When the area of a face in a dry foam approaches zero in some quasistatic processes, Plateau’s rules dictate that there must be an instability. This is more subtle than generally supposed. We argue that it is generally pre-empted, that is, the instability arises before an unstable multiple vertex is formed. Experiments and calculations which simulate Plateau’s wire frame experiments support thi...

L-systems are widely used in the modelling of branching structures and the growth of biological objects such as plants, nerves and the airways in lungs. The derivation of such L-system models involves a lot of hard mental work and time-consuming manual procedures. A method based on genetic algorithms for automating the derivation of L-systems is presented here. The method involves representatio...

Reflection-mode photoacoustic microscopy with dark-field laser pulse illumination and high-numerical-aperture ultrasonic detection is designed and implemented in noninvasively imaged blood vessels in the skin in vivo. Dark-field optical illumination minimizes the interference caused by strong photoacoustic signals from superficial structures. A high-numerical-aperture acoustic lens provides hig...

Color-octet mechanism for the decay B → η′X is proposed to explain the large branching ratio of Br(B → η′X) ∼ 1 × 10−3 recently announced by CLEO. We argue that the inclusive η′ production in B decays may dominantly come from the Cabbibo favored b → (c̄c)8s process where c̄c pair is in a color-octet configuration, and followed by the nonperturbative transition (c̄c)8 → η′X. The color-octet intrins...

In the title compound, [Zn(C(4)H(3)N(2)O(2))(2)(H(2)O)(2)], the Zn(II) ion is situated on a twofold rotation axis and exhibits a distorted octa-hedral coordination configuration. The equatorial plane contains two cis-oriented bidentate 1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ate ligands and the axial positions are occupied by two coordinated water mol-ecules. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular O-H⋯O and...

A novel method of rapid three-dimensional optical metrology that is based on triangulation of a configuration of color-coded light stripes is presented. The method exploits polychromatic illumination and a combined diffractive-refractive element, so the incident light is focused upon a stripe that is axially dispersed, greatly increasing the depth-measuring range without any decrease in the axi...

This article introduces the application background and research overview of esophageal stent. The finite element models of two different forms of braided esophageal stent, such as cup-sphericalshaped and straight shaped, are created. Based on the configuration of material model selection and boundary condition, the stress and axial elongation of the stent with different wire numbers, different ...

This study investigates if atlanto-occipital fusion affects the size and geometrical configuration of the articular facets of the atlanto-axial joint. Morphometric analysis was performed on the male adult skull, the occipital bone of which is assimilated with the first cervical vertebrae (the atlas). The perimeter, Feret's diameter, surface area, and circularity of the inferior articular fa-cet...

The mechanism and origin of asymmetric induction in the Mn(III)(salen)-catalyzed epoxidation by peracetic acid have been elucidated by the density functional [Becke three-parameter hybrid functional combined with Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional (B3LYP)] method in two different regimes: with and without an axial ligand. The acylperoxo complexes of Mn(II,III,IV) in cisON cisNO and trans geom...

Osteoarthritis of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb (CMCJ) is a frequent clinical problem. The aim of the study was to discuss the mechanisms of circumduction and axial rotation of the CMCJ considering geometrical properties of the articulating surfaces and the configuration of the muscle system acting over the CMCJ. 28 CMCJ from 7 female and 7 male corpses (age: 81 yrs (median), 53-91 yrs...