Prediction of vapor-liquid equilibria

Several equations for predicting vapor-liquid equilibria from the physical properties of the components have been proposed in the literature. Two equations of this type proposed by O. Redlich and others have been investigated to determine their utility. Results indicate the two equations give fairly satisfactory results for nearly ideal solutions, but are unsatisfactory for non-ideal solutions. Knowledge of molecular interactions in the solution would be necessary before the predictions could be used with confidence

A través de los ojos del niño: Una intervención avanzada de coordinación de parentalidad para las familias con alto conflicto posterior al divorcio

This article describes and outlines a brief intervention designed to help bring high conflict divorcing parents back together in solidarity with the express purpose of bettering the family climate for their shared child or children. “Through the Eyes of the Child”, a six-session intervention based on principles of a Focused Coparenting Consultation model, was designed to be implemented during parenting coordination work with high conflict couples, either as an enhancement of the work itself, or as an adjunct intervention that may be offered by another professional concurrently with Phase II of the parenting coordination work. Rationale for and components of the intervention are described, and commentary is offered regarding skills needed to aptly deliver the intervention. Este artículo describe y detalla una breve intervención diseñada para ayudar a que los progenitores en un divorcio con alto grado de conflicto se unan en solidaridad con el propósito de mejorar el clima familiar para sus hijos o hijas en común. «A través de los ojos del niño» es una intervención de seis sesiones basada en los principios del modelo denominado «Focused Coparenting Consultation» (consulta centrada en la coparentalidad). Se diseñó para ser implementada durante la coordinación de parentalidad, ya sea como un potenciador del trabajo en sí o como una intervención paralela que puede ofrecer otro profesional en la fase II de un proceso de coordinación de parentalidad. En el artículo se describen la justificación y los componentes de esta intervención y se comentan las habilidades necesarias para poder implementar esta intervención de manera adecuada.

Successful Engineering and Technology Student Mobility: Key Student Perspectives and Quality Determinants Before, During and After Student Exchange Under the Atlantis Programme

The EU-US Agreement through the Atlantis Programmes supports consortia of higher education and training institutions working together at undergraduate or graduate level to improve their educational services, to compare and modernise curricula and to develop joint study programmes with full recognition of credits and qualifications. The EU-US Atlantis Programme funds innovative projects across three strands: mobility projects, double or joint “transatlantic degrees” for students in the EU and US and policy-oriented measures. The main focus of activities must be on transatlantic rather than intra-European or intra-American interactions. Funded activities, such as the development of curricula, joint study programmes, exchanges and study abroad with provision for mutual credit recognition and language and cultural preparation, should be of demonstrable benefit to higher education students, vocational education and training learners and teachers/trainers/administrative staff

International Study Abroad in Engineering/Industrial Technology: Through the Eyes of Students

Faculty and programs in engineering/industrial technology often promote international exchange and study abroad as a desirable component of a university experience— particularly in this increasingly globalized world. But, what do students who have actually had such experiences perceive? How do they view such experiences, before, during and after the event? The following paper evolved from the experiences of four universities collaborating on an EU-FIPSE funded Atlantis project called DETECT that consist of the partnerships of four Engineering/Technology Educational institutions; Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany, Technological University Dublin in Ireland, and Pennsylvania State University & Purdue University from the USA

Low friction droplet transportation on a substrate with a selective Leidenfrost effect

An energy saving Leidenfrost levitation method is introduced to transport micro-droplets with virtually frictionless contact between the liquid and solid substrate. By micro-engineering the heating units, selective areas of the whole substrate can be electro-thermally activated. A droplet can be levitated as a result of the Leidenfrost effect, and further transported when the substrate is tilted slightly. The selective electro-heating produces a uniform temperature distribution on the heating units within 1 s, in response to a triggering voltage. Alongside these experimental observations, finite element simulations are conducted to understand the temperature profile of the selective heated substrate, and also generate phase diagrams to verify the Leidenfrost regime for different substrate materials. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility of controlling low friction high speed droplet transportation (~ 65 mm/s) when the substrate is tilted (~ 7 °) by structurally designing the substrate. This work establishes the basis for an entirely new approach to droplet microfluidics

Passive water control at the surface of a superhydrophobic lichen

Some lichens have a super-hydrophobic upper surface, which repels water drops, keeping the surface dry but probably preventing water uptake. Spore ejection requires water and is most efficient just after rainfall. This study was carried out to investigate how super-hydrophobic lichens manage water uptake and repellence at their fruiting bodies, or podetia. Drops of water were placed onto separate podetia of Cladonia chlorophaea and observed using optical microscopy and cryo-scanning-electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) techniques to determine the structure of podetia and to visualise their interaction with water droplets. SEM and optical microscopy studies revealed that the surface of the podetia was constructed in a three-level structural hierarchy. By cryo-SEM of water-glycerol droplets placed on the upper part of the podetium, pinning of the droplet to specific, hydrophilic spots (pycnidia/apothecia) was observed. The results suggest a mechanism for water uptake, which is highly sophisticated, using surface wettability to generate a passive response to different types of precipitation in a manner similar to the Namib Desert beetle. This mechanism is likely to be found in other organisms as it offers passive but selective water control

Sonodynamic inactivation of Gram-positive and Gram-negativebacteria using a Rose Bengal–antimicrobial peptide conjugate

Combating antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious public health challenges facing society today. The development of new antibiotics or alternative techniques that can help combat antimicrobial resistance is being prioritised by many governments and stakeholders across the globe. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is one such technique that has received considerable attention but is limited by the inability of light to penetrate through human tissue, reducing its effectiveness when used to treat deep-seated infections. The related technique sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has the potential to overcome this limitation given the ability of low-intensity ultrasound to penetrate human tissue. In this study, a Rose Bengal–antimicrobial peptide conjugate was prepared for use in antimicrobial SDT (ASDT). When Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa planktonic cultures were treated with the conjugate and subsequently exposed to ultrasound, 5 log and 7 log reductions, respectively, in bacterial numbers were observed. The conjugate also displayed improved uptake by bacterial cells compared with a mammalian cell line (P ≤ 0.01), whilst pre-treatment of a P. aeruginosa biofilm with ultrasound resulted in a 2.6-fold improvement in sensitiser diffusion (P ≤ 0.01). A preliminary in vivo experiment involving ASDT treatment of P. aeruginosa-infected wounds in mice demonstrated that ultrasound irradiation of conjugate-treated wounds affects a substantial reduction in bacterial burden. Combined, the results obtained from this study highlight ASDT as a targeted broad-spectrum novel modality with potential for the treatment of deep-seated bacterial infections

Engineering technology concurrent (dual) Masters Degrees: an Irish, Spanish and American collaboration across the Atlantic: innovations, issues & insights

This paper describes the innovations and lessons learned from a European Union - Atlantis Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education funded project to implement a dual/concurrent Masters Degree program focusing on Sustainability, Technology and Innovation between one US and two European universities. The partners have learned many lessons on addressing issues with international collaborative programs, most importantly, the criticality of selecting the right partners and building significant understanding, rapport, and trust. The paper describes how the partners managed institutional and governance documentation issues and aligned the three university’s curriculum with the program’s objectives to ensure award requirements are reached for each institution. The paper describes the importance of the language component, faculty development, sustainability, and the independent evaluator role as central parts of the program. The resulting program prepares students for work in an international context and for effective citizenship in our increasingly interconnected, globalized world.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Evaporation of Sessile Droplets on Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS)

Over the past decade, the most common approach to creating liquid shedding surfaces has been to amplify the effects of nonwetting surface chemistry, using micro/nanotexturing to create superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces. Recently, an alternative approach using impregnation of micro/nanotextured surfaces with immiscible lubricating liquids to create slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) has been developed. These types of surfaces open up new opportunities to study the mechanism of evaporation of sessile droplets in zero contact angle hysteresis situations where the contact line is completely mobile. In this study, we fabricated surfaces consisting of square pillars (10–90 μm) of SU-8 photoresist arranged in square lattice patterns with the center-to-center separation between pillars of 100 μm, on which a hydrophobic coating was deposited and the textures impregnated by a lubricating silicone oil. These surfaces showed generally low sliding angles of 1° or less for small droplets of water. Droplet profiles were more complicated than on nonimpregnated surfaces and displayed a spherical cap shape modified by a wetting ridge close to the contact line due to balancing the interfacial forces at the line of contact between the droplet, the lubricant liquid and air (represented by a Neumann triangle). The wetting ridge leads to the concept of a wetting “skirt” of lubricant around the base of the droplet. For the SLIP surfaces, we found that the evaporation of small sessile droplets (∼2 mm in diameter) followed an ideal constant contact angle mode where the apparent contact angle was defined from the intersection of the substrate profile with the droplet spherical cap profile. A theoretical model based on diffusion controlled evaporation was able to predict a linear dependence in time for the square of the apparent contact radius. The experimental data was in excellent quantitative agreement with the theory and enabled estimates of the diffusion constant to be obtained