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In order to improve the robustness of microfluidic networks in printed circuit board (PCB)-based microfluidic platforms, a new method was presented. A pattern in a PCB was formed using hollowed-out technology. Polydimethylsiloxane was partly filled in the hollowed-out fields after mounting an adhesive tape on the bottom of the PCB, and solidified in an oven. Then, microfluidic networks were built using soft lithography technology. Microfluidic transportation and dilution operations were demonstrated using the fabricated microfluidic platform. Results show that this method can embed microfluidic networks into a PCB, and microfluidic operations can be implemented in the microfluidic networks embedded into the PCB.

In this paper, we revisit the entanglement concentration protocol of Bennett et al. and the entanglement dilution protocol of Lo and Popescu via the method of types and provide a simple upper bound on the coefficient of the bound on the classical communication cost of the Lo-Popescu protocol.

Executive stock options are an important component of executive compensation and the topic is of interest to both practitioners and academics. The vigorous debate on whether these options should be treated as an expense is subsiding but discussion continues on how these instruments should be valued in order to expense them. In this paper, executive stock options are viewed as contingent claims on a firm's assets and we formalize this through the concept of an augmented balance sheet. This means that the total market value of the firm's assets is equal to the market value of its traded securities plus the market value of its stock options. This approach leads to two valuation formulae for these options: one in terms of the firm's stock price and the other in terms of firm value. We explore the connections between these two approaches and derive explicit valuation formulae under certain assumptions.

The dilution equations of coflowing, tee, staged, and alternating diffusers at strong ambient current conditions are derived and verified by experiments. Previous studies on the dilution processes of thermal diffusers are also reviewed. From a comparison of experimental results and the existing equations of previous researches, it was found that the predictions by existing equations agree reasonably well with the observed data under stagnant ambient and weak current conditions. However, the fits by existing equations are very poor when the momentum of the ambient current is strong. Thus, in this study, new equations representing the dilution behavior of the four diffuser types under strong ambient momentum conditions have been derived using the improved theoretical basis. Comparisons with the experimental results show that proposed equations provide accurate predictions, especially when the momentum ratio of ambient current to the effluent discharge is large. The theoretical approaches proposed in this study give better explanations to the dilution behavior of the four diffusers for complete range of the momentum ratio.

Internal combustion (IC) engines are a major contributor to the total particulate emissions inventory, especially in urban areas. Recent epidemiological studies suggesting links between fine particles and negative health effects have sparked an increased interest in this subject. While particulate emissions from IC engines have been the focus of research for many years, a great deal of information crucial to our understanding of this subject still remains unknown. In this paper the authors address some of these unknowns, focusing primarily on the process and consequences of aerosol dilution strategy. The thermodynamics of dilution are considered, and the inadequacy of conventional constant-volume sampling dilution tunnels for ultrafine particle characterization are demonstrated using experimental data. Finally, time-resolved data demonstrating the variation in concentration of pollutants in a vehicle moving in traffic are used as an example of the difficulties in setting legislation aimed at controlling exposure to ultrafine particles.