Effect of viscosity on droplet-droplet collisional interaction

A complete knowledge of the effect of droplet viscosity on droplet-droplet collision outcomes is essential for industrial processes such as spray drying. When droplets with dispersed solids are dried, the apparent viscosity of the dispersed phase increases by many orders of magnitude, which drastically changes the outcome of a droplet-droplet collision. However, the effect of viscosity on the droplet collision regime boundaries demarcating coalescence and reflexive and stretching separation is still not entirely understood and a general model for collision outcome boundaries is not available. In this work, the effect of viscosity on the droplet-droplet collision outcome is studied using direct numerical simulations employing the volume of fluid method. The role of viscous energy dissipation is analysed in collisions of droplets with different sizes and different physical properties. From the simulations results, a general phenomenological model depending on the capillary number (Ca, accounting for viscosity), the impact parameter (B), the Weber number (We), and the size ratio (Δ) is proposed

Ontogeny of a subtidal point bar in the microtidal Venice Lagoon (Italy) revealed by three-dimensional architectural analyses

Sedimentological and architectural features of meandering subtidal channels are relatively unexplored, and their deposits are commonly investigated based on facies models set up for intertidal meandering channels. The Venice Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) is affected by a micro-tidal regime and hosts a dense network of active and buried tidal channels. It represents an excellent natural laboratory to improve the current knowledge on subtidal meander morphodynamics and related deposits. In this study, the integration of high-resolution geophysical images and core data allows reconstruction of the architectural three-dimensional model of a meandering subtidal palaeochannel, which is buried below a modern subtidal flat. The study palaeochannel was 35 m wide and 3 m deep, and formed three adjacent meander bends and related point bars. A detailed three-dimensional architectural reconstruction was carried out for deposits associated with one of these meander bends, that was crossed by a minor, low-sinuosity channel with two minor bank-attached bars. This reconstruction highlights that the study point bar has a horseshoe shape, which arose from the onset of bar accretion from an already-sinuous channel. Reconstructed growth stages of the studied bends show that point-bar accretion can follow different styles of planform transformation, also experiencing simultaneously landward (or seaward) deposition according to the dominant flow direction (i.e. local tidal asymmetry). The analyses show that planform transformations occurred in parallel with elevation changes of the related channel thalweg, which shaped pools with geometry varying with the radius of curvature of the bend. The present study highlights the relevance of high-resolution three-dimensional reconstructions to link palaeomorphodynamic processes with related sedimentary products

An experimental study of droplet-particle collisions

When spray drying a liquid slurry such as milk, collisions between droplets, partially dried particles and completely dry particles are important because coalescence, agglomeration and breakup events influence the size and morphology of the produced powder. When modelling such a spray drying process, it is therefore important to be able to predict the outcomes of individual binary collisions. Both binary dry particle collisions and binary droplet collisions have individually been thoroughly researched over the years due to their widespread occurrence. The importance of understanding binary particle-droplet collisions has been emphasized more recently. However, the number of available studies is limited and simulation studies usually focus on relatively high capillary number. A theory explaining the transition between different regimes is still lacking. The goal of this study is to provide an experimental data set at low capillary number. These results can be used to validate future theories and simulations. To produce and record particle-droplet collisions, an experimental setup that enables synchronized release of both a particle and a droplet was used. One single hanging droplet was released from above onto a particle that initially was held in place by vacuum suction. A high speed camera was synchronized with the setup, and recorded the collisions. Image files were then analysed in Matlab to find velocities and sizes of the particle and droplet before and after impact. The contrast of particle and droplet against the illuminated background was a key factor in succeeding with this. Different collision outcomes were identified as either agglomeration (merging), where the whole droplet would stick to the surface of the particle, or a stretching separation (breaking), where the droplet collides with the particle in an oblique position and stretches out until a part of the droplet detaches from the liquid sticking to the particle. The formation of satellite droplets, i.e. droplets with a radius significantly smaller than the leaving droplet, was also detected. The relation of these collision outcomes to impact conditions such as Weber number and impact parameter was reviewed and put into regime maps

Mean Field Theory of the Localization Transition

A mean field theory of the localization transition for bosonic systems is developed. Localization is shown to be sensitive to the distribution of the random site energies. It occurs in the presence of a triangular distribution, but not a uniform one. The inverse participation ratio, the single site Green's function, the superfluid order parameter and the corresponding susceptibility are calculated, and the appropriate exponents determined. All of these quantities indicate the presence of a new phase, which can be identified as the {\it Bose-glass}.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, 2 figures appende

Direct Mott Insulator-to-Superfluid Transition in the Presence of Disorder

We introduce a new renormalization group theory to examine the quantum phase transitions upon exiting the insulating phase of a disordered, strongly interacting boson system. For weak disorder we find a direct transition from this Mott insulator to the Superfluid phase. In d > 4 a finite region around the particle-hole symmetric point supports this direct transition, whereas for 2=< d <4 perturbative arguments suggest that the direct transition survives only precisely at commensurate filling. For strong disorder the renormalization trajectories pass next to two fixed points, describing a pair of distinct transitions; first from the Mott insulator to the Bose glass, and then from the Bose glass to the Superfluid. The latter fixed point possesses statistical particle-hole symmetry and a dynamical exponent z, equal to the dimension d.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Dimensional crossover of a boson gas in multilayers

We obtain the thermodynamic properties for a non-interacting Bose gas constrained on multilayers modeled by a periodic Kronig-Penney delta potential in one direction and allowed to be free in the other two directions. We report Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) critical temperatures, chemical potential, internal energy, specific heat, and entropy for different values of a dimensionless impenetrability $P\geqslant 0$ between layers. The BEC critical temperature $T_{c}$ coincides with the ideal gas BEC critical temperature $T_{0}$ when $P=0$ and rapidly goes to zero as $P$ increases to infinity for any finite interlayer separation. The specific heat $C_{V}$ \textit{vs} $T$ for finite $P$ and plane separation $a$ exhibits one minimum and one or two maxima in addition to the BEC, for temperatures larger than $T_{c}$ which highlights the effects due to particle confinement. Then we discuss a distinctive dimensional crossover of the system through the specific heat behavior driven by the magnitude of $P$. For $T<T_{c}$ the crossover is revealed by the change in the slope of $\log C_{V}(T)$ and when $T>T_{c}$, it is evidenced by a broad minimum in $C_{V}(T)$.Comment: Ten pages, nine figure

Timing of adjuvant chemotherapy after limb amputation and effect on outcome in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma without distant metastases

Objective: To determine an optimal time interval between amputation and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (TIamp-chemo) in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma without distant metastases and whether TIamp-chemo was associated with outcome. Animals: 168 client-owned dogs treated at 9 veterinary oncology centers. Procedures: Data were collected from the dogs' medical records concerning potential prognostic variables and outcomes. Dogs were grouped as to whether they received chemotherapy within 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, or &gt; 30 days after amputation of the affected limb. Analyses were performed to identify variables associated with time to tumor progression and survival time after limb amputation and to determine an optimal TIamp-chemo. Results: Median TIamp-chemo was 14 days (range, 1 to 210 days). Median time to tumor progression for dogs with a TIamp-chemo ≤ 5 days (375 days; 95% CI, 162 to 588 days) was significantly longer than that for dogs with a TIamp-chemo &gt; 5 days (202 days; 95% CI, 146 to 257 days). Median overall survival time for dogs with a TIamp-chemo ≤ 5 days (445 days; 95% CI, 345 to 545 days) was significantly longer than that for dogs with a TIamp-chemo &gt; 5 days (239 days; 95% CI, 186 to 291 days). Conclusions and clinical relevance: Findings indicated that early (within 5 days) initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy after limb amputation was associated with a significant and clinically relevant survival benefit for dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma without distant metastases. These results suggested that the timing of chemotherapy may be an important prognostic variabl

Outcome comparison between radiation therapy and surgery as primary treatment for dogs with periarticular histiocytic sarcoma: An Italian Society of Veterinary Oncology study

Localized histiocytic sarcoma may occur as a primary lesion in periarticular tissues of large appendicular joints. Treatment options for the primary lesion include radical surgical excision, radiation therapy (RT), or both, in combination with chemotherapy for potential systemic metastases. In an effort to better characterize the time to progression (TTP) following surgical vs non-surgical approaches for periarticular histiocytic sarcoma (PAHS), a contemporary European population of affected dogs was retrospectively surveyed. Medical records were queried for newly-diagnosed PAHS cases undergoing surgery (predominantly limb amputation) or RT followed by systemic chemotherapy. Of 49 dogs, 34 underwent RT and 15 underwent surgery. All dogs received adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no statistically significant difference in TTP or overall survival between groups. The median TTP was 336 days for the operated dogs and 217 days for the irradiated dogs (P =.117). The median overall survival time was 398 days for the operated dogs and 240 days for the irradiated dogs (P =.142). On multi-variable analysis, the variables significantly associated with an increased risk of both tumour progression and tumour-related death were regional lymph node and distant metastasis at admission. Survival and local control rates following RT may be comparable to radical resection. These data may better inform shared decision-making processes between multi-disciplinary care providers and owners

NETTAB 2012 on “Integrated Bio-Search”

The NETTAB 2012 workshop, held in Como on November 14-16, 2012, was devoted to "Integrated Bio-Search", that is to technologies, methods, architectures, systems and applications for searching, retrieving, integrating and analyzing data, information, and knowledge with the aim of answering complex bio-medical-molecular questions, i.e. some of the most challenging issues in bioinformatics today. It brought together about 80 researchers working in the field of Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biology, Computer Science and Engineering. More than 50 scientific contributions, including keynote and tutorial talks, oral communications, posters and software demonstrations, were presented at the workshop. This preface provides a brief overview of the workshop and shortly introduces the peer-reviewed manuscripts that were accepted for publication in this Supplement