Competing flow and collision effects in a monodispersed liquid–solid fluidized bed at a moderate Archimedes number

We study the effects of fluid–particle and particle–particle interactions in a three-dimensional monodispersed reactor with unstable fluidization. Simulations were conducted using the immersed boundary method for particle Reynolds numbers of 20–70 with an Archimedes number of 23 600. Two different flow regimes were identified as a function of the particle Reynolds number. For low particle Reynolds numbers ( $20 < Re_p < 40$ ), the porosity is relatively low and the particle dynamics are dominated by interparticle collisions that produce anisotropic particle velocity fluctuations. The relative importance of hydrodynamic effects increases with increasing particle Reynolds number, leading to a minimized anisotropy in the particle velocity fluctuations at an intermediate particle Reynolds number. For high particle Reynolds numbers ( $Re_p > 40$ ), the particle dynamics are dominated by hydrodynamic effects, leading to decreasing and more anisotropic particle velocity fluctuations. A sharp increase in the anisotropy occurs when the particle Reynolds number increases from 40 to 50, corresponding to a transition from a regime in which collision and hydrodynamic effects are equally important (regime 1) to a hydrodynamic-dominated regime (regime 2). The results imply an optimum particle Reynolds number of roughly 40 for the investigated Archimedes number of 23 600 at which mixing in the reactor is expected to peak, which is consistent with reactor studies showing peak performance at a similar particle Reynolds number and with a similar Archimedes number. Results also show that maximum effective collisions are attained at intermediate particle Reynolds number. Future work is required to relate optimum particle Reynolds number to Archimedes number.

Application of Autoclave Treatment for Development of a Natural Wheat Bran Antioxidant Ingredient

The study evaluated the effect of autoclaving as a hydrothermal treatment on the quality and bioactivity of wheat bran (WB) with the objective of producing a natural ingredient with enhanced healthy properties. Nutritional, antioxidant, techno-functional and sensorial parameters were studied, and temperatures of 100, 115 and 130 °C were explored. Of these, 130 °C was found to be the best treatment, resulting in an ingredient with high storage stability, antioxidant properties, a four-fold increase in the concentration of free ferulic acid (compared with non-treated WB), and increased content of apigenin-6-C-arabinoside-8-C-hexoside, a flavonoid with reported antioxidant and antifungal properties. On the other hand, the autoclave treatment enhanced water absorption capacity and reduced WB pasting viscosity, mainly at higher temperature (130 °C), which would allow incorporation of the treated WB in liquid matrices such as juices, soups or milkshakes, among others. Although the glycemic index (GI) of the autoclaved samples increased, the use of intermediate particle size of 106 to 300 µm could contribute to the reduction of the glycemic load.

Modeling of a diffusion with aggregation: rigorous derivation and numerical simulation

In this paper, a diffusion-aggregation equation with delta potential is introduced. Based on the global existence and uniform estimates of solutions to the diffusion-aggregation equation, we also provide the rigorous derivation from a stochastic particle system while introducing an intermediate particle system with smooth interaction potential. The theoretical results are compared to numerical simulations relying on suitable discretization schemes for the microscopic and macroscopic level. In particular, the regime switch where the analytic theory fails is numerically analyzed very carefully and allows for a better understanding of the equation.

A Novel Open and Infectious Form of Echovirus 1

ABSTRACTOne of the hallmarks of enterovirus genome delivery is the formation of an uncoating intermediate particle. Based on previous studies of mostly heated picornavirus particles, intermediate particles were shown to have externalized the innermost capsid protein (VP4) and exposed the N terminus of VP1 and to have reduced infectivity. Here, in addition to the native and intact particle type, we have identified another type of infectious echovirus 1 (E1) particle population during infection. Our results show that E1 is slightly altered during entry, which leads to the broadening of the major virion peak in the sucrose gradient. In contrast, CsCl gradient separation revealed that in addition to the light intact and empty particles, a dense particle peak appeared during infection in cells. When the broad peak from the sucrose gradient was subjected to a CsCl gradient, it revealed light and dense particles, further suggesting that the shoulder represents the dense particle. The dense particle was permeable to SYBR green II, it still contained most of its VP4, and it was able to bind to its receptor α2β1integrin and showed high infectivity. A thermal assay further showed that the α2β1integrin binding domain (I-domain) stabilized the virus particle. Finally, heating E1 particles to superphysiological temperatures produced more fragile particles with aberrant ultrastructural appearances, suggesting that they are distinct from the dense E1 particles. These results describe a more open and highly infectious E1 particle that is naturally produced during infection and may represent a novel form of an uncoating intermediate.IMPORTANCEIn this paper, we have characterized a possible uncoating intermediate particle of E1 that is produced in cells during infection. Before releasing their genome into the host cytosol, enteroviruses go through structural changes in their capsid, forming an uncoating intermediate particle. It was shown previously that structural changes can be induced by receptor interactions and, in addition, by heating the native virion to superphysiological temperatures. Here, we demonstrate that an altered, still infectious E1 particle is found during infection. This particle has a more open structure, and it cannot be formed by heating. It still contains the VP4 protein and is able to bind to its receptor and cause infection. Moreover, we show that in contrast to some other enteroviruses, the receptor-virion interaction has a stabilizing effect on E1. This paper highlights the differences between enterovirus species and further increases our understanding of various uncoating forms of enteroviruses.

MeV particles in a decay chain process from laser-induced processes in ultra-dense deuterium D(0)

The ejection of particles with energy up to 20 MeV u-1 was reported previously from laser-induced processes in ultra-dense deuterium D(0). Studies of the kinetics of particle formation and decay, and of particle penetration through thick plates are now reported. Magnetic deflection is used to remove charged particles like electrons formed at the target. The signals at a collector in the beam at 0.9 m distance and a shadowed loop collector behind a 1.5–4.5 mm thick steel plate at 0.6 m are compared. The signal at the distant collector matches an intermediate particle B in a decay chain A → B → C with formation and decay time constants of 5–15 ns. The signal at the loop collector is delayed relative to the more distant collector, thus showing a delay of the particles penetrating through the steel plate. The signal at this collector is due to pair production with charge cancellation. Compton electrons from gamma radiation are observed at peak current densities of 1 mA cm-2 at the distant collector.

LONGEVITY AND HIGHEST-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS

It is proposed that the highest energy ~1020 eV cosmic ray primaries are protons which are decay products of a superheavy particle, G. The protons may be decay products either directly of a nearby (galactic) Gor of a long-lived intermediate particle X which arises from decay of a distant (cosmological) G, then decays in or near our Galaxy. Such scenarios can occur in e.g. SU(15) grand unification and in some preon models.