The Canonical Function Method and its applications in Quantum Physics

The Canonical Function Method (CFM) is a powerful method that solves the radial Schr\"{o}dinger equation for the eigenvalues directly without having to evaluate the eigenfunctions. It is applied to various quantum mechanical problems in Atomic and Molecular physics with presence of regular or singular potentials. It has also been developed to handle single and multiple channel scattering problems where the phaseshift is required for the evaluation of the scattering cross-section. Its controllable accuracy makes it a valuable tool for the evaluation of vibrational levels of cold molecules, a sensitive test of Bohr correspondance principle and a powerful method to tackle local and non-local spin dependent problems.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures- To submit to Reviews of Modern Physic

Parametric Potential Determination by the Canonical Function Method

The canonical function method (CFM) is a powerful means for solving the Radial Schrodinger Equation. The mathematical difficulty of the RSE lies in the fact it is a singular boundary value problem. The CFM turns it into a regular initial value problem and allows the full determination of the spectrum of the Schrodinger operator without calculating the eigenfunctions. Following the parametrisation suggested by Klapisch and Green, Sellin and Zachor we develop a CFM to optimise the potential parameters in order to reproduce the experimental Quantum Defect results for various Rydberg series of He, Ne and Ar as evaluated from Moore's data

Secreted Gaussia Luciferase as a Biomarker for Monitoring Tumor Progression and Treatment Response of Systemic Metastases

Background: Currently, only few techniques are available for quantifying systemic metastases in preclinical model. Thus techniques that can sensitively detect metastatic colonization and assess treatment response in real-time are urgently needed. To this end, we engineered tumor cells to express a naturally secreted Gaussia luciferase (Gluc), and investigated its use as a circulating biomarker for monitoring viable metastatic or primary tumor growth and their treatment responses. Methodology/Principal Findings: We first developed orthotopic primary and metastatic breast tumors with derivative of MDA-MB-231 cells expressing Gluc. We then correlated tumor burden with Gluc activity in the blood and urine along with bioluminescent imaging (BLI). Second, we utilized blood Gluc assay to monitor treatment response to lapatinib in an experimental model of systemic metastasis. We observed good correlation between the primary tumor volume and Gluc concentration in blood (R2 = 0.84) and urine (R2 = 0.55) in the breast tumor model. The correlation deviated as a primary tumor grew due to a reduction in viable tumor fraction. This was also supported by our mathematical models for tumor growth to compare the total and viable tumor burden in our model. In the experimental metastasis model, we found numerous brain metastases as well as systemic metastases including bone and lungs. Importantly, blood Gluc assay revealed early growth of metastatic tumors before BLI could visualize their presence. Using secreted Gluc, we localized systemic metastases by BLI and quantitatively monitored the total viable metastatic tumor burden by blood Gluc assay during the course of treatment with lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR and HER2. Conclusion/Significance: We demonstrated secreted Gluc assay accurately reflects the amount of viable cancer cells in primary and metastatic tumors. Blood Gluc activity not only tracks metastatic tumor progression but also serves as a longitudinal biomarker for tumor response to treatments

Kinetic analysis of biomass thermal decomposition applying a scheme of independent parallel reactions

El objetivo de este trabajo fue el análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de cuatro biomasas lignocelulosicas procedentes de Brasil: madera de caixeta (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), cascarilla de arroz (Oryza sativa L.), bagazo y residuo de corte de la caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.). Los experimentos de descomposición térmica fueron llevados a cabo en un analizador termogravimétrico, utilizando tasas de calentamiento de 10 °C/min. El análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de las biomasas fue realizado aplicando un esquema de tres reacciones paralelas independientes. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo se ajustó muy bien a los datos experimentales, y las energías de activación estuvieron entre 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, y 100-150 kJ/kmol, para las reacciones modeladas de la hemicelulosa, celulosa, y lignina, respectivamente. También, fueron determinadas correlaciones entre el logaritmo del factor pre-exponencial y la energía de activación para cada reacción evaluada, y probadas con cada una de las biomasas analizadas. Finalmente, fue concluido que las correlaciones obtenidas pueden ser utilizadas para la obtención de los parámetros cinéticos de la descomposición térmica de diversas biomasas, contribuyendo con el proceso de modelado a través de la reducción del tiempo que se invierte en el proceso iterativo.The aim of this work was the kinetic analysis of the thermal decomposition of four Brazilian lignocellulosic biomasses: caixeta wood (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), rice husk (Oryza sativa L.), sugarcane bagasse and straw (Saccharum officinarum L.). The thermal decomposition experiments were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyzer using a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The kinetic analysis of the biomass thermal decomposition was carried out applying a scheme of three independent parallel reactions. The results showed that the model was in agreement with the experimental data, and the activation energies obtained were between 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, and 100-150 kJ/kmol, for hemicelulose, cellulose and lignin modeled reactions, respectively. Also, were determined linear correlations between the logarithm of the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for each reaction evaluated, and tested in the biomasses analyzed. Finally, was concluded that the correlations obtained could be used for the determination of the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of several biomasses, contributing to the modeling process by reducing the time invested in the iteration process.   &nbsp

Análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de biomasas aplicando un esquema de reacciones paralelas independientes

The aim of this work was the kinetic analysis of the thermal decomposition of four Brazilian lignocellulosic biomasses: caixeta wood (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), rice husk (Oryza sativa L.), sugarcane bagasse and straw (Saccharum officinarum L.). The thermal decomposition experiments were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyzer using a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The kinetic analysis of the biomass thermal decomposition was carried out applying a scheme of three independent parallel reactions. The results showed that the model was in agreement with the experimental data, and the activation energies obtained were between 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, and 100-150 kJ/kmol, for hemicelulose, cellulose and lignin modeled reactions, respectively. Also, were determined linear correlations between the logarithm of the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for each reaction evaluated, and tested in the biomasses analyzed. Finally, was concluded that the correlations obtained could be used for the determination of the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of several biomasses, contributing to the modeling process by reducing the time invested in the iteration process.    El objetivo de este trabajo fue el análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de cuatro biomasas lignocelulosicas procedentes de Brasil: madera de caixeta (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), cascarilla de arroz (Oryza sativa L.), bagazo y residuo de corte de la caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.). Los experimentos de descomposición térmica fueron llevados a cabo en un analizador termogravimétrico, utilizando tasas de calentamiento de 10 °C/min. El análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de las biomasas fue realizado aplicando un esquema de tres reacciones paralelas independientes. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo se ajustó muy bien a los datos experimentales, y las energías de activación estuvieron entre 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, y 100-150 kJ/kmol, para las reacciones modeladas de la hemicelulosa, celulosa, y lignina, respectivamente. También, fueron determinadas correlaciones entre el logaritmo del factor pre-exponencial y la energía de activación para cada reacción evaluada, y probadas con cada una de las biomasas analizadas. Finalmente, fue concluido que las correlaciones obtenidas pueden ser utilizadas para la obtención de los parámetros cinéticos de la descomposición térmica de diversas biomasas, contribuyendo con el proceso de modelado a través de la reducción del tiempo que se invierte en el proceso iterativo

Análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de biomasas aplicando un esquema de reacciones paralelas independientes

The aim of this work was the kinetic analysis of the thermal decomposition of four Brazilian lignocellulosic biomasses: caixeta wood (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), rice husk (Oryza sativa L.), sugarcane bagasse and straw (Saccharum officinarum L.). The thermal decomposition experiments were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyzer using a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The kinetic analysis of the biomass thermal decomposition was carried out applying a scheme of three independent parallel reactions. The results showed that the model was in agreement with the experimental data, and the activation energies obtained were between 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, and 100-150 kJ/kmol, for hemicelulose, cellulose and lignin modeled reactions, respectively. Also, were determined linear correlations between the logarithm of the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for each reaction evaluated, and tested in the biomasses analyzed. Finally, was concluded that the correlations obtained could be used for the determination of the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of several biomasses, contributing to the modeling process by reducing the time invested in the iteration process.    El objetivo de este trabajo fue el análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de cuatro biomasas lignocelulosicas procedentes de Brasil: madera de caixeta (Tabebuia cassinoides Lam.), cascarilla de arroz (Oryza sativa L.), bagazo y residuo de corte de la caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.). Los experimentos de descomposición térmica fueron llevados a cabo en un analizador termogravimétrico, utilizando tasas de calentamiento de 10 °C/min. El análisis cinético de la descomposición térmica de las biomasas fue realizado aplicando un esquema de tres reacciones paralelas independientes. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo se ajustó muy bien a los datos experimentales, y las energías de activación estuvieron entre 118-130 kJ/kmol, 200-215 kJ/kmol, y 100-150 kJ/kmol, para las reacciones modeladas de la hemicelulosa, celulosa, y lignina, respectivamente. También, fueron determinadas correlaciones entre el logaritmo del factor pre-exponencial y la energía de activación para cada reacción evaluada, y probadas con cada una de las biomasas analizadas. Finalmente, fue concluido que las correlaciones obtenidas pueden ser utilizadas para la obtención de los parámetros cinéticos de la descomposición térmica de diversas biomasas, contribuyendo con el proceso de modelado a través de la reducción del tiempo que se invierte en el proceso iterativo

Integration and Simulation of Solar Thermal Energy to Diary Processes

This conference paper was presented at SolarPACES: SOLAR POWER & CHEMICAL ENERGY SYSTEMS: 27th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems 27 September–1 October 2021, Online.The application of the Solar Thermal Energy (STEn) systems to the dairy processes have shown a great potential for reducing fossil fuels use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There are thirty- three STEn systems currently operating in the dairy industries worldwide providing temperatures from 140 oC to 200 oC that are mainly used for the heating purposes in the processes like pasteurization, preheating, and cleaning. The challenges of those systems include various operational issues such as shad and unoptimized equipment that affect the performance of the collector, tracking and control systems and other apparatus that could be overcome by a preliminary analysis of the dairy plant’s thermal load and use of integrated STEn systems. This study relates to a case study of the dairy industry, analyses the current thermal and cooling demands for production of skimmed milk, yogurt and cream, recommends two new scenarios for the integration and simulation of the STEn systems and evaluates the potential the process optimization. The Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) for each product and operational capacity requirement for the current and simulated processes are calculated and the most technically efficient solution considered.EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Application of Solar Energy in Industrial processes (ASTEP), under grant agreement No 884411