions are further related to experimental measurements for the flow through a 15:1 contraction ratio with three different test fluids. The measured pressure drops are observed to exhibit the same trends as predicted in the numerical simulations, offering close correlation and tight predictive windows for experimental data capture. This result has demonstrated that the hyperbolic contraction flow is well able to detect such elastic fluid properties and that this is matched by numerical predictions in evaluation of their flow response. The hyperbolical contraction flow technique is commended for its distinct benefits: it is straightforward and simple to perform, the Hencky strain can be set by changing contraction ratio, non-homogeneous fluids can be tested, and one can directly determine the degree of elastic fluid behaviour. Based on matching of viscometric extensional viscosity response for FENE-CR and LPTT models, a decline is predicted in pressure drop for the shear-thinning LPTT model. This would indicate a modest impact of shear in the flow since such a pressure drop decline is relatively small. It is particularly noteworthy that the increase in pressure drop gathered from the experimental measurements is relatively high despite the low Deborah number range explored

Non-isothermal and viscoelastic effects in the squeeze flow between infinite plates

We investigate the early development of the squeeze flow for a finite amount of fluid material between two infinite plates. Finite element simulations are performed, and allow to capture complex features. In particular, we focus on the development of temperature boundary layers as well as of viscoelastic effects. Furthermore, we evaluate the required squeezing force when a constant squeezing velocity is applied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

On the development of secondary motion induced by the free surface in the rod climbing flow

The author investigates the development of secondary motions in the rod climbing flow as a function of the rod angular velocity. He compares the free surface flow with a similar flow in which the upper free surface is replaced by a slip wall. It is shown that the complex secondary activities result from the free surface boundary condition. He also focuses on the streamline pattern in the secondary flow generated under the bulge.Anglai

On the numerical simulation of axisymmetric swirling flows of differential viscoelastic liquids: the rod climbing effect and the Quelleffekt

A finite-element investigation is presented of some Weissenberg effects occurring in swirling flows of viscoelastic liquids in geometries of revolution. Numerical results are shown for the rod-climbing flow and the so-called Quelleffekt of viscoelastic liquids of the differential type. For both types of flow, comparisons with earlier numerical or analytical predictions and some experimental measurements are also shown.Anglai