Sample records for active material utilization

  1. Electrodes and electrochemical storage cells utilizing tin-modified active materials

    DOEpatents

    Anani, Anaba; Johnson, John; Lim, Hong S.; Reilly, James; Schwarz, Ricardo; Srinivasan, Supramaniam

    1995-01-01

    An electrode has a substrate and a finely divided active material on the substrate. The active material is ANi.sub.x-y-z Co.sub.y Sn.sub.z, wherein A is a mischmetal or La.sub.1-w M.sub.w, M is Ce, Nd, or Zr, w is from about 0.05 to about 1.0, x is from about 4.5 to about 5.5, y is from 0 to about 3.0, and z is from about 0.05 to about 0.5. An electrochemical storage cell utilizes such an electrode as the anode. The storage cell further has a cathode, a separator between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte.

  2. Utilization of Mineral Wools as Alkali-Activated Material Precursor

    PubMed Central

    Yliniemi, Juho; Kinnunen, Paivo; Karinkanta, Pasi; Illikainen, Mirja

    2016-01-01

    Mineral wools are the most common insulation materials in buildings worldwide. However, mineral wool waste is often considered unrecyclable because of its fibrous nature and low density. In this paper, rock wool (RW) and glass wool (GW) were studied as alkali-activated material precursors without any additional co-binders. Both mineral wools were pulverized by a vibratory disc mill in order to remove the fibrous nature of the material. The pulverized mineral wools were then alkali-activated with a sodium aluminate solution. Compressive strengths of up to 30.0 MPa and 48.7 MPa were measured for RW and GW, respectively, with high flexural strengths measured for both (20.1 MPa for RW and 13.2 MPa for GW). The resulting alkali-activated matrix was a composite-type in which partly-dissolved fibers were dispersed. In addition to the amorphous material, sodium aluminate silicate hydroxide hydrate and magnesium aluminum hydroxide carbonate phases were identified in the alkali-activated RW samples. The only crystalline phase in the GW samples was sodium aluminum silicate. The results of this study show that mineral wool is a very promising raw material for alkali activation. PMID:28773435

  3. The utilization of nonterrestrial materials. [resources for solar power satellite construction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    The development of research and technology programs on the user of nonterrestrial materials for space applications was considered with emphasis on the space power satellite system as a model of large space systems for which the use of nonterrestrial materials may be economically viable. Sample topics discussed include the mining of raw materials and the conversion of raw materials into useful products. These topics were considered against a background of the comparative costs of using terrestrial materials. Exploratory activities involved in the preparation of a nonterrestrial materials utilization program, and the human factors involved were also addressed. Several recommendations from the workshop are now incorporated in NASA activities.

  4. Hybrid energy storage systems utilizing redox active organic compounds

    DOEpatents

    Wang, Wei; Xu, Wu; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo

    2015-09-08

    Redox flow batteries (RFB) have attracted considerable interest due to their ability to store large amounts of power and energy. Non-aqueous energy storage systems that utilize at least some aspects of RFB systems are attractive because they can offer an expansion of the operating potential window, which can improve on the system energy and power densities. One example of such systems has a separator separating first and second electrodes. The first electrode includes a first current collector and volume containing a first active material. The second electrode includes a second current collector and volume containing a second active material. During operation, the first source provides a flow of first active material to the first volume. The first active material includes a redox active organic compound dissolved in a non-aqueous, liquid electrolyte and the second active material includes a redox active metal.

  5. Material Utilization of Organic Residues.

    PubMed

    Peinemann, Jan Christoph; Pleissner, Daniel

    2018-02-01

    Each year, 1.3 billion tons of food waste is generated globally. This waste traces back to industrial and agricultural producers, bakeries, restaurants, and households. Furthermore, lignocellulosic materials, including grass clippings, leaves, bushes, shrubs, and woods, appear in large amounts. Depending on the region, organic waste is either composted, burned directly, or converted into biogas. All of the options set aside the fact that organic residues are valuable resources containing carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and phosphorus. Firstly, it is clear that avoidance of organic residues is imperative. However, the residues that accumulate nonetheless should be utilized by material means before energy production is targeted. This review presents different processes for the microbial utilization of organic residues towards compounds that are of great importance for the bioeconomy. The focus thereby is on the challenges coming along with downstream processing when the utilization of organic residues is carried out decentralized. Furthermore, a future process for producing lactic acid from organic residues is sketched.

  6. Nanotechnology and clean energy: sustainable utilization and supply of critical materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fromer, Neil A.; Diallo, Mamadou S.

    2013-11-01

    Advances in nanoscale science and engineering suggest that many of the current problems involving the sustainable utilization and supply of critical materials in clean and renewable energy technologies could be addressed using (i) nanostructured materials with enhanced electronic, optical, magnetic and catalytic properties and (ii) nanotechnology-based separation materials and systems that can recover critical materials from non-traditional sources including mine tailings, industrial wastewater and electronic wastes with minimum environmental impact. This article discusses the utilization of nanotechnology to improve or achieve materials sustainability for energy generation, conversion and storage. We highlight recent advances and discuss opportunities of utilizing nanotechnology to address materials sustainability for clean and renewable energy technologies.

  7. Materials selection guidelines for geothermal energy utilization systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ellis, P.F. II; Conover, M.F.

    1981-01-01

    This manual includes geothermal fluid chemistry, corrosion test data, and materials operating experience. Systems using geothermal energy in El Salvador, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States are described. The manual provides materials selection guidelines for surface equipment of future geothermal energy systems. The key chemical species that are significant in determining corrosiveness of geothermal fluids are identified. The utilization modes of geothermal energy are defined as well as the various physical fluid parameters that affect corrosiveness. Both detailed and summarized results of materials performance tests and applicable operating experiences from forty sites throughout the world aremore » presented. The application of various non-metal materials in geothermal environments are discussed. Included in appendices are: corrosion behavior of specific alloy classes in geothermal fluids, corrosion in seawater desalination plants, worldwide geothermal power production, DOE-sponsored utilization projects, plant availability, relative costs of alloys, and composition of alloys. (MHR)« less

  8. Soft Active Materials for Actuation, Sensing, and Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, Rebecca Krone

    Future generations of robots, electronics, and assistive medical devices will include systems that are soft and elastically deformable, allowing them to adapt their morphology in unstructured environments. This will require soft active materials for actuation, circuitry, and sensing of deformation and contact pressure. The emerging field of soft robotics utilizes these soft active materials to mimic the inherent compliance of natural soft-bodied systems. As the elasticity of robot components increases, the challenges for functionality revert to basic questions of fabrication, materials, and design - whereas such aspects are far more developed for traditional rigid-bodied systems. This thesis will highlight preliminary materials and designs that address the need for soft actuators and sensors, as well as emerging fabrication techniques for manufacturing stretchable circuits and devices based on liquid-embedded elastomers.

  9. Lunar in situ resource utilization by activated thermites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hobosyan, Mkhitar; Martirosyan, Karen

    2011-10-01

    NASA's anticipated returns to the Moon by 2020, subsequent establishment of lunar in situ resource utilization technologies are essential. The surface of Moon is covered with small eroded particles of regolith called lunar dust that adheres electro-statically to everything coming in contact with it, and is of much concern for future lunar base because of its continual mitigation. The next major concern is the protection of equipment and personnel in long term expeditions from harmful UV radiation, which can be made by constructing protective buildings. For construction of permanent structures it is highly desired to have regular shaped sintered regolith with utilization of local materials and with minimum energy consumption. In this study the concept of sintering of lunar regolith with activated thermite reactions is discussed. The thermodynamic calculations as well as the experimental procedure is provided to prove the effectiveness of activated thermites for regolith sintering using local lunar resources with a low (15 wt. %) concentration of aluminum or magnesium. The thermite method is much more energy efficient than the other sintering methods suggested in literature.

  10. Additive Manufacturing of Catalytically Active Living Materials.

    PubMed

    Saha, Abhijit; Johnston, Trevor G; Shafranek, Ryan T; Goodman, Cassandra J; Zalatan, Jesse G; Storti, Duane W; Ganter, Mark A; Nelson, Alshakim

    2018-04-25

    Living materials, which are composites of living cells residing in a polymeric matrix, are designed to utilize the innate functionalities of the cells to address a broad range of applications such as fermentation and biosensing. Herein, we demonstrate the additive manufacturing of catalytically active living materials (AMCALM) for continuous fermentation. A multi-stimuli-responsive yeast-laden hydrogel ink, based on F127-dimethacrylate, was developed and printed using a direct-write 3D printer. The reversible stimuli-responsive behaviors of the polymer hydrogel inks to temperature and pressure are critical, as they enabled the facile incorporation of yeast cells and subsequent fabrication of 3D lattice constructs. Subsequent photo-cross-linking of the printed polymer hydrogel afforded a robust elastic material. These yeast-laden living materials were metabolically active in the fermentation of glucose into ethanol for 2 weeks in a continuous batch process without significant reduction in efficiency (∼90% yield of ethanol). This cell immobilization platform may potentially be applicable toward other genetically modified yeast strains to produce other high-value chemicals in a continuous biofermentation process.

  11. Teaching and Evaluation Materials Utilizing Multiple Representations in Mechanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savinainen, A.; Nieminen, P.; Makynen, A.; Viiri, J.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we present materials and teaching ideas utilizing multiple representations in the contexts of kinematics and the force concept. These ideas and materials are substantiated by evidence and can be readily used in teaching with no special training. In addition, we briefly discuss two multiple-choice tests based on physics education…

  12. Utilization of Palm Oil Clinker as Cement Replacement Material

    PubMed Central

    Kanadasan, Jegathish; Abdul Razak, Hashim

    2015-01-01

    The utilization of waste materials from the palm oil industry provides immense benefit to various sectors of the construction industry. Palm oil clinker is a by-product from the processing stages of palm oil goods. Channelling this waste material into the building industry helps to promote sustainability besides overcoming waste disposal problems. Environmental pollution due to inappropriate waste management system can also be drastically reduced. In this study, cement was substituted with palm oil clinker powder as a binder material in self-compacting mortar. The fresh, hardened and microstructure properties were evaluated throughout this study. In addition, sustainability component analysis was also carried out to assess the environmental impact of introducing palm oil clinker powder as a replacement material for cement. It can be inferred that approximately 3.3% of cement production can be saved by substituting palm oil clinker powder with cement. Reducing the utilization of cement through a high substitution level of this waste material will also help to reduce carbon emissions by 52%. A cleaner environment free from pollutants can be created to ensure healthier living. Certain industries may benefit through the inclusion of this waste material as the cost and energy consumption of the product can be minimized. PMID:28793748

  13. Utilization of Palm Oil Clinker as Cement Replacement Material.

    PubMed

    Kanadasan, Jegathish; Abdul Razak, Hashim

    2015-12-16

    The utilization of waste materials from the palm oil industry provides immense benefit to various sectors of the construction industry. Palm oil clinker is a by-product from the processing stages of palm oil goods. Channelling this waste material into the building industry helps to promote sustainability besides overcoming waste disposal problems. Environmental pollution due to inappropriate waste management system can also be drastically reduced. In this study, cement was substituted with palm oil clinker powder as a binder material in self-compacting mortar. The fresh, hardened and microstructure properties were evaluated throughout this study. In addition, sustainability component analysis was also carried out to assess the environmental impact of introducing palm oil clinker powder as a replacement material for cement. It can be inferred that approximately 3.3% of cement production can be saved by substituting palm oil clinker powder with cement. Reducing the utilization of cement through a high substitution level of this waste material will also help to reduce carbon emissions by 52%. A cleaner environment free from pollutants can be created to ensure healthier living. Certain industries may benefit through the inclusion of this waste material as the cost and energy consumption of the product can be minimized.

  14. The Selection of Bridge Materials Utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process

    Treesearch

    Robert L. Smith; Robert J. Bush; Daniel L. Schmoldt

    1997-01-01

    Effective decisions on the use of natural resources often require the input of many individuals. Determining how specific criteria affect the selection of materials can lead to better utilization of raw materials. Concrete, steel, and timber represent over 98% of the materials used for bridge construction in the United States. Highway officials must often consider...

  15. Guidelines for the Utilization of Composite Materials in Oxygen Storage Tanks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, Samuel E.; Herald, Stephen

    2006-01-01

    Space travel is inherently dangerous and, currently, quite expensive. NASA has always done everything possible to minimize the risk associated with the materials chosen for space travel applications by requiring that all materials associated with NASA programs meet the strict requirements established by NASA testing standard NASA-STD-600 1 Flammability, Odor, Offgassing, and Compatibility Requirements and Test Procedures for Materials in Environments that Support Combustion. NASA also has the need to develop lighter weight structural materials that will allow more payload weight to be carried into space. NASA is utilizing composite materials inside the orbiter to lighten the overall weight, but has not considered composite materials for oxygen tanks because of the inherent incompatibility of composite materials with atomic oxygen. This presentation will focus on how oxygen tanks can be built from composite materials. Details will be provided for the design and compatibility testing techniques that will be utilized to create a new NASA standard, NASA-HDBK-6018, which will serve as the starting point for the design of oxygen tanks made from composite materials.

  16. Analysis of multiple activity manual materials handling tasks using A Guide to Manual Materials Handling.

    PubMed

    Mital, A

    1999-01-01

    Manual handling of materials continues to be a hazardous activity, leading to a very significant number of severe overexertion injuries. Designing jobs that are within the physical capabilities of workers is one approach ergonomists have adopted to redress this problem. As a result, several job design procedures have been developed over the years. However, these procedures are limited to designing or evaluating only pure lifting jobs or only the lifting aspect of a materials handling job. This paper describes a general procedure that may be used to design or analyse materials handling jobs that involve several different kinds of activities (e.g. lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, etc). The job design/analysis procedure utilizes an elemental approach (breaking the job into elements) and relies on databases provided in A Guide to Manual Materials Handling to compute associated risk factors. The use of the procedure is demonstrated with the help of two case studies.

  17. Games Utilizing Native Materials. Expanded Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Outdoor Education Association, Carbondale, IL.

    Given in this paper are 27 games which can be used while camping outdoors. The games provide opportunities for recreation, muscular activity, and development of neuromuscular skills in handling game equipment and in running, jumping, leaping, dodging, and climbing. The games attempt to utilize such natural surroundings as sticks, stones, logs,…

  18. Methods of chemically converting first materials to second materials utilizing hybrid-plasma systems

    DOEpatents

    Kong, Peter C.; Grandy, Jon D.

    2002-01-01

    In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of chemically converting a first material to a second material. A first plasma and a second plasma are formed, and the first plasma is in fluid communication with the second plasma. The second plasma comprises activated hydrogen and oxygen, and is formed from a water vapor. A first material is flowed into the first plasma to at least partially ionize at least a portion of the first material. The at least partially ionized first material is flowed into the second plasma to react at least some components of the first material with at least one of the activated hydrogen and activated oxygen. Such converts at least some of the first material to a second material. In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of forming a synthetic gas by flowing a hydrocarbon-containing material into a hybrid-plasma system. In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of degrading a hydrocarbon-containing material by flowing such material into a hybrid-plasma system. In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of releasing an inorganic component of a complex comprising the inorganic component and an other component, wherein the complex is flowed through a hybrid-plasma system.

  19. Methods of producing cermet materials and methods of utilizing same

    DOEpatents

    Kong, Peter C [Idaho Falls, ID

    2008-12-30

    Methods of fabricating cermet materials and methods of utilizing the same such as in filtering particulate and gaseous pollutants from internal combustion engines having intermetallic and ceramic phases. The cermet material may be made from a transition metal aluminide phase and an alumina phase. The mixture may be pressed to form a green compact body and then heated in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere so as to melt aluminum particles and form the cermet. Filler materials may be added to increase the porosity or tailor the catalytic properties of the cermet material. Additionally, the cermet material may be reinforced with fibers or screens. The cermet material may also be formed so as to pass an electrical current therethrough to heat the material during use.

  20. Methods of fabricating cermet materials and methods of utilizing same

    DOEpatents

    Kong, Peter C.

    2006-04-04

    Methods of fabricating cermet materials and methods of utilizing the same such as in filtering particulate and gaseous pollutants from internal combustion engines having intermetallic and ceramic phases. The cermet material may be made from a transition metal aluminide phase and an aluminia phase. The mixture may be pressed to form a green compact body and then heated in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere so as to melt aluminum particles and form the cermet. Filler materials may be added to increase the porosity or tailor the catalytic properties of the cermet material. Additionally, the cermet material may be reinforced with fibers or screens. The cermet material may also be formed so as to pass an electrical current therethrough to heat the material during use.

  1. Advanced bulk processing of lightweight materials for utilization in the transportation sector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milner, Justin L.

    The overall objective of this research is to develop the microstructure of metallic lightweight materials via multiple advanced processing techniques with potentials for industrial utilization on a large scale to meet the demands of the aerospace and automotive sectors. This work focused on (i) refining the grain structure to increase the strength, (ii) controlling the texture to increase formability and (iii) directly reducing processing/production cost of lightweight material components. Advanced processing is conducted on a bulk scale by several severe plastic deformation techniques including: accumulative roll bonding, isolated shear rolling and friction stir processing to achieve the multiple targets of this research. Development and validation of the processing techniques is achieved through wide-ranging experiments along with detailed mechanical and microstructural examination of the processed material. On a broad level, this research will make advancements in processing of bulk lightweight materials facilitating industrial-scale implementation. Where accumulative roll bonding and isolated shear rolling, currently feasible on an industrial scale, processes bulk sheet materials capable of replacing more expensive grades of alloys and enabling low-temperature and high-strain-rate formability. Furthermore, friction stir processing to manufacture lightweight tubes, made from magnesium alloys, has the potential to increase the utilization of these materials in the automotive and aerospace sectors for high strength - high formability applications. With the increased utilization of these advanced processing techniques will significantly reduce the cost associated with lightweight materials for many applications in the transportation sectors.

  2. NASDA'S activities and roles in promoting satellite utilization experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shigeta, Tsutomu; Miyoshi, Takashi

    2004-02-01

    While NASDA has been engaged in the development of new satellite missions and the bus technologies, NASDA explores new and attractive applications by promoting the utilization of satellite missions and strengthening the relationships with external parties. Offering opportunities to external parties for conducting application experiments will bring great chances for them in challenging and experimenting new space-based applications. Consequently, it is expected that the outcomes of the space development are returned to general public, research institutes, industries, and that ideas or requirements for new satellite mission could emerge and be materialized. With these objectives in mind, NASDA is presently planning a new space project that is named "i-Space". The i-Space project aims to contribute to the progressing "IT Revolution" by providing new space communication capabilities and to develop practical applications by collaborating with external parties. This paper introduces the activities and roles of NASDA in promoting satellite utilization experiments, particularly focusing on the i-Space project.

  3. RUPS: Research Utilizing Problem Solving. Administrators Version. Participant Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jung, Charles; And Others

    These materials are the handouts for school administrators participating in RUPS (Research Utilizing Problem Solving) workshops. The purposes of the workshops are to develop skills for improving schools and to increase teamwork skills. The handouts correspond to the 16 subsets that make up the five-day workshop: (1) orientation; (2) identifying…

  4. Biomimetic materials in the utility industry: A program plan for research opportunities, volume 2. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Richman, R.H.; McNaughton, W.P.

    1996-09-01

    This report is the second of a two-volume set addressing the state-of-the-art and outlook for the application of biomimetic materials. The first volume examined achievements in mimicking novel aspects of biological systems in five broad categories: (1) Mimicking of Natural Material Designs, (2) Biomimetic Materials Processing, (3) Artificial Photosynthesis, (4) Biomimetic Molecular Electronics, and (5) Biomimetic Catalysis. Each topic was examined as to current activities and approaches, key aspects, unresolved issues, and implications for the power industry. Key researchers, their organizations, the main thrusts of investigation, achievements, and funding agencies were also summarized. This volume highlights opportunities for future researchmore » activities in biomimetics that could be valuable to the U.S. utility industry. Nineteen specific research projects have been identified. These opportunities are outlined in four classes: (1) technology awareness, (2) modeling and experimental studies, (3) state-of-the-art and outlook studies: developing experimental plans, and (4) concept feasibility studies.« less

  5. Summary of the Active Microwave Workshop, chapter 1. [utilization in applications and aerospace programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    An overview is given of the utility, feasibility, and advantages of active microwave sensors for a broad range of applications, including aerospace. In many instances, the material provides an in-depth examination of the applicability and/or the technology of microwave remote sensing, and considerable documentation is presented in support of these techniques. An assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of active microwave sensor data indicates that satisfactory data are obtainable for several significant applications.

  6. Active pore space utilization in nanoporous carbon-based supercapacitors: Effects of conductivity and pore accessibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seredych, Mykola; Koscinski, Mikolaj; Sliwinska-Bartkowiak, Malgorzata; Bandosz, Teresa J.

    2012-12-01

    Composites of commercial graphene and nanoporous sodium-salt-polymer-derived carbons were prepared with 5 or 20 weight% graphene. The materials were characterized using the adsorption of nitrogen, SEM/EDX, thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and potentiometric titration. The samples' conductivity was also measured. The performance of the carbon composites in energy storage was linked to their porosity and electronic conductivity. The small pores (<0.7) were found as very active for double layer capacitance. It was demonstrated that when double layer capacitance is a predominant mechanism of charge storage, the degree of the pore space utilization for that storage can be increased by increasing the conductivity of the carbons. That active pore space utilization is defined as gravimetric capacitance per unit pore volume in pores smaller than 0.7 nm. Its magnitude is affected by conductivity of the carbon materials. The functional groups, besides pseudocapacitive contribution, increased the wettability and thus the degree of the pore space utilization. Graphene phase, owing to its conductivity, also took part in an insitu increase of the small pore accessibility and thus the capacitance of the composites via enhancing an electron transfer to small pores and thus imposing the reduction of groups blocking the pores for electrolyte ions.

  7. Apparatus and method for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Muralidharan, Govindarajan; Angelini, Joseph A.; Murphy, Bart L.

    An apparatus for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises a platform for supporting a specimen, and a plurality of magnets underlying the platform. The plurality of magnets are configured for rotation about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform. A heat source is disposed above the platform for heating the specimen during the rotation of the plurality of magnets. A method for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises providing a specimen on a platform overlying a plurality of magnets; rotating the plurality of magnets about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform, thereby applying a rotatingmore » magnetic field to the specimen; and, while rotating the plurality of magnets, heating the specimen to a desired temperature.« less

  8. Utilization of household food waste for the production of ethanol at high dry material content.

    PubMed

    Matsakas, Leonidas; Kekos, Dimitris; Loizidou, Maria; Christakopoulos, Paul

    2014-01-08

    Environmental issues and shortage of fossil fuels have turned the public interest to the utilization of renewable, environmentally friendly fuels, such as ethanol. In order to minimize the competition between fuels and food production, researchers are focusing their efforts to the utilization of wastes and by-products as raw materials for the production of ethanol. household food wastes are being produced in great quantities in European Union and their handling can be a challenge. Moreover, their disposal can cause severe environmental issues (for example emission of greenhouse gasses). On the other hand, they contain significant amounts of sugars (both soluble and insoluble) and they can be used as raw material for the production of ethanol. Household food wastes were utilized as raw material for the production of ethanol at high dry material consistencies. A distinct liquefaction/saccharification step has been included to the process, which rapidly reduced the viscosity of the high solid content substrate, resulting in better mixing of the fermenting microorganism. This step had a positive effect in both ethanol production and productivity, leading to a significant increase in both values, which was up to 40.81% and 4.46 fold, respectively. Remaining solids (residue) after fermentation at 45% w/v dry material (which contained also the unhydrolyzed fraction of cellulose), were subjected to a hydrothermal pretreatment in order to be utilized as raw material for a subsequent ethanol fermentation. This led to an increase of 13.16% in the ethanol production levels achieving a final ethanol yield of 107.58 g/kg dry material. In conclusion, the ability of utilizing household food waste for the production of ethanol at elevated dry material content has been demonstrated. A separate liquefaction/saccharification process can increase both ethanol production and productivity. Finally, subsequent fermentation of the remaining solids could lead to an increase of the overall

  9. Feasibility of a Supporting-Salt-Free Nonaqueous Redox Flow Battery Utilizing Ionic Active Materials.

    PubMed

    Milshtein, Jarrod D; Fisher, Sydney L; Breault, Tanya M; Thompson, Levi T; Brushett, Fikile R

    2017-05-09

    Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NAqRFBs) are promising devices for grid-scale energy storage, but high projected prices could limit commercial prospects. One route to reduced prices is to minimize or eliminate the expensive supporting salts typically employed in NAqRFBs. Herein, the feasibility of a flow cell operating in the absence of supporting salt by utilizing ionic active species is demonstrated. These ionic species have high conductivities in acetonitrile (12-19 mS cm -1 ) and cycle at 20 mA cm -2 with energy efficiencies (>75 %) comparable to those of state-of-the-art NAqRFBs employing high concentrations of supporting salt. A chemistry-agnostic techno-economic analysis highlights the possible cost savings of minimizing salt content in a NAqRFB. This work offers the first demonstration of a NAqRFB operating without supporting salt. The associated design principles can guide the development of future active species and could make NAqRFBs competitive with their aqueous counterparts. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Material Processing Opportunites Utilizing a Free Electron Laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Todd, Alan

    1996-11-01

    Many properties of photocathode-driven Free Electron Lasers (FEL) are extremely attractive for material processing applications. These include: 1) broad-band tunability across the IR and UV spectra which permits wavelength optimization, depth deposition control and utilization of resonance phenomena; 2) picosecond pulse structure with continuous nanosecond spacing for optimum deposition efficiency and minimal collateral damage; 3) high peak and average radiated power for economic processing in quantity; and 4) high brightness for spatially defined energy deposition and intense energy density in small spots. We discuss five areas: polymer, metal and electronic material processing, micromachining and defense applications; where IR or UV material processing will find application if the economics is favorable. Specific examples in the IR and UV, such as surface texturing of polymers for improved look and feel, and anti-microbial food packaging films, which have been demonstrated using UV excimer lamps and lasers, will be given. Unfortunately, although the process utility is readily proven, the power levels and costs of lamps and lasers do not scale to production margins. However, from these examples, application specific cost targets ranging from 0.1=A2/kJ to 10=A2/kJ of delivered radiation at power levels from 10 kW to 500 kW, have been developed and are used to define strawman FEL processing systems. Since =46EL radiation energy extraction from the generating electron beam is typically a few percent, at these high average power levels, economic considerations dictate the use of a superconducting RF accelerator with energy recovery to minimize cavity and beam dump power loss. Such a 1 kW IR FEL, funded by the US Navy, is presently under construction at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. This dual-use device, scheduled to generate first light in late 1997, will test both the viability of high-power FELs for shipboard self-defense against cruise

  11. Bio-inspired active materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fratzl, Peter

    Biological tissues are naturally interactive and adaptive. In general, these features are due to the action of cells that provide sensing, actuation as well as tissue remodelling. There are also examples of materials synthesized by living organisms, such as plant seeds, which fulfil an active function without living cells working as mechanosensors and actuators. Thus the activity of these materials is based on physical principles alone, which provides inspiration for new concepts for artificial active materials. We will describe structural principles leading to movement in seed capsules triggered by ambient humidity and discuss the influence of internal architecture on the overall mechanical behaviour of materials, including actuation and motility. Several conceptual systems for actuating planar structures will be discussed.

  12. Recent advances in the development and utilization of modern anode materials for high performance microbial fuel cells.

    PubMed

    Sonawane, Jayesh M; Yadav, Abhishek; Ghosh, Prakash C; Adeloju, Samuel B

    2017-04-15

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are novel bio-electrochemical device for spontaneous or single step conversion of biomass into electricity, based on the use of metabolic activity of bacteria. The design and use of MFCs has attracted considerable interests because of the potential new opportunities they offer for sustainable production of energy from biodegradable and reused waste materials. However, the associated slow microbial kinetics and costly construction materials has limited a much wider commercial use of the technology. In the past ten years, there has been significant new developments in MFCs which has resulted in several-fold increase in achievable power density. Yet, there is still considerable possibility for further improvement in performance and development of new cost effective materials. This paper comprehensively reviews recent advances in the construction and utilization of novel anodes for MFCs. In particular, it highlights some of the critical roles and functions of anodes in MFCs, strategies available for improving surface areas of anodes, dominant performance of stainless-steel based anode materials, and the emerging benefits of inclusion of nanomaterials. The review also demonstrates that some of the materials are very promising for large scale MFC applications and are likely to replace conventional anodes for the development of next generation MFC systems. The hurdles to the development of commercial MFC technology are also discussed. Furthermore, the future directions in the design and selection of materials for construction and utilization of MFC anodes are highlighted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. A unique in vivo approach for investigating antimicrobial materials utilizing fistulated animals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berean, Kyle J.; Adetutu, Eric M.; Zhen Ou, Jian; Nour, Majid; Nguyen, Emily P.; Paull, David; McLeod, Jess; Ramanathan, Rajesh; Bansal, Vipul; Latham, Kay; Bishop-Hurley, Greg J.; McSweeney, Chris; Ball, Andrew S.; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh

    2015-06-01

    Unique in vivo tests were conducted through the use of a fistulated ruminant, providing an ideal environment with a diverse and vibrant microbial community. Utilizing such a procedure can be especially invaluable for investigating the performance of antimicrobial materials related to human and animal related infections. In this pilot study, it is shown that the rumen of a fistulated animal provides an excellent live laboratory for assessing the properties of antimicrobial materials. We investigate microbial colonization onto model nanocomposites based on silver (Ag) nanoparticles at different concentrations into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). With implantable devices posing a major risk for hospital-acquired infections, the present study provides a viable solution to understand microbial colonization with the potential to reduce the incidence of infection through the introduction of Ag nanoparticles at the optimum concentrations. In vitro measurements were also conducted to show the validity of the approach. An optimal loading of 0.25 wt% Ag is found to show the greatest antimicrobial activity and observed through the in vivo tests to reduce the microbial diversity colonizing the surface.

  14. Evidence-based practice and research utilization activities among rural nurses.

    PubMed

    Olade, Rosaline A

    2004-01-01

    To identify the extent to which rural nurses utilize evidence-based practice guidelines from scientific research in their practice; to describe both previous and current research utilization activities in which they have participated, and to identify the specific barriers they face in their practice settings. Data for this descriptive study were collected through questionnaires with open-ended questions focused on (a) current utilization of nursing research findings, (b) previous involvement in nursing research activities, and (c) participation in medical research activities. The participants were 106 nurses from various practice areas in six rural counties of a southwestern state in the United States. Results revealed that only 20.8% of the participants stated they were currently involved in research utilization, and they were mostly nurses with bachelor's degrees. The two most common areas of current research utilization were pain management and pressure ulcer prevention and management. Barriers to research utilization, such as rural isolation and lack of nursing research consultants, were identified. The types of research utilization activities identified by these nurses indicate how much the facilities in which these nurses work in the rural areas are striving with the utilization of available scientific evidence. Rural nurses face unique barriers related to situational and geographic factors, with implications for nursing administrators, researchers, and educators.

  15. Preparation of isotopic molybdenum foils utilizing small quantities of material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lipski, A. R.; Lee, L. L.; Liang, J. F.; Mahon, J. C.

    1993-09-01

    A simple method utilizing a small amount of isotopic material for production of molybdenum foils is discussed. An e-gun is used in the procedure. The Mo powder undergoes reduction-sintering and melting-solidifying steps leading to the creation of a metallic droplet suitable for further cold rolling or vacuum deposition.

  16. Energy utilization associated with regular activity breaks and continuous physical activity: A randomized crossover trial.

    PubMed

    Fenemor, S P; Homer, A R; Perry, T L; Skeaff, C M; Peddie, M C; Rehrer, N J

    2018-06-01

    To quantify and compare energy utilization associated with prolonged sitting alone, or interrupted with regular activity breaks and/or an additional bout of continuous physical activity. Thirty six adults (11 males, BMI 24.1 ± 4.6) completed four interventions: (1) prolonged sitting (SIT), (2) sitting with 2-min of walking every 30 min (RAB), (3) prolonged sitting with 30-min of continuous walking at the end of the day (SIT + PA), (4) a combination of the activities in (2) and (3) above (RAB + PA). All walking was at a speed and incline corresponding to 60% V̇O 2max . Energy utilization over 7 h for each intervention was estimated using indirect calorimetry. Compared to SIT, SIT + PA increased total energy utilization by 709 kJ (95% CI 485-933 kJ), RAB by 863 kJ (95% CI 638-1088 kJ), and RAB + PA by 1752 kJ (95% CI 1527-1927 kJ) (all p < 0.001). There was no difference in total energy utilization between SIT + PA and RAB, however, post-physical activity energy utilization in RAB was 632 kJ greater than SIT + PA (95% CI 561-704 kJ; p < 0.001). Short frequent activity, results in greater accumulation of elevated post-physical activity energy utilization compared to a single bout of continuous activity; however the total energy utilization is similar. Combining activity breaks with a longer continuous bout of activity will further enhance energy utilization, and in the longer term, may positively affect weight management of a greater magnitude than either activity pattern performed alone. ANZCTR12614000624684. Copyright © 2018 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Utilization of household food waste for the production of ethanol at high dry material content

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Environmental issues and shortage of fossil fuels have turned the public interest to the utilization of renewable, environmentally friendly fuels, such as ethanol. In order to minimize the competition between fuels and food production, researchers are focusing their efforts to the utilization of wastes and by-products as raw materials for the production of ethanol. household food wastes are being produced in great quantities in European Union and their handling can be a challenge. Moreover, their disposal can cause severe environmental issues (for example emission of greenhouse gasses). On the other hand, they contain significant amounts of sugars (both soluble and insoluble) and they can be used as raw material for the production of ethanol. Results Household food wastes were utilized as raw material for the production of ethanol at high dry material consistencies. A distinct liquefaction/saccharification step has been included to the process, which rapidly reduced the viscosity of the high solid content substrate, resulting in better mixing of the fermenting microorganism. This step had a positive effect in both ethanol production and productivity, leading to a significant increase in both values, which was up to 40.81% and 4.46 fold, respectively. Remaining solids (residue) after fermentation at 45% w/v dry material (which contained also the unhydrolyzed fraction of cellulose), were subjected to a hydrothermal pretreatment in order to be utilized as raw material for a subsequent ethanol fermentation. This led to an increase of 13.16% in the ethanol production levels achieving a final ethanol yield of 107.58 g/kg dry material. Conclusions In conclusion, the ability of utilizing household food waste for the production of ethanol at elevated dry material content has been demonstrated. A separate liquefaction/saccharification process can increase both ethanol production and productivity. Finally, subsequent fermentation of the remaining solids could

  18. Utility fog: A universal physical substance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, J. Storrs

    1993-01-01

    Active, polymorphic material ('Utility Fog') can be designed as a conglomeration of 100-micron robotic cells ('foglets'). Such robots could be built with the techniques of molecular nanotechnology. Controllers with processing capabilities of 1000 MIPS per cubic micron, and electric motors with power densities of one milliwatt per cubic micron are assumed. Utility Fog should be capable of simulating most everyday materials, dynamically changing its form and properties, and forms a substrate for an integrated virtual reality and telerobotics.

  19. Source Correlated Prompt Neutron Activation Analysis for Material Identification and Localization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canion, Bonnie; McConchie, Seth; Landsberger, Sheldon

    2017-07-01

    This paper investigates the energy spectrum of photon signatures from an associated particle imaging deuterium tritium (API-DT) neutron generator interrogating shielded uranium. The goal is to investigate if signatures within the energy spectrum could be used to indirectly characterize shielded uranium when the neutron signature is attenuated. By utilizing the correlated neutron cone associated with each pixel of the API-DT neutron generator, certain materials can be identified and located via source correlated spectrometry of prompt neutron activation gamma rays. An investigation is done to determine if fission neutrons induce a significant enough signature within the prompt neutron-induced gamma-ray energy spectrum in shielding material to be useful for indirect nuclear material characterization. The signature deriving from the induced fission neutrons interacting with the shielding material was slightly elevated in polyethylene-shielding depleted uranium (DU), but was more evident in some characteristic peaks from the aluminum shielding surrounding DU.

  20. 24 CFR 245.416 - Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid utilities or a reduction in tenant utility... Covered Action § 245.416 Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid utilities or a reduction in tenant utility allowances. In the case of a conversion from...

  1. The Utilization of Graphene Oxide in Traditional Construction Materials: Asphalt.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Wenbo; Wu, Shaopeng; Pang, Ling; Sun, Yihan; Chen, Zongwu

    2017-01-07

    In the advanced research fields of solar cell and energy storing materials, graphene and graphene oxide (GO) are two of the most promising materials due to their high specific surface area, and excellent electrical and physical properties. However, they was seldom studied in the traditional materials because of their high cost. Nowadays, graphene and GO are much cheaper than before with the development of production technologies, which provides the possibility of using these extraordinary materials in the traditional construction industry. In this paper, GO was selected as a nano-material to modify two different asphalts. Then a thin film oven test and a pressure aging vessel test were applied to simulate the aging of GO-modified asphalts. After thermal aging, basic physical properties (softening point and penetration) were tested for the samples which were introduced at different mass ratios of GO (1% and 3%) to asphalt. In addition, rheological properties were tested to investigate how GO could influence the asphalts by dynamic shearing rheometer tests. Finally, some interesting findings and potential utilization (warm mixing and flame retardants) of GO in asphalt pavement construction were explained.

  2. The Utilization of Graphene Oxide in Traditional Construction Materials: Asphalt

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Wenbo; Wu, Shaopeng; Pang, Ling; Sun, Yihan; Chen, Zongwu

    2017-01-01

    In the advanced research fields of solar cell and energy storing materials, graphene and graphene oxide (GO) are two of the most promising materials due to their high specific surface area, and excellent electrical and physical properties. However, they was seldom studied in the traditional materials because of their high cost. Nowadays, graphene and GO are much cheaper than before with the development of production technologies, which provides the possibility of using these extraordinary materials in the traditional construction industry. In this paper, GO was selected as a nano-material to modify two different asphalts. Then a thin film oven test and a pressure aging vessel test were applied to simulate the aging of GO-modified asphalts. After thermal aging, basic physical properties (softening point and penetration) were tested for the samples which were introduced at different mass ratios of GO (1% and 3%) to asphalt. In addition, rheological properties were tested to investigate how GO could influence the asphalts by dynamic shearing rheometer tests. Finally, some interesting findings and potential utilization (warm mixing and flame retardants) of GO in asphalt pavement construction were explained. PMID:28772406

  3. Mudflow utilization for construction materials of tertiary irrigation canal lining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azis, Subandiyah; Kustamar

    2017-11-01

    Mudflow in Siring Village, Sidoarjo Regency, Indonesia, has been in eruption since May 29, 2006. It still shows irregular large bursts which loaded in a sludge reservoir with capacity of 59 million m3. From 2007 until 2015, there were more than 20 studies which concluded that the mudflow could be used as a mixture of building materials. However, the studies were not detailed and needed further research. This research aims to investigate the use of mudflow as tertiary irrigation canal lining material. This research comes with several laboratory tests to obtain a mixture that is solid and water-resistant. The methods that were used are descriptive methods as follows: 1). Sampling of mudflow, to be analyzed in Material Testing Laboratory. 2). Sampling of soil at research site, to be analyzed in Soil Mechanics Laboratory 3). Mixing of materials which are consist of mudflow and other materials and doing strength test in the laboratory. 4). Installation of tertiary irrigation canal lining using materials that have been tested. 5). Observation of lining's strength inactive soil pressure-bearing and its impermeability. It is expected that the results of this research will be applied extensively throughout the tertiary irrigation canals, so mudflow can be utilized as raw materials that are environmentally friendly, which are able to help preserving the environment, also to reduce the removal of sand / rock in the river, which has been used for lining materials, that benefits in preventing damage to the river ecosystem.

  4. Utilizing strongly absorbing materials for low-loss surface-wave nonlinear optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grosse, Nicolai B.; Franz, Philipp; Heckmann, Jan; Pufahl, Karsten; Woggon, Ulrike

    2018-04-01

    Optical media endowed with large nonlinear susceptibilities are highly prized for their employment in frequency conversion and the generation of nonclassical states of light. Although the presence of an optical resonance can greatly increase the nonlinear response (e.g., in epsilon-near-zero materials), the non-negligible increase in linear absorption often precludes the application of such materials in nonlinear optics. Absorbing materials prepared as thin films, however, can support a low-loss surface wave: the long-range surface exciton polariton (LRSEP). Its propagation lifetime increases with greater intrinsic absorption and reduced film thickness, provided that the film is embedded in a transparent medium (symmetric cladding). We explore LRSEP propagation in a molybdenum film by way of a prism-coupling configuration. Our observations show that excitation of the LRSEP mode leads to a dramatic increase in the yield of second-harmonic generation. This implies that the LRSEP mode is an effective vehicle for utilizing the nonlinear response of absorbing materials.

  5. A Study of Aerospace Education Workshops Which Utilize NASA Materials and Resource Personnel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helton, Robert Dale

    1974-01-01

    Reports findings from two questionnaires administered to participants of aerospace workshops which utilized the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) materials and resource personnel. The findings gave a broad picture of aerospace workshops across the United States. (BR)

  6. Quantifying the density and utilization of active sites in non-precious metal oxygen electroreduction catalysts

    PubMed Central

    Sahraie, Nastaran Ranjbar; Kramm, Ulrike I.; Steinberg, Julian; Zhang, Yuanjian; Thomas, Arne; Reier, Tobias; Paraknowitsch, Jens-Peter; Strasser, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Carbon materials doped with transition metal and nitrogen are highly active, non-precious metal catalysts for the electrochemical conversion of molecular oxygen in fuel cells, metal air batteries, and electrolytic processes. However, accurate measurement of their intrinsic turn-over frequency and active-site density based on metal centres in bulk and surface has remained difficult to date, which has hampered a more rational catalyst design. Here we report a successful quantification of bulk and surface-based active-site density and associated turn-over frequency values of mono- and bimetallic Fe/N-doped carbons using a combination of chemisorption, desorption and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques. Our general approach yields an experimental descriptor for the intrinsic activity and the active-site utilization, aiding in the catalyst development process and enabling a previously unachieved level of understanding of reactivity trends owing to a deconvolution of site density and intrinsic activity. PMID:26486465

  7. Standard Lunar Regolith Simulants for Space Resource Utilization Technologies Development: Effects of Materials Choices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sibille, Laurent; Carpenter, Paul K.

    2006-01-01

    As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fastpace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960's Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held 2005 Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. The recommendation of the workshop of establishing standard simulant materials to be used in lunar technology development and testing will be discussed here with an emphasis on space resource utilization. The variety of techniques and the complexity of functional interfaces make these simulant choices critical in space resource utilization.

  8. Utilization of SRS pond ash in controlled low strength material. Technical report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Langton, C.A.; Rajendran, N.

    1995-12-01

    Design mixes for Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM) were developed which incorporate pond ashes (fly ashes) from the A-Area Ash Pile, the old F-Area Ash Basin and the D-Area Ash Basin. CLSM is a pumpable, flowable, excavatable backfill used in a variety of construction applications at SRS. Results indicate that CLSM which meets all of the SRS design specifications for backfill, can be made with the A-, D-, and F-Area pond ashes. Formulations for the design mixes are provided in this report. Use of the pond ashes may result in a cost savings for CLSM used at SRS and willmore » utilize a by-product waste material, thereby decreasing the amount of material requiring disposal.« less

  9. Development of Employable Skills in Vocational Education by the Utilization of Instructional Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owoh, Titus M.

    2016-01-01

    The acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as the basic scientific knowledge that would facilitate efficient occupational training requires good manipulation of skills oriented instructional facilities in a conducive learning situation. Thus, the provision and effective utilization of functional instructional materials are essential…

  10. Energy Utilization Technology Curriculum Materials FY 91. Illinois Plan for Industrial Technology Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallo, Dennis; Welty, Kenneth

    This document contains technology-based learning activities for the Illinois energy utilization technology course at the orientation level (grades 9 and 10). This packet includes a course rationale, course mission statement, course description, course outline, suggested learning objectives for each of the energy utilization areas, and suggested…

  11. Potential active materials for photo-supercapacitor: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, C. H.; Lim, H. N.; Hayase, S.; Harrison, I.; Pandikumar, A.; Huang, N. M.

    2015-11-01

    The need for an endless renewable energy supply, typically through the utilization of solar energy in most applications and systems, has driven the expansion, versatility, and diversification of marketed energy storage devices. Energy storage devices such as hybridized dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC)-capacitors and DSSC-supercapacitors have been invented for energy reservation. The evolution and vast improvement of these devices in terms of their efficiencies and flexibilities have further sparked the invention of the photo-supercapacitor. The idea of coupling a DSSC and supercapacitor as a complete energy conversion and storage device arose because the solar energy absorbed by dye molecules can be efficiently transferred and converted to electrical energy by adopting a supercapacitor as the energy delivery system. The conversion efficiency of a photo-supercapacitor is mainly dependent on the use of active materials during its fabrication. The performances of the dye, photoactive metal oxide, counter electrode, redox electrolyte, and conducting polymer are the primary factors contributing to high-energy-efficient conversion, which enhances the performance and shelf-life of a photo-supercapacitor. Moreover, the introduction of compact layer as a primary adherent film has been earmarked as an effort in enhancing power conversion efficiency of solar cell. Additionally, the development of electrolyte-free solar cell such as the invention of hole-conductor or perovskite solar cell is currently being explored extensively. This paper reviews and analyzes the potential active materials for a photo-supercapacitor to enhance the conversion and storage efficiencies.

  12. Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal products industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1979-05-01

    Set targets for increased utilization of energy-saving recovered materials in the metals and metal products industries (ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead) are discussed. Data preparation and methodology development and analysis of the technological and economic factors in order to prepare draft targets for the use of recovered materials are covered. Chapter 2 provides an introductory discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33, including industry structure, process technology, materials and recyclingmore » flow, and future trends for the 5 industries: ferrous, aluminium, copper, zinc, and lead. Chapter 4 presents the evaluation of recycling targets for those industries. (MCW)« less

  13. [Research on resources chemistry of Chinese medicinal materials and resources recycling utilization ways and goals and tasks].

    PubMed

    Duan, Jin-ao; Su, Shu-lan; Guo, Sheng; Jiang, Shu; Liu, Pei; Yan, Hui; Qian, Da-wei; Zhu, Hua-xu; Tang, Yu-ping; Wu, Qi-nan

    2015-09-01

    The objects of research on the resources chemistry of Chinese medicinal materials (RCCMM) are promotion of efficient production, rational utilization and improving quality of CMM and natural products. The development of TCM cause depends on the efficient utilization and sustainable development of CMM, hinges on the technologies and methods for using and discovering medicinal biological resources, stand or fall on the extension of industy chains, detailed utilizaion of resource chemical components by multi-way, multi-level. All of these may help to the recycling utilization and sound development of RCMM. In this article, five respects were discussed to the RCCMM researches and resources recycling utilization ways and goals and tasks. First, based on the principle of resource scarcity, discovering or replacing CMM resources, protecting the rare or endangered species or resources. Second, based on the multifunctionality of CMM, realizing the value-added and value compensation, and promoting the utilization efficiency through systermatic and detailed exploitation and utilization. Third, based on the resource conservation and environment-friendly, reducing raw material consumption, lowering cost, promoting recycling utilization and elevating utilization efficiency. Fourth, based on the stratege of turning harm into good, using the invasive alien biological resources by multi-ways and enriching the medicial resources. Fifth, based on the method of structure modification of chemical components, exploring and enhancing the utility value of resouces chemical substances. These data should provide references and attention for improving the utilization efficiency, promoting the development of recycling economy, and changing the mode of economic growth of agriculture and industry of CMM fundamentally.

  14. Activated carbon material

    DOEpatents

    Evans, A. Gary

    1978-01-01

    Activated carbon particles for use as iodine trapping material are impregnated with a mixture of selected iodine and potassium compounds to improve the iodine retention properties of the carbon. The I/K ratio is maintained at less than about 1 and the pH is maintained at above about 8.0. The iodine retention of activated carbon previously treated with or coimpregnated with triethylenediamine can also be improved by this technique. Suitable flame retardants can be added to raise the ignition temperature of the carbon to acceptable standards.

  15. Microstructure characterization of multi-phase composites and utilization of phase change materials and recycled rubbers in cementitious materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meshgin, Pania

    2011-12-01

    This research focuses on two important subjects: (1) Characterization of heterogeneous microstructure of multi-phase composites and the effect of microstructural features on effective properties of the material. (2) Utilizations of phase change materials and recycled rubber particles from waste tires to improve thermal properties of insulation materials used in building envelopes. Spatial pattern of multi-phase and multidimensional internal structures of most composite materials are highly random. Quantitative description of the spatial distribution should be developed based on proper statistical models, which characterize the morphological features. For a composite material with multi-phases, the volume fraction of the phases as well as the morphological parameters of the phases have very strong influences on the effective property of the composite. These morphological parameters depend on the microstructure of each phase. This study intends to include the effect of higher order morphological details of the microstructure in the composite models. The higher order statistics, called two-point correlation functions characterize various behaviors of the composite at any two points in a stochastic field. Specifically, correlation functions of mosaic patterns are used in the study for characterizing transport properties of composite materials. One of the most effective methods to improve energy efficiency of buildings is to enhance thermal properties of insulation materials. The idea of using phase change materials and recycled rubber particles such as scrap tires in insulation materials for building envelopes has been studied.

  16. Effect of Discharge Rate on Positive Active Material of Lead Carbon Battery for Energy Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Kailun; Liu, Hao; Hu, Chen; Gao, Fei; Yang, Kai; Wang, Hao

    2017-10-01

    Lead carbon battery has been widespread concern with its excellent performance of charge and discharge under High Rate Part State of Charge (HRPSoC) as well as its cycle performance. In this paper, the cycling performance of lead carbon battery for energy storage was tested by different discharge rate. The effects of different discharge rate on the composition and morphology of positive active materials in the cycle was studied by XRD and SEM. The effect of different discharge rate on the ohmic impedance of lead carbon battery was studied by testing Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy with different capacity retention rates. The results show that with the increase of the discharge rate, the content of PbO2 in the positive active material increases, the active substance utilization and the particle size of PbO2 crystal declines, and the ohmic impedance of the battery decreases.

  17. Activated carbon from leather shaving wastes and its application in removal of toxic materials.

    PubMed

    Kantarli, Ismail Cem; Yanik, Jale

    2010-07-15

    In this study, utilization of a solid waste as raw material for activated carbon production was investigated. For this purpose, activated carbons were produced from chromium and vegetable tanned leather shaving wastes by physical and chemical activation methods. A detailed analysis of the surface properties of the activated carbons including acidity, total surface area, extent of microporosity and mesoporosity was presented. The activated carbon produced from vegetable tanned leather shaving waste produced has a higher surface area and micropore volume than the activated carbon produced from chromium tanned leather shaving waste. The potential application of activated carbons obtained from vegetable tanned shavings as adsorbent for removal of water pollutants have been checked for phenol, methylene blue, and Cr(VI). Adsorption capacities of activated carbons were found to be comparable to that of activated carbons derived from biomass. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Utilization of red mud and bagasse for production of gas absorption materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thang, Nguyen Hoc; Quyen, Pham Vo Thi Ha; Nhung, Le Thuy; Phong, Dang Thanh; Tuyen, Nguyen Ngoc Kim

    2018-04-01

    Gas treatment or/and gas absorption is field which has more investigation from researchers. They are finding optimal solutions from catalyst or synthesized materials to obtain the best benefit for factories and community. This study would like to introduce a method to synthesis the gas absorption materials responding requirements for the process of gas treatment. More specially, raw materials used to produce the materials are industrial waste impacting negatively on the environment. In which, red mud is solid waste of Bayer process from bauxite mining which is being the hard problem to have solutions for its management and utilization, and bagasse is industrial waste of sugar factories. Both red mud and bagasse were dried, ground, and sieved and then mixed with bentonite and water for forming by wet pressing method. Continuously, the mixtures were passed processes of heat treatment at 400°C. The final samples were tested physic-chemical properties and characterized for microstructure. The productions were also tested for gas absorption capacity with data obtained very positive in comparison with others.

  19. Danish research-active clinical nurses overcome barriers in research utilization.

    PubMed

    Adamsen, Lis; Larsen, Kristian; Bjerregaard, Lene; Madsen, Jan K

    2003-03-01

    The aim of this study was to examine whether there was a difference between clinical nurses who were research-active, and clinical nurses who were nonresearch-active in utilization of research. A further aim was to identify the most significant barriers faced by a group of Danish clinical nurses in their use of research. Discrepancy between the improved quality of research results and the lack of implementing them was the starting point for a series of studies which showed the types of barriers clinical nurses found especially cumbersome when applying the research results of other researchers. This study investigates whether the clinical nurses' own engagement in research had any impact on their perception of research utilization. The study had an exploratory and descriptive design. Seventy-nine Danish clinical nurses participated and semi-structured interviewing was used as the research method. There was a statistically significant difference between the research-active and nonresearch-active nurses on various variables. The study showed that, to a larger extent, research-active nurses used evidence-based knowledge and were generally more internationally orientated. Furthermore, two important barriers for research utilization were identified by all 79 clinical nurses included in the study, i.e. 90% of the nurses explained that the quantity of research results was overwhelming, and 75% of them found that they were unable to evaluate the quality of the research. Clinical nurses, who were research-active themselves, experienced more success in overcoming some of the barriers, which existed in applying research to practice. The research potential found amongst clinical nurses in Denmark needed to be further supported through training and guidance in research methodology, establishing introductory stipends and part-time research positions. By doing so, some of the barriers affecting research utilization and the so-called theory-practice gap might be reduced. Further

  20. [Impact of level of physical activity on healthcare utilization among Korean adults].

    PubMed

    Kim, Jiyun; Park, Seungmi

    2012-04-01

    This study was done to identify the impact of physical activity on healthcare utilization among Korean adults. Drawing from the 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES IV-2), data from 6,521 adults who completed the Health Interview and Health Behavior Surveys were analyzed. Association between physical activity and healthcare utilization was tested using the χ²-test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios of using outpatient and inpatient healthcare for different levels of physical activity after adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. A generalized linear model applying a negative binomial distribution was used to determine how the level of physical activity was related to use of outpatient and inpatient healthcare. Physically active participants were 16% less likely to use outpatient healthcare (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.97) and 23% less likely to use inpatient healthcare (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.93) than physically inactive participants. Levels of outpatient and inpatient healthcare use decreased as levels of physical activity increased, after adjusting for relevant factors. An independent association between being physically active and lower healthcare utilization was ascertained among Korean adults indicating a need to develop nursing intervention programs that encourage regular physical activity.

  1. Amniotic membranes as prosthetic material: experimental utilization data of a rat model.

    PubMed

    Zachariou, Z

    1997-10-01

    Prosthetic materials are applied for closing big tissue defects, the repair of traumatized organs, or hernias. Because nonabsorbable synthetic materials are rigid, possess a defined and unchangeable size, and foreign body reaction (FBR) may occur, biological materials may be an alternative. In experimental studies in rats the authors implanted the fetal parts of the human amniotic membranes and examined the utilization and FBR induced in a standardized model. In addition amnion (AM) was combined with vicryl-net (VN) for higher implant stability. Fifteen, 30 and 90 days after implantation, macroscopic appearance was examined, and light microscopy and immunohistology testing of the specimens were performed. Adhesions to parenchymal organs and omentum were present irrespective of the side facing the abdominal cavity. AM induced a rapid FBR, which diminished with time. Chorion (CH) and parts of the AM were resorbed within the examined period after infiltration with recipient cells and neovascularisation. The combined implant, AM, and VN showed best results because disadvantages of one material could be compensated for by the advantages of the other. The studies show that AM, in its anatomic definition, combined with VN proves to be a safe and reliable prosthetic material for the use in tissue defects.

  2. Utility installation review (UIR) system training materials.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-10-01

    The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) issues thousands of approvals every year that : enable new utility installations to occupy the state right-of-way (ROW). The utility installation : review process currently in place is manual, tedious, a...

  3. Advertising Content in Physical Activity Print Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cardinal, Bradley J.

    2002-01-01

    Evaluated the advertising content contained in physical activity print materials. Analysis of print materials obtained from 80 sources (e.g., physicians' offices and fitness events) indicated that most materials contained some form of advertising. Materials coming from commercial product vendors generally contained more advertising than materials…

  4. Cosmogenic activation of materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cebrián, Susana

    2017-10-01

    Experiments looking for rare events like the direct detection of dark matter particles, neutrino interactions or the nuclear double beta decay are operated deep underground to suppress the effect of cosmic rays. But, the production of radioactive isotopes in materials due to previous exposure to cosmic rays is a hazard when ultra-low background conditions are required. In this context, the generation of long-lived products by cosmic nucleons has been studied for many detector media and for other materials commonly used. Here, the main results obtained on the quantification of activation yields on the Earth’s surface will be summarized, considering both measurements and calculations following different approaches. The isotope production cross-sections and the cosmic ray spectrum are the two main ingredients when calculating this cosmogenic activation; the different alternatives for implementing them will be discussed. Activation that can take place deep underground mainly due to cosmic muons will be briefly commented too. Presently, the experimental results for the cosmogenic production of radioisotopes are scarce and discrepancies between different calculations are important in many cases, but the increasing interest on this background source which is becoming more and more relevant can help to change this situation.

  5. Superhydrophobic materials for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Falde, Eric J; Yohe, Stefan T; Colson, Yolonda L; Grinstaff, Mark W

    2016-10-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air layer at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors' future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic biomaterials for medical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Superhydrophobic Materials for Biomedical Applications

    PubMed Central

    Colson, Yolonda L.; Grinstaff, Mark W.

    2016-01-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air state at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors’ future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic surfaces for biomedical applications. PMID:27449946

  7. Silver nanowires as infrared-active materials for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

    PubMed

    Becucci, Maurizio; Bracciali, Monica; Ghini, Giacomo; Lofrumento, Cristiana; Pietraperzia, Giangaetano; Ricci, Marilena; Tognaccini, Lorenzo; Trigari, Silvana; Gellini, Cristina; Feis, Alessandro

    2018-05-17

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is increasing in significance as a bioanalytical tool. Novel nanostructured metal substrates are required to improve performances and versatility of SERS spectroscopy. In particular, as biological tissues are relatively transparent in the infrared wavelength range, SERS-active materials suitable for infrared laser excitation are needed. Nanowires appear interesting in this respect as they show a very broad localized surface plasmon resonance band, ranging from near UV to near infrared wavelengths. The SERS activity of silver nanowires has been tested at three wavelengths and a fair enhancement at 1064 and 514 nm has been observed, whereas a very weak enhancement was present when exciting close to the nanowire extinction maximum. These experimentally measured optical properties have been contrasted with finite element method simulations. Furthermore, laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy measurements have shown that the extinction at 1064 nm is completely due to scattering. This result has an important implication that no heating occurs when silver nanowires are utilized as SERS-active substrates, thereby preventing possible thermal damage.

  8. Music therapists' research activity and utilization barriers: a survey of the membership.

    PubMed

    Waldon, Eric G

    2015-01-01

    Music therapists have access to a rapidly expanding body of research supporting the use of music-based interventions. What is not known is the extent to which music therapists access these resources and what factors may prevent them from incorporating research findings into clinical work. After constructing the Music Therapists' Research Activity and Utilization Barrier (MTRAUB) database, the purposes of this study involved: assessing the extent to which American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) members engage in certain research-related activities; and identifying respondents' perceived barriers to integrating research into clinical practice. This study employed a quantitative, non-experimental approach using an online survey. Respondents included professional, associate, student/graduate student, retired, inactive, and honorary life members of AMTA. Instrumentation involved a researcher-designed Background Questionnaire as well as the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale (BARRIERS; Funk, Champagne, Wiese, & Tornquist, 1991), a tool designed to assess perceived barriers to incorporating research into practice. Of the 3,194 survey invitations distributed, 974 AMTA members replied (a response rate of 30%). Regarding research-related activities, descriptive findings indicate that journal reading is the most frequently reported research-related activity while conducting research is the least frequently reported activity. Results from the BARRIERS Scale indicated that Organizational and Communication factors are perceived as interfering most prominently with the ability to utilize research in clinical practice. Findings suggest that research-related activity and perceived barriers vary as a function of educational attainment, work setting, and occupational role. The author discusses these differential findings in detail, suggests supportive mechanisms to encourage increased research activity and utilization, and offers recommendations for further analysis of the

  9. Pulsed Neurton Elemental On-Line Material Analyzer

    DOEpatents

    Vourvopoulos, George

    2002-08-20

    An on-line material analyzer which utilizes pulsed neutron generation in order to determine the composition of material flowing through the apparatus. The on-line elemental material analyzer is based on a pulsed neutron generator. The elements in the material interact with the fast and thermal neutrons produced from the pulsed generator. Spectra of gamma-rays produced from fast neutrons interacting with elements of the material are analyzed and stored separately from spectra produced from thermal neutron reactions. Measurements of neutron activation takes place separately from the above reactions and at a distance from the neutron generator. A primary passageway allows the material to flow through at a constant rate of speed and operators to provide data corresponding to fast and thermal neutron reactions. A secondary passageway meters the material to allow for neutron activation analysis. The apparatus also has the capability to determine the density of the flowed material. Finally, the apparatus continually utilizes a neutron detector in order to normalize the yield of the gamma ray detectors and thereby automatically calibrates and adjusts the spectra data for fluctuations in neutron generation.

  10. Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities: Proceedings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 9, 1992 in conjunction with the National Asbestos Council`s Environmental Management 192 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Ten papers covered such topics as computer-aided asbestos management, utility experience with asbestos management, asbestos monitoring andmore » disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

  11. Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities: Proceedings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 9, 1992 in conjunction with the National Asbestos Council's Environmental Management 192 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Ten papers covered such topics as computer-aided asbestos management, utility experience with asbestos management, asbestos monitoring andmore » disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

  12. Characterisation and properties of alkali activated pozzolanic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordeian, Georgeta Simona

    Many of the waste materials produced from modem heavy industries are pozzalans, which develop cementitious properties when finely divided in the presence of free lime. This property allows a potential industrial use for this waste as a cement replacement material in concrete. An example of such a waste material is blast furnace slag from the smelting of iron and steel. The US produces 26 million tons of blast furnace slag annually. Most of the slag is slowly cooled in air and it makes a poor pozzolan. Only 1.6 million tons of the slag is available in the granulated form, which is suitable as a cementitious and pozzolanic admixture. Most European countries are well endowed with coal-fired power stations and this produces fly and bottom ash, flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum. However, less than 25% of the total ash from power stations has found an industrial use mainly in cement and concrete industry. This creates a massive waste-disposal problem. Disposal of unused fly ash in open tips and ponds, for example, creates pollution problems since the drainage of effluents from the ash in the deposit ponds threaten water supplies by polluting the ground water with traces of toxic chemicals.Recent research has concentrated on the alkali activation of waste pozzolanic materials, especially ground blast furnace slag. This thesis has investigated the alkali activation of low calcium fly ashes. These form very poor pozzolans and the alkali activation of the fly ash offers the opportunity for the large scale use of fly ash. Water glass was selected as a suitable activator for the fly ash. A comprehensive series of tests have been carried out to gain information on the effect of different parameters, such as proportion and composition of the constituent materials, curing conditions and casting methods, in developing high performance construction materials. Laboratory investigations were carried out to determine the following characteristics of alkali activated materials

  13. Utilization of red mud and Pb/Zn smelter waste for the synthesis of a red mud-based cementitious material.

    PubMed

    Li, Yuan-Cheng; Min, Xiao-Bo; Ke, Yong; Chai, Li-Yuan; Shi, Mei-Qing; Tang, Chong-Jian; Wang, Qing-Wei; Liang, Yan-Jie; Lei, Jie; Liu, De-Gang

    2018-02-15

    A new method in which Pb/Zn smelter waste containing arsenic and heavy metals (arsenic sludge), red mud and lime are utilized to prepare red mud-based cementitious material (RCM) is proposed in this study. XRD, SEM, FTIR and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were employed to assess the physicochemical properties of RCM. In addition, ettringite and iron oxide-containing ettringite were used to study the hydration mechanism of RCM. The results show that the UCS of the RCM (red mud+arsenic sludge+lime) was higher than that of the binder (red mud+arsenic sludge). When the mass ratio of m (binder): m (lime) was 94:6 and then maintained 28days at ambient temperature, the UCS reached 12.05MPa. The red mud has potential cementitious characteristics, and the major source of those characteristics was the aluminium oxide. In the red mud-arsenic sludge-lime system, aluminium oxide was effectively activated by lime and gypsum to form complex hydration products. Some of the aluminium in ettringite was replaced by iron to form calcium sulfoferrite hydrate. The BCR and leaching toxicity results show that the leaching concentration was strongly dependent on the chemical speciation of arsenic and the hydration products. Therefore, the investigated red mud and arsenic sludge can be successfully utilized in cement composites to create a red mud-based cementitious material. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. A random utility based estimation framework for the household activity pattern problem.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-06-01

    This paper develops a random utility based estimation framework for the Household Activity : Pattern Problem (HAPP). Based on the realization that output of complex activity-travel decisions : form a continuous pattern in space-time dimension, the es...

  15. Detection of active decay at groundline in utility poles

    Treesearch

    Alex L. Shigo; Walter C. Shortle; Julian Ochrymowych

    1977-01-01

    Active wood decay at groundline in in-service utility poles can be detected by a skilled inspector using: 1. A knowledge of basic patterns of decay. 2. Recognition of obvious signs of decay. 3. Proper interpretation of information obtained from a pulsed-current meter-Shigometer®-used with various probes and probing techniques.

  16. Climate Change Mitigation Challenge for Wood Utilization-The Case of Finland.

    PubMed

    Soimakallio, Sampo; Saikku, Laura; Valsta, Lauri; Pingoud, Kim

    2016-05-17

    The urgent need to mitigate climate change invokes both opportunities and challenges for forest biomass utilization. Fossil fuels can be substituted by using wood products in place of alternative materials and energy, but wood harvesting reduces forest carbon sink and processing of wood products requires material and energy inputs. We assessed the extended life cycle carbon emissions considering substitution impacts for various wood utilization scenarios over 100 years from 2010 onward for Finland. The scenarios were based on various but constant wood utilization structures reflecting current and anticipated mix of wood utilization activities. We applied stochastic simulation to deal with the uncertainty in a number of input variables required. According to our analysis, the wood utilization decrease net carbon emissions with a probability lower than 40% for each of the studied scenarios. Furthermore, large emission reductions were exceptionally unlikely. The uncertainty of the results were influenced clearly the most by the reduction in the forest carbon sink. There is a significant trade-off between avoiding emissions through fossil fuel substitution and reduction in forest carbon sink due to wood harvesting. This creates a major challenge for forest management practices and wood utilization activities in responding to ambitious climate change mitigation targets.

  17. Nanostructured Materials Utilized in Biopolymer-based Plastics for Food Packaging Applications.

    PubMed

    Ghanbarzadeh, Babak; Oleyaei, Seyed Amir; Almasi, Hadi

    2015-01-01

    Most materials currently used for food packaging are nondegradable, generating environmental problems. Several biopolymers have been exploited to develop materials for ecofriendly food packaging. However, the use of biopolymers has been limited because of their usually poor mechanical and barrier properties, which may be improved by adding reinforcing compounds (fillers), forming composites. Most reinforced materials present poor matrix-filler interactions, which tend to improve with decreasing filler dimensions. The use of fillers with at least one nanoscale dimension (nanoparticles) produces nanocomposites. Nanoparticles have proportionally larger surface area than their microscale counterparts, which favors the filler-matrix interactions and the performance of the resulting material. Besides nanoreinforcements, nanoparticles can have other functions when added to a polymer, such as antimicrobial activity, etc. in this review paper, the structure and properties of main kinds of nanostructured materials which have been studied to use as nanofiller in biopolymer matrices are overviewed, as well as their effects and applications.

  18. Active materials for automotive adaptive forward lighting Part 1: system requirements vs. material properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keefe, Andrew C.; Browne, Alan L.; Johnson, Nancy L.

    2011-04-01

    Adaptive Frontlighting Systems (AFS in GM usage) improve visibility by automatically optimizing the beam pattern to accommodate road, driving and environmental conditions. By moving, modifying, and/or adding light during nighttime, inclement weather, or in sharp turns, the driver is presented with dynamic illumination not possible with static lighting systems The objective of this GM-HRL collaborative research project was to assess the potential of active materials to decrease the cost, mass, and packaging volume of current electric stepper-motor AFS designs. Solid-state active material actuators, if proved suitable for this application, could be less expensive than electric motors and have lower part count, reduced size and weight, and lower acoustic and EMF noise1. This paper documents Part 1 of the collaborative study, assessing technically mature, commercially available active materials for use as actuators. Candidate materials should reduce cost and improve AFS capabilities, such as increased angular velocity on swivel. Additional benefits to AFS resulting from active materials actuators were to be identified as well such as lower part count. In addition, several notional approaches to AFS were documented to illustrate the potential function, which is developed more fully in Part 2. Part 1 was successful in verifying the feasibility of using two active materials for AFS: shape memory alloys, and piezoelectrics. In particular, this demonstration showed that all application requirements including those on actuation speed, force, and cyclic stability to effect manipulation of the filament assembly and/or the reflector could be met by piezoelectrics (as ultrasonic motors) and SMA wire actuators.

  19. An analysis of the factors influencing demand-side management activity in the electric utility industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bock, Mark Joseph

    Demand-side management (DSM), defined as the "planning, implementation, and monitoring of utility activities designed to encourage consumers to modify their pattern of electricity usage, including the timing and level of electricity demand," is a relatively new concept in the U.S. electric power industry. Nevertheless, in twenty years since it was first introduced, utility expenditures on DSM programs, as well as the number of such programs, have grown rapidly. At first glance, it may seem peculiar that a firm would actively attempt to reduce demand for its primary product. There are two primary explanations as to why a utility might pursue DSM: regulatory mandate, and self-interest. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the impact these influences have on the amount of DSM undertaken by utilities. This research is important for two reasons. First, it provides insight into whether DSM will continue to exist as competition becomes more prevalent in the industry. Secondly, it is important because no one has taken a comprehensive look at firm-level DSM activity on an industry-wide basis. The primary data set used in this dissertation is the U.S. Department of Energy's Annual Electric Utility Report, Form EIA-861, which represents the most comprehensive data set available for analyzing DSM activity in the U.S. There are four measures of DSM activity in this data set: (1) utility expenditures on DSM programs; (2) energy savings by DSM program participants; and (3) the actual and (4) the potential reductions in peak load resulting from utility DSM measures. Each is used as the dependent variable in an econometric analysis where independent variables include various utility characteristics, regulatory characteristics, and service territory and customer characteristics. In general, the results from the econometric analysis suggest that in 1993, DSM activity was primarily the result of regulatory pressure. All of the evidence suggests that if DSM continues to

  20. Improvements to active material for VRLA batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prengaman, R. David

    In the past several years, there have been many developments in the materials for lead-acid batteries. Silver in grid alloys for high temperature climates in SLI batteries has increased the silver content of the recycled lead stream. Concern about silver and other contaminants in lead for the active material for VRLA batteries led to the initiation of a study by ALABC at CSIRO. The study evaluated the effects of many different impurities on the hydrogen and oxygen evolution currents in float service for flooded and VRLA batteries at different temperatures and potentials. The study results increased the understanding about the effects of various impurities in lead for use in active material, as well as possible performance and life improvements in VRLA batteries. Some elements thought to be detrimental have been found to be beneficial. Studies have now uncovered the effects of the beneficial elements as well as additives to both the positive and negative active material in increasing battery capacity, extending life and improving recharge. Glass separator materials have also been re-examined in light of the impurities study. Old glass compositions may be revived to give improved battery performance via compositional changes to the glass chemistry. This paper reviews these new developments and outline suggestions for improved battery performance based on unique impurities and additives.

  1. AFRICAN MUSIC SPEAKS, NO. 6--PROJECT CUE, A TV UTILIZATION SHEET.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BROWN, ROBERT M.

    FOURTEEN SETS OF EDUCATIONAL TV UTILIZATION GUIDE SHEETS WERE PREPARED AS TEACHER AIDS. THESE SHEETS COVER SUCH AREAS AS SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECT, SUGGESTED PREPARATION (PRETELECAST), KEY WORDS, WHAT PUPILS SHOULD LOOK AND LISTEN FOR, SUGGESTED FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES, SUGGESTED RELATED ACTIVITIES, SUGGESTED EVALUATION, AND SUGGESTED RELATED MATERIALS.…

  2. Research Activity in Computational Physics utilizing High Performance Computing: Co-authorship Network Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, Sul-Ah; Jung, Youngim

    2016-10-01

    The research activities of the computational physicists utilizing high performance computing are analyzed by bibliometirc approaches. This study aims at providing the computational physicists utilizing high-performance computing and policy planners with useful bibliometric results for an assessment of research activities. In order to achieve this purpose, we carried out a co-authorship network analysis of journal articles to assess the research activities of researchers for high-performance computational physics as a case study. For this study, we used journal articles of the Scopus database from Elsevier covering the time period of 2004-2013. We extracted the author rank in the physics field utilizing high-performance computing by the number of papers published during ten years from 2004. Finally, we drew the co-authorship network for 45 top-authors and their coauthors, and described some features of the co-authorship network in relation to the author rank. Suggestions for further studies are discussed.

  3. Utilization of Additive Manufacturing in Evaluating the Performance of Internally Defected Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mourad, A.-H. I.; Ghazal, A. M.; Syam, M. M.; Qadi, O. D. Al; Jassmi, H. Al

    2018-05-01

    The elimination of internal defects in a material present in the raw material or generated during the manufacturing or service is difficult. The inclusions of the defects have an adverse effect on the load bearing capacity. The presence of the cracks subjected to a specific orientation in materials or machinery can cause devastating unexpected failure during operation. Analysis of the failure in the components with cracks is more confined to analytical and numerical evaluation. The experimental evaluation has been tedious due to the complexity of replicating the actual defected component. The potential of additive manufacturing in developing user-defined components with cracks for the experimental evaluation is explored in this research. The present research investigated the effect of the internal elliptical cracks aligned at different orientations on the mechanical performance of polylactic acid (Green filament). The Fusion Deposition Method was utilized for the development of the standard tensile specimens with internal elliptical crack oriented at 0°, 45° and 90° using UltiMaker 2. The results proved that there is a considerable reduction in the load bearing capacity due to the presence of the cracks. The maximum load bearing capacity decreased by 15.01% for the specimen with crack inclined at 0° to the lateral axis compared to crack- free specimen. The nature of the fracture and the stress-strain graph evidently showcase the brittle nature of the material. The SEM image of the fractured region proved the phenomenal characteristics such as strong adhesion between the layers and the proper material flow. In the light of the results of this work, it can be concluded that the 3-D printing methodology is effective for evaluating the mechanical performance of the internally defected material.

  4. Proceedings: Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 6--7, 1993 in conjunction with the Environmental Information Association`s (formerly National Asbestos Council) Environmental Management `93 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Eleven papers covered such topics as changes in the Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA)more » ban on asbestos, utility experience with asbestos management and abatement, asbestos monitoring and disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

  5. Advanced low-activation materials. Fibre-reinforced ceramic composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenici, P.; Scholz, H. W.

    1994-09-01

    A serious safety and environmental concern for thermonuclear fusion reactor development regards the induced radioactivity of the first wall and structural components. The use of low-activation materials (LAM) in a demonstration reactor would reduce considerably its potential risk and facilitate its maintenance. Moreover, decommissioning and waste management including disposal or even recycling of structural materials would be simplified. Ceramic fibre-reinforced SiC materials offer highly appreciable low activation characteristics in combination with good thermomechanical properties. This class of materials is now under experimental investigation for structural application in future fusion reactors. An overview on the recent results is given, covering coolant leak rates, thermophysical properties, compatibility with tritium breeder materials, irradiation effects, and LAM-consistent purity. SiC/SiC materials present characteristics likely to be optimised in order to meet the fusion application challenge. The scope is to put into practice the enormous potential of inherent safety with fusion energy.

  6. Active materials by four-dimension printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Qi; Qi, H. Jerry; Dunn, Martin L.

    2013-09-01

    We advance a paradigm of printed active composite materials realized by directly printing glassy shape memory polymer fibers in an elastomeric matrix. We imbue the active composites with intelligence via a programmed lamina and laminate architecture and a subsequent thermomechanical training process. The initial configuration is created by three-dimension (3D) printing, and then the programmed action of the shape memory fibers creates time dependence of the configuration—the four-dimension (4D) aspect. We design and print laminates in thin plate form that can be thermomechanically programmed to assume complex three-dimensional configurations including bent, coiled, and twisted strips, folded shapes, and complex contoured shapes with nonuniform, spatially varying curvature. The original flat plate shape can be recovered by heating the material again. We also show how the printed active composites can be directly integrated with other printed functionalities to create devices; here we demonstrate this by creating a structure that can assemble itself.

  7. Health state utilities among contemporary prostate cancer patients on active surveillance.

    PubMed

    Loeb, Stacy; Curnyn, Caitlin; Walter, Dawn; Fagerlin, Angela; Siebert, Uwe; Mühlberger, Nick; Braithwaite, R Scott; Schwartz, Mark D; Lepor, Herbert; Sedlander, Erica

    2018-04-01

    Active surveillance (AS) is the most rapidly expanding management option for favorable-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Early studies suggested substantial decrements in utility (quality of life weights) from disease-related anxiety. Our objective was to determine utilities for contemporary AS patients using different instruments. We performed a systematic review of PubMed, PMC and OVID for utility measurements in modern AS patients. We then examined utilities among 37 men on AS participating in focus groups between 2015-2016 using the generic EurQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) and Patient Oriented Prostate Utility Scale (PORPUS), a PCa-specific instrument. The systematic review found previous studies with utilities for PCa treatment and historical watchful waiting populations, but none specifically in contemporary AS. In our AS population, the mean EQ-5D-3L score was 0.90±0.16 (median, 1.00; range, 0.21-1.00) and PORPUS was 0.98±0.03 (median, 0.99; range, 0.84-1.00). The Spearman correlation between the EQ-5D-3L and PORPUS was 0.87 (P<0.0001), and 38% of patients had a difference >0.1 between instruments. Most contemporary AS patients had high utility scores suggesting that they perceive themselves in good health without a major decrement in quality of life from the disease. However, some patients had substantial differences in utility measured with generic versus disease-specific instruments. Further study is warranted into the optimal instrument for utility assessment in contemporary AS patients.

  8. Web-based educational activities developed by the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC): the experience of process, utilization, and expert evaluation.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Deepak; Bilotta, Federico; Moore, Laurel E; Bebawy, John F; Flexman, Alana M; Rochlen, Lauryn; Gorji, Reza; Avitsian, Rafi

    2014-01-01

    Web-based delivery of educational material by scientific societies appears to have increased recently. However, the utilization of such efforts by the members of professional societies is unknown. We report the experience with delivery of educational resources on the Web site of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC), and utilization of those resources by members. Three web-based educational initiatives were developed over 1 year to be disseminated through the SNACC Web site (http://www.snacc.org) for society members: (1) The SNACC Bibliography; (2) "Chat with the Author"; and (3) Clinical Case Discussions. Content experts and authors of important new research publications were invited to contribute. Member utilization data were abstracted with the help of the webmaster. For the bibliography, there were 1175 page requests during the 6-month period after its launch by 122/664 (19%) distinct SNACC members. The bibliography was utilized by 107/553 (19%) of the active members and 15/91 (16.5%) of the trainee members. The "Chats with the Authors" were viewed by 56 (9%) members and the Clinical Case Discussions by 51 (8%) members. Educational resources can be developed in a timely manner utilizing member contributions without additional financial implications. However, the member utilization of these resources was lower than expected. These are first estimates of utilization of web-based educational resources by members of a scientific society. Further evaluation of such utilization by members of other societies as well as measures of the effectiveness and impact of such activities is needed.

  9. Utilization of waste materials, non-refined materials, and renewable energy in in situ remediation and their sustainability benefits.

    PubMed

    Favara, Paul; Gamlin, Jeff

    2017-12-15

    In the ramp-up to integrating sustainability into remediation, a key industry focus area has been to reduce the environmental footprint of treatment processes. The typical approach to integrating sustainability into remediation projects has been a top-down approach, which involves developing technology options and then applying sustainability thinking to the technology, after it has been conceptualized. A bottom-up approach allows for systems thinking to be included in remedy selection and could potentially result in new or different technologies being considered. When using a bottom-up approach, there is room to consider the utilization of waste materials, non-refined materials, and renewable energy in remediation technology-all of which generally have a smaller footprint than processed materials and traditional forms of energy. By integrating more systems thinking into remediation projects, practitioners can think beyond the traditional technologies typically used and how technologies are deployed. To compare top-down and bottom-up thinking, a traditional technology that is considered very sustainable-enhanced in situ bioremediation-is compared to a successful, but infrequently deployed technology-subgrade biogeochemical reactors. Life Cycle Assessment is used for the evaluation and shows the footprint of the subgrade biogeochemical reactor to be lower in all seven impact categories evaluated, sometimes to a significant degree. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. PECASE: Nanostructure Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Materials for Active Opto-Electronic Devices

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-03

    FWHM= 30 nm), green-emitting core–shell material ( 4 nm in diameter) suitable for QD- LED display applications (Figure 1b). An alloyed material for...electroluminescence (EL) that can be of use in fields as diverse as optical communications, spectroscopy, and environmental and industrial sensing. The RC structure...variety of QD size distributions (of Gaussian size profile). Such QD monoalyers have already been utilized in a number of thin-film applications , QD

  11. Early Oxygen-Utilization and Brain Activity in Preterm Infants

    PubMed Central

    de Vries, Linda S.; Groenendaal, Floris; Toet, Mona C.; Lemmers, Petra M. A.; Vosse van de, Renè E.; van Bel, Frank; Benders, Manon J. N. L.

    2015-01-01

    The combined monitoring of oxygen supply and delivery using Near-InfraRed spectroscopy (NIRS) and cerebral activity using amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) could yield new insights into brain metabolism and detect potentially vulnerable conditions soon after birth. The relationship between NIRS and quantitative aEEG/EEG parameters has not yet been investigated. Our aim was to study the association between oxygen utilization during the first 6 h after birth and simultaneously continuously monitored brain activity measured by aEEG/EEG. Forty-four hemodynamically stable babies with a GA < 28 weeks, with good quality NIRS and aEEG/EEG data available and who did not receive morphine were included in the study. aEEG and NIRS monitoring started at NICU admission. The relation between regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (cFTOE), and quantitative measurements of brain activity such as number of spontaneous activity transients (SAT) per minute (SAT rate), the interval in seconds (i.e. time) between SATs (ISI) and the minimum amplitude of the EEG in μV (min aEEG) were evaluated. rScO2 was negatively associated with SAT rate (β=-3.45 [CI=-5.76- -1.15], p=0.004) and positively associated with ISI (β=1.45 [CI=0.44-2.45], p=0.006). cFTOE was positively associated with SAT rate (β=0.034 [CI=0.009-0.059], p=0.008) and negatively associated with ISI (β=-0.015 [CI=-0.026- -0.004], p=0.007). Oxygen delivery and utilization, as indicated by rScO2 and cFTOE, are directly related to functional brain activity, expressed by SAT rate and ISI during the first hours after birth, showing an increase in oxygen extraction in preterm infants with increased early electro-cerebral activity. NIRS monitored oxygenation may be a useful biomarker of brain vulnerability in high-risk infants. PMID:25965343

  12. Release mechanism utilizing shape memory polymer material

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Abraham P.; Northrup, M. Allen; Ciarlo, Dino R.; Krulevitch, Peter A.; Benett, William J.

    2000-01-01

    Microfabricated therapeutic actuators are fabricated using a shape memory polymer (SMP), a polyurethane-based material that undergoes a phase transformation at a specified temperature (Tg). At a temperature above temperature Tg material is soft and can be easily reshaped into another configuration. As the temperature is lowered below temperature Tg the new shape is fixed and locked in as long as the material stays below temperature Tg. Upon reheating the material to a temperature above Tg, the material will return to its original shape. By the use of such SMP material, SMP microtubing can be used as a release actuator for the delivery of embolic coils through catheters into aneurysms, for example. The microtubing can be manufactured in various sizes and the phase change temperature Tg is determinate for an intended temperature target and intended use.

  13. Redox-active Hybrid Materials for Pseudocapacitive Energy Storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boota, Muhammad

    Organic-inorganic hybrid materials show a great promise for the purpose of manufacturing high performance electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage systems and beyond. Molecular level combination of two best suited components in a hybrid material leads to new or sometimes exceptional sets of physical, chemical, mechanical and electrochemical properties that makes them attractive for broad ranges of applications. Recently, there has been growing interest in producing redox-active hybrid nanomaterials for energy storage applications where generally the organic component provides high redox capacitance and the inorganic component offers high conductivity and robust support. While organic-inorganic hybrid materials offer tremendous opportunities for electrochemical energy storage applications, the task of matching the right organic material out of hundreds of natural and nearly unlimited synthetic organic molecules to appropriate nanostructured inorganic support hampers their electrochemical energy storage applications. We aim to present the recent development of redox-active hybrid materials for pseudocapacitive energy storage. We will show the impact of combination of suitable organic materials with distinct carbon nanostructures and/or highly conductive metal carbides (MXenes) on conductivity, charge storage performance, and cyclability. Combined experimental and molecular simulation results will be discussed to shed light on the interfacial organic-inorganic interactions, pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanisms, and likely orientations of organic molecules on conductive supports. Later, the concept of all-pseudocapacitive organic-inorganic asymmetric supercapacitors will be highlighted which open up new avenues for developing inexpensive, sustainable, and high energy density aqueous supercapacitors. Lastly, future challenges and opportunities to further tailor the redox-active hybrids will be highlighted.

  14. Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal-products industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1979-05-01

    The introductory chapter provides a discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. It discusses these industries in terms of resource characteristics, industry technology, pollution control requirements, market structure, the economics of recycling, and the issues involved in econometrically estimating scrap supply response behavior. It further presents the methodology established by DOE for the metals, textiles, rubber, and pulp and paper industries. The areas in which government policies might have a significant impact on the utilization of primary and secondary metals and on any recyclingmore » targets between now and 1987 are noted. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33. The profiles include such topics as industry structure, process technology, materials and recycling flow, and future trends. Chapter 4 specifically covers the evaluation of recycling targets for the ferrous, aluminum, copper, zinc, and lead industries. (MCW)« less

  15. Polyoxometalate active charge-transfer material for mediated redox flow battery

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, Travis Mark; Hudak, Nicholas; Staiger, Chad; Pratt, Harry

    2017-01-17

    Redox flow batteries including a half-cell electrode chamber coupled to a current collecting electrode are disclosed herein. In a general embodiment, a separator is coupled to the half-cell electrode chamber. The half-cell electrode chamber comprises a first redox-active mediator and a second redox-active mediator. The first redox-active mediator and the second redox-active mediator are circulated through the half-cell electrode chamber into an external container. The container includes an active charge-transfer material. The active charge-transfer material has a redox potential between a redox potential of the first redox-active mediator and a redox potential of the second redox-active mediator. The active charge-transfer material is a polyoxometalate or derivative thereof. The redox flow battery may be particularly useful in energy storage solutions for renewable energy sources and for providing sustained power to an electrical grid.

  16. Activation of a Ca-bentonite as buffer material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Wei-Hsing; Chen, Wen-Chuan

    2016-04-01

    Swelling behavior is an important criterion in achieving the low-permeability sealing function of buffer material. A potential buffer material may be used for radioactive waste repository in Taiwan is a locally available clayey material known as Zhisin clay, which has been identified as a Ca-bentonite. Due to its Ca-based origin, Zhisin was found to exhibit swelling capacity much lower than that of Na-bentonite. To enhance the swelling potential of Zhisin clay, a cation exchange process by addition of Na2CO3 powder was introduced in this paper. The addition of Na2CO3 reagent to Zhisin clay, in a liquid phase, caused the precipitation of CaCO3 and thereby induced a replacement of Ca2+ ions by Na+ ions on the surface of bentonite. Characterization test conducted on Zhisin clay includes chemical analysis, cation exchange capacity, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry (TG). Free-swelling test apparatus was developed according to International Society of Rock Mechanics recommendations. A series of free-swelling tests were conducted on untreated and activated specimens to characterize the effect of activation on the swelling capacity of Zhisin clay. Efforts were made to determine an optimum dosage for the activation, and to evaluate the aging effect. Also, the activated material was evaluated for its stability in various hydrothermal conditions for potential applications as buffer material in a repository. Experimental results show that Na2CO3-activated Zhisin clay is superior in swelling potential to untreated Zhisin clay. Also, there exists an optimum amount of activator in terms of improvements in the swelling capacity. A distinct time-swell relationship was discovered for activated Zhisin clay. The corresponding mechanism refers to exchange of cations and breakdown of quasi-crystal, which results in ion exchange hysteresis of Ca-bentonite. Due to the ion exchange hysteresis, activated bentonite shows a post-rise time-swell relationship different than the sigmoid

  17. Enzyme activation through the utilization of intrinsic dianion binding energy.

    PubMed

    Amyes, T L; Malabanan, M M; Zhai, X; Reyes, A C; Richard, J P

    2017-03-01

    We consider 'the proposition that the intrinsic binding energy that results from the noncovalent interaction of a specific substrate with the active site of the enzyme is considerably larger than is generally believed. An important part of this binding energy may be utilized to provide the driving force for catalysis, so that the observed binding energy represents only what is left over after this utilization' [Jencks,W.P. (1975) Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas. Mol. Biol. , , 219-410]. The large ~12 kcal/mol intrinsic substrate phosphodianion binding energy for reactions catalyzed by triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is divided into 4-6 kcal/mol binding energy that is expressed on the formation of the Michaelis complex in anchoring substrates to the respective enzyme, and 6-8 kcal/mol binding energy that is specifically expressed at the transition state in activating the respective enzymes for catalysis. A structure-based mechanism is described where the dianion binding energy drives a conformational change that activates these enzymes for catalysis. Phosphite dianion plays the active role of holding TIM in a high-energy closed active form, but acts as passive spectator in showing no effect on transition-state structure. The result of studies on mutant enzymes is presented, which support the proposal that the dianion-driven enzyme conformational change plays a role in enhancing the basicity of side chain of E167, the catalytic base, by clamping the base between a pair of hydrophobic side chains. The insight these results provide into the architecture of enzyme active sites and the development of strategies for the de novo design of protein catalysts is discussed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  18. Utilizing Participatory Mapping and GIS to Examine the Activity Spaces of Homeless Youth.

    PubMed

    Townley, Greg; Pearson, L; Lehrwyn, Josephine M; Prophet, Nicole T; Trauernicht, Mareike

    2016-06-01

    Although previous studies have informed our understanding of certain aspects of youth homelessness, few studies have critically examined the spatial and social environments utilized by youth as they navigate life on the streets. This study employed participatory mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the activity spaces of homeless youth as they relate to sense of community and psychological well-being. Participants were 28 youth experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon, USA. Results suggest that youth engage most frequently in service-related activities, and their activity participation is significantly associated with sense of community and psychological well-being. The utility of innovative participatory methods for better understanding the diverse experiences of homeless youth is discussed alongside examination of their practical implications. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

  19. Analysis and Characterization of Damage and Failure Utilizing a Generalized Composite Material Model Suitable for Use in Impact Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldberg, Robert K.; Carney, Kelly S.; DuBois, Paul; Khaled, Bilal; Hoffarth, Canio; Rajan, Subramaniam; Blankenhorn, Gunther

    2016-01-01

    A material model which incorporates several key capabilities which have been identified by the aerospace community as lacking in state-of-the art composite impact models is under development. In particular, a next generation composite impact material model, jointly developed by the FAA and NASA, is being implemented into the commercial transient dynamic finite element code LS-DYNA. The material model, which incorporates plasticity, damage, and failure, utilizes experimentally based tabulated input to define the evolution of plasticity and damage and the initiation of failure as opposed to specifying discrete input parameters (such as modulus and strength). The plasticity portion of the orthotropic, three-dimensional, macroscopic composite constitutive model is based on an extension of the Tsai-Wu composite failure model into a generalized yield function with a non-associative flow rule. For the damage model, a strain equivalent formulation is utilized to allow for the uncoupling of the deformation and damage analyses. In the damage model, a semi-coupled approach is employed where the overall damage in a particular coordinate direction is assumed to be a multiplicative combination of the damage in that direction resulting from the applied loads in the various coordinate directions. Due to the fact that the plasticity and damage models are uncoupled, test procedures and methods to both characterize the damage model and to covert the material stress-strain curves from the true (damaged) stress space to the effective (undamaged) stress space have been developed. A methodology has been developed to input the experimentally determined composite failure surface in a tabulated manner. An analytical approach is then utilized to track how close the current stress state is to the failure surface.

  20. Thick electrodes including nanoparticles having electroactive materials and methods of making same

    DOEpatents

    Xiao, Jie; Lu, Dongping; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Jiguang; Graff, Gordon L.

    2017-02-21

    Electrodes having nanostructure and/or utilizing nanoparticles of active materials and having high mass loadings of the active materials can be made to be physically robust and free of cracks and pinholes. The electrodes include nanoparticles having electroactive material, which nanoparticles are aggregated with carbon into larger secondary particles. The secondary particles can be bound with a binder to form the electrode.

  1. Productivity, vitality and utility in a group of healthy professionally active individuals with nocturia.

    PubMed

    Kobelt, G; Borgström, F; Mattiasson, A

    2003-02-01

    To assess the effect of nocturia on productivity, vitality and utility in a selected group of professionally active individuals with nocturia, compared with matched controls, and investigate the effect of symptom severity, to test the hypothesis that lack of sleep caused by frequent sleep interruptions could reduce an individuals' daytime energy and activity levels. Subjects (203) were recruited in Sweden through advertisements, and their suitability for the study assessed in a structured interview. Controls (80) matched for age and gender were randomly selected from a market research panel and given the same interview. Both groups completed a productivity questionnaire, a generic quality-of-life questionnaire with a specific domain for vitality and a utility instrument. The study group with nocturia had a significantly lower level of vitality and utility, and greater impairment of work and activity, than the control group. Women were more affected than men. Symptom severity correlated with all three measures. In an otherwise healthy and professionally active group of individuals, waking at night to void significantly diminishes their overall well-being, vitality and productivity, leading to a significant level of indirect and intangible costs.

  2. Geothermal materials development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kukacka, L. E.

    1991-12-01

    Advances in the development of new materials, the commercial availabilities of which are essential for the attainment of Hydrothermal Category Level 1 and 2 Objectives, continue to be made in the Geothermal Materials Development Project. Many successes have already been accrued and the results used commercially. In FY-91, utility company sponsored 'full cost' recovery programs based upon materials technology developed in this project were initiated on topics such as condensing heat exchangers, high temperature composites for utility vaults used in district heating systems, and corrosion resistant coatings for use in oil-fired electric generating processes. In FY-91, the DOE/GD-sponsored R&D project was focused on reducing well drilling, fluid transport and energy conversion costs. Specific activities being performed included lightweight CO2-resistant well cements, chemical systems for lost circulation control, thermally conductive and scale resistant protective linear systems, corrosion mitigation in process components at The Geysers, and elastomer-metal bonding systems needed for use in high temperature well drilling and safety related applications.

  3. Utilizing Wisconsin Afterschool Programs to Increase Physical Activity in Youth.

    PubMed

    Cavanagh, Bradley D; Meinen, Amy

    2015-10-01

    Approximately 31.7% of children in the United States are overweight or obese. Interventions in the afterschool setting may help combat childhood obesity. Research exists on interventions in school settings, but a few data exist for interventions about afterschool programs. This study investigates increasing physical activity (PA) in Wisconsin afterschool programs. A literature review was used to develop key informant interviews. Utilizing a constant comparative method, interview data were coded and themes were identified. The themes, literature review, and expert opinions were used to formulate recommendations for improving PA in afterschool programs. Programs had success in utilizing different resources to improve PA. Key barriers to improving PA included grant-imposed academic restrictions, the need for provider education, fears of conflict and competitiveness, and a lack of understanding between health and sedentariness. There is a clear need for additional exploration into improving PA in Wisconsin afterschool programs. This study resulted in specific recommendations to increase PA in afterschool programming, including utilizing school wellness policies and staff professional development to improve PA in afterschool programs. © 2015, American School Health Association.

  4. Comparative analysis of the ability of Clostridium clariflavum strains and Clostridium thermocellumto utilize hemicellulose and unpretreated plant material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Izquierdo, Javier A.; Pattathil, Sivakumar; Guseva, Anna

    2014-11-18

    Among themophilic consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) candidate organisms, environmental isolates of Clostridium clariflavum have demonstrated the ability to grow on xylan, and the genome of C. clariflavum DSM 19732 has revealed a number of mechanisms that foster solubilization of hemicellulose that are distinctive relative to the model cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum. Growth experiments on xylan, xylooligosaccharides, and xylose reveal that C. clariflavum strains are able to completely break down xylan to xylose and that the environmental strain C. clariflavum sp. 4-2a is able to grow on monomeric xylose. C. clariflavum strains were able to utilize a larger proportion of unpretreated switchgrass,more » and solubilize a higher proportion of glucan, xylan, and arabinan, with strain 4-2a reaching the highest extent of solubilization of these components (64.7 to 69.4%) compared to C. thermocellum (29.5 to 42.5%). In addition, glycome immunoanalyses of residual plant biomass reveal differences in the extent of degradation of easily accessible xylans, with C. clariflavum strains having increased solubilization of this fraction of xylans relative to C. thermocellum. In conclusion, C. clariflavum strains exhibit higher activity than C. thermocellum in the breakdown of hemicellulose and are capable of degrading xylan to xylooligomers and xylose. This capability seems to also play a role in the higher levels of utilization of unpretreated plant material.« less

  5. Effects of addition of different carbon materials on the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierczynska, Agnieszka; Lota, Katarzyna; Lota, Grzegorz

    Nickel hydroxide is used as an active material in positive electrodes of rechargeable alkaline batteries. The capacity of nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries depends on the specific capacity of the positive electrode and utilization of the active material because of the Ni(OH) 2/NiOOH electrode capacity limitation. The practical capacity of the positive nickel electrode depends on the efficiency of the conductive network connecting the Ni(OH) 2 particle with the current collector. As β-Ni(OH) 2 is a kind of semiconductor, the additives are necessary to improve the conductivity between the active material and the current collector. In this study the effect of adding different carbon materials (flake graphite, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT)) on the electrochemical performance of pasted nickel-foam electrode was established. A method of production of MWNT special type of catalysts had an influence on the performance of the nickel electrodes. The electrochemical tests showed that the electrode with added MWNT (110-170 nm diameter) exhibited better electrochemical properties in the chargeability, specific discharge capacity, active material utilization, discharge voltage and cycling stability. The nickel electrodes with MWNT addition (110-170 nm diameter) have exhibited a specific capacity close to 280 mAh g -1 of Ni(OH) 2, and the degree of active material utilization was ∼96%.

  6. Active Materials Integrated with Actomyosin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Hiroaki; Makuta, Masahiro; Nishigami, Yukinori; Ichikawa, Masatoshi

    2017-10-01

    Muscles are the engine of our body, and actomyosin is the engine of a cell. Both muscle and the actomyosin use the same proteins, namely, actin, and myosin, which are the pair of cytoskeleton and motor proteins generating a force to realize deformation. The properties of force generation by actomyosin at a single-molecule level have been studied for many years. Moreover, the active properties of higher-order structures integrated by actomyosin are attracting the attention of researchers. Here, we review the recent progress in the study of reconstituted actomyosin systems in vitro toward real-space models of nonequilibrium systems, collective motion, biological phenomena, and active materials.

  7. Project Wild and the Dominant Western Paradigm: A Content Analysis Utilizing Deep Ecology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingraham, Blake

    Environmental educators utilize activity guides as a primary method of diffusing environmental education material into educational settings. The most popular environmental education activity guide in use today is Project WILD. Project WILD has come under fire by various groups, especially animal rights groups. Accordingly, a content analysis study…

  8. Morphing Compression Garments for Space Medicine and Extravehicular Activity Using Active Materials.

    PubMed

    Holschuh, Bradley T; Newman, Dava J

    2016-02-01

    Compression garments tend to be difficult to don/doff, due to their intentional function of squeezing the wearer. This is especially true for compression garments used for space medicine and for extravehicular activity (EVA). We present an innovative solution to this problem by integrating shape changing materials-NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) coil actuators formed into modular, 3D-printed cartridges-into compression garments to produce garments capable of constricting on command. A parameterized, 2-spring analytic counterpressure model based on 12 garment and material inputs was developed to inform garment design. A methodology was developed for producing novel SMA cartridge systems to enable active compression garment construction. Five active compression sleeve prototypes were manufactured and tested: each sleeve was placed on a rigid cylindrical object and counterpressure was measured as a function of spatial location and time before, during, and after the application of a step voltage input. Controllable active counterpressures were measured up to 34.3 kPa, exceeding the requirement for EVA life support (29.6 kPa). Prototypes which incorporated fabrics with linear properties closely matched analytic model predictions (4.1%/-10.5% error in passive/active pressure predictions); prototypes using nonlinear fabrics did not match model predictions (errors >100%). Pressure non-uniformities were observed due to friction and the rigid SMA cartridge structure. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of controllable compression technology incorporating active materials, a novel contribution to the field of compression garment design. This technology could lead to easy-to-don compression garments with widespread space and terrestrial applications.

  9. Re-utilization of Industrial CO 2 for Algae Production Using a Phase Change Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Joseph, Brian

    This is the final report of a 36-month Phase II cooperative agreement. Under this project, Touchstone Research Laboratory (Touchstone) investigated the merits of incorporating a Phase Change Material (PCM) into an open-pond algae production system that can capture and re-use the CO 2 from a coal-fired flue gas source located in Wooster, OH. The primary objective of the project was to design, construct, and operate a series of open algae ponds that accept a slipstream of flue gas from a coal-fired source and convert a significant portion of the CO 2 to liquid biofuels, electricity, and specialty products, while demonstratingmore » the merits of the PCM technology. Construction of the pilot facility and shakedown of the facility in Wooster, OH, was completed during the first two years, and the focus of the last year was on operations and the cultivation of algae. During this Phase II effort a large-scale algae concentration unit from OpenAlgae was installed and utilized to continuously harvest algae from indoor raceways. An Algae Lysing Unit and Oil Recovery Unit were also received and installed. Initial parameters for lysing nanochloropsis were tested. Conditions were established that showed the lysing operation was effective at killing the algae cells. Continuous harvesting activities yielded over 200 kg algae dry weight for Ponds 1, 2 and 4. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of anaerobic digestion effluent as a nutrient source and the resulting lipid productivity of the algae. Lipid content and total fatty acids were unaffected by culture system and nutrient source, indicating that open raceway ponds fed diluted anaerobic digestion effluent can obtain similar lipid productivities to open raceway ponds using commercial nutrients. Data were also collected with respect to the performance of the PCM material on the pilot-scale raceway ponds. Parameters such as evaporative water loss, temperature differences, and growth/productivity were tracked. The

  10. 46 CFR 148.04-1 - Radioactive material, Low Specific Activity (LSA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Radioactive material, Low Specific Activity (LSA). 148... § 148.04-1 Radioactive material, Low Specific Activity (LSA). (a) Authorized materials are limited to: (1) Uranium or thorium ores and physical or chemical concentrates of such ores; (2) Uranium metal...

  11. Design of electro-active polymer gels as actuator materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popovic, Suzana

    Smart materials, alternatively called active or adaptive, differ from passive materials in their sensing and activation capability. These materials can sense changes in environment such as: electric field, magnetic field, UV light, pH, temperature. They are capable of responding in numerous ways. Some change their stiffness properties (electro-rheological fluids), other deform (piezos, shape memory alloys, electrostrictive materials) or change optic properties (electrochromic polymers). Polymer gels are one of such materials which can change the shape, volume and even optical properties upon different applied stimuli. Due to their low stiffness property they are capable of having up to 100% of strain in a short time, order of seconds. Their motion resembles the one of biosystems, and they are often seen as possible artificial muscle materials. Despite their delicate nature, appropriate design can make them being used as actuator materials which can form controllable surfaces and mechanical switches. In this study several different groups of polymer gel material were investigated: (a) acrylamide based gels are sensitive to pH and electric field and respond in volume change, (b) polyacrylonitrile (PAN) gel is sensitive to pH and electric field and responds in axial strain and bending, (c) polyvinylalcohol (PVA) gel is sensitive to electric field and responds in axial strain and bending and (d) perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane, Nafion RTM, is sensitive to electric field and responds in bending. Electro-mechanical and chemo-mechanical behavior of these materials is a function of a variety of phenomena: polymer structure, affinity of polymer to the solvent, charge distribution within material, type of solvent, elasticity of polymer matrix, etc. Modeling of this behavior is a task aimed to identify what is driving mechanism for activation and express it in a quantitative way in terms of deformation of material. In this work behavior of the most promising material as

  12. Geospatial Relationships between Awareness and Utilization of Community Exercise Resources and Physical Activity Levels in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Dondzila, Christopher J; Swartz, Ann M; Keenan, Kevin G; Harley, Amy E; Azen, Razia; Strath, Scott J

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. It is unclear if community-based fitness resources (CBFR) translate to heightened activity levels within neighboring areas. The purpose of this study was to determine whether awareness and utilization of fitness resources and physical activity differed depending on residential distance from CBFR. Methods. Four hundred and seventeen older adults (72.9 ± 7.7 years) were randomly recruited from three spatial tiers (≤1.6, >1.6 to ≤3.2, and >3.2 to 8.0 km) surrounding seven senior centers, which housed CBFR. Participants completed questionnaires on health history, CBFR, and physical activity, gathering data on CBFR awareness, utilization, and barriers, overall levels, and predictors to engagement in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Results. Across spatial tiers, there were no differences in positive awareness rates of CBFR or CBFR utilization. Engagement in MVPA differed across spatial tiers (P < 0.001), with the >3.2 to 8.0 km radius having the highest mean energy expenditure. Across all sites, age and income level (P < 0.05) were significant predictors of low and high amounts of MVPA, respectively, and current health status and lack of interest represented barriers to CBFR utilization (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Closer proximity to CBFR did not impact awareness or utilization rates and had an inverse relationship with physical activity.

  13. Method for detecting radiation dose utilizing thermoluminescent material

    DOEpatents

    Miller, Steven D.; McDonald, Joseph C.; Eichner, Fred N.; Durham, James S.

    1992-01-01

    The amount of ionizing radiation to which a thermoluminescent material has been exposed is determined by first cooling the thermoluminescent material and then optically stimulating the thermoluminescent material by exposure to light. Visible light emitted by the thermoluminescent material as it is allowed to warm up to room temperature is detected and counted. The thermoluminescent material may be annealed by exposure to ultraviolet light.

  14. Method for detecting radiation dose utilizing thermoluminescent material

    DOEpatents

    Miller, S.D.; McDonald, J.C.; Eichner, F.N.; Durham, J.S.

    1992-08-04

    The amount of ionizing radiation to which a thermoluminescent material has been exposed is determined by first cooling the thermoluminescent material and then optically stimulating the thermoluminescent material by exposure to light. Visible light emitted by the thermoluminescent material as it is allowed to warm up to room temperature is detected and counted. The thermoluminescent material may be annealed by exposure to ultraviolet light. 5 figs.

  15. Potential of utilizing asphalt dust waste as filler material in the production of sustainable self compacting concrete (SCC)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ismail, Isham; Shahidan, Shahiron; Bahari, Nur Amira Afiza Saiful

    2017-12-01

    Waste materials from many industries are widely used in the production of sustainable green concrete. Utilizing asphalt dust waste (ADW) as a filler material in the development of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is one of the alternative solutions for reducing environmental waste. SCC is an innovative concrete that does not require vibration for placing and compaction. However, there is limited information on the effects of utilizing ADW in the development of SCC. Therefore, this research study examines the effects of various w/b ratios (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) and differing amounts of ADW (0% to 50%) on the rheological properties of fresh state concrete. The compressive strength of the SCC was tested only for 7 and 28 days as preliminary studies. The results revealed that mixtures MD730, MD740 and MD750 showed satisfactory results for the slump flow, J-Ring, L-Box and V-Funnel test during the fresh state. The compressive strength values obtained after 28 days for MD730, MD740 and MD750 were 35.1 MPa, 36.8 MPa and 29.4 MPa respectively. In conclusion, the distribution of materials in mixtures has significant effect in achieving rheological properties and compressive strength of SCC.

  16. Identifying Beneficial Physical Activity during School Recess: Utility and Feasibility of the Fitbit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Camp, Carole M.; Hayes, Lynda B.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to assess the utility, feasibility, and reliability of Fitbit accelerometers to measure physical activity (via steps) of 15 young children simultaneously during recess. Fitbit-recorded steps per minute (SPM) were used as the primary measure to assess levels of activity in children playing in various structured…

  17. Method for detecting radiation dose utilizing thermoluminescent material

    DOEpatents

    Miller, Steven D.; McDonald, Joseph C.; Eichner, Fred N.; Tomeraasen, Paul L.

    1991-01-01

    The amount of ionizing radiation to which a thermoluminescent material has been exposed is determined by first cooling the thermoluminescent material to a cryogenic temperature. The thermoluminescent material is then optically stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet light. Visible light emitted by the thermoluminescent material as it is allowed to warm up to room temperature is detected and counted. The thermoluminescent material may be annealed by exposure to ultraviolet light.

  18. NASA technology utilization survey on composite materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leeds, M. A.; Schwartz, S.; Holm, G. J.; Krainess, A. M.; Wykes, D. M.; Delzell, M. T.; Veazie, W. H., Jr.

    1972-01-01

    NASA and NASA-funded contractor contributions to the field of composite materials are surveyed. Existing and potential non-aerospace applications of the newer composite materials are emphasized. Economic factors for selection of a composite for a particular application are weight savings, performance (high strength, high elastic modulus, low coefficient of expansion, heat resistance, corrosion resistance,), longer service life, and reduced maintenance. Applications for composites in agriculture, chemical and petrochemical industries, construction, consumer goods, machinery, power generation and distribution, transportation, biomedicine, and safety are presented. With the continuing trend toward further cost reductions, composites warrant consideration in a wide range of non-aerospace applications. Composite materials discussed include filamentary reinforced materials, laminates, multiphase alloys, solid multiphase lubricants, and multiphase ceramics. New processes developed to aid in fabrication of composites are given.

  19. Active Surfaces and Interfaces of Soft Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qiming

    A variety of intriguing surface patterns have been observed on developing natural systems, ranging from corrugated surface of white blood cells at nanometer scales to wrinkled dog skins at millimeter scales. To mimetically harness functionalities of natural morphologies, artificial transformative skin systems by using soft active materials have been rationally designed to generate versatile patterns for a variety of engineering applications. The study of the mechanics and design of these dynamic surface patterns on soft active materials are both physically interesting and technologically important. This dissertation starts with studying abundant surface patterns in Nature by constructing a unified phase diagram of surface instabilities on soft materials with minimum numbers of physical parameters. Guided by this integrated phase diagram, an electroactive system is designed to investigate a variety of electrically-induced surface instabilities of elastomers, including electro-creasing, electro-cratering, electro-wrinkling and electro-cavitation. Combing experimental, theoretical and computational methods, the initiation, evolution and transition of these instabilities are analyzed. To apply these dynamic surface instabilities to serving engineering and biology, new techniques of Dynamic Electrostatic Lithography and electroactive anti-biofouling are demonstrated.

  20. Dental utilization by active duty Army personnel.

    PubMed

    Chisick, M C

    1993-10-01

    In spring 1989, a random, Army-wide sample of 15,364 enlisted and 4,529 officer personnel was surveyed on dental utilization. Results show no difference in annual dental utilization between officer and enlisted personnel when age is controlled. Because annual dental utilization increases with age and enlisted ranks contain a disproportionately large number of younger personnel, a difference in annual dental utilization between enlisted and officer personnel emerges when age is not controlled. Check-ups are the most common reason for dental visits. Nearly all soldiers seek care exclusively in military dental clinics. Non-use is highest among 18- to 19-year-olds (12.2%).

  1. Fabrication Capabilities Utilizing In Situ Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McLemore, Carole A.; Fikes, John C.; Darby, Charles A.; Good, James E.; Gilley, Scott D.

    2008-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a Space Exploration Policy that lays out a plan that far exceeds the earlier Apollo goals where landing on the moon and taking those first historic steps fulfilled the mission. The policy states that we will set roots on the moon by establishing an outpost. This outpost will be used as a test bed for residing in more distant locales, such as Mars. In order to become self-sufficient, the occupants must have the capability to fabricate component parts in situ. Additionally, in situ materials must be used to minimize valuable mission upmass and to be as efficient as possible. In situ materials can be found from various sources such as raw lunar regolith whereby specific constituents can be extracted from the regolith (such as aluminum, titanium, or iron), and existing hardware already residing on the moon from past Apollo missions. The Electron Beam Melting (EBM) process lends itself well to fabricating parts, tools, and other necessary items using in situ materials and will be discussed further in this paper.

  2. Micromechanics and constitutive models for soft active materials with phase evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Binglian

    Soft active materials, such as shape memory polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, soft tissues, gels etc., are materials that can deform largely in response to external stimuli. Micromechanics analysis of heterogeneous materials based on finite element method is a typically numerical way to study the thermal-mechanical behaviors of soft active materials with phase evolution. While the constitutive models that can precisely describe the stress and strain fields of materials in the process of phase evolution can not be found in the databases of some commercial finite element analysis (FEA) tools such as ANSYS or Abaqus, even the specific constitutive behavior for each individual phase either the new formed one or the original one has already been well-known. So developing a computationally efficient and general three dimensional (3D) thermal-mechanical constitutive model for soft active materials with phase evolution which can be implemented into FEA is eagerly demanded. This paper first solved this problem theoretically by recording the deformation history of each individual phase in the phase evolution process, and adopted the idea of effectiveness by regarding all the new formed phase as an effective phase with an effective deformation to make this theory computationally efficient. A user material subroutine (UMAT) code based on this theoretical constitutive model has been finished in this work which can be added into the material database in Abaqus or ANSYS and can be easily used for most soft active materials with phase evolution. Model validation also has been done through comparison between micromechanical FEA and experiments on a particular composite material, shape memory elastomeric composite (SMEC) which consisted of an elastomeric matrix and the crystallizable fibre. Results show that the micromechanics and the constitutive models developed in this paper for soft active materials with phase evolution are completely relied on.

  3. Active matter at the interface between materials science and cell biology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Needleman, Daniel; Dogic, Zvonimir

    2017-09-01

    The remarkable processes that characterize living organisms, such as motility, self-healing and reproduction, are fuelled by a continuous injection of energy at the microscale. The field of active matter focuses on understanding how the collective behaviours of internally driven components can give rise to these biological phenomena, while also striving to produce synthetic materials composed of active energy-consuming components. The synergistic approach of studying active matter in both living cells and reconstituted systems assembled from biochemical building blocks has the potential to transform our understanding of both cell biology and materials science. This methodology can provide insight into the fundamental principles that govern the dynamical behaviours of self-organizing subcellular structures, and can lead to the design of artificial materials and machines that operate away from equilibrium and can thus attain life-like properties. In this Review, we focus on active materials made of cytoskeletal components, highlighting the role of active stresses and how they drive self-organization of both cellular structures and macroscale materials, which are machines powered by nanomachines.

  4. Rattling Nucleons: New Developments in Active Interrogation of Special Nuclear Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robert C. Runkle; David L. Chichester; Scott J. Thompson

    2012-01-01

    Active interrogation is a vigorous area of research and development due to its promise of offering detection and characterization capabilities of special nuclear material in environments where passive detection fails. The primary value added by active methods is the capability to penetrate shielding - special nuclear material itself, incidental materials, or intentional shielding - and advocates hope that active interrogation will provide a solution to the problem of detecting shielded uranium, which is at present the greatest obstacle to interdiction efforts. The technique also provides a unique benefit for quantifying nuclear material in high background-radiation environments, an area important formore » nuclear material safeguards and material accountancy. Progress has been made in the field of active interrogation on several fronts, most notably in the arenas of source development, systems integration, and the integration and exploitation of multiple fission and non-fission signatures. But penetration of interrogating radiation often comes at a cost, not only in terms of finance and dose but also in terms of induced backgrounds, system complexity, and extended measurement times (including set up and acquisition). These costs make the calculus for deciding to implement active interrogation more subtle than may be apparent. The purpose of this review is thus to examine existing interrogation methods, compare and contrast their attributes and limitations, and identify missions where active interrogation may hold the most promise.« less

  5. Rattling nucleons: New developments in active interrogation of special nuclear material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Runkle, Robert C.; Chichester, David L.; Thompson, Scott J.

    2012-01-01

    Active interrogation is a vigorous area of research and development due to its promise of offering detection and characterization capabilities of special nuclear material in environments where passive detection fails. The primary value added by active methods is the capability to penetrate shielding—special nuclear material itself, incidental materials, or intentional shielding—and advocates hope that active interrogation will provide a solution to the problem of detecting shielded uranium, which is at present the greatest obstacle to interdiction efforts. The technique also provides a unique benefit for quantifying nuclear material in high background-radiation environments, an area important for nuclear material safeguards and material accountancy. Progress has been made in the field of active interrogation on several fronts, most notably in the arenas of source development, systems integration, and the integration and exploitation of multiple fission and non-fission signatures. But penetration of interrogating radiation often comes at a cost, not only in terms of finance and dose but also in terms of induced backgrounds, system complexity, and extended measurement times (including set up and acquisition). These costs make the calculus for deciding to implement active interrogation more subtle than may be apparent. The purpose of this review is thus to examine existing interrogation methods, compare and contrast their attributes and limitations, and identify missions where active interrogation may hold the most promise.

  6. Calcium alloy as active material in secondary electrochemical cell

    DOEpatents

    Roche, Michael F.; Preto, Sandra K.; Martin, Allan E.

    1976-01-01

    Calcium alloys such as calcium-aluminum and calcium-silicon, are employed as active material within a rechargeable negative electrode of an electrochemical cell. Such cells can use a molten salt electrolyte including calcium ions and a positive electrode having sulfur, sulfides, or oxides as active material. The calcium alloy is selected to prevent formation of molten calcium alloys resulting from reaction with the selected molten electrolytic salt at the cell operating temperatures.

  7. Integration of Student Field-Based Research with Development of Educational Material Utilizing Gigapan Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzales, J.; Goodell, P.; Bentley, C.

    2013-12-01

    Formative field-based research and innovative interactive learning have both shown to dramatically improve student retention and participation in STEM fields. El Paso Community (EPCC), Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have formed a collaborative to develop interactive pedagogy regarding local El Paso geology for online learning utilizing Gigapan technology. The pedagogy will be geared for grades 8-12, community and four-year college educational purposes, and as a virtual experience used to elaborate and enhance real field experiences. Field samples for thin-sections and Gigapan material were collected at key geological sites and of key lithologies of the region. The educational material from these site will range from macro-scale (Gigapans) to micro-scale (thin sections) and are expected to be completed by spring 2014. This collaboration between EPCC, NOVA, and UTEP is an example of a successful model of community colleges and universities working together sharing their respective resources to accomplish a common educational goal.

  8. Activation of Wnt Signaling in Cortical Neurons Enhances Glucose Utilization through Glycolysis.

    PubMed

    Cisternas, Pedro; Salazar, Paulina; Silva-Álvarez, Carmen; Barros, L Felipe; Inestrosa, Nibaldo C

    2016-12-09

    The Wnt signaling pathway is critical for a number of functions in the central nervous system, including regulation of the synaptic cleft structure and neuroprotection against injury. Deregulation of Wnt signaling has been associated with several brain pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease. In recent years, it has been suggested that the Wnt pathway might act as a central integrator of metabolic signals from peripheral organs to the brain, which would represent a new role for Wnt signaling in cell metabolism. Energy metabolism is critical for normal neuronal function, which mainly depends on glucose utilization. Brain energy metabolism is important in almost all neurological disorders, to which a decrease in the capacity of the brain to utilize glucose has been linked. However, little is known about the relationship between Wnt signaling and neuronal glucose metabolism in the cellular context. In the present study, we found that acute treatment with the Wnt3a ligand induced a large increase in glucose uptake, without changes in the expression or localization of glucose transporter type 3. In addition, we observed that Wnt3a treatment increased the activation of the metabolic sensor Akt. Moreover, we observed an increase in the activity of hexokinase and in the glycolytic rate, and both processes were dependent on activation of the Akt pathway. Furthermore, we did not observe changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or in the pentose phosphate pathway. The effect of Wnt3a was independent of both the transcription of Wnt target genes and synaptic effects of Wnt3a. Together, our results suggest that Wnt signaling stimulates glucose utilization in cortical neurons through glycolysis to satisfy the high energy demand of these cells. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Activation of Wnt Signaling in Cortical Neurons Enhances Glucose Utilization through Glycolysis*

    PubMed Central

    Cisternas, Pedro; Salazar, Paulina; Silva-Álvarez, Carmen; Barros, L. Felipe; Inestrosa, Nibaldo C.

    2016-01-01

    The Wnt signaling pathway is critical for a number of functions in the central nervous system, including regulation of the synaptic cleft structure and neuroprotection against injury. Deregulation of Wnt signaling has been associated with several brain pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease. In recent years, it has been suggested that the Wnt pathway might act as a central integrator of metabolic signals from peripheral organs to the brain, which would represent a new role for Wnt signaling in cell metabolism. Energy metabolism is critical for normal neuronal function, which mainly depends on glucose utilization. Brain energy metabolism is important in almost all neurological disorders, to which a decrease in the capacity of the brain to utilize glucose has been linked. However, little is known about the relationship between Wnt signaling and neuronal glucose metabolism in the cellular context. In the present study, we found that acute treatment with the Wnt3a ligand induced a large increase in glucose uptake, without changes in the expression or localization of glucose transporter type 3. In addition, we observed that Wnt3a treatment increased the activation of the metabolic sensor Akt. Moreover, we observed an increase in the activity of hexokinase and in the glycolytic rate, and both processes were dependent on activation of the Akt pathway. Furthermore, we did not observe changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or in the pentose phosphate pathway. The effect of Wnt3a was independent of both the transcription of Wnt target genes and synaptic effects of Wnt3a. Together, our results suggest that Wnt signaling stimulates glucose utilization in cortical neurons through glycolysis to satisfy the high energy demand of these cells. PMID:27703002

  10. Antimicrobial and biological activity of leachate from light curable pulp capping materials.

    PubMed

    Arias-Moliz, Maria Teresa; Farrugia, Cher; Lung, Christie Y K; Wismayer, Pierre Schembri; Camilleri, Josette

    2017-09-01

    Characterization of a number of pulp capping materials and assessment of the leachate for elemental composition, antimicrobial activity and cell proliferation and expression. Three experimental light curable pulp-capping materials, Theracal and Biodentine were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The elemental composition of the leachate formed after 24h was assessed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The antimicrobial activity of the leachate was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against multispecies suspensions of Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 33478 and Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 33399. Cell proliferation and cell metabolic function over the material leachate was assessed by an indirect contact test using 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazolyl-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The hydration behavior of the test materials varied with Biodentine being the most reactive and releasing the highest amount of calcium ions in solution. All materials tested except the unfilled resin exhibited depletion of phosphate ions from the solution indicating interaction of the materials with the media. Regardless the different material characteristics, there was a similar antimicrobial activity and cellular activity. All the materials exhibited no antimicrobial activity and were initially cytotoxic with cell metabolic function improving after 3days. The development of light curable tricalcium silicate-based pulp capping materials is important to improve the bonding to the final resin restoration. Testing of both antimicrobial activity and biological behavior is critical for material development. The experimental light curable materials exhibited promising biological properties but require further development to enhance the antimicrobial characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. High efficiency thermoelectric power generation using Zintl-type materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Shawna (Inventor); Snyder, G. Jeffrey (Inventor); Gascoin, Franck (Inventor); Kauzlarich, Susan (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    The invention disclosed herein relates to thermoelectrically-active p-type Zintl phase materials as well as devices utilizing such compounds. Such thermoelectric materials and devices may be used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy, or use electrical energy to produce heat or refrigeration. Embodiments of the invention relate to p-type thermoelectric materials related to the compound Yb.sub.14MnSb.sub.11.

  12. Monothioanthraquinone as an organic active material for greener lithium batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iordache, Adriana; Maurel, Vincent; Mouesca, Jean-Marie; Pécaut, Jacques; Dubois, Lionel; Gutel, Thibaut

    2014-12-01

    In order to reduce the environmental impact of human activities especially transportation and portable electronics, a more sustainable way is required to produce and store electrical energy. Actually lithium battery is one of the most promising solutions for energy storage. Unfortunately this technology is based on the use of transition metal-based active materials for electrodes which are rare, expensive, extracted by mining, can be toxic and hard to recycle. Organic materials are an interesting alternative to replace inorganic counterparts due to their high electrochemical performances and the possibility to produce them from renewable resources. A quinone derivative is synthetized and investigated as novel active material for rechargeable lithium ion batteries which shows higher performances.

  13. Materials characterization activities for %E2%80%9CTake Our Sons&Daughters to Work Day%E2%80%9D 2013.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mowry, Curtis Dale; Pimentel, Adam S.; Sparks, Elizabeth Schares

    We created interactive demonstration activities for Take Our Daughters&Sons to Work Day (TODSTWD) 2013 in order to promote general interest in chemistry and also generate awareness of the type of work our laboratories can perform. %E2%80%9CCurious about Mars Rover Curiosity?%E2%80%9D performed an elemental analysis on rocks brought to our lab using the same technique utilized on the planet Mars by the NASA robotic explorer Curiosity. %E2%80%9CFood is Chemistry?%E2%80%9D utilized a mass spectrometer to measure, in seconds, each participant's breath in order to identify the food item consumed for the activity. A total of over 130 children participated in these activitiesmore » over a 3 hour block, and feedback was positive. This document reports the materials (including handouts), experimental procedures, and lessons learned so that future demonstrations can benefit from the baseline work performed. We also present example results used to prepare the Food activity and example results collected during the Curiosity demo.« less

  14. Electrode-active material for electrochemical batteries and method of preparation

    DOEpatents

    Varma, R.

    1983-11-07

    A battery electrode material comprises a non-stoichiometric electrode-active material which forms a redox pair with the battery electrolyte, an electrically conductive polymer present in the range of from about 2% by weight to about 5% by weight of the electrode-active material, and a binder. The conductive polymer provides improved proton or ion conductivity and is a ligand resulting in metal ion or negative ion vacancies of less than about 0.1 atom percent. Specific electrodes of nickel and lead are disclosed.

  15. Electrode-active material for electrochemical batteries and method of preparation

    DOEpatents

    Varma, Ravi

    1987-01-01

    A battery electrode material comprising a non-stoichiometric electrode-active material which forms a redox pair with the battery electrolyte, an electrically conductive polymer present in the range of from about 2% by weight to about 5% by weight of the electrode-active material, and a binder. The conductive polymer provides improved proton or ion conductivity and is a ligand resulting in metal ion or negative ion vacancies of less than about 0.1 atom percent. Specific electrodes of nickel and lead are disclosed.

  16. Montana Logging Utilization, 2002

    Treesearch

    Todd A. Morgan; Timothy P. Spoelma; Charles E. Keegan; Alfred L. Chase; Michael T. Thompson

    2005-01-01

    A study of logging utilization in Montana during 2002 provided logging and product utilization data for sawlog and veneer log harvests in Montana. Results of the study indicate a shift toward greater utilization of smaller diameter material, as 78 percent of the harvested volume in Montana during 2002 came from trees less than 17 inches diameter at breast height. The...

  17. Activated graphene as a cathode material for Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Stoller, Meryl D; Murali, Shanthi; Quarles, Neil; Zhu, Yanwu; Potts, Jeffrey R; Zhu, Xianjun; Ha, Hyung-Wook; Ruoff, Rodney S

    2012-03-14

    Chemically activated graphene ('activated microwave expanded graphite oxide', a-MEGO) was used as a cathode material for Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors. The performance of a-MEGO was first verified with Li-ion electrolyte in a symmetrical supercapacitor cell. Hybrid supercapacitors were then constructed with a-MEGO as the cathode and with either graphite or Li(4)Ti(5)O(12) (LTO) for the anode materials. The results show that the activated graphene material works well in a symmetrical cell with the Li-ion electrolyte with specific capacitances as high as 182 F g(-1). In a full a-MEGO/graphite hybrid cell, specific capacitances as high as 266 F g(-1) for the active materials at operating potentials of 4 V yielded gravimetric energy densities for a packaged cell of 53.2 W h kg(-1).

  18. Materialism Moderates the Effect of Accounting for Time on Prosocial Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Li, Jibo; Chen, Yingying; Huang, Xiting

    2015-01-01

    Accounting for time is defined as putting a price on time. Researchers have demonstrated that accounting for time reduces the time individuals spend on others; however, its association with monetary donations has not been examined. We hypothesized that accounting for time will activate a utility mindset that would affect one's allocation of time and money. In Study 1, the mediating effect of utility mindsets on the relationship between accounting for time and prosocial behavior was examined. In Study 2, we examined the effect of accounting for time on time spent helping and donating money, and the moderating role of material values on the relationship between accounting for time and prosocial behavior. Results showed that accounting for time activated a mindset of utility maximization that, in turn, reduced participants' prosocial behavior; moreover, materialism moderated the effect of accounting for time on prosocial behavior.

  19. Utilization and recycling of industrial magnesite refractory waste material for removal of certain radionuclides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morcos, T.N.; Tadrous, N.A.; Borai, E.H.

    2007-07-01

    Increased industrialization over the last years in Egypt has resulted in an increased and uncontrolled generation of industrial hazardous waste. The current lack of management of the solid waste in Egypt has created a situation where large parts of the land (especially industrial areas) are covered by un-planned dumps of industrial wastes. Consequently, in the present work, industrial magnesite waste produced in large quantities after production process of magnesium sulfate in Zinc Misr factory, Egypt, was tried to be recycled. Firstly, this material has been characterized applying different analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (IR), surface analyzer (BET), particle sizemore » distribution (PSD), elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The magnesite material has been used as a source of producing aluminum, chromium, and magnesium oxides that has better chemical stability than conventional metal oxides. Secondly, utilization of magnesite material for removal of certain radionuclides was applied. Different factors affecting the removal capability such as pH, contacting time, metal concentration, particle size were systematically investigated. The overall objective was aimed at determining feasible and economic solution to the environmental problems related to re-use of the industrial solid waste for radioactive waste management. (authors)« less

  20. Humorous Materials to Enhance Active Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, J. L.; Wilson, K.; Miller, J.; Enomoto, K.

    2017-01-01

    The use of humour in teaching and learning can be contentious, with some authors suggesting that the efficacy of humorous materials is mediated by the culture of the student. Nevertheless, humour represents a potential vehicle for the introduction of active learning in a classroom setting, as judicious use of humour may lead to a more relaxed…

  1. Student Perceptions of University Physical Activity Instruction Courses Taught Utilizing Sport Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohr, Derek J.; Sibley, Benjamin A.; Townsend, J. Scott

    2012-01-01

    Limited research exists on effective teaching methods in university physical activity instruction (PAI) program courses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PAI courses taught utilizing a sport education curriculum and instructional model. The Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) teaching evaluation was administered to…

  2. Vulnerable transportation and utility assets near actively migrating streams in Indiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sperl, Benjamin J.

    2017-11-02

    An investigation was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs that found 1,132 transportation and utility assets in Indiana are vulnerable to fluvial erosion hazards due to close proximity to actively migrating streams. Locations of transportation assets (bridges, roadways, and railroad lines) and selected utility assets (high-capacity overhead power-transmission lines, underground pipelines, water treatment facilities, and in-channel dams) were determined using aerial imagery hosted by the Google Earth platform. Identified assets were aggregated by stream reach, county, and class. Accompanying the report is a polyline shapefile of the stream reaches documented by Robinson. The shapefile, derived from line work in the National Hydrography Dataset and attributed with channel migration rates, is released with complete Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata. The data presented in this report are intended to help stakeholders and others identify high-risk areas where transportation and utility assets may be threatened by fluvial erosion hazards thus warranting consideration for mitigation strategies.

  3. Enhancement of collaboration activities utilizing 21st century learning design rubric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cubero, Dave D.; Gargar, Clare V., Lady; Nallano, Gerlett Grace D.; Magsayo, Joy R.; Guarin, Rica Mae B.; Lahoylahoy, Myrna E.

    2018-01-01

    Twenty first century learners have incredibly diverse learning interests, needs, and aspirations. Engaging middle school students and sculpting successful, confident, and creative learners is a constant endeavor for educators [4]. In the 21st century classroom environments in which students can develop the skills they need in workplace. Collaboration occurs when students work together to create, discuss challenge and develop deeper critical thinking. In today's workplace, collaboration is essential as only few tasks are completed alone (Calgary and Park, 2016). The collaborative project-based curriculum used in this classroom develops the higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills, and knowledge of technology that students will need in the 21st century workplace. The study therefore aims to promote collaboration skills among learners as it is deemed as one of the top 21st century skills. Collaborative learning unleashes a unique intellectual and social synergy. This study aims to enhance the collaborative skills of students through conducting collaboration activities in learning the Ecosystem. This research utilizes pretest-posttest and employs descriptive research designs. It uses modified activities about the lesson on Ecosystem and utilizes a Collaboration Rubric to rate the modified activities. The activities were rated by ten In-Service teachers and there are 105 students who participated in doing the activities. The paired t-test is then used to analyze the data. The In-Service teachers evaluated the 1st and 2nd adapted activity and are rated as fair. Thus, the modified activities were enhanced since the ratings of each activity did not meet the criterion of the collaboration rubric. As for the 3rd adapted activity is rated as excellent and is ready for implementation. The evaluators provided comments and suggestions such as producing colored pictures on the activities, omitting some questions, and making the words simpler to enhance the

  4. Surface versus bulk activity of lysozyme deposited on hydrogel contact lens materials in vitro.

    PubMed

    Omali, Negar Babaei; Subbaraman, Lakshman N; Heynen, Miriam; Ng, Alan; Coles-Brennan, Chantal; Fadli, Zohra; Jones, Lyndon

    2018-04-30

    To determine and compare the levels of surface versus bulk active lysozyme deposited on several commercially available hydrogel contact lens materials. Hydrogel contact lens materials [polymacon, omafilcon A, nelfilcon A, nesofilcon A, ocufilcon and etafilcon A with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)] were incubated in an artificial tear solution for 16 h. Total activity was determined using a standard turbidity assay. The surface activity of the deposited lysozyme was determined using a modified turbidity assay. The amount of active lysozyme present within the bulk of the lens material was calculated by determining the difference between the total and surface active lysozyme. The etafilcon A materials showed the highest amount of total lysozyme activity (519 ± 8 μg/lens, average of Moist and Define), followed by the ocufilcon material (200 ± 5 μg/lens) and these two were significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). The amount of surface active lysozyme on etafilcon and ocufilcon lens materials was significantly higher than that found on all other lenses (p < 0.05). There was no active lysozyme quantified in the bulk of the nelfilcon material, as all of the active lysozyme was found on the surface (1.7 ± 0.3 μg/lens). In contrast, no active lysozyme was quantified on the surface of polymacon, with all of the active lysozyme found in the bulk of the lens material (0.6 ± 0.6 μg/lens). The surface and bulk activity of lysozyme deposited on contact lenses is material dependent. Lysozyme deposited on ionic, high water content lens materials such as etafilcon A show significantly higher surface and bulk activity than many other hydrogel lens materials. Copyright © 2018 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Outstanding visible photocatalytic activity of a new mixed bismuth titanatate material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zambrano, P.; Sayagués, M. J.; Navío, J. A.; Hidalgo, M. C.

    2017-02-01

    In this work, a new photocatalyst based on bismuth titanates with outstanding visible photocatalytic activity was prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The synthesised material showed visible activity as high as UV activity of commercial TiO2 P25 under the same experimental conditions for phenol degradation. A wide characterisation of the photocatalyst was performed. The material was composed of three phases; majority of Bi20TiO32 closely interconnected to Bi4Ti3O12 and amorphous TiO2. The high visible activity showed by this material could be ascribed to a combination of several features; i.e. low band gap energy value (2.1 eV), a structure allowing a good separation path for visible photogenerated electron-holes pairs and a relatively high surface area. This photocatalyst appeared as a promising material for solar and visible applications of photocatalysis.

  6. Antimicrobial Activity of N-Halamine-Coated Materials in Broiler Chicken Houses.

    PubMed

    Ren, Tian; Qiao, Mingyu; Zhang, Lei; Weese, Jean; Huang, Tung-Shi; Ren, Xuehong

    2018-02-01

    The antimicrobial activity of 1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazoidinone (MC), a nonbleaching N-halamine compound, was investigated on materials commonly used in broiler production, including stainless steel, galvanized metal, aluminum, plastic, and pressure-treated wood. MC aqueous solutions at 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06% were challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni at 6 log CFU/mL, resulting in complete inactivation of both bacteria in 30 min with 0.06% MC. Follow-up experiments were performed using test materials treated with 0.1 and 1% MC and challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium and C. jejuni at 6 log CFU per coupon. Stability of MC on the various surfaces of testing materials was assessed, and the chlorine content of the materials was measured using iodometric thiosulfate titration over a 4-week period. Antimicrobial activities were evaluated by a sandwich test on each sampling day during 4 weeks of storage. On the samples treated with 1% MC, bacteria at 6 log CFU per coupon were completely inactivated within 2 h of contact time. The antimicrobial activity extended to 4 weeks, and the active chlorine atoms in the treated materials decreased from the initial 10 16 to 10 15 atoms per cm 2 . Overall, MC had high stability and long-lasting antimicrobial activity, which suggests that MC has high potential for use as a novel antimicrobial agent to lower the microbial load on broiler house materials.

  7. Utilization of lunar materials and expertise for large scale operations in space: Abstracts. [lunar bases and space industrialization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Criswell, D. R. (Editor)

    1976-01-01

    The practicality of exploiting the moon, not only as a source of materials for large habitable structures at Lagrangian points, but also as a base for colonization is discussed in abstracts of papers presented at a special session on lunar utilization. Questions and answers which followed each presentation are included after the appropriate abstract. Author and subject indexes are provided.

  8. Synopsis of utilization research on SRIC raw materials

    Treesearch

    John B. Crist

    1983-01-01

    The take-home message of this paper is this: Raw materials produced using SRIC are suitable for many reconstituted end products. Juvenility, rapid growth, and bark contents do not greatly hinder the usefulness of the raw materials. In the future, increased industrial acceptance of SRIC methods and materials should be a major thrust and is discussed.

  9. Utilization of ethyl cellulose polymer and waste materials for roofing tile production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sam, Suubitaa Spencer; Ng, ChoonAun; Chee, Swee Yong; Habib, NoorZainab; Nadeem, Humayon; Teoh, Wei Ping

    2017-05-01

    The aim of this study was to utilize ethyl cellulose, mixture of waste engine oil and waste vegetable oil as a binder in the environmental friendly roofing tile production. The waste engine-vegetable oil wasmix together with ethyl cellulose, fly ash, coarse aggregates, fine aggregatesand a catalyst. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis showed that the oil mixture added with ethyl cellulose has the relatively high binding effect due to the presence of strong carbonyl group especially after being heat cured at 1900C for 24 hours. The mixed proportion of materials with different amount of ethyl cellulose used was studied in the production of tile specimen. The results showed that the ethyl cellulose composed roofing tile specimens passed the transverse breaking strength, durability, permeabilityand the ultraviolet accelerated test. The shrinkage on the tile can be overcome by adding temperature resistance polymer on the exterior of the tile.

  10. Hemin-utilizing G-quadruplex DNAzymes are strongly active in organic co-solvents.

    PubMed

    Canale, Thomas D; Sen, Dipankar

    2017-05-01

    The widespread use of organic solvents in industrial processes has focused in recent years on the utility of "green" solvents - those with less harmful environmental, health, and safety properties - such as methanol and formamide. However, protein enzymes, regarded as green catalysts, are often incompatible with organic solvents. Herein, we have explored the oxidative properties of a Fe(III)-heme, or hemin, utilizing catalytic DNA (heme·DNAzyme) in different green solvent-water mixtures. We find that the peroxidase and peroxygenase activities of the heme·DNAzyme are strongly enhanced in 20-30% v/v methanol or formamide, relative to water alone. Protic solvent content of >30% v/v gradually diminishes heme·DNAzyme catalytic activity; however, the heme·DNAzyme is still active in as high as 80% v/v methanol. In contrast to protic solvents, aqueous dimethylformamide solutions largely inhibit heme·DNAzyme activity. In view of the strong catalytic activity of heme·DNAzyme in aqueous methanol, we were able to determine that a 60% v/v methanol-water mixture gives the most optimal yield of the dibenzothiophene sulfoxide (DBTO) oxidation product of petroleum-derived dibenzothiophene (DBT). The high product yield reflects both DNAzyme catalysis and a high substrate availability. Overall, these results emphasize the excellent promise of G-quadruplex forming DNA catalysts in application to "greener" industrial chemistry. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "G-quadruplex" Guest Editor: Dr. Concetta Giancola and Dr. Daniela Montesarchio. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The use of portable equipment for the activity concentration index determination of building materials: method validation and survey of building materials on the Belgian market.

    PubMed

    Stals, M; Verhoeven, S; Bruggeman, M; Pellens, V; Schroeyers, W; Schreurs, S

    2014-01-01

    The Euratom BSS requires that in the near future (2015) the building materials for application in dwellings or buildings such as offices or workshops are screened for NORM nuclides. The screening tool is the activity concentration index (ACI). Therefore it is expected that a large number of building materials will be screened for NORM and thus require ACI determination. Nowadays, the proposed standard for determination of building material ACI is a laboratory analyses technique with high purity germanium spectrometry and 21 days equilibrium delay. In this paper, the B-NORM method for determination of building material ACI is assessed as a faster method that can be performed on-site, alternative to the aforementioned standard method. The B-NORM method utilizes a LaBr3(Ce) scintillation probe to obtain the spectral data. Commercially available software was applied to comprehensively take into account the factors determining the counting efficiency. The ACI was determined by interpreting the gamma spectrum from (226)Ra and its progeny; (232)Th progeny and (40)K. In order to assess the accuracy of the B-NORM method, a large selection of samples was analyzed by a certified laboratory and the results were compared with the B-NORM results. The results obtained with the B-NORM method were in good correlation with the results obtained by the certified laboratory, indicating that the B-NORM method is an appropriate screening method to assess building material ACI. The B-NORM method was applied to analyze more than 120 building materials on the Belgian market. No building materials that exceed the proposed reference level of 1 mSv/year were encountered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. An analysis of innovation in materials and energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Connelly, Michael

    This dissertation presents an analysis of innovation in engineering materials and energy sources. More than fifty engineering materials and fourteen energy sources were selected for an evaluation of the relationship between the yearly production activity and yearly patent counts, which may be considered as a measure of innovation, for each. Through the employment of correlation theory, best-fit and origin shift analyses, it has been determined here that engineering materials and energy sources display similar life cycle and innovative activity behaviors. Correlation theory revealed a relationship between the yearly production and yearly patent counts indicating the extent that production and innovation affect each other. Best-fit analysis determined that four-stage life cycles exist for both engineering materials (metals and non-metals) and energy sources. Correlation and best-fit indicators of an estimated Stage III are confirmed by the presence of an origin shift of the patent data when compared to the production data which indicates that patents, or innovation, are driving, or being driven by, production. This driving force could represent the constructive or destructive side of the innovative process, with such sides being delineated by a possible universal constant above which there is destructive innovative behavior and below which exists constructive innovation. The driving force may also illustrate the manner in which an engineering material or energy source transitions into an innovatively less active state, enter Stage IV and possibly become a commodity. A possible Stage V, indicating "Final Death", is introduced in which production is on a steep decline with no signs of recovery. Additionally, innovatively active energy sources are often found to utilize or be supported by innovatively active engineering materials. A model is presented that can be used for the evaluation of innovation and production that can be applied to both engineering materials and

  13. Flipped classroom or an active lecture?

    PubMed

    Pickering, James D; Roberts, David J H

    2018-01-01

    Recent changes in anatomy education have seen the introduction of flipped classrooms as a replacement to the traditional didactic lecture. This approach utilizes the increasing availability of digital technology to create learning resources that can be accessed prior to attending class, with face-to-face sessions then becoming more student-centered via discussion, collaborative learning, and problem-solving activities. Although this approach may appear intuitive, this viewpoint commentary presents a counter opinion and highlights a simple alternative that utilizes evidence-based active learning approaches as part of the traditional lecture. The active lecture takes the traditional lecture, and (1) ensures the lecture content is relevant and has clear objectives, (2) contains lecture material that is designed according to the latest evidence-base, (3) complements it with additional supplementary material, (4) creates space to check prior understanding and knowledge levels, and (5) utilizes suitable technology to facilitate continual engagement and interaction. Clin. Anat. 31:118-121, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Active thermography in qualitative evaluation of protective materials.

    PubMed

    Gralewicz, Grzegorz; Wiecek, Bogusław

    2009-01-01

    This is a study of the possibilities of a qualitative evaluation of protective materials with active thermography. It presents a simulation of a periodic excitation of a multilayer composite material. Tests were conducted with lock-in thermography on Kevlar composite consisting of 16 layers of Kevlar fabric reinforced with formaldehyde resin with implanted delamination defects. Lock-in thermography is a versatile tool for nondestructive evaluation. It is a fast, remote and nondestructive procedure. Hence, it was used to detect delaminations in the composite structure of materials used in the production of components designed for personal protection. This method directly contributes to an improvement in safety.

  15. Frequency-Dependent Activation of Glucose Utilization in the Superior Cervical Ganglion by Electrical Stimulation of Cervical Sympathetic Trunk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yarowsky, Paul; Kadekaro, Massako; Sokoloff, Louis

    1983-07-01

    Electrical stimulation of the distal stump of the transected cervical sympathetic trunk produces a frequency-dependent activation of glucose utilization, measured by the deoxy[14C]glucose method, in the superior cervical ganglion of the urethane-anesthetized rat. The frequency dependence falls between 0-15 Hz; at 20 Hz the activation of glucose utilization is no greater than at 15 Hz. Deafferentation of the superior cervical ganglion by transection of the cervical sympathetic trunk does not diminish the rate of glucose utilization in the ganglion in the urethane-anesthetized rat. These results indicate that the rate of energy metabolism in an innervated neural structure is, at least in part, regulated by the impulse frequency of the electrical input to the structure, and this regulation may be an essential component of the mechanism of the coupling of metabolic activity to functional activity in the nervous system.

  16. Materials and structure synergistic with in-space materials utilization. [as means of reducing costs of space missions, colonization, and settlements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramohalli, Kumar; Shadman, Farhang; Sridhar, K. R.

    1992-01-01

    The significant advances made recently toward actual hardware realizations of various concepts for the application of in-space materials utilization (ISMU) are demonstrated. The overall plan for taking innovative concepts through technical feasibility, small-scale tests, scale-up, computer modeling, and larger-scale execution is outlined. Two specific fields of endeavor are surveyed: one has direct applications to construction on the moon, while the other has more basic implications, in addition to the practical aspects of lunar colonies. Several fundamental scientific advances made in the characterization of the physical and chemical processes that need to be elucidated for any intelligent application of the ISMU concepts in future space missions are described. A rigorous quantitative technique for the unambiguous evaluation of various components and component technology that form any space (or terrestrial mission) is also described.

  17. Active vibration damping using smart material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baras, John S.; Yan, Zhuang

    1994-01-01

    We consider the modeling and active damping of an elastic beam using distributed actuators and sensors. The piezoelectric ceramic material (PZT) is used to build the actuator. The sensor is made of the piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). These materials are glued on both sides of the beam. For the simple clamped beam, the closed loop controller has been shown to be able to extract energy from the beam. The shape of the actuator and its influence on the closed loop system performance are discussed. It is shown that it is possible to suppress the selected mode by choosing the appropriate actuator layout. It is also shown that by properly installing the sensor and determining the sensor shape we can further extract and manipulate the sensor signal for our control need.

  18. Thermally activated ("thermal") battery technology. Part IV. Anode materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guidotti, Ronald A.; Masset, Patrick J.

    In this paper, the history of anode materials developed for use in thermally activated ("thermal") batteries is presented. The chemistries (phases) and electrochemical characteristics (discharge mechanisms) of these materials are described, along with general thermodynamic properties, where available. This paper is the last of a five-part series that presents a general review of thermal-battery technology.

  19. Cryogenic Model Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kimmel, W. M.; Kuhn, N. S.; Berry, R. F.; Newman, J. A.

    2001-01-01

    An overview and status of current activities seeking alternatives to 200 grade 18Ni Steel CVM alloy for cryogenic wind tunnel models is presented. Specific improvements in material selection have been researched including availability, strength, fracture toughness and potential for use in transonic wind tunnel testing. Potential benefits from utilizing damage tolerant life-prediction methods, recently developed fatigue crack growth codes and upgraded NDE methods are also investigated. Two candidate alloys are identified and accepted for cryogenic/transonic wind tunnel models and hardware.

  20. Antibacterial activities effectuated by co-continuous epoxy-based polymer materials.

    PubMed

    Kubo, Takuya; Yasuda, Koji; Tominaga, Yuichi; Otsuka, Koji; Hosoya, Ken

    2013-07-01

    We report antibacterial activities of the epoxy-resin-based monolithic media (epoxy monoliths) having macroporous co-continuous structure as well as hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic surface. Utilizing epoxy monoliths containing ammonium groups, the antibacterial experiments were examined using Escherichia coli. As the results, the monolithic media prepared with an epoxy monomer having nitrogen atoms clearly showed antibacterial activities, while those prepared using the monomer without nitrogen atom showed less antibacterial activities. Additionally, the quaternization of the epoxy polymers were expressed significant antibacterial activities. Further studies elucidated that the observed antibacterial activities involved the steep effect based on pH changing of solution and hydrophobic interactions by the quaternary ammonium. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Energy utilization rates during shuttle extravehicular activities.

    PubMed

    Waligora, J M; Kumar, K V

    1995-01-01

    The work rates or energy utilization rates during EVA are major factors in sizing of life support systems. These rates also provide a measure of ease of EVA and its cost in crew fatigue. From the first Shuttle EVA on the STS-6 mission in 1983, we have conducted 59 man-EVA and 341 man-hours of EVA. Energy utilization rates have been measured on each of these EVA. Metabolic rate was measured during each EVA using oxygen utilization corrected for suit leakage. From 1981-1987, these data were available for average data over the EVA or over large segments of the EVA. Since 1987, EVA oxygen utilization data were available at 2-minute intervals. The average metabolic rate on Shuttle EVA (194 kcal/hr.) has been significantly lower than metabolic rates during Apollo and Skylab missions. Peak rates have been below design levels, infrequent, and of short duration. The data suggest that the energy cost of tasks may be inversely related to the degree of training for the task. The data provide insight on the safety margins provided by life support designs and on the energy cost of Station construction EVA.

  2. Utility Energy Services Contracts: Enabling Documents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomas, Karen; Vasquez, Deb

    The Federal Energy Management Program's 'Utility Energy Service Contracts: Enabling Documents' provide legislative information and materials that clarify the authority for federal agencies to enter into utility energy service contracts, or UESCs.

  3. Creating Active Device Materials for Nanoelectronics Using Block Copolymer Lithography

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Michael A.

    2017-01-01

    The prolonged and aggressive nature of scaling to augment the performance of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and the technical challenges and costs associated with this has led to the study of alternative materials that can use processing schemes analogous to semiconductor manufacturing. We examine the status of recent efforts to develop active device elements using nontraditional lithography in this article, with a specific focus on block copolymer (BCP) feature patterning. An elegant route is demonstrated using directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs for the fabrication of aligned tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanowires towards nanoelectronic device application. The strategy described avoids conventional lithography practices such as optical patterning as well as repeated etching and deposition protocols and opens up a new approach for device development. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) silsesquioxane (SSQ)-based trenches were utilized in order to align a cylinder forming poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) BCP soft template. We outline WO3 nanowire fabrication using a spin-on process and the symmetric current-voltage characteristics of the resulting Ti/Au (5 nm/45 nm) contacted WO3 nanowires. The results highlight the simplicity of a solution-based approach that allows creating active device elements and controlling the chemistry of specific self-assembling building blocks. The process enables one to dictate nanoscale chemistry with an unprecedented level of sophistication, forging the way for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. We lastly outline views and future research studies towards improving the current platform to achieve the desired device performance. PMID:28973987

  4. Creating Active Device Materials for Nanoelectronics Using Block Copolymer Lithography.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Cian; Bell, Alan P; Morris, Michael A

    2017-09-30

    The prolonged and aggressive nature of scaling to augment the performance of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and the technical challenges and costs associated with this has led to the study of alternative materials that can use processing schemes analogous to semiconductor manufacturing. We examine the status of recent efforts to develop active device elements using nontraditional lithography in this article, with a specific focus on block copolymer (BCP) feature patterning. An elegant route is demonstrated using directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs for the fabrication of aligned tungsten trioxide (WO₃) nanowires towards nanoelectronic device application. The strategy described avoids conventional lithography practices such as optical patterning as well as repeated etching and deposition protocols and opens up a new approach for device development. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) silsesquioxane (SSQ)-based trenches were utilized in order to align a cylinder forming poly(styrene)- block -poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P4VP) BCP soft template. We outline WO₃ nanowire fabrication using a spin-on process and the symmetric current-voltage characteristics of the resulting Ti/Au (5 nm/45 nm) contacted WO₃ nanowires. The results highlight the simplicity of a solution-based approach that allows creating active device elements and controlling the chemistry of specific self-assembling building blocks. The process enables one to dictate nanoscale chemistry with an unprecedented level of sophistication, forging the way for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. We lastly outline views and future research studies towards improving the current platform to achieve the desired device performance.

  5. Activity measurement and effective dose modelling of natural radionuclides in building material.

    PubMed

    Maringer, F J; Baumgartner, A; Rechberger, F; Seidel, C; Stietka, M

    2013-11-01

    In this paper the assessment of natural radionuclides' activity concentration in building materials, calibration requirements and related indoor exposure dose models is presented. Particular attention is turned to specific improvements in low-level gamma-ray spectrometry to determine the activity concentration of necessary natural radionuclides in building materials with adequate measurement uncertainties. Different approaches for the modelling of the effective dose indoor due to external radiation resulted from natural radionuclides in building material and results of actual building material assessments are shown. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Chemical signal activation of an organocatalyst enables control over soft material formation.

    PubMed

    Trausel, Fanny; Maity, Chandan; Poolman, Jos M; Kouwenberg, D S J; Versluis, Frank; van Esch, Jan H; Eelkema, Rienk

    2017-10-12

    Cells can react to their environment by changing the activity of enzymes in response to specific chemical signals. Artificial catalysts capable of being activated by chemical signals are rare, but of interest for creating autonomously responsive materials. We present an organocatalyst that is activated by a chemical signal, enabling temporal control over reaction rates and the formation of materials. Using self-immolative chemistry, we design a deactivated aniline organocatalyst that is activated by the chemical signal hydrogen peroxide and catalyses hydrazone formation. Upon activation of the catalyst, the rate of hydrazone formation increases 10-fold almost instantly. The responsive organocatalyst enables temporal control over the formation of gels featuring hydrazone bonds. The generic design should enable the use of a large range of triggers and organocatalysts, and appears a promising method for the introduction of signal response in materials, constituting a first step towards achieving communication between artificial chemical systems.Enzymes regulated by chemical signals are common in biology, but few such artificial catalysts exist. Here, the authors design an aniline catalyst that, when activated by a chemical trigger, catalyses formation of hydrazone-based gels, demonstrating signal response in a soft material.

  7. Structural conceptualization of learning experiences in nursing master's degree programs utilized in occupational health nursing activities.

    PubMed

    Aoyama, Wakako; Tatsumi, Asami

    2017-01-31

    In this study, concepts were constructed that express learning experiences in nursing master's degree programs utilized in occupational health nursing activities with the aim of clarifying those characteristics. This was based on the idea that elucidation of the characteristics of learning experiences in nursing master's degree programs used in occupational health nursing activities would be meaningful in providing high-quality occupational health services that respond to the needs of society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 people who fulfilled the three conditions of having completed a master's degree programs, working as an occupational health nurse after completion of the program, and not continuing on to a doctoral program. The nursing conceptualization method of Naomi Funashima was used. From the obtained data, 512 code items expressing learning experiences in master's degree programs utilized in occupational health nursing activities were identified. These items included five core categories (concepts), 34 categories, and 69 subcategories. The five concepts constructed were "Pursuit of expertise and self-evaluation," "Mutual understanding of various people that leads to human resources utilization," "Theoretical and academic learning that influences changes in activities," "Research learning that lead to activities based on scientific evidence," and "Learning that leads to high-quality activities making use of expertise." It was found that various learning experiences in the master's program to pursue the specialty of occupational health nurses in order to recognize their roles as well as the experiences to take the initiative in learning had been integrated in their activities after completion of the course and had contributed to their high-quality occupational health nursing activities. It was suggested that the learning experiences in the master's program, which had been revealed in this study, were the experiences necessary for

  8. Ozone-Activated Nanoporous Gold: A Stable and Storable Material for Catalytic Oxidation

    DOE PAGES

    Personick, Michelle L.; Zugic, Branko; Biener, Monika M.; ...

    2015-05-28

    We report a new method for facile and reproducible activation of nanoporous gold (npAu) materials of different forms for the catalytic selective partial oxidation of alcohols under ambient pressure, steady flow conditions. This method, based on the surface cleaning of npAu ingots with ozone to remove carbon documented in ultrahigh vacuum conditions, produces active npAu catalysts from ingots, foils, and shells by flowing an ozone/dioxygen mixture over the catalyst at 150 °C, followed by a temperature ramp from 50 to 150 °C in a flowing stream of 10% methanol and 20% oxygen. With this treatment, all three materials (ingots, foils,more » and shells) can be reproducibly activated, despite potential carbonaceous poisons resulting from their synthesis, and are highly active for the selective oxidation of primary alcohols over prolonged periods of time. The npAu materials activated in this manner exhibit catalytic behavior substantially different from those activated under different conditions previously reported. Once activated in this manner, they can be stored and easily reactivated by flow of reactant gases at 150 °C for a few hours. They possess improved selectivity for the coupling of higher alcohols, such as 1-butanol, and are not active for carbon monoxide oxidation. As a result, this ozone-treated npAu is a functionally new catalytic material.« less

  9. Ozone-Activated Nanoporous Gold: A Stable and Storable Material for Catalytic Oxidation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Personick, Michelle L.; Zugic, Branko; Biener, Monika M.

    We report a new method for facile and reproducible activation of nanoporous gold (npAu) materials of different forms for the catalytic selective partial oxidation of alcohols under ambient pressure, steady flow conditions. This method, based on the surface cleaning of npAu ingots with ozone to remove carbon documented in ultrahigh vacuum conditions, produces active npAu catalysts from ingots, foils, and shells by flowing an ozone/dioxygen mixture over the catalyst at 150 °C, followed by a temperature ramp from 50 to 150 °C in a flowing stream of 10% methanol and 20% oxygen. With this treatment, all three materials (ingots, foils,more » and shells) can be reproducibly activated, despite potential carbonaceous poisons resulting from their synthesis, and are highly active for the selective oxidation of primary alcohols over prolonged periods of time. The npAu materials activated in this manner exhibit catalytic behavior substantially different from those activated under different conditions previously reported. Once activated in this manner, they can be stored and easily reactivated by flow of reactant gases at 150 °C for a few hours. They possess improved selectivity for the coupling of higher alcohols, such as 1-butanol, and are not active for carbon monoxide oxidation. As a result, this ozone-treated npAu is a functionally new catalytic material.« less

  10. Method for characterization of the rate of movement of an oxidation front in cementitious materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Almond, Philip M.; Langton, Christine A.; Stefanko, David B.

    2016-03-01

    Disclosed are methods for determining the redox condition of cementitious materials. The methods are leaching methods that utilize a redox active transition metal indicator that is present in the cementitious material and exhibits variable solubility depending upon the oxidation state of the indicator. When the leaching process is carried out under anaerobic conditions, the presence or absence of the indicator in the leachate can be utilized to determine the redox condition of and location of the oxidation front in the material that has been subjected to the leaching process.

  11. Tungsten - Yttrium Based Nuclear Structural Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramana, Chintalapalle; Chessa, Jack; Martinenz, Gustavo

    2013-04-01

    The challenging problem currently facing the nuclear science community in this 21st century is design and development of novel structural materials, which will have an impact on the next-generation nuclear reactors. The materials available at present include reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels, dispersion strengthened reduced activation ferritic steels, and vanadium- or tungsten-based alloys. These materials exhibit one or more specific problems, which are either intrinsic or caused by reactors. This work is focussed towards tungsten-yttrium (W-Y) based alloys and oxide ceramics, which can be utilized in nuclear applications. The goal is to derive a fundamental scientific understanding of W-Y-based materials. In collaboration with University of Califonia -- Davis, the project is designated to demonstrate the W-Y based alloys, ceramics and composites with enhanced physical, mechanical, thermo-chemical properties and higher radiation resistance. Efforts are focussed on understanding the microstructure, manipulating materials behavior under charged-particle and neutron irradiation, and create a knowledge database of defects, elemental diffusion/segregation, and defect trapping along grain boundaries and interfaces. Preliminary results will be discussed.

  12. Emergy evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system based on water cycle process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, X.; Wu, Z.; Lv, C.

    2017-12-01

    The water utilization benefits are formed by the material flow, energy flow, information flow and value stream in the whole water cycle process, and reflected along with the material circulation of inner system. But most of traditional water utilization benefits evaluation are based on the macro level, only consider the whole material input and output and energy conversion relation, and lack the characterization of water utilization benefits accompanying with water cycle process from the formation mechanism. In addition, most studies are from the perspective of economics, only pay attention to the whole economic output and sewage treatment economic investment, but neglect the ecological function benefits of water cycle, Therefore, from the perspective of internal material circulation in the whole system, taking water cycle process as the process of material circulation and energy flow, the circulation and flow process of water and other ecological environment, social economic elements were described, and the composition of water utilization positive and negative benefits in water-ecological-economic system was explored, and the performance of each benefit was analyzed. On this basis, the emergy calculation method of each benefit was proposed by emergy quantitative analysis technique, which can realize the unified measurement and evaluation of water utilization benefits in water-ecological-economic system. Then, taking Zhengzhou city as an example, the corresponding benefits of different water cycle links were calculated quantitatively by emergy method, and the results showed that the emergy evaluation method of water utilization benefits can unify the ecosystem and the economic system, achieve uniform quantitative analysis, and measure the true value of natural resources and human economic activities comprehensively.

  13. Nonterrestrial utilization of materials: Automated space manufacturing facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    Four areas related to the nonterrestrial use of materials are included: (1) material resources needed for feedstock in an orbital manufacturing facility, (2) required initial components of a nonterrestrial manufacturing facility, (3) growth and productive capability of such a facility, and (4) automation and robotics requirements of the facility.

  14. Heavy Atom Effect of Bromine Significantly Enhances Exciton Utilization of Delayed Fluorescence Luminogens.

    PubMed

    Gan, Shifeng; Hu, Shimin; Li, Xiang-Long; Zeng, Jiajie; Zhang, Dongdong; Huang, Tianyu; Luo, Wenwen; Zhao, Zujin; Duan, Lian; Su, Shi-Jian; Tang, Ben Zhong

    2018-05-23

    Raising triplet exciton utilization of pure organic luminescent materials is of significant importance for efficiency advancement of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Herein, by introducing bromine atom(s) onto a typical molecule (bis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,5-dicyanobenzene) with thermally activated delayed fluorescence, we demonstrate that the heavy atom effect of bromine can increase spin-orbit coupling and promote the reverse intersystem crossing, which endow the molecules with more distinct delayed fluorescence. In consequence, the triplet exciton utilization is improved greatly with the increase of bromine atoms, affording apparently advanced external quantum efficiencies of OLEDs. Utilizing the enhancement effect of bromine atoms on delayed fluorescence should be a simple and promising design concept for efficient organic luminogens with high exciton utilization.

  15. Beneficiation and extraction of nonterrestrial materials, part 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agosto, William N.

    1992-01-01

    A review of options for processing extraterrestrial materials was dominated by industrial materials scientist who tried to identify which processes utilizing space materials could be implemented in the near term. The most practical process seem to us to be the extraction of lunar oxygen and the extraction of metals and ceramics from the residues of the reduction process. The growth of space activity will be accompanied by increased demand for liquid oxygen for each round trip to the Moon. The oxygen and the intermediary product water will be needed for the life support at the base. The reduced metals and ceramics may be considered byproducts or may develop into primary products. Some of the same processes would be directly applicable to recovery of products from asteroids. We also discussed other processes for directly utilizing asteroid metals. Some of the topics covered include beneficiation and oxygen extraction methods, metallurgy, and extraterrestrial cement.

  16. Beneficiation and extraction of nonterrestrial materials, part 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agosto, William N.

    A review of options for processing extraterrestrial materials was dominated by industrial materials scientist who tried to identify which processes utilizing space materials could be implemented in the near term. The most practical process seem to us to be the extraction of lunar oxygen and the extraction of metals and ceramics from the residues of the reduction process. The growth of space activity will be accompanied by increased demand for liquid oxygen for each round trip to the Moon. The oxygen and the intermediary product water will be needed for the life support at the base. The reduced metals and ceramics may be considered byproducts or may develop into primary products. Some of the same processes would be directly applicable to recovery of products from asteroids. We also discussed other processes for directly utilizing asteroid metals. Some of the topics covered include beneficiation and oxygen extraction methods, metallurgy, and extraterrestrial cement.

  17. Effect of ADAMTS13 activity turnaround time on plasma utilization for suspected thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

    PubMed

    Connell, Nathan T; Cheves, Tracey; Sweeney, Joseph D

    2016-02-01

    Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) due to deficiency of the von Willebrand-cleaving protease ADAMTS13 is a hematologic emergency that requires prompt initiation of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). Long turnaround times (TATs) have precluded the use of pre-TPE measurement of ADAMTS13 activity for the initial diagnosis in most institutions. An in-house rapid TAT (r-TAT) assay for ADAMTS13 activity was implemented after 18 months of validation. In a quasi-experimental design using interrupted time series analysis, patterns of plasma utilization in patients with suspected TTP were assessed after implementation of this assay for ADAMTS13 activity and compared to utilization patterns for patients who received plasma exchange before r-TAT assay implementation designated the standard TAT period. In the 18 months after implementation of the r-TAT ADAMTS13 assay, there was a significant reduction in plasma utilization per patient suspected of having TTP (mean, 144.5 units vs. 63.3 units of plasma per patients suspected of having TTP; p = 0.002). The mean number of exchanges per patient and mean number of exchanges after achieving a platelet count of at least 150 × 10(9) /L were lower in the r-TAT cohort (p < 0.001 for both). There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality. Implementation of a rapid turnaround assay for ADAMTS13 resulted in a significant reduction in plasma utilization for patients with suspected TTP, without an increase in mortality. This study demonstrates that these data, provided in a timely fashion, can avoid unnecessary plasma exchange in patients who do not have TTP. © 2015 AABB.

  18. Efficacy of Antimicrobial Agents for Food Contact Applications: Biological Activity, Incorporation into Packaging, and Assessment Methods: A Review.

    PubMed

    Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin; Hashemi, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Eş, Ismail; Fracassetti, Daniela; Limbo, Sara

    2018-07-01

    Interest in the utilization of antimicrobial active packaging for food products has increased in recent years. Antimicrobial active packaging involves the incorporation of antimicrobial compounds into packaging materials, with the aim of maintaining or extending food quality and shelf life. Plant extracts, essential oils, organic acids, bacteriocins, inorganic substances, enzymes, and proteins are used as antimicrobial agents in active packaging. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of packaging materials using different methods has become a critical issue for both food safety and the commercial utilization of such packaging technology. This article reviews the different types of antimicrobial agents used for active food packaging materials, the main incorporation techniques, and the assessment methods used to examine the antimicrobial activity of packaging materials, taking into account their safety as food contact materials.

  19. Transport of biologically active material in laser cutting.

    PubMed

    Frenz, M; Mathezloic, F; Stoffel, M H; Zweig, A D; Romano, V; Weber, H P

    1988-01-01

    The transport of biologically active material during laser cutting with CO2 and Er lasers is demonstrated. This transport mechanism removes particles from the surface of gelatin, agar, and liver samples into the depth of the laser-formed craters. The transport phenomenon is explained by a contraction and condensation of enclosed hot water vapor. We show by cultivating transported bacteria in agar that biological particles can survive the shock of the transport. Determination of the numbers of active cells evidences a more pronounced activity of the cultivated bacteria after impact with an Er laser than with a CO2 laser.

  20. Understanding Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katsioloudis, Petros J.

    2010-01-01

    Almost everything people have ever done has involved materials. Historical evidence indicates that "engineered materials" have been available and utilized for the benefit of humankind since the Neolithic period, beginning about 10,000 BC. Some of these materials have been in existence for thousands of years. At first, materials consisted of wood,…

  1. Heat storage system utilizing phase change materials government rights

    DOEpatents

    Salyer, Ival O.

    2000-09-12

    A thermal energy transport and storage system is provided which includes an evaporator containing a mixture of a first phase change material and a silica powder, and a condenser containing a second phase change material. The silica powder/PCM mixture absorbs heat energy from a source such as a solar collector such that the phase change material forms a vapor which is transported from the evaporator to the condenser, where the second phase change material melts and stores the heat energy, then releases the energy to an environmental space via a heat exchanger. The vapor is condensed to a liquid which is transported back to the evaporator. The system allows the repeated transfer of thermal energy using the heat of vaporization and condensation of the phase change material.

  2. The Madison Project-A Brief Introduction to Materials and Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Robert B.

    This pamphlet gives a brief introduction into the objectives, assumptions, content, activities, and materials of the Madison Project. Reported are the objectives of the program for the student and for the teacher. The mathematical content is listed under 22 topics. It is indicated that the availability of the materials may vary extensively from…

  3. Active Interrogation using Photofission Technique for Nuclear Materials Control and Accountability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Haori

    2016-03-31

    Innovative systems with increased sensitivity and resolution are in great demand to detect diversion and to prevent misuse in support of nuclear materials management for the U.S. fuel cycle. Nuclear fission is the most important multiplicative process involved in non-destructive active interrogation. This process produces the most easily recognizable signature for nuclear materials. In addition to thermal or high-energy neutrons, high-energy gamma rays can also excite a nucleus and cause fission through a process known as photofission. Electron linear accelerators (linacs) are widely used as the interrogating photon sources for inspection methods involving photofission technique. After photofission reactions, prompt signalsmore » are much stronger than the delayed signals, but it is difficult to quantify them in practical measurements. Delayed signals are easily distinguishable from the interrogating radiation. Linac-based, advanced inspection techniques utilizing the delayed signals after photofission have been extensively studied for homeland security applications. Previous research also showed that a unique delayed gamma ray energy spectrum exists for each fissionable isotope. In this work, high-energy delayed γ-rays were demonstrated to be signatures for detection, identification, and quantification of special nuclear materials. Such γ-rays were measured in between linac pulses using independent data acquisition systems. A list-mode system was developed to measure low-energy delayed γ-rays after irradiation. Photofission product yields of 238U and 239Pu were determined based on the measured delayed γ-ray spectra. The differential yields of delayed γ-rays were also proven to be able to discriminate nuclear from non-nuclear materials. The measurement outcomes were compared with Monte Carlo simulation results. It was demonstrated that the current available codes have capabilities and limitations in the simulation of photofission process. A two-fold approach

  4. Influence of various Activated Carbon based Electrode Materials in the Performance of Super Capacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajay, K. M.; Dinesh, M. N.

    2018-02-01

    Various activated carbon based electrode materials with different surface areas was prepared on stainless steel based refillable super capacitor model using spin coating. Bio Synthesized Activated Carbon (BSAC), Activated Carbon (AC) and Graphite powder are chosen as electrode materials in this paper. Electrode materials prepared using binder solution which is 6% by wt. polyvinylidene difluoride, 94% by wt. dimethyl fluoride. 3M concentrated KOH solution is used as aqueous electrolyte with PVDF thin film as separator. It is tested for electrochemical characterizations and material characterizations. It is observed that the Specific capacitance of Graphite, Biosynthesized active carbon and Commercially available activated carbon are 16.1F g-1, 53.4F g-1 and 107.6F g-1 respectively at 5mV s-1 scan rate.

  5. Electric utilities and telecommunications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moeller, J.W.

    1995-08-01

    Part I of this article will provide some background on the involvement of electric utilities in telecommunications. It will discuss the Power Radio Services, under which the FCC regulates radio communications of electric utilities, the pole attachment statute of the Communications Act, which authorized the FCC to regulate attachments of cable television cables to electric utility poles, and a recent Department of Energy (DOE) report on the need for a demonstration on the use of telecommunications for DSM. Part I will also discuss several recent developments relative to the Power Radio Services and the pole attachment statute. Part II willmore » discuss electric utilities and telecommunications under PUHCA. It will outline the extensive and complex requirements of PUHCA that are applicable to public utility holding companies, as well as the specific requirements of PUHCA for the formation by public utility holding companies of subsidiaries to engage in telecommunications activities. It will also discuss the seven instances in the past decade in which the SEC has approved the formation by public utility holding companies of such subsidiaries. Part III of this article will discuss a principal obstacle to expanded electric utility involvement in telecommunications activities-a series of administrative and judicial decisions that illustrate the potential for dual regulation by the SEC and the FERC to result in confusion and inefficiencies. It will also discuss proposals in Congress to minimize this potential. Part IV will discuss House Bill 3636 and Senate Bill 1822 and their proposals to amend PUHCA to facilitate the formation or acquisition by public utility holding companies of non-utility subsidiaries to engage in telecommunications activities. It will also discuss their proposals to address the potential consequences of dual regulation by the SEC and the FERC of electric utilities involved in telecommunications.« less

  6. An assessment of schoolyard features and behavior patterns in children's utilization and physical activity.

    PubMed

    Anthamatten, Peter; Brink, Lois; Kingston, Beverly; Kutchman, Eve; Lampe, Sarah; Nigg, Claudio

    2014-03-01

    Careful research that elucidates how behavior relates to design in the context of elementary school grounds can serve to guide cost-efficient design with the goal of encouraging physical activity (PA). This work explores patterns in children's PA behavior within playground spaces with the specific goal of guiding healthy playground design. Data on children's utilization and PA behavior in 6 playgrounds divided into 106 observation zones were collected in 2005 and 2006 at Denver elementary school playgrounds using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth. Analyses of variance and t tests determined whether there were differences in utilization and behavior patterns across observations zones and between genders. This study provides evidence that children prefer to use certain types of playground zones and that they are more likely to practice moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in some zones. The authors observed statistically significant differences between genders. Boys were more likely to engage in MVPA in zones without equipment, girls were more likely to use zones with equipment. This work suggests that the inclusion or omission of specific playground features may have an impact on the way that children use the spaces.

  7. NASA's Plans for Materials Science on ISS: Cooperative Utilization of the MSRR-MSL

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chiaramonte, Francis; Szofran, Frank

    2008-01-01

    The ISS Research Project draws Life (non-human) and Physical Sciences investigations on the ISS, free flyer and ground-based into one coordinated project. The project has two categories: I. Exploration Research Program: a) Utilizes the ISS as a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) test bed for technology development, demonstration and problem resolution in the areas of life support, fire safety, power, propulsion, thermal management, materials technology, habitat design, etc.; b) Will include endorsement letters from other ETDP projects to show relevancy. II. Non-Exploration Research Program; a) Not directly related to supporting the human exploration program. Research conducted in the life (non-human) and physical sciences; b) The program will sustain, to the maximum extent practicable, the United States scientific expertise and research capability in fundamental microgravity research. Physical Sciences has about 44 grants, and Life Sciences has approximately 32 grants, mostly with universities, to conduct low TRL research; this includes grants to be awarded from the 2008 Fluid Physics and Life Science NRA's.

  8. Batch Tests To Determine Activity Distribution and Kinetic Parameters for Acetate Utilization in Expanded-Bed Anaerobic Reactors

    PubMed Central

    Fox, Peter; Suidan, Makram T.

    1990-01-01

    Batch tests to measure maximum acetate utilization rates were used to determine the distribution of acetate utilizers in expanded-bed sand and expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) reactors. The reactors were fed a mixture of acetate and 3-ethylphenol, and they contained the same predominant aceticlastic methanogen, Methanothrix sp. Batch tests were performed both on the entire reactor contents and with media removed from the reactors. Results indicated that activity was evenly distributed within the GAC reactors, whereas in the sand reactor a sludge blanket on top of the sand bed contained approximately 50% of the activity. The Monod half-velocity constant (Ks) for the acetate-utilizing methanogens in two expanded-bed GAC reactors was searched for by combining steady-state results with batch test data. All parameters necessary to develop a model with Monod kinetics were experimentally determined except for Ks. However, Ks was a function of the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration, and batch test results demonstrated that maximum acetate utilization rates were not a function of the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration. Addition of a competitive inhibition term into the Monod expression predicted the dependence of Ks on the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration. A two-parameter search determined a Ks of 8.99 mg of acetate per liter and a Ki of 2.41 mg of 3-ethylphenol per liter. Model predictions were in agreement with experimental observations for all effluent 3-ethylphenol concentrations. Batch tests measured the activity for a specific substrate and determined the distribution of activity in the reactor. The use of steady-state data in conjunction with batch test results reduced the number of unknown kinetic parameters and thereby reduced the uncertainty in the results and the assumptions made. PMID:16348175

  9. Batch tests to determine activity distribution and kinetic parameters for acetate utilization in expanded-bed anaerobic reactors.

    PubMed

    Fox, P; Suidan, M T

    1990-04-01

    Batch tests to measure maximum acetate utilization rates were used to determine the distribution of acetate utilizers in expanded-bed sand and expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) reactors. The reactors were fed a mixture of acetate and 3-ethylphenol, and they contained the same predominant aceticlastic methanogen, Methanothrix sp. Batch tests were performed both on the entire reactor contents and with media removed from the reactors. Results indicated that activity was evenly distributed within the GAC reactors, whereas in the sand reactor a sludge blanket on top of the sand bed contained approximately 50% of the activity. The Monod half-velocity constant (K(s)) for the acetate-utilizing methanogens in two expanded-bed GAC reactors was searched for by combining steady-state results with batch test data. All parameters necessary to develop a model with Monod kinetics were experimentally determined except for K(s). However, K(s) was a function of the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration, and batch test results demonstrated that maximum acetate utilization rates were not a function of the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration. Addition of a competitive inhibition term into the Monod expression predicted the dependence of K(s) on the effluent 3-ethylphenol concentration. A two-parameter search determined a K(s) of 8.99 mg of acetate per liter and a K(i) of 2.41 mg of 3-ethylphenol per liter. Model predictions were in agreement with experimental observations for all effluent 3-ethylphenol concentrations. Batch tests measured the activity for a specific substrate and determined the distribution of activity in the reactor. The use of steady-state data in conjunction with batch test results reduced the number of unknown kinetic parameters and thereby reduced the uncertainty in the results and the assumptions made.

  10. Synthesis and characterization of inorganic materials precipitated into polymeric and novel liquid crystalline systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubeck, Christopher Ryan

    The use of nanostructured, hybrid materials possesses great future potential. Many examples of nanostructured materials exist within nature, such as animal bone, animal teeth, and seashells. This research, inspired by nature, strove to mimic salient properties of natural materials, utilizing methods observed within nature to produce materials. Further, this research increased the functionality of the templates from "mere" template to functional participant. Different chemical methods to produce hybrid materials were employed within this research to achieve these goals. First, electro-osmosis was utilized to drive ions into a polymeric matrix to form hybrid inorganic polymer material, creating a material inspired by naturally occurring bone or seashell in which the inorganic component provides strength and the polymeric material decreases the brittleness of the combined hybrid material. Second, self-assembled amphiphiles, forming higher ordered structures, acted as a template for inorganic cadmium sulfide. Electronically active molecules based on ethylene oxide and aniline segments were synthesized to create interaction between the templating material and the resulting inorganic cadmium sulfide. The templating process utilized self-assembly to create the inorganic structure through the interaction of the amphiphiles with water. The use of self-assembly is itself inspired by nature. Self-assembled structures are observed within living cells as cell walls and cell membranes are created through hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Finally, the mesostructured inorganic cadmium sulfide was itself utilized as a template to form mesostructured copper sulfide.

  11. Carbon-based nanomaterials: multifunctional materials for biomedical engineering.

    PubMed

    Cha, Chaenyung; Shin, Su Ryon; Annabi, Nasim; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Khademhosseini, Ali

    2013-04-23

    Functional carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) have become important due to their unique combinations of chemical and physical properties (i.e., thermal and electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength, and optical properties), and extensive research efforts are being made to utilize these materials for various industrial applications, such as high-strength materials and electronics. These advantageous properties of CBNs are also actively investigated in several areas of biomedical engineering. This Perspective highlights different types of carbon-based nanomaterials currently used in biomedical applications.

  12. Strategic Communication and its Utility in Ecosystem Service ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The field of Strategic Communication involves a focused effort to identify, develop, and present multiple types of communication media on a given subject. A Strategic Communication program recognizes the limitations of the most common communication models (primarily “one size fits all” and “presenting everything and letting the audience decide what is important”) and specifically focuses on building a communication framework that is composed of three interlinked pillars: message – Identifying the right content for a given audience and a vehicle; audience – Identify the right target group for a given message and vehicle; vehicle – Identifying the right types of media for a given message and audience. In addition to serving as an organizational framework, the physical structure of a Strategic Communication plan also can serve as a way to show an audience where they, the message, and vehicle fit into the larger picture (i.e., “you are here”). This presentation will explore the process of designing a Strategic Communication plan and examine some examples of its utility in the field of ecosystem services science. Ideally, a strategic communication matrix can be utilized to identify and access the materials of interest for any given activity (i.e., avoids the need to recreate materials or use the wrong materials for the wrong audience). Challenges in implementation will also be explored. Abstract for ACES conference

  13. Development of a real time activity monitoring Android application utilizing SmartStep.

    PubMed

    Hegde, Nagaraj; Melanson, Edward; Sazonov, Edward

    2016-08-01

    Footwear based activity monitoring systems are becoming popular in academic research as well as consumer industry segments. In our previous work, we had presented developmental aspects of an insole based activity and gait monitoring system-SmartStep, which is a socially acceptable, fully wireless and versatile insole. The present work describes the development of an Android application that captures the SmartStep data wirelessly over Bluetooth Low energy (BLE), computes features on the received data, runs activity classification algorithms and provides real time feedback. The development of activity classification methods was based on the the data from a human study involving 4 participants. Participants were asked to perform activities of sitting, standing, walking, and cycling while they wore SmartStep insole system. Multinomial Logistic Discrimination (MLD) was utilized in the development of machine learning model for activity prediction. The resulting classification model was implemented in an Android Smartphone. The Android application was benchmarked for power consumption and CPU loading. Leave one out cross validation resulted in average accuracy of 96.9% during model training phase. The Android application for real time activity classification was tested on a human subject wearing SmartStep resulting in testing accuracy of 95.4%.

  14. In-Situ Resource Utilization for the Moon, Mars and Beyond...

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trigwell, Steve

    2010-01-01

    For any future manned exploration to the moon, Mars, or beyond, there is a significant need to reduce the cost and logistics of transporting the raw materials such as oxygen, water, and fuel required to sustain human activity. Current research at Kennedy Space Center is focused on utilizing the resources at the destination to produce these requirements on-site, i.e. to live off the land. This program, known as In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is the focus of the Applied Science and Technology research group here at KSC. This slide presentation will introduce the laboratories and highlight current research in ISRU to produce oxygen, water, and fuel components from lunar and Martian regolith.

  15. 77 FR 38395 - Agency Information Collection Activities (Advertising, Sales, and Enrollment Materials, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-27

    ... Activities (Advertising, Sales, and Enrollment Materials, and Candidate Handbooks) Under OMB Review AGENCY....'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Advertising, Sales, and Enrollment Materials, and Candidate Handbooks, 38 CFR... such tests, must maintain a complete record of all advertising, sales materials, enrollment materials...

  16. Design concepts for pressurized lunar shelters utilizing indigenous materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Happel, John Amin; Willam, Kaspar; Shing, Benson

    1991-01-01

    The objective is to design a pressurized shelter build of indigenous lunar material. The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: lunar conditions which impact design; secondary factors; review of previously proposed concepts; cross section of assembly facility; rationale for indigenous materials; indigenous material choices; cast basalt properties; design variables; design 1, cylindrical segments; construction sequence; design 2, arch-slabs with post-tensioned ring girders; and future research.

  17. Sol-Gel Derived Active Material for Yb Thin-Disk Lasers

    PubMed Central

    Almeida, Rui M.; Ribeiro, Tiago

    2017-01-01

    A ytterbium doped active material for thin-disk laser was developed based on aluminosilicate and phosphosilicate glass matrices containing up to 30 mol% YbO1.5. Thick films and bulk samples were prepared by sol-gel processing. The structural nature of the base material was assessed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the film morphology was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of different compositions, including emission spectra and lifetimes, were also studied. Er3+ was used as an internal reference to compare the intensities of the Yb3+ PL peaks at ~ 1020 nm. The Yb3+ PL lifetimes were found to vary between 1.0 and 0.5 ms when the Yb concentration increased from 3 to 30 mol%. Based on a figure of merit, the best active material selected was the aluminosilicate glass composition 71 SiO2-14 AlO1.5-15 YbO1.5 (in mol%). An active disk, ~ 36 μm thick, consisting of a Bragg mirror, an aluminosilicate layer doped with 15 mol% Yb and an anti-reflective coating, was fabricated. PMID:28869488

  18. Redox‐Flow Batteries: From Metals to Organic Redox‐Active Materials

    PubMed Central

    Winsberg, Jan; Hagemann, Tino; Janoschka, Tobias; Hager, Martin D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Research on redox‐flow batteries (RFBs) is currently experiencing a significant upturn, stimulated by the growing need to store increasing quantities of sustainably generated electrical energy. RFBs are promising candidates for the creation of smart grids, particularly when combined with photovoltaics and wind farms. To achieve the goal of “green”, safe, and cost‐efficient energy storage, research has shifted from metal‐based materials to organic active materials in recent years. This Review presents an overview of various flow‐battery systems. Relevant studies concerning their history are discussed as well as their development over the last few years from the classical inorganic, to organic/inorganic, to RFBs with organic redox‐active cathode and anode materials. Available technologies are analyzed in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental aspects; the advantages and limitations of these systems are also discussed. Further technological challenges and prospective research possibilities are highlighted. PMID:28070964

  19. Field-Dependence/Independence and Active Learning of Verbal and Geometric Material.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reardon, Richard; And Others

    1982-01-01

    Field-dependent and independent subjects sorted geometric and verbal material according to category exemplars, forcing active learning, and then recalled the category locations. Field-independent individuals generally performed better on learning and memory tasks with a more active approach. Active versus passive learning styles are discussed.…

  20. Activated microporous materials through polymerization of microemulsion precursors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venkatesan, Arunkumar

    Microemulsions have been well studied for their unique characteristics. They are isotropic, thermodynamically stable and microstructured mixtures of oil and water stabilized by one or more surfactant species. They are formed spontaneously and are thermodynamically stable. Microemulsion precursors can be polymerized to make microporous solids with controlled pore structure and sizes. These polymeric solids have been studied extensively in the past. Although the fundamental properties of the microporous solids have been studied in depth, the development of specific applications that will utilize the unique properties of these solids has not been exhaustively researched. The current work establishes the feasibility of making activated microporous solids from microemulsion precursors, by the use of a ligand that chelates metals and also attaches itself to the polymer monolith. It also uses a novel 'in-situ' incorporation by combining the formulation and incorporation steps into one. The research objectives are, to formulate a microemulsion system that can yield useful microporous solids upon polymerization and activation, to characterize these solids using existing techniques available for analysis of similar microporous solids, to identify and understand the effect of the variables in the system and to study the influence of these variables on the performance characteristics of this material. Characterization techniques like Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy were used. A hydroxyethylmethylmethacrylate/methylmethacrylate/aqueous phase containing 10% SDS' system was chosen as the precursor microemulsion and the corresponding microporous solids were made. A metal chelating ligand, Congo Red, was incorporated onto the microporous polymer using NaOH as a binding agent. The ability of the resultant 'activated' microporous solid to remove metal ions from solution, was evaluated. The metal ion chosen was chromium

  1. Percolated microstructures for multi-modal transport enhancement in porous active materials

    DOEpatents

    McKay, Ian Salmon; Yang, Sungwoo; Wang, Evelyn N.; Kim, Hyunho

    2018-03-13

    A method of forming a composite material for use in multi-modal transport includes providing three-dimensional graphene having hollow channels, enabling a polymer to wick into the hollow channels of the three-dimensional graphene, curing the polymer to form a cured three-dimensional graphene, adding an active material to the cured three-dimensional graphene to form a composite material, and removing the polymer from within the hollow channels. A composite material formed according to the method is also provided.

  2. Performance of Nonmigratory Iron Chelating Active Packaging Materials in Viscous Model Food Systems.

    PubMed

    Roman, Maxine J; Decker, Eric A; Goddard, Julie M

    2015-09-01

    Many packaged food products undergo quality deterioration due to iron promoted oxidative reactions. Recently, we have developed a nonmigratory iron chelating active packaging material that represents a novel approach to inhibit oxidation of foods while addressing consumer demands for "cleanˮ labels. A challenge to the field of nonmigratory active packaging is ensuring that surface-immobilized active agents retain activity in a true food system despite diffusional limitations. Yet, the relationship between food viscosity and nonmigratory active packaging activity retention has never been characterized. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of food viscosity on iron chelation by a nonmigratory iron chelating active packaging material. Methyl cellulose was added to aqueous buffered iron solutions to yield model systems with viscosities ranging from ∼1 to ∼10(5)  mPa·s, representing viscosities ranging from beverage to mayonnaise. Iron chelation was quantified by material-bound iron content using colorimetry and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).  Maximum iron chelation was reached in solutions up to viscosity ∼10(2)  mPa·s. In more viscous solutions (up to ∼10(4)  mPa·s), there was a significant decrease in iron chelating capacity (P < 0.05). However, materials still retained at least 76% iron chelating capacity. Additionally, the influence of different food hydrocolloids on the performance of nonmigratory iron chelating active packaging was characterized. Methyl cellulose and carrageenan did not compete with the material for specific iron chelation (P > 0.05). Materials retained 32% to 45% chelating capacity when in contact with competitively chelating hydrocolloids guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum. This work demonstrates the potential application of nonmigratory iron chelating active packaging in liquid and semi-liquid foods to allow for the removal of synthetic chelators, while

  3. Comparison of antimicrobial activity of selected, commercially available wound dressing materials.

    PubMed

    Szweda, Piotr; Gorczyca, Grzegorz; Tylingo, Robert

    2018-05-02

    The aim of our study was to examine the antimicrobial potential of eight selected, commercially available wound dressings containing different antimicrobial agents: silver, chlorhexidine acetate, povidone-iodine, and manuka honey. The materials were tested against four reference strains of bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus (PCM 2051), Staphylococcus epidermidis (PCM 2118), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Escherichia coli (K12), using the disc diffusion-like method and a time-killing assay. For both experiments, the highest activity against all four tested strains of bacteria was observed in the case of Mepilex Ag, which contains silver as an antibacterial agent. Incubation for four hours of a 10x10mm 2 piece of this material in 10ml cells suspension (concentration: 10 9 -10 10 CFU/ml) resulted in complete elimination of bacteria of all four strains tested. The same results were obtained for a povidone-iodine containing dressing, Inadine, though its activity was lower in the disc diffusion assay. Silvercel, Aquacel Ag and Melgisorb Ag, which also contain silver, also exhibited a satisfactory level of activity. In the case of Aquacel Ag, 24 hours' incubation resulted in complete elimination of the cells of both Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The Escherichia coli cells were killed after only four hours' treatment. High effectiveness against Escherichia coli was also demonstrated for Silvercel. However, 24 hours' includation was required for complete elimination of the cells of this bacteria strain. High activity against all tested bacteria, but only in the disc diffusion assay, was observed for Algivon, which contains manuka honey. The Medisorb Silver Pad, containing silver, and Bactigras, which contains chlorhexidine acetate, revealed much lower antimicrobial activity, particularly noticeable in the time-killing assay. In addition, we also tested the anti-staphylococcal activity of a biopolymer material impregnated with

  4. Utilization of specific and non-specific peptide interactions with inorganic nanomaterials on the surface of bacteriophage M13: Methodologies towards phage supported bi-functional materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avery, Kendra Nicole

    Many types of organisms create a variety of nano and micro scale materials from precursors available in their surrounding environments by a process called biomineralization. As scientists begin to understand how these organisms utilize specific and non-specific interactions with a variety of biopolymers such as chitin, peptides, proteins and nucleic acids with these precursors to create inorganic/organic composite materials, they have begun to wonder about the synthesis of other types of non-biologically templated synthetic techniques that might be possible. Bioengineered organisms and biopolymers have begun to be used for these types of studies. A variety of selection techniques exist for discovering biopolymers with an affinity for a target material, however, one of the most notable is a technique called peptide phage display. This is a technique that utilizes a commercially available randomized peptide library attached at the tip of the filamentous bacteriophage M13. In this dissertation capabilities of bacteriophage M13 are explored in regard to the creation of bi-functional nano materials by exploiting both specific peptide interactions as well as non-specific peptide interactions on the surface of the organism. Chapter 2 focuses on utilizing the specific peptide interactions of the randomized library at pIII in order to discover peptides with high binding affinity for a variety of nanomaterials. Selection studies called biopanning are performed on a variety of nanomaterials such as CaMoO4, allotropes of Ni, Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, and Rh and Pt with the fcc type crystal structure. Similarities and differences between peptides discovered for these materials are discussed. Chapter 3 focuses on utilizing the non-specific peptide interactions on the long axis of M13 called pVIII. The pVIII region consists of 2700 copies of the same 50 amino acid protein which as a negatively charged domain which is exposed to solution. The pVIII region therefore provides the surface of

  5. Report on Development and Validation of Utilization Materials to Accompany Two Series of U.S. Office of Education Alcohol Education Films.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Peter

    This report records the development and validation by Abt Associates, Inc. of utilization materials developed to accompany the two U.S. Office of Education film series, Jackson Junior High and Dial A-L-C-O-H-O-L. The first section describes the process by which the nine project products were developed. These products include the following: (1) a…

  6. Porous yolk-shell microspheres as N-doped carbon matrix for motivating the oxygen reduction activity of oxygen evolution oriented materials.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Jinqiu; Wang, Mengfan; Qian, Tao; Liu, Sisi; Cao, Xuecheng; Yang, Tingzhou; Yang, Ruizhi; Yan, Chenglin

    2017-09-08

    It is highly challenging to explore high-performance bi-functional oxygen electrode catalysts for their practical application in next-generation energy storage and conversion devices. In this work, we synthesize hierarchical N-doped carbon microspheres with porous yolk-shell structure (NCYS) as a metal-free electrocatalyst toward efficient oxygen reduction through a template-free route. The enhanced oxygen reduction performances in both alkaline and acid media profit well from the porous yolk-shell structure as well as abundant nitrogen functional groups. Furthermore, such yolk-shell microspheres can be used as precursor materials to motivate the oxygen reduction activity of oxygen evolution oriented materials to obtain a desirable bi-functional electrocatalyst. To verify its practical utility, Zn-air battery tests are conducted and exhibit satisfactory performance, indicating that this constructed concept for preparation of bi-functional catalyst will afford a promising strategy for exploring novel metal-air battery electrocatalysts.

  7. Nontargeted multicomponent analytical screening of plastic food contact materials using fast interpretation of deliverables via expert structure-activity relationship software.

    PubMed

    Rothenbacher, Thorsten; Schwack, Wolfgang

    2009-01-01

    Plastic packaging materials may release compounds into packed foodstuffs. To identify potential migrants of toxicological concern, resins, and multilayer foils (mainly polyethylene) intended for the production of food contact materials were extracted and analyzed by GC/mass spectrometry. To identify even compounds of low concentrations, AMDIS software was used and data evaluation was safeguarded by the Kovats retention index (RI) system. In this way, 46 compounds were identified as possible migrants. The expert structure-activity relationship software DEREK for Windows was utilized to evaluate all identified substances in terms of carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, thyroid toxicity, and miscellaneous endpoints for humans. Additionally, a literature search for these compounds was performed with Sci-Finder, but relevant data were missing for 28 substances. Seven compounds with adverse toxicological effects were identified. In addition, the RIs of 24 commercial additive standards, measured with a GC capillary column of intermediate polarity, are given.

  8. Porous yolk-shell microspheres as N-doped carbon matrix for motivating the oxygen reduction activity of oxygen evolution oriented materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Jinqiu; Wang, Mengfan; Qian, Tao; Liu, Sisi; Cao, Xuecheng; Yang, Tingzhou; Yang, Ruizhi; Yan, Chenglin

    2017-09-01

    It is highly challenging to explore high-performance bi-functional oxygen electrode catalysts for their practical application in next-generation energy storage and conversion devices. In this work, we synthesize hierarchical N-doped carbon microspheres with porous yolk-shell structure (NCYS) as a metal-free electrocatalyst toward efficient oxygen reduction through a template-free route. The enhanced oxygen reduction performances in both alkaline and acid media profit well from the porous yolk-shell structure as well as abundant nitrogen functional groups. Furthermore, such yolk-shell microspheres can be used as precursor materials to motivate the oxygen reduction activity of oxygen evolution oriented materials to obtain a desirable bi-functional electrocatalyst. To verify its practical utility, Zn-air battery tests are conducted and exhibit satisfactory performance, indicating that this constructed concept for preparation of bi-functional catalyst will afford a promising strategy for exploring novel metal-air battery electrocatalysts.

  9. Activated Sludge. Selected Instructional Activities and References. Instructional Resources Monograph Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepard, Clinton L.; Walasek, James B.

    This monograph contains a variety of selected materials related to wastewater treatment and water quality education and instruction. Part I presents a brief discussion of the activated sludge process in wastewater treatment operations. Part II, Instructional Units, contains selected portions of existing programs which may be utilized in…

  10. Solidification/stabilization of chromite ore processing residue using alkali-activated composite cementitious materials.

    PubMed

    Huang, Xiao; Zhuang, RanLiang; Muhammad, Faheem; Yu, Lin; Shiau, YanChyuan; Li, Dongwei

    2017-02-01

    Chromite Ore Processing Residue (COPR) produced in chromium salt production process causes a great health and environmental risk with Cr(VI) leaching. The solidification/stabilization (S/S) of COPR using alkali-activated blast furnace slag (BFS) and fly ash (FA) based cementitious material was investigated in this study. The optimum percentage of BFS and FA for preparing the alkali-activated BFS-FA binder had been studied. COPR was used to replace the amount of BFS-FA or ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for the preparation of the cementitious materials, respectively. The immobilization effect of the alkali-activated BFS-FA binder on COPR was much better than that of OPC based cementitious material. The potential for reusing the final treatment product as a readily available construction material was evaluated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) analysis indicated that COPR had been effectively immobilized. The solidification mechanism is the combined effect of reduction, ion exchange, precipitation, adsorption and physical fixation in the alkali-activated composite cementitious material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Processing of Building Binder Materials to Increase their Activation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fediuk, R. S.; Garmashov, I. S.; Kuzmin, D. E.; Stoyushko, N. Yu; Gladkova, N. A.

    2018-01-01

    The paper deals modern physical methods of activation of building powder materials. During mechanical activation a composite binder active molecules cement minerals occur in the destruction of the molecular defects in the areas of packaging and breaking metastable phase decompensation intermolecular forces. The process is accompanied by a change in the kinetics of hardening of Portland cement. Activated concrete has a number of features that are used as design characteristics of structures and are due to the structure of the activated binder and its contacts with concrete aggregates. These features also have a significant impact on the nature of the destruction of concrete under load, changing the boundaries of its microcracks and durability.

  12. Absolute nuclear material assay

    DOEpatents

    Prasad, Manoj K [Pleasanton, CA; Snyderman, Neal J [Berkeley, CA; Rowland, Mark S [Alamo, CA

    2012-05-15

    A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.

  13. Absolute nuclear material assay

    DOEpatents

    Prasad, Manoj K [Pleasanton, CA; Snyderman, Neal J [Berkeley, CA; Rowland, Mark S [Alamo, CA

    2010-07-13

    A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.

  14. 77 FR 9700 - Utility Scale Wind Towers From China and Vietnam

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-17

    ...)] Utility Scale Wind Towers From China and Vietnam Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... threatened with material injury by reason of imports from China of utility scale wind towers, provided for in... with material injury by reason of imports from Vietnam of utility scale wind towers, provided for in...

  15. Activation of accelerator construction materials by heavy ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katrík, P.; Mustafin, E.; Hoffmann, D. H. H.; Pavlovič, M.; Strašík, I.

    2015-12-01

    Activation data for an aluminum target irradiated by 200 MeV/u 238U ion beam are presented in the paper. The target was irradiated in the stacked-foil geometry and analyzed using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The purpose of the experiment was to study the role of primary particles, projectile fragments, and target fragments in the activation process using the depth profiling of residual activity. The study brought information on which particles contribute dominantly to the target activation. The experimental data were compared with the Monte Carlo simulations by the FLUKA 2011.2c.0 code. This study is a part of a research program devoted to activation of accelerator construction materials by high-energy (⩾200 MeV/u) heavy ions at GSI Darmstadt. The experimental data are needed to validate the computer codes used for simulation of interaction of swift heavy ions with matter.

  16. Fluids and Materials Science Studies Utilizing the Microgravity-vibration Isolation Mount (MIM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Herring, Rodney; Tryggvason, Bjarni; Duval, Walter

    1998-01-01

    Canada's Microgravity Sciences Program (MSP) is the smallest program of the ISS partners and so can participate in only a few, highly focused projects in order to make a scientific and technological impact. One focused project involves determining the effect of accelerations (g-jitter) on scientific measurements in a microgravity environment utilizing the Microgravity-vibration Isolation Mount (MIM). Many experiments share the common characteristic of having a fluid stage in their process. The quality of the experimental measurements have been expected to be affected by g-jitters which has lead the ISS program to include specifications to limit the level of acceleration allowed on a subset of experimental racks. From finite element analysis (FEM), the ISS structure will not be able to meet the acceleration specifications. Therefore, isolation systems are necessary. Fluid science results and materials science results show significant sensitivity to g-jitter. The work done to date should be viewed only as a first look at the issue of g-jitter sensitivity. The work should continue with high priority such that the international science community and the ISS program can address the requirement and settle on an agreed to overall approach as soon as possible.

  17. Active and Dynamic Nanomaterials Based on Active Biomolecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koch, Steven J.; Rivera, Susan B.; Boal, Andrew K.; Edwards, J. Matthew; Bauer, Joseph M.; Manginell, Ronald P.; Liu, Jun; Bunker, Bruce C.; Bachand, George D.

    2004-03-01

    Living organisms have evolved dynamic and adaptable materials that fundamentally differ from synthetic materials. These biomaterials use chemical energy to drive non-equilibrium assembly processes, and to reconfigure in response to external stimuli or life cycle changes. Two striking examples are the diatom's active assembly of silica into a patterned cytoskeleton, and the chameleon's active transport of pigment particles to rapidly change skin color. Advances in molecular biology and nanoscale materials synthesis now present the opportunity for integrating biomolecules with synthetic components to produce new types of materials with novel assembly and adaptation capabilities. Our group has begun utilizing kinesin motor proteins and microtubules (MTs) to explore the construction of biomimetic materials. Initial work has focused on characterizing and engineering the properties of the biomolecules for robust performance in artificial systems. We have characterized the biochemical and biophysical properties of a kinesin motor protein from a thermostable fungus, and have evaluated strategies for stabilizing and functionalizing the MTs. We also have developed strategies for directed transport of MT shuttles, and for controlling the loading and unloading of nanoscale cargo.

  18. Redox-Flow Batteries: From Metals to Organic Redox-Active Materials.

    PubMed

    Winsberg, Jan; Hagemann, Tino; Janoschka, Tobias; Hager, Martin D; Schubert, Ulrich S

    2017-01-16

    Research on redox-flow batteries (RFBs) is currently experiencing a significant upturn, stimulated by the growing need to store increasing quantities of sustainably generated electrical energy. RFBs are promising candidates for the creation of smart grids, particularly when combined with photovoltaics and wind farms. To achieve the goal of "green", safe, and cost-efficient energy storage, research has shifted from metal-based materials to organic active materials in recent years. This Review presents an overview of various flow-battery systems. Relevant studies concerning their history are discussed as well as their development over the last few years from the classical inorganic, to organic/inorganic, to RFBs with organic redox-active cathode and anode materials. Available technologies are analyzed in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental aspects; the advantages and limitations of these systems are also discussed. Further technological challenges and prospective research possibilities are highlighted. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  19. Development of antimicrobial active packaging materials based on gluten proteins.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Heincke, Diana; Martínez, Inmaculada; Partal, Pedro; Guerrero, Antonio; Gallegos, Críspulo

    2016-08-01

    The incorporation of natural biocide agents into protein-based bioplastics, a source of biodegradable polymeric materials, manufactured by a thermo-mechanical method is a way to contribute to a sustainable food packaging industry. This study assesses the antimicrobial activity of 10 different biocides incorporated into wheat gluten-based bioplastics. The effect that formulation, processing, and further thermal treatments exert on the thermo-mechanical properties, water absorption characteristics and rheological behaviour of these materials is also studied. Bioplastics containing six of the 10 examined bioactive agents have demonstrated suitable antimicrobial activity at 37 °C after their incorporation into the bioplastic. Moreover, the essential oils are able to create an antimicrobial atmosphere within a Petri dish. Depending on the selected biocide, its addition may alter the bioplastics protein network in a different extent, which leads to materials exhibiting less water uptake and different rheological and thermo-mechanical behaviours. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. The Empirical Attitude, Material Practice and Design Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apedoe, Xornam; Ford, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This article is an argument about something that is both important and severely underemphasized in most current science curricula. The empirical attitude, fundamental to science since Galileo, is a habit of mind that motivates an active search for feedback on our ideas from the material world. Although more simple views of science manifest the…

  1. Four-electron transfer tandem tetracyanoquinodimethane for cathode-active material in lithium secondary battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurimoto, Naoya; Omoda, Ryo; Mizumo, Tomonobu; Ito, Seitaro; Aihara, Yuichi; Itoh, Takahito

    2018-02-01

    Quinoid compounds are important candidates of organic active materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, its high solubility to organic electrolyte solutions and low redox potential are known as their major drawbacks. To circumvent these issues, we have designed and synthesized a tandem-tetracyanoquinonedimethane type cathode-active material, 11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14-octacyano-1,4,5,8-anthradiquinotetramethane (OCNAQ), that has four redox sites per molecule, high redox potential and suppressed solubility to electrolyte solution. Synthesized OCNAQ has been found to have two-step redox reactions by cyclic voltammetry, and each step consists of two-electron reactions. During charge-discharge tests using selected organic cathode-active materials with a lithium metal anode, the cell voltages obtained from OCNAQ are higher than those for 11,11-dicyanoanthraquinone methide (AQM) as expected, due to the strong electron-withdrawing effect of the cyano groups. Unfortunately, even with the use of the organic active material, the issue of dissolution to the electrolyte solution cannot be suppressed completely; however, appropriate choice of the electrolyte solutions, glyme-based electrolyte solutions in this study, give considerable improvement of the cycle retention (98% and 56% at 10 and 100 cycles at 0.5C, respectively). The specific capacity and energy density obtained in this study are 206 mAh g-1 and 554 mWh g-1 with respect to the cathode active material.

  2. Enhancement of knowledge construction activities utilizing 21st century learning design rubric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedoche, Margarette Anne U.; Taladua, Janica Mae M.; Panal, Geicky Pearl C.; Magsayo, Joy R.; Guarin, Rica Mae B.; Myrna, H. Lahoylahoy

    2018-01-01

    The main objective of the study was to enhance knowledge construction activities on its design particularly the objectives, support materials, student activities and assessment tools. Activities from the 2nd Quarter of Science Learners Material were the basis in the adaptation of activities. The adapted activities were evaluated by the In-service Science teachers and undergone modification by the researchers based on the teacher's comments and suggestions. It was then evaluated, revised, and validated, tried-out using the 21st CLD Rubric. Subjects of the study were 110 students from Grade 7-B, Grade 7-D, Grade 7-F in Geronima Cabrera National High School, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte during the academic year 2016-2017, the study to determine their learning capabilities investigated by the use of Knowledge Construction Activities in the 21st Century Classroom, to investigate how the lessons were understood and appreciated by students, to stimulate interpretation, analysis, synthesizing, or evaluating ideas and develop critical thinking. Both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from the students' scores in three activities. Results showed that there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of students. Mean scores between the pretest and posttest showed a mean difference of 3.35, thus the null hypothesis was rejected. It could be concluded with sufficient evidence to show that the students had basically low prior knowledge about the topic ecosystem. A significant difference was seen in the pretest and posttest, scores of the activities and Ecosystem model results after the implementation phase that a knowledge construction type of activity was better than the traditional one for it promoted meaningful learning and active engagement of students. Based on the results, it was clear that the use of knowledge construction activities had an effect on student's achievement in comparison to traditional teaching method. Thus, it was

  3. Substrate Material for Holographic Emulsions Utilizing Fluorinated Polyimide Film

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gierow, Paul A. (Inventor); Clayton, William R. (Inventor); St.Clair, Anne K. (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A new holographic substrate utilizing flexible. optically transparent fluorinated polyimides. Said substrates have 0 extremely low birefringence which results in a high signal to noise ratio in subsequent holograms. Specific examples of said fluorinated polyimides include 6FDA+APB and 6FDA+4BDAF.

  4. Substrate Utilization is Influenced by Acute Dietary Carbohydrate Intake in Active, Healthy Females.

    PubMed

    Gregory, Sara; Wood, Richard; Matthews, Tracey; Vanlangen, Deborah; Sawyer, Jason; Headley, Samuel

    2011-01-01

    The present study compared the metabolic responses between a single low-carbohydrate (LC) and low-fat (LF) meal followed by an aerobic exercise bout in females. Subjects included 8 active, premenopausal females. Subjects completed a LC and LF testing session. Respiratory gas exchange (RER) measurements were taken for 20 min fasted, for 55 min postprandial (PP), and during 30 min of exercise. Blood was collected for assessment of glucose (G), insulin (IN), triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acids (FFA) during the final 10 min of each time period. The LF meal provided 396 kcal (78% carbohydrate, 7% fat, and 15% protein). The LC meal provided 392 kcal (15% carbohydrate, 68% fat, and 18% protein). No significant differences existed between test meals for fasting blood measurements. PP IN (μU·mL(-1)) levels were significantly lower following LC compared to LF [10.7 (6.1) vs. 26.0 (21.0)]. Postexercise (PE) FFA (mEq·L(-1)) levels were significantly greater following LC [1.1 (0.3) vs. 0.5 (0.3)]. PE TG (mg·dL(-1)) levels were significantly greater following LC [152.0 (53.1) vs. 114.4 (40.9)]. RER was significantly lower at all time points following LC compared to LF. In moderately active adult females, ingestion of a single LC meal resulted in greater lipid oxidation at rest and during exercise as compared to a single LF meal. Although macronutrient distribution appears to have dictated substrate utilization in the present study, more research is needed regarding the long-term effects of macronutrient redistribution with and without exercise on substrate utilization. Key pointsThe relative carbohydrate content of a single meal has a significant impact on postprandial metabolism and substrate utilization in healthy, active females.A single bout of aerobic exercise performed within an hour of meal ingestion has the potential to modify the postprandial response.Interventions aimed at improving body composition and preventing chronic disease should focus on dietary

  5. Development and Utilization of Host Materials for White Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tang, Ching; Chen, Shaw

    Our project was primarily focused on the MYPP 2015 goal for white phosphorescent organic devices (PhOLEDs or phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes) for solid-state lighting with long lifetimes and high efficiencies. Our central activity was to synthesize and evaluate a new class of host materials for blue phosphors in the PhOLEDs, known to be a weak link in the device operating lifetime. The work was a collaborative effort between three groups, one primarily responsible for chemical design and characterization (Chen), one primarily responsible for device development (Tang) and one primarily responsible for mechanistic studies and degradation analysis (Rothberg). The host materialsmore » were designed with a novel architecture that chemically links groups with good ability to move electrons with those having good ability to move “holes” (positive charges), the main premise being that we could suppress the instability associated with physical separation and crystallization of the electron conducting and hole conducting materials that might cause the devices to fail. We found that these materials do prevent crystallization and that this will increase device lifetimes but that efficiencies were reduced substantially due to interactions between the materials creating new low energy “charge transfer” states that are non-luminescent. Therefore, while our proposed strategy could in principle improve device lifetimes, we were unable to find a materials combination where the efficiency was not substantially compromised. In the course of our project, we made several important contributions that are peripherally related to the main project goal. First, we were able to prepare the proposed new family of materials and develop synthetic routes to make them efficiently. These types of materials that can transport both electrons and holes may yet have important roles to play in organic device technology. Second we developed an important new method for controlling

  6. Dynamic and structural control utilizing smart materials and structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rogers, C. A.; Robertshaw, H. H.

    1989-01-01

    An account is given of several novel 'smart material' structural control concepts that are currently under development. The thrust of these investigations is the evolution of intelligent materials and structures superceding the recently defined variable-geometry trusses and shape memory alloy-reinforced composites; the substances envisioned will be able to autonomously evaluate emergent environmental conditions and adapt to them, and even change their operational objectives. While until now the primary objective of the developmental efforts presently discussed has been materials that mimic biological functions, entirely novel concepts may be formulated in due course.

  7. Active and Passive Diagnostic Signatures of Special Nuclear Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Myers, William L.; Karpius, Peter Joseph; Myers, Steven Charles

    2017-05-26

    An overview will be given discussing signatures associated with special nuclear materials acquired using both active and passive diagnostic techniques. Examples of how technology advancements have helped improve diagnostic capabilities to meet the challenges of today’s applications will be discussed.

  8. Characterization of surface active materials derived from farm products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Surface active materials obtained by chemical modification of plant protein isolates (lupin, barley, oat), corn starches (dextrin, normal, high amylose, and waxy) and soybean oil (soybean oil based polysoaps, SOPS) were investigated for their surface and interfacial properties using axisymmetric dro...

  9. Innovative Strategy on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Utilizing Activated Liquid Water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hwang, Bing-Joe; Chen, Hsiao-Chien; Mai, Fu-Der; Tsai, Hui-Yen; Yang, Chih-Ping; Rick, John; Liu, Yu-Chuan

    2015-11-01

    Splitting water for hydrogen production using light, or electrical energy, is the most developed ‘green technique’. For increasing efficiency in hydrogen production, currently, the most exciting and thriving strategies are focused on efficient and inexpensive catalysts. Here, we report an innovative idea for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) utilizing plasmon-activated liquid water with reduced hydrogen-bonded structure by hot electron transfer. This strategy is effective for all HERs in acidic, basic and neutral systems, photocatalytic system with a g-C3N4 (graphite carbon nitride) electrode, as well as in an inert system with an ITO (indium tin oxide) electrode. Compared to deionized water, the efficiency of HER increases by 48% based on activated water ex situ on a Pt electrode. Increase in energy efficiency from activated water is 18% at a specific current yield of -20 mA in situ on a nanoscale-granulated Au electrode. Moreover, the onset potential of -0.023 V vs RHE was very close to the thermodynamic potential of the HER (0 V). The measured current density at the corresponding overpotential for HER in an acidic system was higher than any data previously reported in the literature. This approach establishes a new vista in clean green energy production.

  10. Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: Multi-Functional Materials for Biomedical Engineering

    PubMed Central

    Cha, Chaenyung; Shin, Su Ryon; Annabi, Nasim; Dokmeci, Mehmet R.; Khademhosseini, Ali

    2013-01-01

    Functional carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) have become important due to their unique combinations of chemical and physical properties (i.e., thermal and electrical conductivity, high mechanical strength, and optical properties), extensive research efforts are being made to utilize these materials for various industrial applications, such as high-strength materials and electronics. These advantageous properties of CBNs are also actively investigated in several areas of biomedical engineering. This Perspective highlights different types of carbon-based nanomaterials currently used in biomedical applications. PMID:23560817

  11. Critical Dimensions of Water-tamped Slabs and Spheres of Active Material

    DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

    Greuling, E.; Argo, H.: Chew, G.; Frankel, M. E.; Konopinski, E.J.; Marvin, C.; Teller, E.

    1946-08-06

    The magnitude and distribution of the fission rate per unit area produced by three energy groups of moderated neutrons reflected from a water tamper into one side of an infinite slab of active material is calculated approximately in section II. This rate is directly proportional to the current density of fast neutrons from the active material incident on the water tamper. The critical slab thickness is obtained in section III by solving an inhomogeneous transport integral equation for the fast-neutron current density into the tamper. Extensive use is made of the formulae derived in "The Mathematical Development of the End-Point Method" by Frankel and Goldberg. In section IV slight alterations in the theory outlined in sections II and III were made so that one could approximately compute the critical radius of a water-tamper sphere of active material. The derived formulae were applied to calculate the critical dimensions of water-tamped slabs and spheres of solid UF{sub 6} leaving various (25) isotope enrichment fractions. Decl. Dec. 16, 1955.

  12. Office of Commercial Programs' research activities for Space Station Freedom utilization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fountain, James A.

    1992-01-01

    One of the objectives of the Office of Commercial Programs (OCP) is to encourage, enable, and help implement space research which meets the needs of the U.S. industrial sector. This is done mainly through seventeen Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS's) which are located throughout the United States. The CCDS's are composed of members from U.S. companies, universities, and other government agencies. These Centers are presently engaged in industrial research in space using a variety of carriers to reach low Earth orbit. One of the goals is to produce a body of experience and knowledge that will allow U.S. industrial entities to make informed decisions regarding their participation in commercial space endeavors. A total of 32 items of payload hardware were built to date. These payloads have flown in space a total of 73 times. The carriers range from the KC-135 parabolic aircraft and expendable launch vehicles to the Space Shuttle. This range of carriers allows the experimenter to evolve payloads in complexity and cost by progressively extending the time in microgravity. They can start with a few seconds in the parabolic aircraft and go to several minutes on the rocket flights, before they progress to the complexities of manned flight on the Shuttle. Next year, two new capabilities will become available: COMET, an expendable-vehicle-launched experiment capsule that can carry experiments aloft for thirty days; and SPACEHAB, a new Shuttle borne module which will greatly add to the capability to accommodate small payloads. All of these commercial research activities and carrier capabilities are preparing the OCP to evolve those experiments that prove successful to Space Station Freedom. OCP and the CCDS's are actively involved in Space Station design and utilization planning and have proposed a set of experiments to be launched in 1996 and 1997. These experiments are to be conducted both internal and external to Space Station Freedom and will

  13. Material characterization of active fiber composites for integral twist-actuated rotor blade application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wickramasinghe, Viresh K.; Hagood, Nesbitt W.

    2004-10-01

    The primary objective of this work was to perform material characterization of the active fiber composite (AFC) actuator system for the Boeing active material rotor (AMR) blade application. The purpose of the AMR was to demonstrate active vibration control in helicopters through integral twist-actuation of the blade. The AFCs were a new structural actuator system consisting of piezoceramic fibers embedded in an epoxy matrix and sandwiched between interdigitated electrodes to enhance actuation performance. These conformable actuators were integrated directly into the blade spar laminate as active plies within the composite structure to perform structural control. Therefore, extensive electromechanical material characterization was required to evaluate AFCs both as actuators and as structural components of the blade. The characterization tests designed to extract important electromechanical properties under simulated blade operating conditions included nominal actuation tests, stress-strain tests and actuation under tensile load tests. This paper presents the test results as well as the comprehensive testing procedure developed to evaluate the relevant properties of the AFCs for structural application. The material characterization tests provided an invaluable insight into the behavior of the AFCs under various electromechanical conditions. The results from this comprehensive material characterization of the AFC actuator system supported the design and operation of the AMR blades scheduled for wind tunnel tests.

  14. Risk assessment of manual material handling activities (case study: PT BRS Standard Industry)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deviani; Triyanti, V.

    2017-12-01

    The process of moving material manually has the potential for injury to workers. The risk of injury will increase if we do not pay attention to the working conditions. The purpose of this study is to assess and analyze the injury risk level in manual handling material activity, as well as to improve the condition. The observed manual material handling activities is pole lifting and goods loading. These activities were analyzed using Job Strain Index method, Rapid Entire Body Assessment, and Chaffin’s 2D Planar Static Model. The results show that most workers who perform almost all activities have a high level of risk level with the score of JSI and REBA exceeds 9 points. For some activities, the estimated compression forces in the lumbar area also exceed the standard limits of 3400 N. Concerning this condition, several suggestions for improvement were made, improving the composition of packing, improving body posture, and making guideline posters.

  15. Ion beam activation for materials analysis: Methods and application

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conlon, T.W.

    1981-04-01

    A number of ion beam methods for materials analysis have been developed using Harwell's high voltage accelerators and these are currently being exploited for applications 'in house' and in industry. Ion beam activation is a relatively new area which has exhibited exceptional growth over the last few years. Activation by ion beams to produce a single dominant radioisotope as a surface label (thin layer activation or TLA) is becoming a mature technology offering ever increasing sensitivity for surface loss measurement (currently better than 0.1 ..mu..m or 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 3/ depending on the method of measurement) and remote monitoring ofmore » inaccessible components during studies of wear/erosion/ corrosion/sputtering and the like. With the increasingly established credibility of the method has come the realisation that: (i) more complex and even multiple activation profiles can be used to extract more information on the characteristics of the surface loss process, (ii) that an analogous method can be used even on radiation sensitive materials through the newly established indirect recoil implantation process. (iii) that there is scope for treatment of truly immovable objects through the implantation of fission fragments, (iv) there is vast potential in the area of activation analysis. The current state of development of these methods which greatly extend the scope of conventional TLA will be briefly reviewed. Current applications of these and TLA in industry are discussed.« less

  16. Relation of historical quarrying, material utilization and performance on buildings in Eastern Finland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luodes, Nike M.; Pirinen, Heikki

    2016-04-01

    activities under urban development. In cases where extension of relevant buildings, as for example Kuopio Lyceum, required new material, the original quarry might have not been any more available. Alternative material had to be found and changes in appearance between the construction ages might still be readable from the heterogeneity of the material. In few cases the material had been extracted from remote areas, for buildings symbolizing the town and when the appearance had been a predominant choice. In these cases the quarries are still visible and have been exploited also in more recent years. It might happen that their economical value is not anymore competitive with modern requirements, but still they represent an important material source to avoid restructuration with similar but unsuitable materials.

  17. EDITORIAL: Adaptive and Active Materials: Selected Papers from the ASME 2008 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 08) (Maryland, USA, 28-30 October 2008) Adaptive and Active Materials: Selected Papers from the ASME 2008 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 08) (Maryland, USA, 28-30 October 2008)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynch, Christopher

    2009-10-01

    The rapid development of the field of Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures, and Materials Systems led the Aerospace Division ASMS TC to launch the new annual SMASIS conference in 2008. The conference focuses on the multi-disciplinary challenges of developing new multifunctional materials and implementing them in advanced systems. The research spans length scales from nano-structured materials to civil, air, and space structures. The first conference consisted of six symposia, each focusing on a different research area. This special issue of Smart Materials and Structures summarizes some of the top research presented at the 2008 SMASIS conference in the materials-focused symposia. These symposia focused on the behavior and mechanics of active materials, on multifunctional materials, and on bio-inspired materials. The behavior and mechanics of active materials is an approach that combines observed material behavior with mechanism-based models that not only give insight into the observed behavior, but guide the development of new materials. This approach has been applied to shape memory metals and polymers, ferroelectrics, ferromagnetics, and recently to multiferroic materials, and has led to considerable improvements in our understanding of multi-field phenomena. Multifunctional materials are the next generation of active materials. These materials include structural, sensing, and actuation components integrated into a material system. A natural extension of multifunctional materials is a new class of bio-inspired materials. Bio-inspired materials range from detailed bio-mimicry of sensing and self healing materials to nano and microstructures that take advantage of features observed in biological systems. The Editors would like to express their sincere thanks to all of the authors for their contributions to this special issue on 'Adaptive and Active Materials' for Smart Materials and Structures. We convey our gratitude to all of the reviewers for their time and

  18. Materials for Active Engagement in Nuclear and Particle Physics Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loats, Jeff; Schwarz, Cindy; Krane, Ken

    2013-04-01

    Physics education researchers have developed a rich variety of research-based instructional strategies that now permeate many introductory courses. Carrying these active-engagement techniques to upper-division courses requires effort and is bolstered by experience. Instructors interested in these methods thus face a large investment of time to start from scratch. This NSF-TUES grant, aims to develop, test and disseminate active-engagement materials for nuclear and particle physics topics. We will present examples of these materials, including: a) Conceptual discussion questions for use with Peer Instruction; b) warm-up questions for use with Just in Time Teaching, c) ``Back of the Envelope'' estimation questions and small-group case studies that will incorporate use of nuclear and particle databases, as well as d) conceptual exam questions.

  19. Instructional Facility Utilization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalamazoo Valley Community Coll., MI.

    Data describing campus facility use for instructional and related purposes for one week of activity in Fall 1978 were collected and evaluated at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Four measures of space utilization were used: (1) percent of available time used; (2) percent of available space used; (3) percent of scheduled space utilized; and (4)…

  20. Improving the value of costly genetic reference laboratory testing with active utilization management.

    PubMed

    Dickerson, Jane A; Cole, Bonnie; Conta, Jessie H; Wellner, Monica; Wallace, Stephanie E; Jack, Rhona M; Rutledge, Joe; Astion, Michael L

    2014-01-01

    Tests that are performed outside of the ordering institution, send-out tests, represent an area of risk to patients because of complexity associated with sending tests out. Risks related to send-out tests include increased number of handoffs, ordering the wrong or unnecessary test, specimen delays, data entry errors, preventable delays in reporting and acknowledging results, and excess financial liability. Many of the most expensive and most misunderstood tests are send-out genetic tests. To design and develop an active utilization management program to reduce the risk to patients and improve value of genetic send-out tests. Send-out test requests that met defined criteria were reviewed by a rotating team of doctoral-level consultants and a genetic counselor in a pediatric tertiary care center. Two hundred fifty-one cases were reviewed during an 8-month period. After review, nearly one-quarter of genetic test requests were modified in the downward direction, saving a total of 2% of the entire send-out bill and 19% of the test requests under management. Ultimately, these savings were passed on to patients. Implementing an active utilization strategy for expensive send-out tests can be achieved with minimal technical resources and results in improved value of testing to patients.

  1. Porous Materials from Thermally Activated Kaolinite: Preparation, Characterization and Application

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Jun; Jiang, Tao; Li, Guanghui; Peng, Zhiwei; Rao, Mingjun; Zhang, Yuanbo

    2017-01-01

    In the present study, porous alumina/silica materials were prepared by selective leaching of silicon/aluminum constituents from thermal-activated kaolinite in inorganic acid or alkali liquor. The correlations between the characteristics of the prepared porous materials and the dissolution properties of activated kaolinite were also investigated. The results show that the specific surface area (SSA) of porous alumina/silica increases with silica/alumina dissolution, but without marked change of the BJH pore size. Furthermore, change in pore volume is more dependent on activation temperature. The porous alumina and silica obtained from alkali leaching of kaolinite activated at 1150 °C for 15 min and acid leaching of kaolinite activated at 850 °C for 15 min are mesoporous, with SSAs, BJH pore sizes and pore volumes of 55.8 m2/g and 280.3 m2/g, 6.06 nm and 3.06 nm, 0.1455 mL/g and 0.1945 mL/g, respectively. According to the adsorption tests, porous alumina has superior adsorption capacities for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ compared with porous silica and activated carbon. The maximum capacities of porous alumina for Cu2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ are 134 mg/g, 183 mg/g and 195 mg/g, respectively, at 30 °C. PMID:28773002

  2. Secondary cell with orthorhombic alkali metal/manganese oxide phase active cathode material

    DOEpatents

    Doeff, Marca M.; Peng, Marcus Y.; Ma, Yanping; Visco, Steven J.; DeJonghe, Lutgard C.

    1996-01-01

    An alkali metal manganese oxide secondary cell is disclosed which can provide a high rate of discharge, good cycling capabilities, good stability of the cathode material, high specific energy (energy per unit of weight) and high energy density (energy per unit volume). The active material in the anode is an alkali metal and the active material in the cathode comprises an orthorhombic alkali metal manganese oxide which undergoes intercalation and deintercalation without a change in phase, resulting in a substantially linear change in voltage with change in the state of charge of the cell. The active material in the cathode is an orthorhombic structure having the formula M.sub.x Z.sub.y Mn.sub.(1-y) O.sub.2, where M is an alkali metal; Z is a metal capable of substituting for manganese in the orthorhombic structure such as iron, cobalt or titanium; x ranges from about 0.2 in the fully charged state to about 0.75 in the fully discharged state, and y ranges from 0 to 60 atomic %. Preferably, the cell is constructed with a solid electrolyte, but a liquid or gelatinous electrolyte may also be used in the cell.

  3. Secondary cell with orthorhombic alkali metal/manganese oxide phase active cathode material

    DOEpatents

    Doeff, M.M.; Peng, M.Y.; Ma, Y.; Visco, S.J.; DeJonghe, L.C.

    1996-09-24

    An alkali metal manganese oxide secondary cell is disclosed which can provide a high rate of discharge, good cycling capabilities, good stability of the cathode material, high specific energy (energy per unit of weight) and high energy density (energy per unit volume). The active material in the anode is an alkali metal and the active material in the cathode comprises an orthorhombic alkali metal manganese oxide which undergoes intercalation and deintercalation without a change in phase, resulting in a substantially linear change in voltage with change in the state of charge of the cell. The active material in the cathode is an orthorhombic structure having the formula M{sub x}Z{sub y}Mn{sub (1{minus}y)}O{sub 2}, where M is an alkali metal; Z is a metal capable of substituting for manganese in the orthorhombic structure such as iron, cobalt or titanium; x ranges from about 0.2 in the fully charged state to about 0.75 in the fully discharged state, and y ranges from 0 to 60 atomic %. Preferably, the cell is constructed with a solid electrolyte, but a liquid or gelatinous electrolyte may also be used in the cell. 11 figs.

  4. Nontoxic fluorescent carbon nanodot serving as a light conversion material in plant for UV light utilization.

    PubMed

    Sai, Liman; Liu, Siqi; Qian, Xuexue; Yu, Yahui; Xu, Xiaofeng

    2018-05-21

    In this study, water-soluble fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) were directly injected into the leaf of nicotiana tabacum. With the help of UV-to-blue light conversion nanomaterial, the photosynthetic rate of the leaf was improved 18% upon additional 6 W UV irradiation. The photostability and toxicity of different kinds of CNDs were discussed. The results showed that CNDs functionalized with NH 2 -groups on their surfaces could maintain good fluorescence in plant leaf, and CNDs with complex surface groups tended to have high toxicity to the plant. The NH 2 -functionalized CNDs with non-toxicity and good photostability were used as in vivo light conversion material for direct utilization of UV light in the solar energy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Preliminary investigation of Brain Network Activation (BNA) and its clinical utility in sport-related concussion.

    PubMed

    Reches, A; Kutcher, J; Elbin, R J; Or-Ly, H; Sadeh, B; Greer, J; McAllister, D J; Geva, A; Kontos, A P

    2017-01-01

    The clinical diagnosis and management of patients with sport-related concussion is largely dependent on subjectively reported symptoms, clinical examinations, cognitive, balance, vestibular and oculomotor testing. Consequently, there is an unmet need for objective assessment tools that can identify the injury from a physiological perspective and add an important layer of information to the clinician's decision-making process. The goal of the study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the EEG-based tool named Brain Network Activation (BNA) as a longitudinal assessment method of brain function in the management of young athletes with concussion. Athletes with concussion (n = 86) and age-matched controls (n = 81) were evaluated at four time points with symptom questionnaires and BNA. BNA scores were calculated by comparing functional networks to a previously defined normative reference brain network model to the same cognitive task. Subjects above 16 years of age exhibited a significant decrease in BNA scores immediately following injury, as well as notable changes in functional network activity, relative to the controls. Three representative case studies of the tested population are discussed in detail, to demonstrate the clinical utility of BNA. The data support the utility of BNA to augment clinical examinations, symptoms and additional tests by providing an effective method for evaluating objective electrophysiological changes associated with sport-related concussions.

  6. Preliminary investigation of Brain Network Activation (BNA) and its clinical utility in sport-related concussion

    PubMed Central

    Reches, A.; Kutcher, J.; Elbin, R. J.; Or-Ly, H.; Sadeh, B.; Greer, J.; McAllister, D. J.; Geva, A.; Kontos, A. P.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: The clinical diagnosis and management of patients with sport-related concussion is largely dependent on subjectively reported symptoms, clinical examinations, cognitive, balance, vestibular and oculomotor testing. Consequently, there is an unmet need for objective assessment tools that can identify the injury from a physiological perspective and add an important layer of information to the clinician’s decision-making process. Objective: The goal of the study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the EEG-based tool named Brain Network Activation (BNA) as a longitudinal assessment method of brain function in the management of young athletes with concussion. Methods: Athletes with concussion (n = 86) and age-matched controls (n = 81) were evaluated at four time points with symptom questionnaires and BNA. BNA scores were calculated by comparing functional networks to a previously defined normative reference brain network model to the same cognitive task. Results: Subjects above 16 years of age exhibited a significant decrease in BNA scores immediately following injury, as well as notable changes in functional network activity, relative to the controls. Three representative case studies of the tested population are discussed in detail, to demonstrate the clinical utility of BNA. Conclusion: The data support the utility of BNA to augment clinical examinations, symptoms and additional tests by providing an effective method for evaluating objective electrophysiological changes associated with sport-related concussions. PMID:28055228

  7. Utility of Game Instructions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-04-01

    interface. These results can be incorporated in military training programs where computer games are part of the curriculum. Future military game ... development can also utilize these results to determine which type of instructional material to be included in the games.

  8. Heterogeneous fenton catalysts based on activated carbon and related materials.

    PubMed

    Navalon, Sergio; Dhakshinamoorthy, Amarajothi; Alvaro, Mercedes; Garcia, Hermenegildo

    2011-12-16

    The Fenton reaction is widely used for remediation of waste water and for the degradation of organic pollutants in water. Currently, there is considerable interest to convert the classical Fenton reaction, which consumes stoichiometric amounts of iron(II) salts, into a catalytic process that is promoted by a solid. This review describes the work that has used carbonaceous materials either directly as catalysts or, more frequently, as a large-area support for catalytically activated transition metals or metal-oxide nanoparticles. The interest in this type of catalyst derives from the wide use of carbon in conventional water treatments and the wide applicability of the Fenton reaction. After two general sections that illustrate the scope and background of Fenton chemistry, the review describes the activity of activated carbon in the absence or presence of metal-containing particles. The last sections of the review focus on different types of carbonaceous materials, such as carbon nanotubes and diamond nanoparticles. The review concludes with a section that anticipates future developments in this area, which are aimed at overcoming the current limitations of low activity and occurrence of metal leaching. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Active polymer materials for optical fiber CO2 sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wysokiński, Karol; Filipowicz, Marta; Stańczyk, Tomasz; Lipiński, Stanisław; Napierała, Marek; Murawski, Michał; Nasiłowski, Tomasz

    2017-04-01

    CO2 optical fiber sensors based on polymer active materials are presented in this paper. Ethyl cellulose was proven to be a good candidate for a matrix material of the sensor, since it gives porous, thick and very sensitive layers. Low-cost sensors based on polymer optical fibers have been elaborated. Sensors have been examined for their sensitivity to CO2, temperature and humidity. Response time during cyclic exposures to CO2 have been also determined. Special layers exhibiting irreversible change of color during exposure to carbon dioxide have been developed. They have been verified for a possible use in smart food packaging.

  10. Modeling of materials supply, demand and prices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    The societal, economic, and policy tradeoffs associated with materials processing and utilization, are discussed. The materials system provides the materials engineer with the system analysis required for formulate sound materials processing, utilization, and resource development policies and strategies. Materials system simulation and modeling research program including assessments of materials substitution dynamics, public policy implications, and materials process economics was expanded. This effort includes several collaborative programs with materials engineers, economists, and policy analysts. The technical and socioeconomic issues of materials recycling, input-output analysis, and technological change and productivity are examined. The major thrust areas in materials systems research are outlined.

  11. 12 CFR 1320.11 - Consultation with financial market utility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... materials timely submitted by the financial market utility under this section before making a proposed... 12 Banks and Banking 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Consultation with financial market utility... FINANCIAL MARKET UTILITIES Consultations, Determinations and Hearings § 1320.11 Consultation with financial...

  12. 12 CFR 1320.11 - Consultation with financial market utility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... materials timely submitted by the financial market utility under this section before making a proposed... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Consultation with financial market utility... FINANCIAL MARKET UTILITIES Consultations, Determinations and Hearings § 1320.11 Consultation with financial...

  13. 12 CFR 1320.11 - Consultation with financial market utility.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... materials timely submitted by the financial market utility under this section before making a proposed... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Consultation with financial market utility... FINANCIAL MARKET UTILITIES Consultations, Determinations and Hearings § 1320.11 Consultation with financial...

  14. D-A-D-type orange-light emitting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials based on a fluorenone unit: simulation, photoluminescence and electroluminescence studies.

    PubMed

    Gan, Lin; Li, Xianglong; Cai, Xinyi; Liu, Kunkun; Li, Wei; Su, Shi-Jian

    2018-01-01

    The design of orange-light emitting, thermally activated, delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials is necessary and important for the development and application of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Herein, two donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D)-type orange TADF materials based on fluorenone and acridine, namely 2,7-bis(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9 H )-yl)-9 H -fluoren-9-one (27DACRFT, 1 ) and 3,6-bis(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9 H )-yl)-9 H -fluoren-9-one (36DACRFT, 2 ), were successfully synthetized and characterized. The studies on their structure-property relationship show that the different configurations have a serious effect on the photoluminescence and electroluminescence performance according to the change in singlet-triplet splitting energy (Δ E ST ) and excited state geometry. This indicates that a better configuration design can reduce internal conversion and improve triplet exciton utilization of TADF materials. Importantly, OLEDs based on 2 exhibited a maximum external quantum efficiency of 8.9%, which is higher than the theoretical efficiency of the OLEDs based on conventional fluorescent materials.

  15. D–A–D-type orange-light emitting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials based on a fluorenone unit: simulation, photoluminescence and electroluminescence studies

    PubMed Central

    Gan, Lin; Li, Xianglong; Cai, Xinyi; Liu, Kunkun; Li, Wei

    2018-01-01

    The design of orange-light emitting, thermally activated, delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials is necessary and important for the development and application of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Herein, two donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D)-type orange TADF materials based on fluorenone and acridine, namely 2,7-bis(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9H)-yl)-9H-fluoren-9-one (27DACRFT, 1) and 3,6-bis(9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9H)-yl)-9H-fluoren-9-one (36DACRFT, 2), were successfully synthetized and characterized. The studies on their structure–property relationship show that the different configurations have a serious effect on the photoluminescence and electroluminescence performance according to the change in singlet–triplet splitting energy (ΔE ST) and excited state geometry. This indicates that a better configuration design can reduce internal conversion and improve triplet exciton utilization of TADF materials. Importantly, OLEDs based on 2 exhibited a maximum external quantum efficiency of 8.9%, which is higher than the theoretical efficiency of the OLEDs based on conventional fluorescent materials. PMID:29623130

  16. Annual Summary. Training and Technology Experimentation, Demonstration, and Utilization Program Activities (January 1-December 31, 1971).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oak Ridge Associated Universities, TN.

    Directed primarily toward increasing utilization of industrial resources for training and development of disadvantaged persons, Training and Technology (TAT) activities for 1971 included: (1) development and implementation of experimental approaches to program development and operation, (2) technical support for university-conducted related…

  17. Water Utility Lime Sludge Reuse – An Environmental Sorbent ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Lime sludge can be used as an environmental sorbent to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) and acid gases, by the ultra-fine CaCO3 particles, and to sequester mercury and other heavy metals, by the Natural Organic Matter and residual activated carbon. The laboratory experimental set up included a simulated flue gas preparation unit, a lab-scale wet scrubber, and a mercury analyzer system. The influent mercury concentration was based on a range from 22 surveyed power plants. The reactivity of the lime sludge sample for acid neutralization was determined using a method similar to method ASTM C1318-95. Similar experiments were conducted using reagent calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate to obtain baseline data for comparing with the lime sludge test results. The project also evaluated the techno-economic feasibility and sustainable benefits of reusing lime softening sludge. If implemented on a large scale, this transformative approach for recycling waste materials from water treatment utilities at power generation utilities for environmental cleanup can save both water and power utilities millions of dollars. Huge amounts of lime sludge waste, generated from hundreds of water treatment utilities across the U.S., is currently disposed in landfills. This project evaluated a sustainable and economically-attractive approach to the use of lime sludge waste as a valuable resource for power generation utilities.

  18. Locating interfaces in vertically-layered materials and determining concentrations in mixed materials utilizing acoustic impedance measurements

    DOEpatents

    Langlois, Gary N.

    1983-09-13

    Measurement of the relative and actual value of acoustic characteristic impedances of an unknown substance, location of the interfaces of vertically-layered materials, and the determination of the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material. A highly damped ultrasonic pulse is transmitted into one side of a reference plate, such as a tank wall, where the other side of the reference plate is in physical contact with the medium to be measured. The amplitude of a return signal, which is the reflection of the transmitted pulse from the interface between the other side of the reference plate and the medium, is measured. The amplitude value indicates the acoustic characteristic impedance of the substance relative to that of the reference plate or relative to that of other tested materials. Discontinuities in amplitude with repeated measurements for various heights indicate the location of interfaces in vertically-layered materials. Standardization techniques permit the relative acoustic characteristic impedance of a substance to be converted to an actual value. Calibration techniques for mixtures permit the amplitude to be converted to the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material.

  19. Locating interfaces in vertically-layered materials and determining concentrations in mixed materials utilizing acoustic impedance measurements

    DOEpatents

    Langlois, G.N.

    1983-09-13

    Measurement of the relative and actual value of acoustic characteristic impedances of an unknown substance, location of the interfaces of vertically-layered materials, and the determination of the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material are disclosed. A highly damped ultrasonic pulse is transmitted into one side of a reference plate, such as a tank wall, where the other side of the reference plate is in physical contact with the medium to be measured. The amplitude of a return signal, which is the reflection of the transmitted pulse from the interface between the other side of the reference plate and the medium, is measured. The amplitude value indicates the acoustic characteristic impedance of the substance relative to that of the reference plate or relative to that of other tested materials. Discontinuities in amplitude with repeated measurements for various heights indicate the location of interfaces in vertically-layered materials. Standardization techniques permit the relative acoustic characteristic impedance of a substance to be converted to an actual value. Calibration techniques for mixtures permit the amplitude to be converted to the concentration of a first material mixed in a second material. 6 figs.

  20. Indoor Chemistry: Materials, Ventilation Systems, and Occupant Activities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morrison, G.C.; Corsi, R.L.; Destaillats, H.

    2006-05-01

    Chemical processes taking place in indoor environments can significantly alter the nature and concentrations of pollutants. Exposure to secondary contaminants generated in these reactions needs to be evaluated in association with many aspects of buildings to minimize their impact on occupant health and well-being. Focusing on indoor ozone chemistry, we describe alternatives for improving indoor air quality by controlling chemical changes related to building materials, ventilation systems, and occupant activities.

  1. Adsorption of chromium ions from aqueous solution by using activated carbo-aluminosilicate material from oil shale.

    PubMed

    Shawabkeh, Reyad Awwad

    2006-07-15

    A novel activated carbo-aluminosilicate material was prepared from oil shale by chemical activation. The chemicals used in the activation process were 95 wt% sulfuric and 5 wt% nitric acids. The produced material combines the sorption properties and the mechanical strength of both activated carbon and zeolite. An X-ray diffraction analysis shows the formation of zeolite Y, Na-X, and A-types, sodalite, sodium silicate, mullite, and cancrinite. FT-IR spectrum shows the presence of carboxylic, phenolic, and lactonic groups on the surface of this material. The zero point of charge estimated at different mass to solution ratio ranged from 7.9 to 8.3. Chromium removal by this material showed sorption capacity of 92 mg/g.

  2. Photo-induced optical activity in phase-change memory materials.

    PubMed

    Borisenko, Konstantin B; Shanmugam, Janaki; Williams, Benjamin A O; Ewart, Paul; Gholipour, Behrad; Hewak, Daniel W; Hussain, Rohanah; Jávorfi, Tamás; Siligardi, Giuliano; Kirkland, Angus I

    2015-03-05

    We demonstrate that optical activity in amorphous isotropic thin films of pure Ge2Sb2Te5 and N-doped Ge2Sb2Te5N phase-change memory materials can be induced using rapid photo crystallisation with circularly polarised laser light. The new anisotropic phase transition has been confirmed by circular dichroism measurements. This opens up the possibility of controlled induction of optical activity at the nanosecond time scale for exploitation in a new generation of high-density optical memory, fast chiroptical switches and chiral metamaterials.

  3. Method of preparing porous, active material for use in electrodes of secondary electrochemical cells

    DOEpatents

    Vissers, Donald R.; Nelson, Paul A.; Kaun, Thomas D.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt

    1977-01-01

    Particles of carbonaceous matrices containing embedded electrode active material are prepared for vibratory loading within a porous electrically conductive substrate. In preparing the particles, active materials such as metal chalcogenides, solid alloys of alkali or alkaline earth metals along with other metals and their oxides in powdered or particulate form are blended with a thermosetting resin and particles of a volatile to form a paste mixture. The paste is heated to a temperature at which the volatile transforms into vapor to impart porosity at about the same time as the resin begins to cure into a rigid, solid structure.The solid structure is then comminuted into porous, carbonaceous particles with the embedded active material.

  4. Designing Radiation Resistance in Materials for Fusion Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zinkle, S. J.; Snead, L. L.

    2014-07-01

    Proposed fusion and advanced (Generation IV) fission energy systems require high-performance materials capable of satisfactory operation up to neutron damage levels approaching 200 atomic displacements per atom with large amounts of transmutant hydrogen and helium isotopes. After a brief overview of fusion reactor concepts and radiation effects phenomena in structural and functional (nonstructural) materials, three fundamental options for designing radiation resistance are outlined: Utilize matrix phases with inherent radiation tolerance, select materials in which vacancies are immobile at the design operating temperatures, or engineer materials with high sink densities for point defect recombination. Environmental and safety considerations impose several additional restrictions on potential materials systems, but reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels (including thermomechanically treated and oxide dispersion-strengthened options) and silicon carbide ceramic composites emerge as robust structural materials options. Materials modeling (including computational thermodynamics) and advanced manufacturing methods are poised to exert a major impact in the next ten years.

  5. Exploring the Utilization of Low-Pressure, Piston-Cylinder Experiments to Determine the Bulk Compositions of Finite, Precious Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vander Kaaden, K. E.; McCubbin, F. M.; Harrington, A. D.

    2017-01-01

    Determining the bulk composition of precious materials with a finite mass (e.g., meteorite samples) is extremely important in the fields of Earth and Planetary Science. From meteorite studies we are able to place constraints on large scale planetary processes like global differentiation and subsequent volcanism, as well as smaller scale processes like crystallization in a magma chamber or sedimentary compaction at the surface. However, with meteorite samples in particular, far too often we are limited by how precious the sample is as well as its limited mass. In this study, we have utilized aliquots of samples previously studied for toxicological hazards, including both the fresh samples (lunar mare basalt NWA 4734, lunar regolith breccia NWA 7611, martian basalt Tissint, martian regolith breccia NWA 7034, a vestian basalt Berthoud, a vestian regolith breccia NWA 2060, and a terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)), and those that underwent iron leaching (Tissint, NWA 7034, NWA 4734, MORB). With these small masses of material, we performed low pressure (approx. 0.75 GPa), high temperature (greater than 1600 degrees Celsius) melting experiments. Each sample was analyzed using a JEOL 8530F electron microprobe to determine the bulk composition of the materials that were previously examined. When available, the results of our microprobe data were compared with bulk rock compositions in the literature. The results of this study show that with this technique, only approx. 50 mg of sample is required to accurately determine the bulk composition of the materials of interest.

  6. NASA Space Engineering Research Center for utilization of local planetary resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    In 1987, responding to widespread concern about America's competitiveness and future in the development of space technology and the academic preparation of our next generation of space professionals, NASA initiated a program to establish Space Engineering Research Centers (SERC's) at universities with strong doctoral programs in engineering. The goal was to create a national infrastructure for space exploration and development, and sites for the Centers would be selected on the basis of originality of proposed research, the potential for near-term utilization of technologies developed, and the impact these technologies could have on the U.S. space program. The Centers would also be charged with a major academic mission: the recruitment of topnotch students and their training as space professionals. This document describes the goals, accomplishments, and benefits of the research activities of the University of Arizona/NASA SERC. This SERC has become recognized as the premier center in the area known as In-Situ Resource Utilization or Indigenous Space Materials Utilization.

  7. Variable distributional characteristics of substrate utilization patterns in activated sludge plants in Kuwait.

    PubMed

    Al-Mutairi, N Z

    2009-02-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of microbial functional potential and community structure between three different WWTPs using the Lorenz curve method and to find the effect of seasonal variation on patterns of substrate utilization. Lorenz curve method was sensitive enough to detect short-term changes in microbial functional diversity between Riqqa, Umm Al-Haiman and Al-Jahra activated sludge systems and showed seasonal variations of the utilized carbon sources. Gini coefficient ranged from 0.21 to 0.8. Lorenz curves seemed particularly suitable to present microbial heterogeneity in term of inequality and to highlight the relative contribution of low-and high functional diversity for the three different types of mixed liquors. Correlation analysis of the experimental data show that the complement of the Gini coefficient was strongly and positively correlated with the Shannon index (r(xy)=0.89), evenness (r(xy)=0.91), and AWCD (r(xy)=0.95) at the 95% level of significance (alpha=0.05).

  8. Alkali-Activated Aluminium-Silicate Composites as Insulation Materials for Industrial Application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dembovska, L.; Bajare, D.; Pundiene, I.; Bumanis, G.

    2015-11-01

    The article reports on the study of thermal stability of alkali-activated aluminium- silicate composites (ASC) at temperature 800-1100°C. ASC were prepared by using calcined kaolinite clay, aluminium scrap recycling waste, lead-silicate glass waste and quartz sand. As alkali activator, commercial sodium silicate solution modified with an addition of sodium hydroxide was used. The obtained alkali activation solution had silica modulus Ms=1.67. Components of aluminium scrap recycling waste (aluminium nitride (AlN) and iron sulphite (FeSO3)) react in the alkali media and create gases - ammonia and sulphur dioxide, which provide the porous structure of the material [1]. Changes in the chemical composition of ASC during heating were identified and quantitatively analysed by using DTA/TG, dimension changes during the heating process were determined by using HTOM, pore microstructure was examined by SEM, and mineralogical composition of ASC was determined by XRD. The density of ASC was measured in accordance with EN 1097-7. ASC with density around 560 kg/m3 and heat resistance up to 1100°C with shrinkage less than 5% were obtained. The intended use of this material is the application as an insulation material for industrial purposes at elevated temperatures.

  9. Preparation and Characterization of Biomass-Derived Advanced Carbon Materials for Lithium-Ion Battery Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hardiansyah, Andri; Chaldun, Elsy Rahimi; Nuryadin, Bebeh Wahid; Fikriyyah, Anti Khoerul; Subhan, Achmad; Ghozali, Muhammad; Purwasasmita, Bambang Sunendar

    2018-04-01

    In this study, carbon-based advanced materials for lithium-ion battery applications were prepared by using soybean waste-based biomass material, through a straightforward process of heat treatment followed by chemical modification processes. Various types of carbon-based advanced materials were developed. Physicochemical characteristics and electrochemical performance of the resultant materials were characterized systematically. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the activated carbon and graphene exhibits wrinkles structures and porous morphology. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that both activated carbon and graphene-based material exhibited a good conductivity. For instance, the graphene-based material exhibited equivalent series resistance value of 25.9 Ω as measured by EIS. The graphene-based material also exhibited good reversibility and cyclic performance. Eventually, it would be anticipated that the utilization of soybean waste-based biomass material, which is conforming to the principles of green materials, could revolutionize the development of advanced material for high-performance energy storage applications, especially for lithium-ion batteries application.

  10. Preparation and Characterization of Biomass-Derived Advanced Carbon Materials for Lithium-Ion Battery Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hardiansyah, Andri; Chaldun, Elsy Rahimi; Nuryadin, Bebeh Wahid; Fikriyyah, Anti Khoerul; Subhan, Achmad; Ghozali, Muhammad; Purwasasmita, Bambang Sunendar

    2018-07-01

    In this study, carbon-based advanced materials for lithium-ion battery applications were prepared by using soybean waste-based biomass material, through a straightforward process of heat treatment followed by chemical modification processes. Various types of carbon-based advanced materials were developed. Physicochemical characteristics and electrochemical performance of the resultant materials were characterized systematically. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that the activated carbon and graphene exhibits wrinkles structures and porous morphology. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that both activated carbon and graphene-based material exhibited a good conductivity. For instance, the graphene-based material exhibited equivalent series resistance value of 25.9 Ω as measured by EIS. The graphene-based material also exhibited good reversibility and cyclic performance. Eventually, it would be anticipated that the utilization of soybean waste-based biomass material, which is conforming to the principles of green materials, could revolutionize the development of advanced material for high-performance energy storage applications, especially for lithium-ion batteries application.

  11. Using DFT Methods to Study Activators in Optical Materials

    DOE PAGES

    Du, Mao-Hua

    2015-08-17

    Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of various activators (ranging from transition metal ions, rare-earth ions, ns 2 ions, to self-trapped and dopant-bound excitons) in phosphors and scintillators are reviewed. As a single-particle ground-state theory, DFT calculations cannot reproduce the experimentally observed optical spectra, which involve transitions between multi-electronic states. However, DFT calculations can generally provide sufficiently accurate structural relaxation and distinguish different hybridization strengths between an activator and its ligands in different host compounds. This is important because the activator-ligand interaction often governs the trends in luminescence properties in phosphors and scintillators, and can be used to search for newmore » materials. DFT calculations of the electronic structure of the host compound and the positions of the activator levels relative to the host band edges in scintillators are also important for finding optimal host-activator combinations for high light yields and fast scintillation response. Mn 4+ activated red phosphors, scintillators activated by Ce 3+, Eu 2+, Tl +, and excitons are shown as examples of using DFT calculations in phosphor and scintillator research.« less

  12. Optimization of food materials for development of nutritious pasta utilizing groundnut meal and beetroot.

    PubMed

    Mridula, D; Gupta, R K; Bhadwal, Sheetal; Khaira, Harjot; Tyagi, S K

    2016-04-01

    Present study was undertaken to optimize the level of food materials viz. groundnut meal, beetroot juice and refined wheat flour for development of nutritious pasta using response surface methodology. Box-benken design of experiments was used to design different experimental combinations considering 10 to 20 g groundnut meal, 6 to 18 mL beetroot juice and 80 to 90 g refined wheat flour. Quality attributes such as protein content, antioxidant activity, colour, cooking quality (solid loss, rehydration ratio and cooking time) and sensory acceptability of pasta samples were the dependent variables for the study. The results revealed that pasta samples with higher levels of groundnut meal and beetroot juice were high in antioxidant activity and overall sensory acceptability. The samples with higher content of groundnut meal indicated higher protein contents in them. On the other hand, the samples with higher beetroot juice content were high in rehydration ratio and lesser cooking time along with low solid loss in cooking water. The different level of studied food materials significantly affected the colour quality of pasta samples. Optimized combination for development of nutritious pasta consisted of 20 g groundnut meal, 18 mL beetroot juice and 83.49 g refined wheat flour with overall desirability as 0.905. This pasta sample required 5.5 min to cook and showed 1.37 % solid loss and rehydration ratio as 6.28. Pasta sample prepared following optimized formulation provided 19.56 % protein content, 23.95 % antioxidant activity and 125.89 mg/100 g total phenols with overall sensory acceptability scores 8.71.

  13. Optimizing the Activation of Chlorin e6 Utilizing Upconversion Energy Transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avalos, Julio C.; Pedraza, Francisco J.; Sardar, Dhiraj K.

    2015-03-01

    Current cancer therapy techniques, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, possess several drawbacks including lack of selectivity resulting in harmful side effects. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the fastest emerging techniques due to its many advantages, including the use of nonionizing radiation, targeted delivery, and controlled doses. In PDT, photosensitizers (PSs) are activated inside targeted cells to produce irreversible damage inducing cell death. Since most PSs operate in the visible range, it is difficult to activate them due to the high attenuation of soft tissue. Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNP) are able to absorb in the NIR region, where light is less attenuated, and emit in the visible range, resulting in deeper tissue penetration. UCNPs are able to assist with the activation of the PS by energy transfer when the PS is conjugated onto the UCNP. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) is a commonly used PSs due to its ability to release reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is one of the main processes utilized in PDT. The UCNP studied contain a combination of rare earth doped ions including Erbium, Thulium, and Holmium precisely doped into the host nanocrystal to improve upconversion emission and energy transfer. The work presented will focus on exploring the factors that affect the activation of Ce6. The results will include the enhancement of Ce6 activation and ROS release when conjugated onto a rare earth-doped UCNP. This research was funded by NSF-PREM Grant No. DMR -0934218 and RISE Grant No. GM 060655.

  14. A Strategy to Design High-Density Nanoscale Devices utilizing Vapor Deposition of Metal Halide Perovskite Materials.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Bohee; Lee, Jang-Sik

    2017-08-01

    The demand for high memory density has increased due to increasing needs of information storage, such as big data processing and the Internet of Things. Organic-inorganic perovskite materials that show nonvolatile resistive switching memory properties have potential applications as the resistive switching layer for next-generation memory devices, but, for practical applications, these materials should be utilized in high-density data-storage devices. Here, nanoscale memory devices are fabricated by sequential vapor deposition of organolead halide perovskite (OHP) CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 layers on wafers perforated with 250 nm via-holes. These devices have bipolar resistive switching properties, and show low-voltage operation, fast switching speed (200 ns), good endurance, and data-retention time >10 5 s. Moreover, the use of sequential vapor deposition is extended to deposit CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 as the memory element in a cross-point array structure. This method to fabricate high-density memory devices could be used for memory cells that occupy large areas, and to overcome the scaling limit of existing methods; it also presents a way to use OHPs to increase memory storage capacity. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Industrial recovered-materials-utilization targets for the textile-mill-products industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1979-01-01

    The Congress, in the National Energy Conservation and Policy Act of 1978 (NECPA), directed the Department of Energy to establish materials recovery targets for the metals and metal products, paper and allied products, rubber, and textile-mill-products industries. The targets were developed to provide incentives for using energy-saving recorded materials and to provied a yardstick for measuring progress and improvement in this endeavor. The NECPA indicates that the targets should represent the maximum technically and economically feasible increase in the use of energy-saving recovered materials that each industry can achieve progressively by January 1, 1987. Materials affected by recovered-materials targets includemore » and are limited to aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, iron, steel, paper and associated products, textile-mill, products, and rubber. Using information gathered from the textile-mill-products industry and from other textile-relaed sources, DOE has developed recovered materials targets for that industry. This report presents those targets and their basis and justification. Following an overview of the textile industry, the chapters are: Textile-Mill-Products Industry Operations; Economic Analysis of the Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Governmental and Regulatory Influence on the US Textile Industry; Current Mill Use of Recovered Materials in the Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Limitations on the Use of Recovered Materials in the US Textile-Mill-Products Industry; Materials-Recovery Targets; and Government and Industry Actions That Could Increase the Use of Recovered Materials.« less

  16. Tools for Activating Materials and Tasks in the English Language Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenberg, Rick

    2009-01-01

    Most teachers have seen the reactions students can have to tasks and activities that they do not find engaging: the glassy or rolling eyes, the unfocused behavior, and the cries of "Not again!" This article provides practical techniques that the author's students have helped him learn over the years to better "activate" materials and tasks in the…

  17. Formation of contact active antimicrobial surfaces by covalent grafting of quaternary ammonium compounds.

    PubMed

    Elena, Poverenov; Miri, Klein

    2018-05-16

    Different synthetic strategies for the formation of contact active antimicrobial materials utilizing covalent linkage of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were reviewed. There is a demand to find methods that will prevent bacterial fouling without the release of antimicrobial agents, because biocides cause environment pollution and promote the development of bacteria resistance mechanisms. The contact active antimicrobial surfaces may provide a useful tool for this purpose. The covalent surface grafting of QACs seems to be a feasible and promising approach for the formation of safe and effective antimicrobial materials that could be utilized for medical devices, food industry, water treatment systems and other applications. This manuscript reviews covalent attachment of QACs to form contact active antimicrobial materials based on glass, metals, synthetic and natural polymers. The review emphasizes the description of different synthetic methods that are used for the covalent linkage. Direct covalent linkage of QACs to the material surfaces, a linkage via auxiliary nanoparticles (NPs), or spacers, controlled radical polymerization techniques and a linkage to pre-activated surfaces are discussed. The physico-chemical properties and biological activity of the modified surfaces are also described. This review does not cover non-covalent grafting of QACs and incorporation of QACs into a bulk material. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Activities of the Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal at Zabrze

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dreszer, K.

    1995-12-31

    The Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal at Zabrze was established in 1955. The works on carbochemical technologies have been, therefore, carried out at the Institute for 40 years. The targets of the Institute`s activities are research, scientific and developing works regarding a sensible utilization of fuels via their processing into more refined forms, safe environment, highly efficient use of energy carriers and technological products of special quality. The Institute of Chemical Processing of Coal has been dealing with the following: optimized use of home hard coals; improvement of classic coal coking technologies, processing and utilization of volatile coking products;more » production technologies of low emission rate fuels for communal management; analyses of coal processing technologies; new technologies aimed at increasing the efficiency of coal utilization for energy-generating purposes, especially in industry and studies on the ecological aspects of these processes; production technologies of sorbents and carbon activating agents and technologies of the utilization; rationalization of water and wastes management in the metallurgical and chemical industries in connection with removal of pollution especially dangerous to the environment from wastes; utilization technologies of refined materials (electrode cokes, binders, impregnating agents) for making electrodes, refractories and new generation construction carbon materials; production technologies of high quality bituminous and bituminous and resin coating, anti-corrosive and insulation materials; environmentally friendly utilization technologies for power station, mine and other wastes, and dedusting processes in industrial gas streams.« less

  19. Evaluation of Light-Activated Provisional Resin Materials for Periodontal Soft Tissue Management.

    PubMed

    Jun, Soo-Kyung; Lee, Hae-Hyoung; Lee, Jung-Hwan

    The purpose of this study was to determine mechanical properties using a compressive test with cylinder specimen ( h = 6 mm and ϕ = 4 mm) as well as cytotoxicity using elutes from disk specimen ( ϕ = 10 mm and h = 2 mm) against human gingival fibroblasts and oral keratinocytes with light-activated provisional resin materials (Revotek LC and Luxatemp Solar) compared to chemically activated counterpart (Snap, Trim II, and Jet). Significantly increased compressive strength (210~280 MPa) was detected in light-activated products compared to chemically activated ones (20~65 MPa, P < 0.05) and similar compressive modulus was detected in both types (0.8~1.5 and 0.5~1.3 GPa). Simultaneously, the light-activated products showed less adverse effects on the periodontal soft tissue cells in any polymerization stage compared to the chemically activated products. Particularly, chemically activated products had significantly greater adverse effects during the "polymerizing" phase compared to those that were "already set" ( P < 0.05), as shown in confocal microscopic images of live and dead cells. In conclusion, light-activated provisional resin materials have better mechanical properties as well as biocompatibility against two tested types of oral cells compared to the chemically activated counterpart, which are considered as more beneficial choice for periodontal soft tissue management.

  20. Utilization of nuclear methods for materials analysis and the determination of concentration gradients

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Darras, R.

    1979-01-01

    The various types of nuclear chemical analysis methods are discussed. The possibilities of analysis through activation and direct observation of nuclear reactions are described. Such methods make it possible to analyze trace elements and impurities with selectivity, accuracy, and a high degree of sensitivity. Such methods are used in measuring major elements present in materials which are available for analysis only in small quantities. These methods are well suited to superficial analyses and to determination of concentration gradients; provided the nature and energy of the incident particles are chosen judiciously. Typical examples of steels, pure iron and refractory metals are illustrated.

  1. Anti-quorum sensing activity of AgCl-TiO2 nanoparticles with potential use as active food packaging material.

    PubMed

    Naik, K; Kowshik, M

    2014-10-01

    To study the anti-quorum sensing (anti-QS) activity of AgCl-TiO2 nanoparticles (ATNPs) and its mechanism. Anti-QS activity of ATNPs was evaluated using the bacterial model Chromobacterium violaceum. Silver present in ATNPs significantly reduced violacein production in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating inhibition of QS. Anti-QS activity was confirmed by the absence of signalling molecule, oxo-octanoyl homoserine lactone during growth in the presence of ATNPs. TiO2 acted as a good supporting matrix facilitating controlled release of silver with prolonged residual activity. ATNPs are proposed as QS inhibitors with potential for use as an antipathogenic but nontoxic bioactive material. Although silver is well known for its bioactive potential of antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, this study adds further note on its anti-QS activity and its potential use in food packaging industry. Food spoilage is a major socio-economic problem, and the potential role of QS in food spoilage and food safety has been indicated. Anti-QS materials such as ATNPs are proposed as efficient models for controlling food spoilage. ATNPs incorporated in food packaging materials could play an important role in food preservation and ensure safety of food by prolonging their shelf life. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

    DOEpatents

    Black, Marcie R [Newton, MA

    2011-02-22

    An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

  3. Optoelectronic devices utilizing materials having enhanced electronic transitions

    DOEpatents

    Black, Marcie R.

    2013-04-09

    An optoelectronic device that includes a material having enhanced electronic transitions. The electronic transitions are enhanced by mixing electronic states at an interface. The interface may be formed by a nano-well, a nano-dot, or a nano-wire.

  4. Activated stress response pathways within multicellular aggregates utilize an autocrine component.

    PubMed

    Jack, Graham D; Cabrera, M Carla; Manning, Michael L; Slaughter, Stephen M; Potts, Malcolm; Helm, Richard F

    2007-04-01

    Multicellular aggregates (spheroids) of primary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF-2) and a glioblastoma cell line (T98G) entered and exited from long term (2 weeks) metabolic arrest utilizing an autocrine response. Cytokine production (specifically IFN-gamma) activated a Gadd45alpha/p38 pathway that led to increased AP-1 (c-jun and ATF3) transcription factor levels, augmenting cytokine production in an autocrine fashion. Whereas HFF-2 aggregates were capable of surviving long term arrest and recovery during NF-kappaB inhibition independent of JNK activation, T98G aggregates were not. Such endogenous processes are not easily observed with adherent monolayer cell culturing systems, strongly suggesting that more emphasis needs to be placed on determining the operational signal transduction cascades within multicellular aggregates. Extracellular inputs such as spheroid formation, arrest, and regrowth as monolayers invoke intracellular signaling responses converging at the AP-1 transcription factor level. Variations in responses are both cell type and transformation state dependent and require an autocrine cytokine component. The data are discussed in relation to the wounding response and avascular tumor growth mechanisms.

  5. Recycling of typical supercapacitor materials.

    PubMed

    Vermisoglou, Eleni C; Giannouri, Maria; Todorova, Nadia; Giannakopoulou, Tatiana; Lekakou, Constantina; Trapalis, Christos

    2016-04-01

    A simple, facile and low-cost method for recycling of supercapacitor materials is proposed. This process aims to recover some fundamental components of a used supercapacitor, namely the electrolyte salt tetraethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF4) dissolved in an aprotic organic solvent such as acetonitrile (ACN), the carbonaceous material (activated charcoal, carbon nanotubes) purified, the current collector (aluminium foil) and the separator (paper) for further utilization. The method includes mechanical shredding of the supercapacitor in order to reduce its size, and separation of aluminium foil and paper from the carbonaceous resources containing TEABF4 by sieving. The extraction of TEABF4 from the carbonaceous material was based on its solubility in water and subsequent separation through filtering and distillation. A cyclic voltammetry curve of the recycled carbonaceous material revealed supercapacitor behaviour allowing a potential reutilization. Furthermore, as BF4(-) stemming from TEABF4 can be slowly hydrolysed in an aqueous environment, thus releasing F(-) anions, which are hazardous, we went on to their gradual trapping with calcium acetate and conversion to non-hazardous CaF2. © The Author(s) 2016.

  6. Health care resource utilization in patients with active epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Kurth, Tobias; Lewis, Barbara E; Walker, Alexander M

    2010-05-01

    To evaluate health care resource utilization (HRU) in active epilepsy. Thomson-Reuters insurance databases included 14 million persons in 2005-2007. We extracted information for individuals with insurance claims suggestive of epilepsy. Using iterative expert classification, we sorted patients by type of epilepsy. For each type we calculated prevalence and HRU. A distance analysis identified closely similar types, and a principal components analysis revealed dimensions of variation in HRU. The prevalence of active epilepsy was 3.4 per 1,000. Most common diagnoses among 46,847 patients were generalized convulsive epilepsy (33.3%) and complex partial seizures (24.8%). Patients averaged 10 physician visits per year, 24 diagnostic tests/procedures per year, >30 drug dispensings per year, and <1 emergency room (ER) visit per year, the minority of each of these being related to epilepsy. Female patients generally had more HRU, and HRU increased with age. Patients were hospitalized most frequently for disorders other than epilepsy. HRU was similar for most epilepsy types, excepting grand mal status, epilepsia partialis continua, and infantile spasms. The first principal components of HRU variation was nonepilepsy HRU, followed by components of epilepsy-related medications, other epilepsy/emergency care, and epilepsy visits/diagnostic procedures. The prevalence of active epilepsy in the United States is substantially less than the prevalence of any history of recurrent seizure. Nonepilepsy-related HRU dominated HRU in epilepsy patients and was the principal source of variation. There is a core set of epilepsy diagnoses, the HRU patterns of which are indistinguishable, whereas patients with grand mal status, epilepsia partialis continua, and infantile spasms all have distinct patterns. To provide more specific insights into the economic impact of the condition, studies of HRU in epilepsy should make a distinction about epilepsy-related and unrelated care.

  7. Theoretical Study of Si(x) Ge(y)Li(z) (x=4-10, y=1-10, z=0-10) Clusters for Designing of Novel Nanostructured Materials to be Utilized as Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-16

    AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0088 Theoretical Study of Novel Nanostructured Materials for Lithium - Ion Batteries Mario Sanchez-Vazquez CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION...SiGeLi Clusters for Design of Novel Nanostructured Materials to Be Utilized as Anodes for Lithium - ion Batteries 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER...utilized as anodes for Lithium - ion batteries Final Report Nancy Perez-Peralta and Mario Sanchez-Vazquez Abstract In order to find out if

  8. Utilization of oil palm fronds in producing activated carbon using Na2CO3 as an activator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maulina, S.; Anwari, FN

    2018-02-01

    Oil Palm Frond is a waste in palm oil plantations that have the potential to be processed into more valuable products. This possibility is because of the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in oil palm fronds. Therefore, this study aimed to utilize oil palm fronds in manufacturing of activated carbon through pyrolysis and impregnation that meets the requirements of the Industrial National Standard 06-3730-1995. The palm-fringed oil palm fronds were pyrolyzed in reactors at 150°C, 200°C, and 250°C for 60 minutes. Subsequently, the charcoal produced from the pyrolysis was smoothed with a ball mill, sieved with a size of 140 meshes, and impregnated using a Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) for 24 hours at a concentration of 0 %, 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5 % (w/v). The activated carbon has 35.13% of charcoal yield, 8.6% of water content, 14.25% of ash content, 24.75% of volatile matter, 72.75% of fixed carbon, and 492.29 of iodine number. Moreover, SEM analysis indicated that activated carbon porous are coarse and distributed.

  9. 41 CFR 109-39.301 - Utilization guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Utilization guidelines... Management System Vehicles § 109-39.301 Utilization guidelines. DOE activities utilizing GSA IFMS motor... meeting DOE utilization guidelines or established local use objectives, as appropriate. Those vehicles not...

  10. Lack of O-GlcNAcylation enhances exercise-dependent glucose utilization potentially through AMP-activated protein kinase activation in skeletal muscle.

    PubMed

    Murata, Koichiro; Morino, Katsutaro; Ida, Shogo; Ohashi, Natsuko; Lemecha, Mengistu; Park, Shi-Young; Ishikado, Atsushi; Kume, Shinji; Choi, Cheol Soo; Sekine, Osamu; Ugi, Satoshi; Maegawa, Hiroshi

    2018-01-08

    O-GlcNAcylation is a post-translational modification that is characterized by the addition of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to proteins by O-GlcNAc transferase (Ogt). The degree of O-GlcNAcylation is thought to be associated with glucotoxicity and diabetic complications, because GlcNAc is produced by a branch of the glycolytic pathway. However, its role in skeletal muscle has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we created skeletal muscle-specific Ogt knockout (Ogt-MKO) mice and analyzed their glucose metabolism. During an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, blood glucose was slightly lower in Ogt-MKO mice than in control Ogt-flox mice. High fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance were reversed in Ogt-MKO mice. In addition, 12-month-old Ogt-MKO mice had lower adipose and body mass. A single bout of exercise significantly reduced blood glucose in Ogt-MKO mice, probably because of higher AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) protein expression. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide, an AMPK activator, resulted in a more marked decrease in blood glucose levels in Ogt-MKO mice than in controls. Finally, Ogt knockdown by siRNA in C2C12 myotubes significantly increased protein expression of AMPKα, glucose uptake and oxidation. In conclusion, loss of O-GlcNAcylation facilitates glucose utilization in skeletal muscle, potentially through AMPK activation. The inhibition of O-GlcNAcylation in skeletal muscle may have an anti-diabetic effect, through an enhancement of glucose utilization during exercise. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Discussion of impact of relics activation on protection and utilization approaches-take the old summer palace as an example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiaoqi, J.

    2015-08-01

    As the popularization of cultural relics and the rapid development of cultural tourism industry, a large number of cultural relic tourism resources goes into public eyes. Activation of relics has became an important way for tourist to contact and understand culture relics. The way of how to properly interpret the historical sense and cultural uniqueness to the masses of tourists in order to achieve social service functions of relic resources has always been research focal point of site protection and utilization, so nowadays it has important significance to protection and utilization of heritage resources in our country. From the point of activation of relics and based on the analysis of resource characteristic, the paper in depth discuss ways of activation of relics of the Old Summer Palace, in order to provide reference for sustainable development of sites tourism in China.

  12. Analytic expressions for Atomic Layer Deposition: coverage, throughput, and materials utilization in cross-flow, particle coating, and spatial ALD

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yanguas-Gil, Angel; Elam, Jeffrey W.

    2014-05-01

    In this work, the authors present analytic models for atomic layer deposition (ALD) in three common experimental configurations: cross-flow, particle coating, and spatial ALD. These models, based on the plug-flow and well-mixed approximations, allow us to determine the minimum dose times and materials utilization for all three configurations. A comparison between the three models shows that throughput and precursor utilization can each be expressed by universal equations, in which the particularity of the experimental system is contained in a single parameter related to the residence time of the precursor in the reactor. For the case of cross-flow reactors, the authorsmore » show how simple analytic expressions for the reactor saturation profiles agree well with experimental results. Consequently, the analytic model can be used to extract information about the ALD surface chemistry (e. g., the reaction probability) by comparing the analytic and experimental saturation profiles, providing a useful tool for characterizing new and existing ALD processes. (C) 2014 American Vacuum Society« less

  13. Matrix Vesicle Enzyme Activity and Phospholipid Content in Endosteal Bone Following Implantation of Osseointegrating and Non-Osseointegrating Implant Materials.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-01-01

    limb. The collected hemopoietic material was a combination of cells, fractured cell debris, and matrix vesicles. This material was utilized for the... dogs and rabbits (Deutscher et al., 1978; Fuchs et al., 1981), and the mandibles of humans (Bunte et al., 1977). Following surgical implantation, there...associated with mineralization in a number of additional normal and pathologic conditions, including cementum (Hayashi, 1985), fracture callus (Boskey et al

  14. Trivalent chromium removal from wastewater using low cost activated carbon derived from agricultural waste material and activated carbon fabric cloth.

    PubMed

    Mohan, Dinesh; Singh, Kunwar P; Singh, Vinod K

    2006-07-31

    An efficient adsorption process is developed for the decontamination of trivalent chromium from tannery effluents. A low cost activated carbon (ATFAC) was prepared from coconut shell fibers (an agricultural waste), characterized and utilized for Cr(III) removal from water/wastewater. A commercially available activated carbon fabric cloth (ACF) was also studied for comparative evaluation. All the equilibrium and kinetic studies were conducted at different temperatures, particle size, pHs, and adsorbent doses in batch mode. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied. The Langmuir model best fit the equilibrium isotherm data. The maximum adsorption capacities of ATFAC and ACF at 25 degrees C are 12.2 and 39.56 mg/g, respectively. Cr(III) adsorption increased with an increase in temperature (10 degrees C: ATFAC--10.97 mg/g, ACF--36.05 mg/g; 40 degrees C: ATFAC--16.10 mg/g, ACF--40.29 mg/g). The kinetic studies were conducted to delineate the effect of temperature, initial adsorbate concentration, particle size of the adsorbent, and solid to liquid ratio. The adsorption of Cr(III) follows the pseudo-second-order rate kinetics. From kinetic studies various rate and thermodynamic parameters such as effective diffusion coefficient, activation energy and entropy of activation were evaluated. The sorption capacity of activated carbon (ATFAC) and activated carbon fabric cloth is comparable to many other adsorbents/carbons/biosorbents utilized for the removal of trivalent chromium from water/wastewater.

  15. Effect of packing material on methane activation in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jo, Sungkwon; Hoon Lee, Dae; Seok Kang, Woo

    2013-12-15

    The conversion of methane is measured in a planar-type dielectric barrier discharge reactor using γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (sphere), α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (sphere), and γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (16–20 mesh). Investigations on the surface properties and shape of the three packing materials clearly indicate that methane activation is considerably affected by the material used. Capacitances inside the discharge gap are estimated from charge–voltage plots, and a comparison of the generated and transferred charges for different packing conditions show that the difference in surface properties between γ- and α-phase Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} affects the discharge characteristics. Moreover, all packing conditions show different chargemore » characteristics that are related to the electron density. Finally, the packing material's shape affects the local electron temperature, which is strongly related to methane conversion. The combined results indicate that both microscale and macroscale variations in a packing material affect the discharge characteristics, and a packing material should be considered carefully for effective methane activation.« less

  16. Utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Ethiopia--does it affect sexual activity among high school students?

    PubMed

    Bilal, Selamawit M; Spigt, Mark; Dinant, Geert Jan; Blanco, Roman

    2015-03-01

    Universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for adolescents was added as a target to the revised Millennium Development Goals framework in 2005. However, the utilization of SRH services among adolescents and their sexual activity is not well explored in Ethiopia, with the result that there is no well-designed and sustainable school based intervention for high school students. We aimed to investigate the utilization of sexual and reproductive health services and sexual activity and, to provide evidence based information and recommendations for possible interventions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1031 female and male high school students aged 14-19 years in Mekelle town, Tigray Region, North Ethiopia. A total of 1031 students participated. Self-administered questionnaire was used. Utilization of sexual and reproductive health services and sexual activity were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire. One out of five students had used the SRH services in the past year. The primary reason for visiting the SRH services was to receive information. The mean age for the first sexual intercourse was 15.7 and one-quarter of the students had multiple sexual partners. Unwanted pregnancies and abortions were reported by female students. SRH services are known and used by students. However, sexual activity at an early age among high school students and unwanted pregnancies and abortions among female students still call for attention. Therefore, providing accurate SRH information on safe sex and enhancing family-student discussion could be a good approach to reach SRH of adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Diagnostic utility of brain activity flow patterns analysis in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

    PubMed

    Biederman, J; Hammerness, P; Sadeh, B; Peremen, Z; Amit, A; Or-Ly, H; Stern, Y; Reches, A; Geva, A; Faraone, S V

    2017-05-01

    A previous small study suggested that Brain Network Activation (BNA), a novel ERP-based brain network analysis, may have diagnostic utility in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study we examined the diagnostic capability of a new advanced version of the BNA methodology on a larger population of adults with and without ADHD. Subjects were unmedicated right-handed 18- to 55-year-old adults of both sexes with and without a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD. We collected EEG while the subjects were performing a response inhibition task (Go/NoGo) and then applied a spatio-temporal Brain Network Activation (BNA) analysis of the EEG data. This analysis produced a display of qualitative measures of brain states (BNA scores) providing information on cortical connectivity. This complex set of scores was then fed into a machine learning algorithm. The BNA analysis of the EEG data recorded during the Go/NoGo task demonstrated a high discriminative capacity between ADHD patients and controls (AUC = 0.92, specificity = 0.95, sensitivity = 0.86 for the Go condition; AUC = 0.84, specificity = 0.91, sensitivity = 0.76 for the NoGo condition). BNA methodology can help differentiate between ADHD and healthy controls based on functional brain connectivity. The data support the utility of the tool to augment clinical examinations by objective evaluation of electrophysiological changes associated with ADHD. Results also support a network-based approach to the study of ADHD.

  18. Towards Cluster-Assembled Materials of True Monodispersity in Size and Chemical Environment: Synthesis, Dynamics and Activity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-27

    AFRL-AFOSR-UK-TR-2016-0037 Towards cluster-assembled materials of true monodispersity in size and chemical environment: Synthesis, Dynamics and...Towards cluster-assembled materials of true monodispersity in size and chemical environment: synthesis, dynamics and activity 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...report Towards cluster-assembled materials of true monodispersity in size and chemical environment: Synthesis, Dynamics and Activity Ulrich Heiz

  19. Advanced neutron absorber materials

    DOEpatents

    Branagan, Daniel J.; Smolik, Galen R.

    2000-01-01

    A neutron absorbing material and method utilizing rare earth elements such as gadolinium, europium and samarium to form metallic glasses and/or noble base nano/microcrystalline materials, the neutron absorbing material having a combination of superior neutron capture cross sections coupled with enhanced resistance to corrosion, oxidation and leaching.

  20. Providing open-access online materials and hands-on sessions for GIS exercises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oguchi, T.; Yamauchi, H.; Hayakawa, Y. S.

    2017-12-01

    Researchers of GIS (Geographical Information Systems/Sciences) in Japan have collaborated to provide materials for GIS lecture classes in universities for the last 20 years. The major outcomes include 1) a GIS core curriculum, 2) a GIS "body of knowledge" explaining the details of the curriculum, 3) a series of PowerPoint presentations, and 4) a comprehensive GIS textbook. However, materials for GIS exercises at university classes using GIS software have been limited in Japan. Therefore, we launched a project to provide such materials which will be available online and accessible by anybody. The materials cover broad basic aspects of GIS including geoscientific applications such as terrain analysis using digital elevation models. The materials utilize public-domain and open-source software packages such as QGIS and GRASS. The data used are also freely available ones such as those from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. The use of the GitHub platform to distribute the materials allow easier online interactions by both material producers and users. Selected sets of the materials have been utilized for hands-on activities including both official university classes and public instructions. We have been updating the materials based on the opinions of people who took the hands-on courses for better GIS education. The current materials are in Japanese, but we plan to translate some of them into English.

  1. Canada's Physical Activity Guide: examining print-based material for motivating physical activity in the workplace.

    PubMed

    Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Todosijczuk, Ivan; Johnson, Steven T; Karunamuni, Nandini

    2012-01-01

    The authors conducted a secondary analysis on 202 adults from the Physical Activity Workplace Study. The aim of this analysis was to examine demographic characteristics associated with reading Canada's Physical Activity Guide (CPAG), being motivated by the guide, and whether participants in the Physical Activity Workplace Study who read the CPAG increased their physical activity levels over 1 year. Results revealed that less than 50% of participants read the full version of CPAG, and less than 10% were motivated by it. The CPAG also appears to be more appealing to and effective for women than for men. Although the CPAG had some influence in increasing mild physical activity levels in a workplace sample, there was also a decrease in physical activity levels among some members of the group. Overall, the effectiveness of CPAG was not substantial, and the findings of this analysis could help guide future targeted intervention materials and programs.

  2. Xylose utilization in recombinant zymomonas

    DOEpatents

    Caimi, Perry G; McCole, Laura; Tao, Luan; Tomb, Jean-Francois; Viitanen, Paul V

    2014-03-25

    Xylose-utilizing Zymomonas strains studied were found to accumulate ribulose when grown in xylose-containing media. Engineering these strains to increase ribose-5-phosphate isomerase activity led to reduced ribulose accumulation, improved growth, improved xylose utilization, and increased ethanol production.

  3. Antimicrobial activity and properties of irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials incorporated with silver nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Ginjupalli, Kishore; Alla, Rama Krishna; Tellapragada, Chaitanya; Gupta, Lokendra; Upadhya Perampalli, Nagaraja

    2016-06-01

    Conventional spray and the immersion disinfection of irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials may lead to dimensional changes. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and properties of irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials incorporated with silver nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activity and properties of 2 commercially available irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials were evaluated after incorporating varying concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Antimicrobial activity was determined using the disk diffusion method. The gel strength, permanent deformation, flow, and gelation time were measured according to American Dental Association specification #18. Analysis of variance was used to identify the significant differences within and across the groups (α=.05). Adding silver nanoparticles to irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials resulted in superior antimicrobial activity without adversely affecting their properties. Adding silver nanoparticles to Zelgan significantly increased the gel strength compared with the control group, except at 5 wt%. However, the gel strength of Tropicalgin was unaffected except at 5 wt%. An increase in the permanent deformation was found with the incorporation of silver nanoparticles in both Zelgan and Tropicalgin. The flow of Zelgan increased with the incorporation of silver nanoparticles, whereas a decrease in the flow of Tropicalgin was observed at 1 wt% and 2 wt%. An increase in the gelation time of both Zelgan and Tropicalgin was observed with the incorporation of silver nanoparticles. Based on this in vitro study, silver nanoparticles can be incorporated into irreversible hydrocolloid impression materials as antimicrobial agents without adversely affecting their properties. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of Light-Activated Provisional Resin Materials for Periodontal Soft Tissue Management

    PubMed Central

    Jun, Soo-Kyung; Lee, Hae-Hyoung

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine mechanical properties using a compressive test with cylinder specimen (h = 6 mm and ϕ = 4 mm) as well as cytotoxicity using elutes from disk specimen (ϕ = 10 mm and h = 2 mm) against human gingival fibroblasts and oral keratinocytes with light-activated provisional resin materials (Revotek LC and Luxatemp Solar) compared to chemically activated counterpart (Snap, Trim II, and Jet). Significantly increased compressive strength (210~280 MPa) was detected in light-activated products compared to chemically activated ones (20~65 MPa, P < 0.05) and similar compressive modulus was detected in both types (0.8~1.5 and 0.5~1.3 GPa). Simultaneously, the light-activated products showed less adverse effects on the periodontal soft tissue cells in any polymerization stage compared to the chemically activated products. Particularly, chemically activated products had significantly greater adverse effects during the “polymerizing” phase compared to those that were “already set” (P < 0.05), as shown in confocal microscopic images of live and dead cells. In conclusion, light-activated provisional resin materials have better mechanical properties as well as biocompatibility against two tested types of oral cells compared to the chemically activated counterpart, which are considered as more beneficial choice for periodontal soft tissue management. PMID:27672651

  5. Materials Analysis and Modeling of Underfill Materials.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wyatt, Nicholas B; Chambers, Robert S.

    2015-08-01

    The thermal-mechanical properties of three potential underfill candidate materials for PBGA applications are characterized and reported. Two of the materials are a formulations developed at Sandia for underfill applications while the third is a commercial product that utilizes a snap-cure chemistry to drastically reduce cure time. Viscoelastic models were calibrated and fit using the property data collected for one of the Sandia formulated materials. Along with the thermal-mechanical analyses performed, a series of simple bi-material strip tests were conducted to comparatively analyze the relative effects of cure and thermal shrinkage amongst the materials under consideration. Finally, current knowledge gaps asmore » well as questions arising from the present study are identified and a path forward presented.« less

  6. Printable enzyme-embedded materials for methane to methanol conversion

    PubMed Central

    Blanchette, Craig D.; Knipe, Jennifer M.; Stolaroff, Joshuah K.; DeOtte, Joshua R.; Oakdale, James S.; Maiti, Amitesh; Lenhardt, Jeremy M.; Sirajuddin, Sarah; Rosenzweig, Amy C.; Baker, Sarah E.

    2016-01-01

    An industrial process for the selective activation of methane under mild conditions would be highly valuable for controlling emissions to the environment and for utilizing vast new sources of natural gas. The only selective catalysts for methane activation and conversion to methanol under mild conditions are methane monooxygenases (MMOs) found in methanotrophic bacteria; however, these enzymes are not amenable to standard enzyme immobilization approaches. Using particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), we create a biocatalytic polymer material that converts methane to methanol. We demonstrate embedding the material within a silicone lattice to create mechanically robust, gas-permeable membranes, and direct printing of micron-scale structures with controlled geometry. Remarkably, the enzymes retain up to 100% activity in the polymer construct. The printed enzyme-embedded polymer motif is highly flexible for future development and should be useful in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas–liquid reactions. PMID:27301270

  7. A Study on Developing a Guide Material for Science Classes Supported by Out-of-School Learningi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bakioglu, Büsra; Karamustafaoglu, Orhan

    2017-01-01

    The main purpose of this research was to develop a guide material in line with learning outcomes of the unit for the 5th Graders titled Solving the Puzzle: Our Body in order to be utilized during out-of-school learning activities by science teachers. There is no guide material developed in our country for science teachers to be used in out-of…

  8. Investigation on Using SBS and Active Carbon Filler to Reduce the VOC Emission from Bituminous Materials.

    PubMed

    Cui, Peiqiang; Wu, Shaopeng; Li, Fuzhou; Xiao, Yue; Zhang, Honghua

    2014-08-26

    Bituminous materials are playing a vital role in pavement design and the roofing industry because of outstanding properties. Unfortunately, bituminous materials will release volatile organic compounds (VOC), making them non-environmentally friendly. Therefore, technologies that can be used to decrease the VOC emission are urgently required. In this research, the VOC emission and material behaviors were analyzed and compared to investigate the possibility of adding styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) and active carbon filler into bituminous materials to develop environmentally-friendly materials. Thermal gravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy testing (UV-Vis) were employed to characterize the VOC emission process. Temperature sweep testing and frequency sweep testing were conducted to evaluate the rheological properties of bituminous materials. Research results indicated that the combined introduction of 4 wt% styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) and 4 wt% active carbon filler cannot only significantly lower the VOC emission speed and amount, but also improve the deformation resistance behavior at a higher temperature. SBS and active carbon filler can be used to reduce the VOC emission form bituminous materials.

  9. Investigation on Using SBS and Active Carbon Filler to Reduce the VOC Emission from Bituminous Materials

    PubMed Central

    Cui, Peiqiang; Wu, Shaopeng; Li, Fuzhou; Xiao, Yue; Zhang, Honghua

    2014-01-01

    Bituminous materials are playing a vital role in pavement design and the roofing industry because of outstanding properties. Unfortunately, bituminous materials will release volatile organic compounds (VOC), making them non-environmentally friendly. Therefore, technologies that can be used to decrease the VOC emission are urgently required. In this research, the VOC emission and material behaviors were analyzed and compared to investigate the possibility of adding styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) and active carbon filler into bituminous materials to develop environmentally-friendly materials. Thermal gravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy testing (UV-Vis) were employed to characterize the VOC emission process. Temperature sweep testing and frequency sweep testing were conducted to evaluate the rheological properties of bituminous materials. Research results indicated that the combined introduction of 4 wt% styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) and 4 wt% active carbon filler cannot only significantly lower the VOC emission speed and amount, but also improve the deformation resistance behavior at a higher temperature. SBS and active carbon filler can be used to reduce the VOC emission form bituminous materials. PMID:28788181

  10. Creating Quality Media Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hortin, John A.; Bailey, Gerald D.

    1982-01-01

    Innovation, imagination, and student creativity are key ingredients in creating quality media materials for the small school. Student-produced media materials, slides without a camera, personalized slide programs and copy work, self-made task cards, self-made overhead transparencies, graphic materials, and utilization of the mass media are some of…

  11. Wear Analysis in THA Utilizing Oxidized Zirconium and Crosslinked Polyethylene

    PubMed Central

    Garvin, Kevin L.; Mangla, Jimmi; Murdoch, Nathan; Martell, John M.

    2008-01-01

    Oxidized zirconium, a material with a ceramic surface on a metal substrate, and highly cross-linked polyethylene are two materials developed to reduce wear. We measured in vivo femoral head penetration in patients with these advanced bearings. We hypothesized the linear wear rates would be lower than those published for cobalt-chrome and standard polyethylene. We retrospectively reviewed a select series of 56 THAs in a relatively young, active patient population utilizing oxidized zirconium femoral heads and highly cross-linked polyethylene acetabular liners. Femoral head penetration was determined using the Martell computerized edge-detection method. All patients were available for 2-year clinical and radiographic followup. True linear wear was 4 μm/year (95% confidence intervals, ± 59 μm/year). The early wear rates in this cohort of relatively young, active patients were low and we believe justify the continued study of these alternative bearing surfaces. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. PMID:18946711

  12. [Report of the NEDO project "Research and development to promote the creation and utilization of an intellectual infrastructure: development of reference materials for laboratory medicine" "Development of pure substance-type certified reference materials"].

    PubMed

    Takatsu, Akiko

    2009-06-01

    There is an increasing demand to establish a metrological traceability system for in vitro diagnostics and medical devices. Pure substance-type reference materials are playing key roles in metrological traceability, because they form the basis for many traceability chains in chemistry. The National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), in the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), has been developing purity-certified reference materials (CRMs) in this field, such as cholesterol, creatinine, and urea. In the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) project, entitled: "Research and Development to Promote the Creation and Utilization of an Intellectual Infrastructure: Development of Reference Materials for Laboratory Medicine", several pure substance-type CRMs were developed. For a pure protein solution CRM, amino acid analysis and nitrogen determination were chosen as the certification methods. The development and certification processes for the C-reactive protein (CRP) solution CRM were completed, with the recombinant human CRP solution as a candidate material. This CRP solution CRM is now available as NMIJ CRM. For cortisol CRM, a purified candidate material and highly pure primary reference material were prepared. Each impure compound in the materials was identified and quantified. The pure cortisol CRM will be available in 2009. These two CRMs provide a traceability link between routine clinical methods and the SI unit.

  13. Electrode including porous particles with embedded active material for use in a secondary electrochemical cell

    DOEpatents

    Vissers, Donald R.; Nelson, Paul A.; Kaun, Thomas D.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt

    1978-04-25

    Particles of carbonaceous matrices containing embedded electrode active material are prepared for vibratory loading within a porous electrically conductive substrate. In preparing the particles, active materials such as metal chalcogenides, solid alloys of alkali or alkaline earth metals along with other metals and their oxides in powdered or particulate form are blended with a thermosetting resin and particles of a volatile to form a paste mixture. The paste is heated to a temperature at which the volatile transforms into vapor to impart porosity at about the same time as the resin begins to cure into a rigid, solid structure. The solid structure is then comminuted into porous, carbonaceous particles with the embedded active material.

  14. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis of non-volatile migrants from new active packaging materials.

    PubMed

    Aznar, M; Rodriguez-Lafuente, A; Alfaro, P; Nerin, C

    2012-10-01

    Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) is a useful tool in the analysis of non-volatile compounds, and the use of a quadrupole-time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass analyzer allows a high sensitivity and accuracy when acquiring full fragment mode, providing a high assurance of correct identification of unknown compounds. In this work, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology has been applied to the analysis of non-volatile migrants from new active packaging materials. The materials tested were based on polypropylene (PP), ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The active packaging materials studied were one PP film containing a natural antioxidant, and two PP/EVOH films, two PET/EVOH films and one coextruded PP/EVOH/PP film containing natural antimicrobials. The chemical structure of several compounds was unequivocally identified. The analysis revealed the migration of some of the active substances used in the manufacture of active packaging, such as caffeine (0.07 ± 0.01 μg/g), carvacrol (0.31 ± 0.03 μg/g) and citral (0.20 ± 0.01 μg/g). Unintentionally added substances were also found, such as citral reaction compounds, or citral impurities present in the raw materials.

  15. Certification of biological candidates reference materials by neutron activation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kabanov, Denis V.; Nesterova, Yulia V.; Merkulov, Viktor G.

    2018-03-01

    The paper gives the results of interlaboratory certification of new biological candidate reference materials by neutron activation analysis recommended by the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (Warsaw, Poland). The correctness and accuracy of the applied method was statistically estimated for the determination of trace elements in candidate reference materials. The procedure of irradiation in the reactor thermal fuel assembly without formation of fast neutrons was carried out. It excluded formation of interfering isotopes leading to false results. The concentration of more than 20 elements (e.g., Ba, Br, Ca, Co, Ce, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Ta, Th, Tb, Yb, U, Zn) in candidate references of tobacco leaves and bottom sediment compared to certified reference materials were determined. It was shown that the average error of the applied method did not exceed 10%.

  16. Antimicrobial activity of transition metal acid MoO(3) prevents microbial growth on material surfaces.

    PubMed

    Zollfrank, Cordt; Gutbrod, Kai; Wechsler, Peter; Guggenbichler, Josef Peter

    2012-01-01

    Serious infectious complications of patients in healthcare settings are often transmitted by materials and devices colonised by microorganisms (nosocomial infections). Current strategies to generate material surfaces with an antimicrobial activity suffer from the consumption of the antimicrobial agent and emerging multidrug-resistant pathogens amongst others. Consequently, materials surfaces exhibiting a permanent antimicrobial activity without the risk of generating resistant microorganisms are desirable. This publication reports on the extraordinary efficient antimicrobial properties of transition metal acids such as molybdic acid (H(2)MoO(4)), which is based on molybdenum trioxide (MoO(3)). The modification of various materials (e.g. polymers, metals) with MoO(3) particles or sol-gel derived coatings showed that the modified materials surfaces were practically free of microorganisms six hours after contamination with infectious agents. The antimicrobial activity is based on the formation of an acidic surface deteriorating cell growth and proliferation. The application of transition metal acids as antimicrobial surface agents is an innovative approach to prevent the dissemination of microorganisms in healthcare units and public environments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Eco-friendly fly ash utilization: potential for land application

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Malik, A.; Thapliyal, A.

    2009-07-01

    The increase in demand for power in domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors has increased the pressure on coal combustion and aggravated the problem of fly ash generation/disposal. Consequently the research targeting effective utilization of fly ash has also gained momentum. Fly ash has proved to be an economical substitute for expensive adsorbents as well as a suitable raw material for brick manufacturing, zeolite synthesis, etc. Fly ash is a reservoir of essential minerals but is deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus. By amending fly ash with soil and/or various organic materials (sewage sludge, bioprocess materials) as well as microbial inoculants likemore » mycorrhizae, enhanced plant growth can be realized. Based on the sound results of large scale studies, fly ash utilization has grown into prominent discipline supported by various internationally renowned organizations. This paper reviews attempts directed toward various utilization of fly ash, with an emphasis on land application of organic/microbial inoculants amended fly ash.« less

  18. Enhancing activated-peroxide formulations for porous materials: Test methods and results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krauter, Paula; Tucker, Mark D.; Tezak, Matthew S.

    2012-12-01

    During an urban wide-area incident involving the release of a biological warfare agent, the recovery/restoration effort will require extensive resources and will tax the current capabilities of the government and private contractors. In fact, resources may be so limited that decontamination by facility owners/occupants may become necessary and a simple decontamination process and material should be available for this use. One potential process for use by facility owners/occupants would be a liquid sporicidal decontaminant, such as pHamended bleach or activated-peroxide, and simple application devices. While pH-amended bleach is currently the recommended low-tech decontamination solution, a less corrosive and toxic decontaminantmore » is desirable. The objective of this project is to provide an operational assessment of an alternative to chlorine bleach for low-tech decontamination applications activated hydrogen peroxide. This report provides the methods and results for activatedperoxide evaluation experiments. The results suggest that the efficacy of an activated-peroxide decontaminant is similar to pH-amended bleach on many common materials.« less

  19. Forensic DNA methylation profiling from evidence material for investigative leads

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hwan Young; Lee, Soong Deok; Shin, Kyoung-Jin

    2016-01-01

    DNA methylation is emerging as an attractive marker providing investigative leads to solve crimes in forensic genetics. The identification of body fluids that utilizes tissue-specific DNA methylation can contribute to solving crimes by predicting activity related to the evidence material. The age estimation based on DNA methylation is expected to reduce the number of potential suspects, when the DNA profile from the evidence does not match with any known person, including those stored in the forensic database. Moreover, the variation in DNA implicates environmental exposure, such as cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, thereby suggesting the possibility to be used as a marker for predicting the lifestyle of potential suspect. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of DNA methylation variations and the utility of DNA methylation as a forensic marker for advanced investigative leads from evidence materials. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(7): 359-369] PMID:27099236

  20. Giant and universal magnetoelectric coupling in soft materials and concomitant ramifications for materials science and biology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Liping; Sharma, Pradeep

    2013-10-01

    Magnetoelectric coupling—the ability of a material to magnetize upon application of an electric field and, conversely, to polarize under the action of a magnetic field—is rare and restricted to a rather small set of exotic hard crystalline materials. Intense research activity has recently ensued on materials development, fundamental scientific issues, and applications related to this phenomenon. This tantalizing property, if present in adequate strength at room temperature, can be used to pave the way for next-generation memory devices such as miniature magnetic random access memories and multiple state memory bits, sensors, energy harvesting, spintronics, among others. In this Rapid Communication, we prove the existence of an overlooked strain mediated nonlinear mechanism that can be used to universally induce the giant magnetoelectric effect in all (sufficiently) soft dielectric materials. For soft polymer foams—which, for instance, may be used in stretchable electronics—we predict room-temperature magnetoelectric coefficients that are comparable to the best known (hard) composite materials created. We also argue, based on a simple quantitative model, that magnetoreception in some biological contexts (e.g., birds) most likely utilizes this very mechanism.

  1. Overview of materials processing in space activity at Marshall Space Flight Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, J. R.; Chassay, R. P.; Moore, W. W.; Ruff, R. C.; Yates, I. C.

    1984-01-01

    An overview of activities involving the Space Transportation System (STS), now in the operational phase, and results of some of the current space experiments, as well as future research opportunities in microgravity environment, are presented. The experiments of the Materials Processing in Space Program flown on the STS, such as bioseparation processes, isoelectric focusing, solidification and crystal growth processes, containerless processes, and the Materials Experiment Assembly experiments are discussed. Special consideration is given to the experiments to be flown aboard the Spacelab 3 module, the Fluids Experiments System, and the Vapor Crystal Growth System. Ground-based test facilities and planned space research facilities, as well as the nature of the commercialization activities, are briefly explained.

  2. Meteorite organics in planetary environments: hydrothermal release, surface activity, and microbial utilization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mautner, M. N.; Leonard, R. L.; Deamer, D. W.

    1995-01-01

    Up to 50% of the organics in the Murchison meteorite, possibly including some of the polymer, is released in high temperature and pressure aqueous environments, to 350 degrees C and 250 bar, that simulate submarine volcanic, hydrothermal or impact-induced conditions. Meteorite organics of prebiotic significance, such as nonanoic acid, glycine, and pyrene survive the hydrothermal conditions. The released material is surface active with surface pressures up to 19.8 x 10(-3) N m-1, and exhibits an extended surface tension isotherm which suggests a mixture of amphiphilic components. One component, nonanoic acid, is shown to form vesicles. The materials extracted under mild conditions, at 120 degrees C, are nutrients for the humic acid bacterium Pseudomonas maltophilia and efficient nutrients for the oligotroph Flavobacterium oryzihabitans, demonstrating the capability of microorganisms to metabolize extraterrestrial organics.

  3. The effect of a self-constructed material on children's physical activity during recess.

    PubMed

    Méndez-Giménez, Antonio; Cecchini, José-Antonio; Fernández-Río, Javier

    2017-06-26

    To analyze whether an intervention supported by free play with a self-constructed material increases the level of physical activity of students during recess. The participants were 166 children of third to sixth grade, between nine and 12 years old (average = 10.64; SS = 1.13). An experimental project was conducted with pre-test and post-test measurement, and a control group. Experimental group participants built cardboard paddles (third and fourth) and flying rings (fifth and sixth), a material they used freely for one week during recess. ActiGraph-GT3X accelerometers were used to measure physical activity. An ANOVA of repeated measures was used to find differences between groups and genders. Significant intervention effects were found in the analyzed variables: sedentary activity (F = 38.19; p < 0.01), light (F = 76.56; p < 0.01), moderate (F = 27.44; p < 0.01), vigorous (F = 61.55; p < 0.01), and moderate and vigorous (F = 68.76; p < 0.01). Significant gender differences were shown (time × group × gender) for moderate (F = 6.58; p < 0.05) and vigorous (F = 5.51; p < 0.05) activity. The self-constructed material is effective to increase the physical activity levels of children during recess; it decreases sedentary activity and light physical activity and increases the time devoted to moderate physical activity and vigorous physical activity, both in boys and in girls. The boys had an increase in vigorous physical activity and the girls in moderate physical activity. Due to its low cost, this strategy is recommended for administrators and teachers to increase the physical activity of children during recess. Analizar si una intervención basada en el juego libre con material autoconstruido aumenta el nivel de actividad física de los escolares durante el recreo. Participaron 166 niños de tercero a sexto de educación primaria, de entre nueve y 12 años de edad (media = 10,64; DE = 1,13). Se realizó un diseño experimental con medidas pretest y postest, y un

  4. Semiconductor systems utilizing materials that form rectifying junctions in both N and P-type doping regions, whether metallurgically or field induced, and methods of use

    DOEpatents

    Welch, James D.

    2000-01-01

    Disclosed are semiconductor systems, such as integrated circuits utilizing Schotky barrier and/or diffused junction technology, which semiconductor systems incorporate material(s) that form rectifying junctions in both metallurgically and/or field induced N and P-type doping regions, and methods of their use. Disclosed are Schottky barrier based inverting and non-inverting gate voltage channel induced semiconductor single devices with operating characteristics similar to multiple device CMOS systems and which can be operated as modulators, N and P-channel MOSFETS and CMOS formed therefrom, and (MOS) gate voltage controlled rectification direction and gate voltage controlled switching devices, and use of such material(s) to block parasitic current flow pathways. Simple demonstrative five mask fabrication procedures for inverting and non-inverting gate voltage channel induced semiconductor single devices with operating characteristics similar to multiple device CMOS systems are also presented.

  5. Reporting of Navy Sponsor Owned Material Stored at the Naval Air Systems Command Activities

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-23

    Who Should Read This Report and Why? Navy personnel responsible for reporting the amount and value of Sponsor Owned Material stored at Navy facilities should read this report. It discusses the financial reporting and control of Sponsor Owned Material stored by Naval Air Systems Command activities. Background. The Department of the Navy reported $58.8 billion of Operating Materials and Supplies on its first quarter FY 2006 financial statements. This included a sub-category of supplies and materials termed Sponsor Owned Material. The Navy defines Sponsor

  6. Utilizing Weather RADAR for Rapid Location of Meteorite Falls and Space Debris Re-Entry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fries, Marc D.

    2016-01-01

    This activity utilizes existing NOAA weather RADAR imagery to locate meteorite falls and space debris falls. The near-real-time availability and spatial accuracy of these data allow rapid recovery of material from both meteorite falls and space debris re-entry events. To date, at least 22 meteorite fall recoveries have benefitted from RADAR detection and fall modeling, and multiple debris re-entry events over the United States have been observed in unprecedented detail.

  7. Detection of fissionable material in cargo containers using active neutron interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Church, Jennifer

    2006-10-01

    Roughly 6 million cargo containers will be shipped to U.S. seaports in a single year, each container carrying up to 30 tons of freight in varied configurations. Highly enriched uranium and other fissionable material concealed inside these containers is a challenge for existing portal monitors, due in part to the attenuation of signals in the cargo. A system is currently being developed to overcome these challenges without slowing the flow of commerce through the port, keeping the likelihood of false-negative and false- positive detections to a minimum. The technique utilizes a neutron beam to induce fission, and a wall of plastic scintillators to detect subsequent delayed high-energy γ- rays after β-decay of the fission products Decay curves utilizing these delayed γ-rays with energies above 3 MeV are an efficient diagnostic. New experimental work using a 3-7 MeV broad spectrum neutron source will be presented and compared to simulations and past experimental results. This work is performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory contract No. W-7405-Eng-4, UCRL-ABS-219231. E.B.,orman et al., Nucl. Instr. Methods Phys. Res. A, 521, 608 (2004).

  8. Toxic Heavy Metals: Materials Cycle Optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayres, Robert U.

    1992-02-01

    Long-term ecological sustainability is incompatible with an open materials cycle. The toxic heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, silver, uranium/plutonium, zinc) exemplify the problem. These metals are being mobilized and dispersed into the environment by industrial activity at a rate far higher than by natural processes. Apart from losses to the environment resulting from mine wastes and primary processing, many of these metals are utilized in products that are inherently dissipative. Examples of such uses include fuels, lubricants, solvents, fire retardants, stabilizers, flocculants, pigments, biocides, and preservatives. To close the materials cycle, it will be necessary to accomplish two things. The first is to ban or otherwise discourage (e.g., by means of high severance taxes on virgin materials) dissipative uses of the above type. The second is to increase the efficiency of recycling of those materials that are not replaceable in principle. Here, also, economic instruments (such as returnable deposits) can be effective in some cases. A systems view of the problem is essential to assess the cost and effectiveness of alternative strategies.

  9. Active printed materials for complex self-evolving deformations.

    PubMed

    Raviv, Dan; Zhao, Wei; McKnelly, Carrie; Papadopoulou, Athina; Kadambi, Achuta; Shi, Boxin; Hirsch, Shai; Dikovsky, Daniel; Zyracki, Michael; Olguin, Carlos; Raskar, Ramesh; Tibbits, Skylar

    2014-12-18

    We propose a new design of complex self-evolving structures that vary over time due to environmental interaction. In conventional 3D printing systems, materials are meant to be stable rather than active and fabricated models are designed and printed as static objects. Here, we introduce a novel approach for simulating and fabricating self-evolving structures that transform into a predetermined shape, changing property and function after fabrication. The new locally coordinated bending primitives combine into a single system, allowing for a global deformation which can stretch, fold and bend given environmental stimulus.

  10. Active Printed Materials for Complex Self-Evolving Deformations

    PubMed Central

    Raviv, Dan; Zhao, Wei; McKnelly, Carrie; Papadopoulou, Athina; Kadambi, Achuta; Shi, Boxin; Hirsch, Shai; Dikovsky, Daniel; Zyracki, Michael; Olguin, Carlos; Raskar, Ramesh; Tibbits, Skylar

    2014-01-01

    We propose a new design of complex self-evolving structures that vary over time due to environmental interaction. In conventional 3D printing systems, materials are meant to be stable rather than active and fabricated models are designed and printed as static objects. Here, we introduce a novel approach for simulating and fabricating self-evolving structures that transform into a predetermined shape, changing property and function after fabrication. The new locally coordinated bending primitives combine into a single system, allowing for a global deformation which can stretch, fold and bend given environmental stimulus. PMID:25522053

  11. Space radiation resistant transparent polymeric materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giori, C.; Yamauchi, T.

    1977-01-01

    A literature search in the field of ultraviolet and charged particle irradiation of polymers was utilized in an experimental program aimed at the development of radiation stable materials for space applications. The rationale utilized for material selection and the synthesis, characterization and testing performed on several selected materials is described. Among the materials tested for ultraviolet stability in vacuum were: polyethyleneoxide, polyvinylnaphthalene, and the amino resin synthesized by the condensation of o-hydroxybenzoguanamine with formaldehyde. Particularly interesting was the radiation behavior of poly(ethyleneoxide), irradiation did not cause degradation of optical properties but rather an improvement in transparency as indicated by a decrease in solar absorptance with increasing exposure time.

  12. Feasibility and Acceptability of Utilizing a Smartphone Based Application to Monitor Outpatient Discharge Instruction Compliance in Cardiac Disease Patients around Discharge from Hospitalization

    PubMed Central

    Layton, Aimee M.; Whitworth, James; Peacock, James; Bartels, Matthew N.; Jellen, Patricia A.; Thomashow, Byron M.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing a smartphone based application to monitor compliance in patients with cardiac disease around discharge. For 60 days after discharge, patients' medication compliance, physical activity, follow-up care, symptoms, and reading of education material were monitored daily with the application. 16 patients were enrolled in the study (12 males, 4 females, age 55 ± 18 years) during their hospital stay. Five participants were rehospitalized during the study and did not use the application once discharged. Seven participants completed 1–30 days and four patients completed >31 days. For those 11 patients, medication reminders were utilized 37% (1–30-day group) and 53% (>31-day group) of the time, education material was read 44% (1–30) and 53% (>31) of the time, and physical activity was reported 25% (1–30) and 42% (>31) of the time. Findings demonstrated that patients with stable health utilized the application, even if only minimally. Patients with decreased breath sounds by physical exam and who reported their health as fair to poor on the day of discharge were less likely to utilize the application. Acceptability of the application to report health status varied among the stable patients. PMID:25574165

  13. Preparation of improved catalytic materials for water purification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherkezova-Zheleva, Z.; Paneva, D.; Tsvetkov, M.; Kunev, B.; Milanova, M.; Petrov, N.; Mitov, I.

    2014-04-01

    The aim of presented paper was to study preparation of catalytic materials for water purification. Iron oxide (Fe3O4) samples supported on activated carbon were prepared by wet impregnation method and low temperature heating in an inert atmosphere. The as-prepared, activated and samples after catalytic test were characterized by Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The obtained X-ray diffraction patterns of prepared samples show broad and low-intensity peaks of magnetite phase and the characteristic peaks of the activated carbon. The average crystallite size of magnetite particles was calculated below 20 nm. The registered Mössbauer spectra of prepared materials show a superposition of doublet lines or doublet and sextet components. The calculated hyperfine parameters after spectra evaluation reveal the presence of magnetite phase with nanosize particles. Relaxation phenomena were registered in both cases, i.e. superparamagnetism or collective magnetic excitation behavior, respectively. Low temperature Mössbauer spectra confirm this observation. Application of materials as photo-Fenton catalysts for organic pollutions degradation was studied. It was obtained high adsorption degree of dye, extremely high reaction rate and fast dye degradation. Photocatalytic behaviour of a more active sample was enhanced using mechanochemical activation (MCA). The nanometric size and high dispersion of photocatalyst particles influence both the adsorption and degradation mechanism of reaction. The results showed that all studied photocatalysts effectively decompose the organic pollutants under UV light irradiation. Partial oxidation of samples after catalytic tests was registered. Combination of magnetic particles with high photocatalytic activity meets both the requirements of photocatalytic degradation of water contaminants and that of recovery for cyclic utilization of material.

  14. Printable enzyme-embedded materials for methane to methanol conversion

    DOE PAGES

    Blanchette, Craig D.; Knipe, Jennifer M.; Stolaroff, Joshuah K.; ...

    2016-06-15

    An industrial process for the selective activation of methane under mild conditions would be highly valuable for controlling emissions to the environment and for utilizing vast new sources of natural gas. The only selective catalysts for methane activation and conversion to methanol under mild conditions are methane monooxygenases (MMOs) found in methanotrophic bacteria; however, these enzymes are not amenable to standard enzyme immobilization approaches. Using particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), we create a biocatalytic polymer material that converts methane to methanol. We demonstrate embedding the material within a silicone lattice to create mechanically robust, gas-permeable membranes, and direct printing of micron-scalemore » structures with controlled geometry. Remarkably, the enzymes retain up to 100% activity in the polymer construct. The printed enzyme-embedded polymer motif is highly flexible for future development and should be useful in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas–liquid reactions.« less

  15. Printable enzyme-embedded materials for methane to methanol conversion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blanchette, Craig D.; Knipe, Jennifer M.; Stolaroff, Joshuah K.

    An industrial process for the selective activation of methane under mild conditions would be highly valuable for controlling emissions to the environment and for utilizing vast new sources of natural gas. The only selective catalysts for methane activation and conversion to methanol under mild conditions are methane monooxygenases (MMOs) found in methanotrophic bacteria; however, these enzymes are not amenable to standard enzyme immobilization approaches. Using particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), we create a biocatalytic polymer material that converts methane to methanol. We demonstrate embedding the material within a silicone lattice to create mechanically robust, gas-permeable membranes, and direct printing of micron-scalemore » structures with controlled geometry. Remarkably, the enzymes retain up to 100% activity in the polymer construct. The printed enzyme-embedded polymer motif is highly flexible for future development and should be useful in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas–liquid reactions.« less

  16. Adsorption of Safranin-T from wastewater using waste materials- activated carbon and activated rice husks.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Vinod K; Mittal, Alok; Jain, Rajeev; Mathur, Megha; Sikarwar, Shalini

    2006-11-01

    Textile effluents are major industrial polluters because of high color content, about 15% unfixed dyes and salts. The present paper is aimed to investigate and develop cheap adsorption methods for color removal from wastewater using waste materials activated carbon and activated rice husk-as adsorbents. The method was employed for the removal of Safranin-T and the influence of various factors such as adsorbent dose, adsorbate concentration, particle size, temperature, contact time, and pH was studied. The adsorption of the dye over both the adsorbents was found to follow Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. Based on these models, different useful thermodynamic parameters have been evaluated for both the adsorption processes. The adsorption of Safranin-T over activated carbon and activated rice husks follows first-order kinetics and the rate constants for the adsorption processes decrease with increase in temperature.

  17. Optical properties of II-VI structures for solar energy utilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schrier, Joshua; Demchenko, Denis; Wang, Lin-Wang

    2007-03-01

    Although II-VI semiconductor materials are abundant, stable, and have direct band gaps, the band gaps are too large for optimal photovoltaic efficiency. However, staggered band alignments of pairs of these materials, and also the formation of intermediate impurity levels in the band gap (which has been demonstrated to increase the efficiency as compared to both single-junction devices), could be utilized to improve the suitability of these materials for solar energy utilization. Previous theoretical studies of these materials are limited, due to the well-known band gap underestimation by density-functional theory. To calculate the absorption spectra, we utilize a band-corrected planewave pseudopotential approach, which gives agreements of within 0.1 eV of the bulk optical gaps values. In this talk, I will present our work on predicting the optical properties of ZnO/ZnS and ZnO/ZnTe heterostructures, nanostructures, and alloys. This work was supported by U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No.DE-AC02-05CH11231 and used the resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center.

  18. PPARδ activation in human myotubes increases mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity and reduces glucose utilization by a switch in substrate preference.

    PubMed

    Feng, Yuan Z; Nikolić, Nataša; Bakke, Siril S; Boekschoten, Mark V; Kersten, Sander; Kase, Eili T; Rustan, Arild C; Thoresen, G Hege

    2014-02-01

    The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) activation on global gene expression and mitochondrial fuel utilization were investigated in human myotubes. Only 21 genes were up-regulated and 3 genes were down-regulated after activation by the PPARδ agonist GW501516. Pathway analysis showed up-regulated mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, TCA cycle and cholesterol biosynthesis. GW501516 increased oleic acid oxidation and mitochondrial oxidative capacity by 2-fold. Glucose uptake and oxidation were reduced, but total substrate oxidation was not affected, indicating a fuel switch from glucose to fatty acid. Cholesterol biosynthesis was increased, but lipid biosynthesis and mitochondrial content were not affected. This study confirmed that the principal effect of PPARδ activation was to increase mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity. Our results further suggest that PPARδ activation reduced glucose utilization through a switch in mitochondrial substrate preference by up-regulating pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 4 and genes involved in lipid metabolism and fatty acid oxidation.

  19. Development of UHPC Mixtures Utilizing Natural and Industrial Waste Materials as Partial Replacements of Silica Fume and Sand

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    In the exploratory study presented in this paper, an attempt was made to develop different mixtures of ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) using various locally available natural and industrial waste materials as partial replacements of silica fume and sand. Materials such as natural pozzolana (NP), fly ash (FA), limestone powder (LSP), cement kiln dust (CKD), and pulverized steel slag (PSS), all of which are abundantly available in Saudi Arabia at little or no cost, were employed in the development of the UHPC mixtures. A base mixture of UHPC without replacement of silica fume or sand was selected and a total of 24 trial mixtures of UHPC were prepared using different percentages of NP, FA, LSP, CKD, and PSS, partially replacing the silica fume and sand. Flow and 28-d compressive strength of each UHPC mixture were determined to finally select those mixtures, which satisfied the minimum flow and strength criteria of UHPC. The test results showed that the utilization of NP, FA, LSP, CKD, and PSS in production of UHPC is possible with acceptable flow and strength. A total of 10 UHPC mixtures were identified with flow and strength equal to or more than the minimum required. PMID:25197709

  20. Complex coacervate-based materials for biomedicine.

    PubMed

    Blocher, Whitney C; Perry, Sarah L

    2017-07-01

    There has been increasing interest in complex coacervates for deriving and transporting biomaterials. Complex coacervates are a dense, polyelectrolyte-rich liquid that results from the electrostatic complexation of oppositely charged macroions. Coacervates have long been used as a strategy for encapsulation, particularly in food and personal care products. More recent efforts have focused on the utility of this class of materials for the encapsulation of small molecules, proteins, RNA, DNA, and other biomaterials for applications ranging from sensing to biomedicine. Furthermore, coacervate-related materials have found utility in other areas of biomedicine, including cartilage mimics, tissue culture scaffolds, and adhesives for wet, biological environments. Here, we discuss the self-assembly of complex coacervate-based materials, current challenges in the intelligent design of these materials, and their utility applications in the broad field of biomedicine. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1442. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1442 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a Web-based or print-delivered tailored intervention to promote physical activity among adults aged over fifty: an economic evaluation of the Active Plus intervention.

    PubMed

    Golsteijn, Rianne Hj; Peels, Denise A; Evers, Silvia Maa; Bolman, Catherine; Mudde, Aart N; de Vries, Hein; Lechner, Lilian

    2014-09-28

    The adverse health effects of insufficient physical activity (PA) result in high costs to society. The economic burden of insufficient PA, which increases in our aging population, stresses the urgency for cost-effective interventions to promote PA among older adults. The current study provides insight in the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of different versions of a tailored PA intervention (Active Plus) among adults aged over fifty. The intervention conditions (i.e. print-delivered basic (PB; N = 439), print-delivered environmental (PE; N = 435), Web-based basic (WB; N = 423), Web-based environmental (WE; N = 432)) and a waiting-list control group were studied in a clustered randomized controlled trial. Intervention costs were registered during the trial. Health care costs, participant costs and productivity losses were identified and compared with the intervention effects on PA (in MET-hours per week) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) 12 months after the start of the intervention. Cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and cost-utility ratios (ICURs) were calculated per intervention condition. Non-parametric bootstrapping techniques and sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainty. As a whole (i.e. the four intervention conditions together) the Active Plus intervention was found to be cost-effective. The PB-intervention (ICER = €-55/MET-hour), PE-intervention (ICER = €-94/MET-hour) and the WE-intervention (ICER = €-139/MET-hour) all resulted in higher effects on PA and lower societal costs than the control group. With regard to QALYs, the PB-intervention (ICUR = €38,120/QALY), the PE-intervention (ICUR = €405,892/QALY) and the WE-intervention (ICUR = €-47,293/QALY) were found to be cost-effective when considering a willingness-to-pay threshold of €20,000/QALY. In most cases PE had the highest probability to be cost-effective. The Active Plus intervention was found to be a cost

  2. Synthesis of thin films and materials utilizing a gaseous catalyst

    DOEpatents

    Morse, Daniel E; Schwenzer, Birgit; Gomm, John R; Roth, Kristian M; Heiken, Brandon; Brutchey, Richard

    2013-10-29

    A method for the fabrication of nanostructured semiconducting, photoconductive, photovoltaic, optoelectronic and electrical battery thin films and materials at low temperature, with no molecular template and no organic contaminants. High-quality metal oxide semiconductor, photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials can be fabricated with nanometer-scale dimensions and high dopant densities through the use of low-temperature biologically inspired synthesis routes, without the use of any biological or biochemical templates.

  3. Review on the EFDA programme on tungsten materials technology and science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rieth, M.; Boutard, J. L.; Dudarev, S. L.; Ahlgren, T.; Antusch, S.; Baluc, N.; Barthe, M.-F.; Becquart, C. S.; Ciupinski, L.; Correia, J. B.; Domain, C.; Fikar, J.; Fortuna, E.; Fu, C.-C.; Gaganidze, E.; Galán, T. L.; García-Rosales, C.; Gludovatz, B.; Greuner, H.; Heinola, K.; Holstein, N.; Juslin, N.; Koch, F.; Krauss, W.; Kurzydlowski, K. J.; Linke, J.; Linsmeier, Ch.; Luzginova, N.; Maier, H.; Martínez, M. S.; Missiaen, J. M.; Muhammed, M.; Muñoz, A.; Muzyk, M.; Nordlund, K.; Nguyen-Manh, D.; Norajitra, P.; Opschoor, J.; Pintsuk, G.; Pippan, R.; Ritz, G.; Romaner, L.; Rupp, D.; Schäublin, R.; Schlosser, J.; Uytdenhouwen, I.; van der Laan, J. G.; Veleva, L.; Ventelon, L.; Wahlberg, S.; Willaime, F.; Wurster, S.; Yar, M. A.

    2011-10-01

    All the recent DEMO design studies for helium cooled divertors utilize tungsten materials and alloys, mainly due to their high temperature strength, good thermal conductivity, low erosion, and comparably low activation under neutron irradiation. The long-term objective of the EFDA fusion materials programme is to develop structural as well as armor materials in combination with the necessary production and fabrication technologies for future divertor concepts. The programmatic roadmap is structured into four engineering research lines which comprise fabrication process development, structural material development, armor material optimization, and irradiation performance testing, which are complemented by a fundamental research programme on "Materials Science and Modeling". This paper presents the current research status of the EFDA experimental and testing investigations, and gives a detailed overview of the latest results on fabrication, joining, high heat flux testing, plasticity, modeling, and validation experiments.

  4. Utilization of High-Temperature Slags From Metallurgy Based on Crystallization Behaviors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yongqi; Zhang, Zuotai

    2018-05-01

    Here, following the principle of modifying crystallization behaviors, including avoidance and optimization, we review recent research on the utilization of hot slags. Because of the high-temperature property (1450-1650°C), the utilization of hot slags are much different from that of other wastes. We approach this issue from two main directions, namely, material recycling and heat utilization. From the respect of material recycling, the utilization of slags mainly follows total utilization and partial utilization, whereas the heat recovery from slags follows two main paths, namely, physical granulation and chemical reaction. The effective disposal of hot slags greatly depends on clarifying the crystallization behaviors, and thus, we discuss some optical techniques and their applicable scientific insights. For the purpose of crystallization avoidance, characterizing the glass-forming ability of slags is of great significance, whereas for crystallization modification, the selection of chemical additives and control of crystallization conditions comprise the central routes.

  5. Nonlinear Optical Materials for the Smart Filtering of Optical Radiation.

    PubMed

    Dini, Danilo; Calvete, Mário J F; Hanack, Michael

    2016-11-23

    The control of luminous radiation has extremely important implications for modern and future technologies as well as in medicine. In this Review, we detail chemical structures and their relevant photophysical features for various groups of materials, including organic dyes such as metalloporphyrins and metallophthalocyanines (and derivatives), other common organic materials, mixed metal complexes and clusters, fullerenes, dendrimeric nanocomposites, polymeric materials (organic and/or inorganic), inorganic semiconductors, and other nanoscopic materials, utilized or potentially useful for the realization of devices able to filter in a smart way an external radiation. The concept of smart is referred to the characteristic of those materials that are capable to filter the radiation in a dynamic way without the need of an ancillary system for the activation of the required transmission change. In particular, this Review gives emphasis to the nonlinear optical properties of photoactive materials for the function of optical power limiting. All known mechanisms of optical limiting have been analyzed and discussed for the different types of materials.

  6. Utilization of composite materials by the US Army: A look ahead

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chait, Richard

    1992-01-01

    An overview of the use of composite materials in the Army is given. Important efforts to document design information, supporting research, and some national applications for composite materials are given. The use of Kevlar fiber in both vests and helmets for the soldier is outlined. The advantages of using fiberglass in the hull of the Bradley fighting ground vehicle is given. The full potential of composite materials is realized in the recently awarded LH Comanche RAH-66 program. The use of composites for application to rocket motor uses, wings, fins, and casings is under development. Because of the uncertain funding profile, it is more important than ever that technology planning provide the basis for effective prioritization and leveraging of the tech base efforts involving advanced materials.

  7. Electrokinetic removal of charged contaminant species from soil and other media using moderately conductive adsorptive materials

    DOEpatents

    Lindgren, Eric R.; Mattson, Earl D.

    2001-01-01

    Method for collecting and concentrating charged species, specifically, contaminant species in a medium, preferably soil. The method utilizes electrokinesis to drive contaminant species into and through a bed adjacent to a drive electrode. The bed comprises a moderately electrically conductive adsorbent material which is porous and is infused with water or other solvent capable of conducting electrical current. The bed material, preferably activated carbon, is easily removed and disposed of. Preferably, where activated carbon is used, after contaminant species are collected and concentrated, the mixture of activated carbon and contaminant species is removed and burned to form a stable and easily disposable waste product.

  8. Evaluative report on the Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards - fiscal year 1976. Annual report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The Institute for Materials Research (IMR), one of the major organizational units of the National Bureau of Standards, conducts research to provide a better understanding of the basic properties of materials and develops methodology and standards for measuring their properties to help ensure effective utilization of technologically important materials by the nation's scientific, commercial, and industrial communities. This report covers activities of the Institute during the 12 months preceding the Panel meeting on January 26-27, 1976.

  9. Evaluative report on the Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of Standards - fiscal year 1977. Annual report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The Institute for Materials Research (IMR), one of the major organizational units of the National Bureau of Standards, conducts research to provide a better understanding of the basic properties of materials and develops methodology and standards for measuring their properties to help ensure effective utilization of technologically important materials by the nation's scientific, commercial, and industrial communities. This report covers activities of the Institute during the 12 months preceding the Panel meeting on January 25-26, 1977.

  10. Overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banerjee, Srikumar

    2014-12-01

    This paper on overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials describes in brief the efforts India has made to develop materials for the first wall of a tokamak, its blanket and superconducting magnet coils. Through a systematic and scientific approach, India has developed and commercially produced reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel that is comparable to Eurofer 97. Powder of low activation ferritic/martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened steel with characteristics desired for its application in the first wall of a tokamak has been produced on the laboratory scale. V-4Cr-4Ti alloy was also prepared in the laboratory, and kinetics of hydrogen absorption in this was investigated. Cu-1 wt%Cr-0.1 wt%Zr - an alloy meant for use as heat transfer elements for hypervapotrons and heat sink for the first wall - was developed and characterized in detail for its aging behavior. The role of addition of a small quantity of Zr in its improved fatigue performance was delineated, and its diffusion bonding with both W and stainless steel was achieved using Ni as an interlayer. The alloy was produced in large quantities and used for manufacturing both the heat transfer elements and components for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). India has proposed to install and test a lead-lithium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module (LLCB-TBM) at ITER. To meet this objective, efforts have been made to produce and characterize Li2TiO3 pebbles, and also improve the thermal conductivity of packed beds of these pebbles. Liquid metal loops have been set up and corrosion behavior of RAFM steel in flowing Pb-Li eutectic has been studied in the presence as well as absence of magnetic fields. To prevent permeation of tritium and reduce the magneto-hydro-dynamic drag, processes have been developed for coating alumina on RAFM steel. Apart from these activities, different approaches being attempted to make the U-shaped first wall of the TBM box

  11. 78 FR 10210 - Utility Scale Wind Towers From China and Vietnam

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-13

    ...)] Utility Scale Wind Towers From China and Vietnam Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... with material injury by reason of imports of utility scale wind towers from China and Vietnam, provided... of imports of utility scale wind towers from China and Vietnam. Commissioner Dean A. Pinkert...

  12. Utility interconnection issues for wind power generation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Herrera, J. I.; Lawler, J. S.; Reddoch, T. W.; Sullivan, R. L.

    1986-01-01

    This document organizes the total range of utility related issues, reviews wind turbine control and dynamic characteristics, identifies the interaction of wind turbines to electric utility systems, and identifies areas for future research. The material is organized at three levels: the wind turbine, its controls and characteristics; connection strategies as dispersed or WPSs; and the composite issue of planning and operating the electric power system with wind generated electricity.

  13. Material-mediated pyrogens in medical devices: Applicability of the in vitro Monocyte Activation Test.

    PubMed

    Borton, Lindsey K; Coleman, Kelly P

    2018-06-14

    Pyrogenicity presents a challenge to clinicians, medical device manufactures, and regulators. A febrile response may be caused by endotoxin contamination, microbial components other than endotoxin, or chemical agents that generate a material-mediated pyrogenic response. While test methods for the assessment of endotoxin contamination and some microbial components other than endotoxin are well-established, material-mediated pyrogens remain elusively undefined. This review presents the findings of literature searches conducted to identify material-mediated pyrogens associated with medical devices. The in vivo rabbit pyrogen test (RPT) is considered to be the "gold standard" for medical device pyrogenicity testing, despite the fact that few medical device-derived material-mediated pyrogens are known. In line with global efforts to reduce the use of research animals, an in vitro monocyte activation test (MAT) has the potential to replace the RPT. The MAT is used to detect substances that activate human monocytes to release cytokines. This review will also describe the potential opportunities and challenges associated with MAT adoption for the detection of material-mediated pyrogens in medical device testing.

  14. Photoactivated and patternable charge transport materials and their use in organic light-emitting devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jie; Lewis, Larry N.; Duggal, Anil R.

    2007-06-01

    Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) usually employ at least one organic semiconductor layer that acts as a hole-injection material. The prototypical example is a conjugated polymer such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) heavily p doped with polystyrene sulfonic acid. Here, the authors describe a chemical doping strategy for hole injection material formulation that enables spatial patterning of the material conductivity through optical activation. The strategy utilizes an organic photoacid generator (PAG) dispersed in a polymeric organic semiconductor host. Upon UV irradiation, the PAG decomposes and generates a strong protonic acid that subsequently p dopes the host. The authors demonstrate an OLED made with such a light-activated hole-injection material and show that arbitrary emission patterning can be accomplished. This approach may provide a simple, low cost path toward specialty lighting and signage applications for OLED technology.

  15. Thermally activated creep and fluidization in flowing disordered materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merabia, Samy; Detcheverry, François

    2016-11-01

    When submitted to a constant mechanical load, many materials display power law creep followed by fluidization. A fundamental understanding of these processes is still far from being achieved. Here, we characterize creep and fluidization on the basis of a mesoscopic viscoplastic model that includes thermally activated yielding events and a broad distribution of energy barriers, which may be lowered under the effect of a local deformation. We relate the creep exponent observed before fluidization to the width of barrier distribution and to the specific form of stress redistribution following yielding events. We show that Andrade creep is accompanied by local strain hardening driven by stress redistribution and find that the fluidization time depends exponentially on the applied stress. The simulation results are interpreted in the light of a mean-field analysis, and should help in rationalizing the creep phenomenology in disordered materials.

  16. Simulation of Field Dependence of Critical Current Densities of Bulk High Tc Superconducting Materials regarding Thermally Activated Flux Motion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santosh, M.; Naik, S. Pavan Kumar; Koblischka, M. R.

    2017-07-01

    In the upcoming generation, bulk high temperature superconductors (HTS) will play a crucial and a promising role in numerous industrial applications ranging from Maglev trains to magnetic resonance imaging, etc. Especially, the bulk HTS as permanent magnets are suitable due to the fact that they can trap magnetic fields being several orders of magnitude higher than those of the best hard ferromagnets. The bulk HTS LREBa2Cu3O7-δ (LREBCO or LRE-123, LRE: Y, Gd, etc.,) materials could obtain very powerful compact superconducting super-magnets, which can be operated at the cheaper liquid nitrogen temperature or below due to higher critical temperatures (i.e., ∼90 K). As a result, the new advanced technology can be utilized in a more attractive manner for a variety of technological and medical applications which have the capacity to revolutionize the field. An understanding of the magnetic field dependence of the critical current density (J c(H)) is important to develop better adapted materials. To achieve this goal, a variety of Jc (H) behaviours of bulk LREBCO samples were modelled regarding thermally activated flux motion. In essence, the Jc (H) curves follows a certain criterion where an exponential model is applied. However, to fit the complete Jc (H) curve of the LRE-123 samples an unique model is necessary to explain the behavior at low and high fields. The modelling of the various superconducting materials could be understood in terms of the pinning mechanisms.

  17. On the Utilization of Pozzolanic Wastes as an Alternative Resource of Cement

    PubMed Central

    Karim, Md. Rezaul; Hossain, Md. Maruf; Khan, Mohammad Nabi Newaz; Zain, Muhammad Fauzi Mohd; Jamil, Maslina; Lai, Fook Chuan

    2014-01-01

    Recently, as a supplement of cement, the utilization of pozzolanic materials in cement and concrete manufacturing has increased significantly. This study investigates the scope to use pozzolanic wastes (slag, palm oil fuel ash and rice husk ash) as an alkali activated binder (AAB) that can be used as an alternative to cement. To activate these materials, sodium hydroxide solution was used at 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 molar concentration added into the mortar, separately. The required solution was used to maintain the flow of mortar at 110% ± 5%. The consistency and setting time of the AAB-paste were determined. Mortar was tested for its flow, compressive strength, porosity, water absorption and thermal resistance (heating at 700 °C) and investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results reveal that AAB-mortar exhibits less flow than that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Surprisingly, AAB-mortars (with 2.5 molar solution) achieved a compressive strength of 34.3 MPa at 28 days, while OPC shows that of 43.9 MPa under the same conditions. Although water absorption and porosity of the AAB-mortar are slightly high, it shows excellent thermal resistance compared to OPC. Therefore, based on the test results, it can be concluded that in the presence of a chemical activator, the aforementioned pozzolans can be used as an alternative material for cement. PMID:28788277

  18. On the Utilization of Pozzolanic Wastes as an Alternative Resource of Cement.

    PubMed

    Karim, Md Rezaul; Hossain, Md Maruf; Khan, Mohammad Nabi Newaz; Zain, Muhammad Fauzi Mohd; Jamil, Maslina; Lai, Fook Chuan

    2014-12-05

    Recently, as a supplement of cement, the utilization of pozzolanic materials in cement and concrete manufacturing has increased significantly. This study investigates the scope to use pozzolanic wastes (slag, palm oil fuel ash and rice husk ash) as an alkali activated binder (AAB) that can be used as an alternative to cement. To activate these materials, sodium hydroxide solution was used at 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 molar concentration added into the mortar, separately. The required solution was used to maintain the flow of mortar at 110% ± 5%. The consistency and setting time of the AAB-paste were determined. Mortar was tested for its flow, compressive strength, porosity, water absorption and thermal resistance (heating at 700 °C) and investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results reveal that AAB-mortar exhibits less flow than that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Surprisingly, AAB-mortars (with 2.5 molar solution) achieved a compressive strength of 34.3 MPa at 28 days, while OPC shows that of 43.9 MPa under the same conditions. Although water absorption and porosity of the AAB-mortar are slightly high, it shows excellent thermal resistance compared to OPC. Therefore, based on the test results, it can be concluded that in the presence of a chemical activator, the aforementioned pozzolans can be used as an alternative material for cement.

  19. Aluminium-gold reference material for the k0-standardisation of neutron activation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingelbrecht, C.; Peetermans, F.; De Corte, F.; De Wispelaere, A.; Vandecasteele, C.; Courtijn, E.; D'Hondt, P.

    1991-05-01

    Gold is an excellent comparator material for the k0-standardisation of neutron activation analysis because of its convenient and well defined nuclear properties. The most suitable form for a reference material is a dilute aluminium-gold alloy, for which the self-shielding effect for neutrons is small. Castings of composition Al-0.1 wt.% Au were prepared by crucible-less levitation melting, which gives close control of ingot composition with minimal contamination of the melt. The alloy composition was checked using induction-coupled plasma source emission spectrometry. The homogeneity of the alloy was measured by neutron activation analysis and a relative standard deviation of the gold content of 0.30% was found (10 mg samples). Metallography revealed a homogeneous distribution of AuAl 2 particles. The alloy was certified as Reference Material CBNM-530, with certified gold mass fraction 0.100±0.002 wt.%.

  20. Exploring the Utilization of Low-Pressure, Piston-Cylinder Experiments to Determine the Bulk Compositions of Finite, Precious Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vander Kaaden, K. E.; McCubbin, F. M.; Harrington, A.

    2017-12-01

    Determining the bulk composition of precious materials with a finite mass (e.g., meteorite samples) is extremely important in the fields of Earth and Planetary Science. From meteorite studies we are able to place constraints on large scale planetary processes like global differentiation and subsequent volcanism, as well as smaller scale processes like crystallization in a magma chamber or sedimentary compaction at the surface. However, with meteorite samples in particular, far too often we are limited by how precious the sample is as well as its limited mass. In this study, we have utilized aliquots of samples previously studied for toxicological hazards [1] including both the fresh samples (lunar mare basalt NWA 4734, lunar regolith breccia NWA 7611, martian basalt Tissint, martian regolith breccia NWA 7034, a vestian basalt Berthoud, a vestian regolith breccia NWA 2060, and a terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)), and those that underwent iron leaching (Tissint, NWA 7034, NWA 4734, MORB). With these small masses of material, we performed low pressure ( 0.75 GPa), high temperature (>1600°C) melting experiments. Each sample was analyzed using a JEOL 8530F electron microprobe to determine the bulk composition of the materials that were previously examined in [1]. When available, the results of our microprobe data were compared with bulk rock compositions in the literature. The results of this study show that with this technique, only 50 mg of sample is required to accurately determine the bulk composition of the materials of interest. [1] Harrington, A.D., McCubbin, F.M., Kaur, J., Smirnov, A., Galdanes, K., Schoonen, M.A.A., Chen, L.C., Tsirka, S.E., and Gordon, T. (2017) Pulmonary inflammatory responses to acute meteroite dust exposures - Implications for human space exploration. 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, The Woodlands, TX, #2922.

  1. Stable carbonous catalyst particles and method for making and utilizing same

    DOEpatents

    Ganguli, Partha S.; Comolli, Alfred G.

    2005-06-14

    Stable carbonous catalyst particles composed of an inorganic catalytic metal/metal oxide powder and a carbonaceous binder material are formed having a basic inner substantially uniform-porous carbon coating of the catalytic powder, and may include an outer porous carbon coating layer. Suitable inorganic catalytic powders include zinc-chromite (ZnO/Cr.sub.2 03) and suitable carbonaceous liquid binders having molecular weight of 200-700 include partially polymerized furfuryl alcohol, which are mixed together, shaped and carbonized and partially oxidized at elevated temperature. Such stable carbonous catalyst particles such as 0.020-0.100 inch (0.51-2.54 mm) diameter extrudates, have total carbon content of 2-25 wt. % and improved crush strength of 1.0-5 1b/mn, 50-300 m.sup.2 /g surface area, and can be advantageously utilized in fixed bed or ebullated/fluidized bed reactor operations. This invention also includes method steps for making the stable carbonous catalyst particles having improved particle strength and catalytic activity, and processes for utilizing the active stable carbonous carbon-coated catalysts such as for syn-gas reactions in ebullated/fluidized bed reactors for producing alcohol products and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis liquid products.

  2. 41 CFR 109-43.307-2 - Hazardous materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Hazardous materials. 109-43.307-2 Section 109-43.307-2 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management... 43-UTILIZATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY 43.3-Utilization of Excess § 109-43.307-2 Hazardous materials. ...

  3. 41 CFR 109-43.307-2 - Hazardous materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Hazardous materials. 109-43.307-2 Section 109-43.307-2 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management... 43-UTILIZATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY 43.3-Utilization of Excess § 109-43.307-2 Hazardous materials. ...

  4. 41 CFR 109-43.307-2 - Hazardous materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hazardous materials. 109-43.307-2 Section 109-43.307-2 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management... 43-UTILIZATION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY 43.3-Utilization of Excess § 109-43.307-2 Hazardous materials. ...

  5. Composite structural materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ansell, G. S.; Loewy, R. G.; Wiberley, S. E.

    1979-01-01

    Technology utilization of fiber reinforced composite materials is discussed in the areas of physical properties, and life prediction. Programs related to the Composite Aircraft Program are described in detail.

  6. Method for forming materials

    DOEpatents

    Tolle, Charles R [Idaho Falls, ID; Clark, Denis E [Idaho Falls, ID; Smartt, Herschel B [Idaho Falls, ID; Miller, Karen S [Idaho Falls, ID

    2009-10-06

    A material-forming tool and a method for forming a material are described including a shank portion; a shoulder portion that releasably engages the shank portion; a pin that releasably engages the shoulder portion, wherein the pin defines a passageway; and a source of a material coupled in material flowing relation relative to the pin and wherein the material-forming tool is utilized in methodology that includes providing a first material; providing a second material, and placing the second material into contact with the first material; and locally plastically deforming the first material with the material-forming tool so as mix the first material and second material together to form a resulting material having characteristics different from the respective first and second materials.

  7. Purely Organic Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

    PubMed

    Wong, Michael Y; Zysman-Colman, Eli

    2017-06-01

    The design of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials both as emitters and as hosts is an exploding area of research. The replacement of phosphorescent metal complexes with inexpensive organic compounds in electroluminescent (EL) devices that demonstrate comparable performance metrics is paradigm shifting, as these new materials offer the possibility of developing low-cost lighting and displays. Here, a comprehensive review of TADF materials is presented, with a focus on linking their optoelectronic behavior with the performance of the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and related EL devices. TADF emitters are cross-compared within specific color ranges, with a focus on blue, green-yellow, orange-red, and white OLEDs. Organic small-molecule, dendrimer, polymer, and exciplex emitters are all discussed within this review, as is their use as host materials. Correlations are provided between the structure of the TADF materials and their optoelectronic properties. The success of TADF materials has ushered in the next generation of OLEDs. © 2017 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Realization of MEMS-IC Vertical Integration Utilizing Smart Bumpless Bonding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiozaki, Masayoshi; Moriguchi, Makoto; Sasaki, Sho; Oba, Masatoshi

    This paper reports fundamental technologies, properties, and new experimental results of SBB (Smart Bumpless Bonding) to realize MEMS-IC vertical integration. Although conventional bonding technologies have had difficulties integrating MEMS and its processing circuit because of their rough bonding surfaces, fragile structures, and thermal restriction, SBB technology realized the vertical integration without thermal treatment, any adhesive materials including bumps, and chemical mechanical polishing. The SBB technology bonds sealing parts for vacuum sealing and electrodes for electrical connection simultaneously as published in previous experimental study. The plasma CVD SiO2 is utilized to realize vacuum sealing as sealing material. And Au projection studs are formed on each electrode and connected electrically between two wafers by compressive plastic deformation and surface activation. In this paper, new experimental results including vacuum sealing properties, electrical improvement, IC bonding results on the described fundamental concept and properties are reported.

  9. Nature-Inspired Structural Materials for Flexible Electronic Devices.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yaqing; He, Ke; Chen, Geng; Leow, Wan Ru; Chen, Xiaodong

    2017-10-25

    Exciting advancements have been made in the field of flexible electronic devices in the last two decades and will certainly lead to a revolution in peoples' lives in the future. However, because of the poor sustainability of the active materials in complex stress environments, new requirements have been adopted for the construction of flexible devices. Thus, hierarchical architectures in natural materials, which have developed various environment-adapted structures and materials through natural selection, can serve as guides to solve the limitations of materials and engineering techniques. This review covers the smart designs of structural materials inspired by natural materials and their utility in the construction of flexible devices. First, we summarize structural materials that accommodate mechanical deformations, which is the fundamental requirement for flexible devices to work properly in complex environments. Second, we discuss the functionalities of flexible devices induced by nature-inspired structural materials, including mechanical sensing, energy harvesting, physically interacting, and so on. Finally, we provide a perspective on newly developed structural materials and their potential applications in future flexible devices, as well as frontier strategies for biomimetic functions. These analyses and summaries are valuable for a systematic understanding of structural materials in electronic devices and will serve as inspirations for smart designs in flexible electronics.

  10. Hydrogen generation systems utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

    DOEpatents

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    2015-07-14

    Systems, devices, and methods combine reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Multiple inlets of varied placement geometries deliver aqueous solution to the reaction. The reactant materials and aqueous solution are churned to control the state of the reaction. The aqueous solution can be recycled and returned to the reaction. One system operates over a range of temperatures and pressures and includes a hydrogen separator, a heat removal mechanism, and state of reaction control devices. The systems, devices, and methods of generating hydrogen provide thermally stable solids, near-instant reaction with the aqueous solutions, and a non-toxic liquid by-product.

  11. Materials and Process Activities for NASA's Composite Crew Module

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Polis, Daniel L.

    2012-01-01

    In January 2007, the NASA Administrator and Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate chartered the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to design, build, and test a full-scale Composite Crew Module (CCM). The overall goal of the CCM project was to develop a team from the NASA family with hands-on experience in composite design, manufacturing, and testing in anticipation of future space exploration systems being made of composite materials. The CCM project was planned to run concurrently with the Orion project s baseline metallic design within the Constellation Program so that features could be compared and discussed without inducing risk to the overall Program. The materials and process activities were prioritized based on a rapid prototype approach. This approach focused developmental activities on design details with greater risk and uncertainty, such as out-of-autoclave joining, over some of the more traditional lamina and laminate building block levels. While process development and associated building block testing were performed, several anomalies were still observed at the full-scale level due to interactions between process robustness and manufacturing scale-up. This paper describes the process anomalies that were encountered during the CCM development and the subsequent root cause investigations that led to the final design solutions. These investigations highlight the importance of full-scale developmental work early in the schedule of a complex composite design/build project.

  12. Efficiency of laser beam utilization in gas laser cutting of materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galushkin, M. G.; Grishaev, R. V.

    2018-02-01

    Relying on the condition of dynamic matching of the process parameters in gas laser cutting, the dependence of the beam utilization factor on the cutting speed and the beam power has been determined. An energy balance equation has been derived for a wide range of cutting speed values.

  13. Insulation Material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    Manufactured by Hitco Materials Division of Armco, Inc. a ceramic fiber insulation material known as Refrasil has been used extensively as a heat-absorbing ablative reinforcement for such space systems as rocket motor nozzles, combustion chambers, and re-entry shields. Refrasil fibers are highly porous and do not melt or vaporize until fibers exceed 3,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to these and other properties, Refrasil has found utility in a number of industrial high temperature applications where glass, asbestos and other materials fail. Hitco used this insulation to assist Richardson Co., Inc. in the manufacturing of hard rubber and plastic molded battery cases.

  14. Design Features and Capabilities of the First Materials Science Research Rack

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pettigrew, P. J.; Lehoczky, S. L.; Cobb, S. D.; Holloway, T.; Kitchens, L.

    2003-01-01

    The First Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will offer many unique capabilities and design features to facilitate a wide range of materials science investigations. The initial configuration of MSRR-1 will accommodate two independent Experiment Modules (EMS) and provide the capability for simultaneous on-orbit processing. The facility will provide the common subsystems and interfaces required for the operation of experiment hardware and accommodate telescience capabilities. MSRR1 will utilize an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with an Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for vibration isolation of the facility.

  15. Hydrogen generation systems utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    Systems, devices, and methods combine reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Multiple inlets of varied placement geometries deliver aqueous solution to the reaction. The reactant materials and aqueous solution are churned to control the state of the reaction. The aqueous solution can be recycled and returned to the reaction. One systemmore » operates over a range of temperatures and pressures and includes a hydrogen separator, a heat removal mechanism, and state of reaction control devices. The systems, devices, and methods of generating hydrogen provide thermally stable solids, near-instant reaction with the aqueous solutions, and a non-toxic liquid by-product.« less

  16. LSU: The Library Space Utilization Methodology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Richard B.

    A computerized research technique for measuring the space utilization of public library facilities provides a behavioral activity and occupancy analysis for library planning purposes. The library space utilization (LSU) methodology demonstrates that significant information about the functional requirements of a library can be measured and…

  17. [Clinical study using activity-based costing to assess cost-effectiveness of a wound management system utilizing modern dressings in comparison with traditional wound care].

    PubMed

    Ohura, Takehiko; Sanada, Hiromi; Mino, Yoshio

    2004-01-01

    In recent years, the concept of cost-effectiveness, including medical delivery and health service fee systems, has become widespread in Japanese health care. In the field of pressure ulcer management, the recent introduction of penalty subtraction in the care fee system emphasizes the need for prevention and cost-effective care of pressure ulcer. Previous cost-effectiveness research on pressure ulcer management tended to focus only on "hardware" costs such as those for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, while neglecting other cost aspects, particularly those involving the cost of labor. Thus, cost-effectiveness in pressure ulcer care has not yet been fully established. To provide true cost effectiveness data, a comparative prospective study was initiated in patients with stage II and III pressure ulcers. Considering the potential impact of the pressure reduction mattress on clinical outcome, in particular, the same type of pressure reduction mattresses are utilized in all the cases in the study. The cost analysis method used was Activity-Based Costing, which measures material and labor cost aspects on a daily basis. A reduction in the Pressure Sore Status Tool (PSST) score was used to measure clinical effectiveness. Patients were divided into three groups based on the treatment method and on the use of a consistent algorithm of wound care: 1. MC/A group, modern dressings with a treatment algorithm (control cohort). 2. TC/A group, traditional care (ointment and gauze) with a treatment algorithm. 3. TC/NA group, traditional care (ointment and gauze) without a treatment algorithm. The results revealed that MC/A is more cost-effective than both TC/A and TC/NA. This suggests that appropriate utilization of modern dressing materials and a pressure ulcer care algorithm would contribute to reducing health care costs, improved clinical results, and, ultimately, greater cost-effectiveness.

  18. Materials engineering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bramley, A.N.

    1985-01-01

    This book presents the Proceedings of the Second Materials Engineering Conference. This valuable collection of papers deal with the awareness, creative use, economics, reliability, selection, design, testing and warranty of materials. The papers address topics of both immediate and lasting industrial importance at a readily assimilated level and contain information which will lead speedily to improvements in industrial practice. Topics considered include recent developments in the science and technology of high modulus polymers; computer aided design of advanced composites; a systematic approach to materials testing in metal forming; new cold working tool steels; friction surfacing and its applications; fatigue lifemore » assessment and materials engineering; alternative materials for internal combustion engines; adhesives and the engineer; thermoplastic bearings; engineering applications of ZA alloys; and utility and complexity in the selection of polymeric materials.« less

  19. A small scale lunar launcher for early lunar material utilization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Snow, W. R.; Kubby, J. A.; Dunbar, R. S.

    1981-01-01

    A system for the launching of lunar derived oxygen or raw materials into low lunar orbit or to L2 for transfer to low earth orbit is presented. The system described is a greatly simplified version of the conventional and sophisticated approach suggested by O'Neill using mass drivers with recirculating buckets. An electromagnetic accelerator is located on the lunar surface which launches 125 kg 'smart' containers of liquid oxygen or raw materials into a transfer orbit. Upon reaching apolune a kick motor is fired to circularize the orbit at 100 km altitude or L2. These containers are collected and their payloads transferred to a tanker OTV. The empty containers then have their kick motors refurbished and then are returned to the launcher site on the lunar surface for reuse. Initial launch capability is designed for about 500T of liquid oxygen delivered to low earth orbit per year with upgrading to higher levels, delivery of lunar soil for shielding, or raw materials for processing given the demand.

  20. "Go Be a Writer": Intra-Activity with Materials, Time and Space in Literacy Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuby, Candace R.; Rucker, Tara Gutshall; Kirchhofer, Jessica M.

    2015-01-01

    This article is based on research in a United States second-grade classroom during a multimodal literacy workshop. Observing students working with tissue paper, foam board, string, pipe cleaners and other materials, we asked how is intra-activity with materials, time and space influencing literacy learning in Room 203? While the research…

  1. Utility of a Web-based intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes: the impact on physical activity levels and glycemic control.

    PubMed

    Kim, Chun-Ja; Kang, Duck-Hee

    2006-01-01

    Despite the numerous benefits of physical activity for patients with diabetes, most healthcare providers in busy clinical settings rarely find time to counsel their patients about it. A Web-based program for healthcare providers can be used as an effective counseling tool, when strategies are outlined for specific stages of readiness for physical activity. Seventy-three adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to Web-based intervention, printed-material intervention, or usual care. After 12 weeks, the effects of the interventions on physical activity, fasting blood sugar, and glycosylated hemoglobin were evaluated. Both Web-based and printed material intervention, compared with usual care, were effective in increasing physical activity (P < .001) and decreasing fasting blood sugar (P<.01) and glycosylated hemoglobin (P < .01). Post hoc analysis for change scores indicated significant differences between Web-based intervention and usual care and between printed material intervention and usual care, but not between web-based and printed material intervention. The findings of this study support the value of Web-based and printed material interventions in healthcare counseling. With increasing Web access, the effectiveness of Web-based programs offered directly to patients needs to be tested.

  2. Fire and safety materials utilization at the John F. Kennedy Space Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reynolds, J. R.

    1971-01-01

    The special needs of the Kennedy Space Center in the area of protective garments for personnel engaged in hazardous emergency operations are discussed. The materials used in the protective clothing and the specialized applications of various materials are described. It is concluded that Nomex is the best general purpose nonflammable material for protective clothing.

  3. Material Activation Benchmark Experiments at the NuMI Hadron Absorber Hall in Fermilab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matsumura, H.; Matsuda, N.; Kasugai, Y.; Toyoda, A.; Yashima, H.; Sekimoto, S.; Iwase, H.; Oishi, K.; Sakamoto, Y.; Nakashima, H.; Leveling, A.; Boehnlein, D.; Lauten, G.; Mokhov, N.; Vaziri, K.

    2014-06-01

    In our previous study, double and mirror symmetric activation peaks found for Al and Au arranged spatially on the back of the Hadron absorber of the NuMI beamline in Fermilab were considerably higher than those expected purely from muon-induced reactions. From material activation bench-mark experiments, we conclude that this activation is due to hadrons with energy greater than 3 GeV that had passed downstream through small gaps in the hadron absorber.

  4. Utilization of Activated Carbon Prepared from Aceh Coffee Grounds as Bio-sorbent for Treatment of Fertilizer Industrial Waste Water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mariana, M.; Mahidin, M.; Mulana, F.; Aman, F.

    2018-05-01

    The people of Aceh are well known as coffee drinkers. Therefore, a lot of coffee shops have been established in Aceh in the past decade. The growing of coffee shops resulting to large amounts of coffee waste produced in Aceh Province that will become solid waste if not wisely utilized. The high carbon content in coffee underlined as background of this research to be utilized those used coffee grounds as bio-sorbent. The preparation of activated carbon from coffee grounds by using carbonization method that was initially activated with HCl was expected to increase the absorption capacity. The prepared activated carbon with high reactivity was applied to adsorb nitrite, nitrate and ammonia in wastewater outlet of PT. PIM wastewater pond. Morphological structure of coffee waste was analyzed by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The result showed that the adsorption capacity of iodine was equal to 856.578 mg/g. From the characterization results, it was concluded that the activated carbon from coffee waste complied to the permitted quality standards in accordance with the quality requirements of activated carbon SNI No. 06-3730-1995. Observed from the adsorption efficiency, the bio-sorbent showed a tendency of adsorbing more ammonia than nitrite and nitrate of PT. PIM wastewater with ammonia absorption efficiency of 56%.

  5. Advanced nanostructured materials for energy storage and conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutchings, Gregory S.

    Due to a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to utilize renewable sources of energy, much effort has been directed towards creating new alternatives to fossil fuels. Identifying novel materials for energy storage and conversion can enable radical changes to the current fuel production infrastructure and energy utilization. The use of engineered nanostructured materials in these systems unlocks unique catalytic activity in practical configurations. In this work, research efforts have been focused on the development of nanostructured materials to address the need for both better energy conversion and storage, with applications toward Li-O2 battery electrocatalysts, electrocatalytic generation of H2, conversion of furfural to useful chemicals and fuels, and Li battery anode materials. Highly-active alpha-MnO2 materials were synthesized for use as bifunctional oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution (OER) catalysts in Li-O2 batteries, and were evaluated under operating conditions with a novel in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy configuration. Through detailed analysis of local coordination and oxidation states of Mn atoms at key points in the electrochemical cycle, a self-switching behavior affecting the bifunctional activity was identified and found to be critical. In an additional study of materials for lithium batteries, nanostructured TiO2 anode materials doped with first-row transition metals were synthesized and evaluated for improving battery discharge capacity and rate performance, with Ni and Co doping at low levels found to cause the greatest enhancement. In addition to battery technology research, I have also sought to find inexpensive and earth-abundant electrocatalysts to replace state-of-the-art Pt/C in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a systematic computational study of Cu-based bimetallic electrocatalysts was performed. During the screening of dilute surface alloys of Cu mixed with other first-row transition metals, materials with

  6. Light activated nitric oxide releasing materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muizzi Casanas, Dayana Andreina

    The ability to control the location and dosage of biologically active molecules inside the human body can be critical to maximizing effective treatment of cardiovascular diseases like angina. The current standard of treatment relies on the metabolism of organonitrate drugs into nitric oxide (NO), which are not specific, and also show problems with densitization with long-term use. There is a need then to create a treatment method that gives targeted release of NO. Metal-nitrosyl (M-NO) complexes can be used for delivery of NO since the release of NO can be controlled with light. However, the NO-releasing drug must be activated with red light to ensure maximum penetration of light through tissue. However, the release of NO from M-NO complexes with red-light activation is a significant challenge since the energy required to break the metal-NO bond is usually larger than the energy provided by red light. The goal of this project was to create red- sensitive, NO-releasing materials based on Ru-salen-nitrosyl compounds. Our approach was to first modify Ru salen complexes to sensitize the photochemistry for release of NO after red light irradiation. Next, we pursued polymerization of the Ru-salen complexes. We report the synthesis and quantitative photochemical characterization of a series of ruthenium salen nitrosyl complexes. These complexes were modified by incorporating electron donating groups in the salen ligand structure at key locations to increase electron density on the Ru. Complexes with either an --OH or --OCH3 substituent showed an improvement in the quantum yield of release of NO upon blue light irradiation compared to the unmodified salen. These --OH and --OCH3 complexes were also sensitized for NO release after red light activation, however the red-sensitive complexes were unstable and showed ligand substitution on the order of minutes. The substituted complexes remained sensitive for NO release, but only after blue light irradiation. The Ru

  7. Fissile material detector

    DOEpatents

    Ivanov, Alexander I.; Lushchikov, Vladislav I.; Shabalin, Eugeny P.; Maznyy, Nikita G.; Khvastunov, Michael M.; Rowland, Mark

    2002-01-01

    A detector for fissile materials which provides for integrity monitoring of fissile materials and can be used for nondestructive assay to confirm the presence of a stable content of fissile material in items. The detector has a sample cavity large enough to enable assay of large items of arbitrary configuration, utilizes neutron sources fabricated in spatially extended shapes mounted on the endcaps of the sample cavity, incorporates a thermal neutron filter insert with reflector properties, and the electronics module includes a neutron multiplicity coincidence counter.

  8. Triazatruxene: A Rigid Central Donor Unit for a D-A3 Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Material Exhibiting Sub-Microsecond Reverse Intersystem Crossing and Unity Quantum Yield via Multiple Singlet-Triplet State Pairs.

    PubMed

    Dos Santos, Paloma L; Ward, Jonathan S; Congrave, Daniel G; Batsanov, Andrei S; Eng, Julien; Stacey, Jessica E; Penfold, Thomas J; Monkman, Andrew P; Bryce, Martin R

    2018-06-01

    By inverting the common structural motif of thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials to a rigid donor core and multiple peripheral acceptors, reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) rates are demonstrated in an organic material that enables utilization of triplet excited states at faster rates than Ir-based phosphorescent materials. A combination of the inverted structure and multiple donor-acceptor interactions yields up to 30 vibronically coupled singlet and triplet states within 0.2 eV that are involved in rISC. This gives a significant enhancement to the rISC rate, leading to delayed fluorescence decay times as low as 103.9 ns. This new material also has an emission quantum yield ≈1 and a very small singlet-triplet gap. This work shows that it is possible to achieve both high photoluminescence quantum yield and fast rISC in the same molecule. Green organic light-emitting diode devices with external quantum efficiency >30% are demonstrated at 76 cd m -2 .

  9. Enhanced carbon monoxide utilization in methanation process

    DOEpatents

    Elek, Louis F.; Frost, Albert C.

    1984-01-01

    Carbon monoxide - containing gas streams are passed over a catalyst to deposit a surface layer of active surface carbon thereon essentially without the formation of inactive coke. The active carbon is subsequently reacted with steam or hydrogen to form methane. Surprisingly, hydrogen and water vapor present in the feed gas do not adversely affect CO utilization significantly, and such hydrogen actually results in a significant increase in CO utilization.

  10. Utilization of waste of chicken feathers and waste of cardboard as the material of acoustic panel maker

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansarullah; Rahim, Ramli; Kusno, Asniawaty; Baharuddin; Jamala, Nurul

    2018-03-01

    In The existence of chicken fur is a waste of chicken slaughterhouse Which is produced daily and still not widely used. Likewise cartons everywhere we can see its being because its function is so great in all human activities In the fulfillment of the need for storage and packaging of goods for human purposes such as electronic goods, commodity, Because it has a relatively large thickness of paper. Several studies have proven that Quill and cardboard can be used for acoustic materials. This study aims to identify the potential of chicken fur and cardboard to be created as panel materials Which acts as an acoustic panel. . This study uses an experimental method by combining two materials, Including waste Quill and carton waste by performing several stages in the formation of panels, Such as the selection of chicken fur material and cardboard cleaning process, drying process, enumeration process, panel modeling process. The result of this research is acoustic panel model with size 20x20cm2 with thickness 9 and 18 mm, The study also produced a Ø9,8 cm diameter-shaped panel model with 1.5cm, 2.5cm, and 5cm thickness for use in testing absorption coefficients using impedance tubes.

  11. Logging utilization in Idaho: Current and past trends

    Treesearch

    Eric A. Simmons; Todd A. Morgan; Erik C. Berg; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Steven W. Hayes; Mike T. Thompson

    2014-01-01

    A study of commercial timber-harvesting activities in Idaho was conducted during 2008 and 2011 to characterize current tree utilization, logging operations, and changes from previous Idaho logging utilization studies. A two-stage simple random sampling design was used to select sites and felled trees for measurement within active logging sites. Thirty-three logging...

  12. Stockpiling and Comprehensive Utilization of Red Mud Research Progress

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Dong-Yan; Wu, Chuan-Sheng

    2012-01-01

    With increasing production of red mud, the environmental problems caused by it are increasingly serious, and thus the integrated treatment of red mud is imminent. This article provides an overview of the composition and the basic characteristics of red mud. The research progress of safe stockpiling and comprehensive utilization of red mud is summarized. The safe stockpiling of red mud can be divided into two aspects: the design and safe operation of the stocking yard. The comprehensive utilization of red mud can be further divided into three aspects: the effective recycling of components, resource utilization and application in the field of environmental protection. This paper points out that the main focus of previous studies on red mud stockpiling is cost reproduction and land tenure. The recovery of resources from red mud has a high value-added, but low level industrialization. The use of red mud as a building material and filler material is the most effective way to reduce the stockpiling of red mud. Red mud used for environmental remediation materials is a new hotspot and worth promoting for its simple processing and low cost.

  13. Two propanediol utilization-like proteins of Moorella thermoacetica with phosphotransacetylase activity.

    PubMed

    Breitkopf, Ronja; Uhlig, Ronny; Drenckhan, Tina; Fischer, Ralf-Jörg

    2016-09-01

    Moorella thermoacetica is one of the model acetogenic bacteria for the resolution of the Wood-Ljungdahl (acetyl-CoA) pathway in which CO2 is autotrophically assimilated yielding acetyl-CoA as central intermediate. Its further conversion into acetate relies on subsequent phosphotransacetylase (PTA) and acetate kinase reactions. However, the genome of M. thermoacetica contains no pta homologous gene. It has been speculated that the moth_0864 and moth_1181 gene products sharing similarities with an evolutionarily distinct phosphotransacylase involved in 1,2-propanediol utilization (PDUL) of Salmonella enterica act as PTAs in M. thermoacetica. Here, we demonstrate specific PTA activities with acetyl-CoA as substrate of 9.05 and 2.03 U/mg for the recombinant enzymes PDUL1 (Moth_1181) and PDUL2 (Moth_0864), respectively. Both showed maximal activity at 65 °C and pH 7.6. Native proteins (90 kDa) are homotetramers composed of four subunits with apparent molecular masses of about 23 kDa. Thus, one or both PDULs of M. thermoacetica might act as PTAs in vivo catalyzing the penultimate step of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway toward the formation of acetate. In silico analysis underlined that up to now beside of M. thermoacetica, only Sporomusa ovata contains only PDUL like class(III)-PTAs but no other phosphotransacetylases or phosphotransbutyrylases (PTBs).

  14. Positive Active Material For Alkaline Electrolyte Storage Battert Nickel Electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Bernard, Patrick; Baudry, Michelle

    2000-12-05

    A method of manufacturing a positive active material for nickel electrodes of alkaline storage batteries which consists of particles of hydroxide containing mainly nickel and covered with a layer of a hydroxide phase based on nickel and yttrium is disclosed. The proportion of the hydroxide phase is in the range 0.15% to 3% by weight of yttrium expressed as yttrium hydroxide relative to the total weight of particles.

  15. Characterization of Space Environmental Effects on Candidate Solar Sail Material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Edwards, David; Hubbs, Whitney; Stanaland, Tesia; Altstatt, Richard

    2002-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is concentrating research into the utilization of photonic materials for spacecraft propulsion. Spacecraft propulsion, using photonic materials, will be achieved using a solar sail. A sail operates on the principle that photons, originating from the sun, impart pressure and provide a source of spacecraft propulsion. The pressure can be increased, by a factor of two if the sun-facing surface is perfectly reflective. Solar sails are generally composed of a highly reflective metallic front layer, a thin polymeric substrate, and occasionally a highly emissive back surface. The Space Environmental Effects Team at MSFC is actively characterizing candidate solar sail materials to evaluate the thermo-optical and mechanical properties after exposure to a simulated Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) radiation environment. The technique of radiation dose verses material depth profiling was used to determine the orbital equivalent exposure doses. The solar sail exposure procedures and results of the material characterization will be discussed.

  16. Non-biodegradable polymer particles for drug delivery: A new technology for "bio-active" restorative materials.

    PubMed

    Imazato, Satoshi; Kitagawa, Haruaki; Tsuboi, Ririko; Kitagawa, Ranna; Thongthai, Pasiree; Sasaki, Jun-Ichi

    2017-09-26

    To develop dental restorative materials with "bio-active" functions, addition of the capability to release active agents is an effective approach. However, such functionality needs to be attained without compromising the basic properties of the restorative materials. We have developed novel non-biodegradable polymer particles for drug delivery, aimed for application in dental resins. The particles are made using 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and a cross-linking monomer trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPT), with a hydrophilic nature to adsorb proteins or water-soluble antimicrobials. The polyHEMA/TMPT particles work as a reservoir to release fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) or cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in an effective manner. Application of the polyHEMA/TMPT particles loaded with FGF-2 to adhesives, or those loaded with CPC to resin-based endodontic sealers or denture bases/crowns is a promising approach to increase the success of the treatments by conferring "bio-active" properties to these materials to induce tissue regeneration or to inhibit bacterial infection.

  17. Research Opportunities Supporting the Vision for Space Exploration from the Transformation of the Former Microgravity Materials Science Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clinton, R. G., Jr.; Szofran, Frank; Bassler, Julie A.; Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Cook, Mary Beth

    2005-01-01

    The Microgravity Materials Science Program established a strong research capability through partnerships between NASA and the scientific research community. With the announcement of the vision for space exploration, additional emphasis in strategic materials science areas was necessary. The President's Commission recognized that achieving its exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as "enabling technologies." Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were: advanced structures, advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity systems; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis, biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. Mission success may depend upon use of local resources to fabricate a replacement part to repair a critical system. Future propulsion systems will require materials with a wide range of mechanical, thermophysical, and thermochemical properties, many of them well beyond capabilities of today's materials systems. Materials challenges have also been identified by experts working to develop advanced life support systems. In responding to the vision for space exploration, the Microgravity Materials Science Program aggressively transformed its research portfolio and focused materials science areas of emphasis to include space radiation shielding; in situ fabrication and repair for life support systems; in situ resource utilization for life support consumables; and advanced materials for exploration, including materials science for space propulsion systems and for life support systems. The purpose of this paper is to inform the scientific community of these new research directions and opportunities to utilize their materials science expertise and capabilities to support the vision for space exploration.

  18. The utilization of mind map painting on 3D shapes with curved faces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nur Sholikhah, Ayuk; Usodo, Budi; Pramudya, Ikrar

    2017-12-01

    This paper aims to study on the use of mind map painting media on material with 3D shapes with curved faces and its effect on student’s interest. Observation and literature studies were applied as the research method with the sake design of utilization of mind map painting. The result of this research is the design of mind map painting media can improve students' ability to solve problems, improve the ability to think, and maximize brain power. In relation, mind map painting in learning activities is considered to improve student interest.

  19. Utilization of structural steel in buildings.

    PubMed

    Moynihan, Muiris C; Allwood, Julian M

    2014-08-08

    Over one-quarter of steel produced annually is used in the construction of buildings. Making this steel causes carbon dioxide emissions, which climate change experts recommend be reduced by half in the next 37 years. One option to achieve this is to design and build more efficiently, still delivering the same service from buildings but using less steel to do so. To estimate how much steel could be saved from this option, 23 steel-framed building designs are studied, sourced from leading UK engineering firms. The utilization of each beam is found and buildings are analysed to find patterns. The results for over 10 000 beams show that average utilization is below 50% of their capacity. The primary reason for this low value is 'rationalization'-providing extra material to reduce labour costs. By designing for minimum material rather than minimum cost, steel use in buildings could be drastically reduced, leading to an equivalent reduction in 'embodied' carbon emissions.

  20. Utilization of structural steel in buildings

    PubMed Central

    Moynihan, Muiris C.; Allwood, Julian M.

    2014-01-01

    Over one-quarter of steel produced annually is used in the construction of buildings. Making this steel causes carbon dioxide emissions, which climate change experts recommend be reduced by half in the next 37 years. One option to achieve this is to design and build more efficiently, still delivering the same service from buildings but using less steel to do so. To estimate how much steel could be saved from this option, 23 steel-framed building designs are studied, sourced from leading UK engineering firms. The utilization of each beam is found and buildings are analysed to find patterns. The results for over 10 000 beams show that average utilization is below 50% of their capacity. The primary reason for this low value is ‘rationalization’—providing extra material to reduce labour costs. By designing for minimum material rather than minimum cost, steel use in buildings could be drastically reduced, leading to an equivalent reduction in ‘embodied’ carbon emissions. PMID:25104911

  1. Quality of life assessment software for computer-inexperienced older adults: multimedia utility elicitation for activities of daily living.

    PubMed Central

    Goldstein, M. K.; Miller, D. E.; Davies, S.; Garber, A. M.

    2002-01-01

    Functional status as measured by dependencies in the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is an important indicator of overall health for older adults. Methodologies for outcomes-based medical-decision-making for public policy, such as decision modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis, require utilities for outcome health states. Utilities have been reported for many disease states, but have not been indexed by functional status, which is a strong predictor of outcome in geriatrics. We describe here a utility elicitation program developed specifically for use with computer-inexperienced older adults: Functional Limitation And Independence Rating (FLAIR1). FLAIR1 design features address common physical problems of the aged and computer attitudes of inexperienced users that could impede computer acceptance. We interviewed 400 adults ages 65 years and older with FLAIR1. In exit interviews with 154 respondents, 118 (76%) found FLAIR1 easy to use. Design features in FLAIR1 can be applied to other software for older adults PMID:12463834

  2. Neutron activation analysis of some building materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salagean, M. N.; Pantelica, A. I.; Georgescu, I. I.; Muntean, M. I.

    1999-01-01

    Concentrations of As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mo, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, U. Yb, W and Zn in seven Romanian building materials were determined by the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) method using the VVR-S Reactor of NIPNE- Bucharest. Raw matarials used in cement obtaining ≈ 75% of limestone and ≈ 25% of clay, cement samples from three different factories, furnace slag, phosphogypsum, and a type of brick have been analyzed. The brick was compacted from furnace slay, fly coal ash, phosphogypsum, lime and cement. The U, Th and K concentrations determined in the brick are in agreement with the natural radioactivity measurements of226Ra,232Th and40K. These specific activities were found about twice and 1.5 higher than the accepted levels in the case of226Ra and232Th, as well as40K, respectively. By consequence, the investigated brick is considered a radioactive waste. The rather high content of Co, Cr, K, Th, and Zh in the brick is especially due to the slag and fly ash, the main componets. The presence of U, Th and K in slag is mainly correlated with the limestone and dolomite as fluxes in matallurgy.

  3. Carbon spectrum utilization by an indigenous strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514: Production, characterization and surface active properties of biosurfactant.

    PubMed

    Varjani, Sunita J; Upasani, Vivek N

    2016-12-01

    The present research work was undertaken with a mandate to study carbon spectrum utilization and structural characterization of biosurfactant produced by indigenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514, which showed unique properties to utilize a large number of carbon sources effectively for production of biosurfactant, although glucose was the best carbon substrate. In Bushnell-Hass medium supplemented with glucose (1%, w/v), 3.178±0.071g/l biosurfactant was produced by this isolate in 96h. The biosurfactant produced showed surface tension and emulsification activity values from 29.14±0.05 to 62.29±0.13mN/m and 88.50±1.96 to 15.40±0.91%, respectively. Toluene showed highest emulsification activity followed by kerosene. However, kerosene exhibited emulsion stability for 30days. Biosurfactant was characterized as a mixture of di-rhamnolipid (Rha-Rha-C 10 -C 14:1 ) and mono-rhamnolipid (Rha-C 8 -C 10 ) by FTIR, ESI-MS and LC-MS techniques. High biosurfactant yield opens up doors for the isolate to find utility in various industries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A new method for evaluating radon and thoron alpha-activities per unit volume inside and outside various natural material samples by calculating SSNTD detection efficiencies for the emitted alpha-particles and measuring the resulting track densities.

    PubMed

    Misdaq, M A; Aitnouh, F; Khajmi, H; Ezzahery, H; Berrazzouk, S

    2001-08-01

    A Monte Carlo computer code for determining detection efficiencies of the CR-39 and LR-115 II solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) for alpha-particles emitted by the uranium and thorium series inside different natural material samples was developed. The influence of the alpha-particle initial energy on the SSNTD detection efficiencies was investigated. Radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) alpha-activities per unit volume were evaluated inside and outside the natural material samples by exploiting data obtained for the detection efficiencies of the SSNTD utilized for the emitted alpha-particles, and measuring the resulting track densities. Results obtained were compared to those obtained by other methods. Radon emanation coefficients have been determined for some of the considered material samples.

  5. WE-FG-BRA-01: Cancer Treatment Utilizing Photo-Activation of Psoralen with KV X-Rays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oldham, M; Yoon, S; Meng, B

    Purpose: This work investigates X-PACT (X-ray Psoralen Activated Cancer Therapy): a new approach for the treatment of cancer. X-PACT utilizes psoralen, a potent anti-cancer therapeutic with immunogenic anti-cancer potential. Psoralen therapies have been limited due to the requirement for psoralen activation by UVA light. X-PACT solves this challenge by activating psoralen with UV light emitted from novel non-tethered phosphors (co-incubated with psoralen) that absorb x-rays and reradiate (phosphoresce) at UV wavelengths. Methods: The efficacy of X-PACT was evaluated in both in-vitro and in-vivo settings. In-vitro studies utilized breast (4T1), glioma (CT2A) and sarcoma (KP-B) cell lines. Cells were exposed tomore » X-PACT treatments where the concentrations of drug (psoralen and phosphor) and radiation parameters (energy, dose, and dose rate) were varied. Efficacy was evaluated primarily using flow cell cytometry to investigate treatment induced apoptosis. Methylene blue staining, and WST assays were also used. X-PACT was then evaluated in an in-vivo pilot study on BALBc mice with syngeneic 4T1 tumors, including control arms for X-PACT components. Analysis focused on tumor growth delay. Results: A multivariable regression analysis of 36 independent in-vitro irradiation experiments demonstrated that X-PACT induces significant tumor cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity on all three tumor cell lines in-vitro (p<0.0001). Neither psoralen nor phosphor alone had a strongly significant effect. The in-vivo studies show a pronounced tumor growth delay when compared to controls (42% reduction at 25 days, p=0.0002). Conclusions: These studies demonstrate for the first time a therapeutic effect for X-PACT, and provide a foundation and rationale for future studies. X-PACT represents a novel treatment approach in which well-tolerated low doses of x-ray radiation generate UVA light in-situ (including deep seated lesions) which in-turn photo-activates powerful anticancer therapeutics

  6. Phosphoric acid purification through different raw and activated clay materials (Southern Tunisia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trabelsi, Wafa; Tlili, Ali

    2017-05-01

    This study concerns the purification of Tunisian phosphoric acid produced by the Tunisian Chemical Group (TCG), using raw and activated clays materials from Southern Tunisia. The Gafsa basin clays samples (Jebel Hamadi (JHM); Jebel Stah (JS) and the El Hamma sample (Jebel Aïdoudi (JAD)) were activated with 3 M, HCl solution. Phosphoric acid purification was performed on raw and activated clays. Mineralogical characterisation was carried out using the X-ray powder diffraction method and infrared absorption spectroscopy. Textural changes between raw and activated clays were identified using SEM observations and specific surface analysis. Jebel Hamadi clays were almost dominated by smectite associated with kaolinite and illite traces, while Jebel Stah and Jebel Aïdoudi clays were composed of the association of smectite, illite and kaolinite. It is worth noting that the position of the smectite (001) reflection increased after the acidic activation in all studied samples, indicating the relaxation of the smectite structure along the c-axis. This was corroborated by the increasing specific surface area of the clay particles with the activation process. The specific surface area was close to 50 m2/g and 200 m2/g, for raw and activated materials, respectively. The maximum phosphoric acid purification was obtained by using activated clays with 3 N HCl for 4 h. This performance correlated with the maximum of the external specific surface area which generated strong acid sites. Furthermore, the best results of phosphoric acids purification from TCG were obtained at a specific consumption equivalent to 30 Kg of clay/ton of P2O5. These results showed that the best phosphoric acid purification was yielded by Jebel Aïdoudi clay. In all cases, the highest organic carbon reduction rates in the phosphoric acid after filtration were obtained at 90°C.

  7. Materials Genome Initiative

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vickers, John

    2015-01-01

    The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) project element is a cross-Center effort that is focused on the integration of computational tools to simulate manufacturing processes and materials behavior. These computational simulations will be utilized to gain understanding of processes and materials behavior to accelerate process development and certification to more efficiently integrate new materials in existing NASA projects and to lead to the design of new materials for improved performance. This NASA effort looks to collaborate with efforts at other government agencies and universities working under the national MGI. MGI plans to develop integrated computational/experimental/ processing methodologies for accelerating discovery and insertion of materials to satisfy NASA's unique mission demands. The challenges include validated design tools that incorporate materials properties, processes, and design requirements; and materials process control to rapidly mature emerging manufacturing methods and develop certified manufacturing processes

  8. Fire retardancy using applied materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Feldman, R.

    1971-01-01

    An example of advanced technology transfer from the Little Joe, Surveyor, Comsat, re-entry and Apollo age to everyday fire protection needs is presented. Utilizing the principle of sublimation cooling for thermostatic temperature control, the material meets a wide range of fire retardancy and heat transmission control requirements. Properties vary from flexible tape for conduits and electrical cables to rigid coatings for column protection, with a broad spectrum of sublimation temperatures available. The material can be applied in the field or in the factory, utilizing mass production techniques, yielding a product that is reliable, effective, widely available and low in cost.

  9. Utilizing high-throughput bioassays associated with US EPA ToxCast Program to assess biological activity of environmental contaminants: A case study of chemical mixtures

    EPA Science Inventory

    Effects-based monitoring and surveillance is increasingly being utilized in conjunction with chemical monitoring to determine potential biological activity associated with environmental contaminants. Supervised approaches targeting specific chemical activity or molecular pathways...

  10. Identification and Imaging of Special Nuclear Materials and Contraband using Active x-ray Interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Liew, Seth; Bertozzi, William; D'Olympia, Nathan; Franklin, Wilbur A.; Korbly, Stephen E.; Ledoux, Robert J.; Wilson, Cody M.

    A x-ray inspection system utilizing a continuous-wave 9 MeV rhodotron x-ray source for scanning cargo containers is presented. This system scans for contraband, anomalies, stowaway passengers, and nuclear threats for trucks and towed cargo containers. A transmission image is generated concurrently with a 3D image of the cargo, the latter presenting material information in the form of atomic number and density. Neutrons from photofission are also detected during each scan. In addition, nuclear resonance fluorescence detectors are capable of identifying specific isotopes. This system has recently been deployed at the Port of Boston.

  11. Cermet materials

    DOEpatents

    Kong, Peter C [Idaho Falls, ID

    2008-12-23

    A self-cleaning porous cermet material, filter and system utilizing the same may be used in filtering particulate and gaseous pollutants from internal combustion engines having intermetallic and ceramic phases. The porous cermet filter may be made from a transition metal aluminide phase and an alumina phase. Filler materials may be added to increase the porosity or tailor the catalytic properties of the cermet material. Additionally, the cermet material may be reinforced with fibers or screens. The porous filter may also be electrically conductive so that a current may be passed therethrough to heat the filter during use. Further, a heating element may be incorporated into the porous cermet filter during manufacture. This heating element can be coated with a ceramic material to electrically insulate the heating element. An external heating element may also be provided to heat the cermet filter during use.

  12. Obsolescence, Weeding, and the Utilization of Space.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lancaster, F. W.

    1988-01-01

    Suggests an objective approach to weeding library materials and discusses ways of measuring obsolescence and of controlling variables to provide a true picture of aging. Weeding is shown to improve space utilization and the quality of a collection. (5 references) (MES)

  13. Experimental Observations of Nuclear Activity in Deuterated Materials Subjected to a Low-Energy Photon Beam

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinetz, Bruce M.; Benyo, Theresa L.; Pines, Vladimir; Pines, Marianna; Forsley, Lawrence P.; Westmeyer, Paul A.; Chait, Arnon; Becks, Michael D.; Martin, Richard E.; Hendricks, Robert C.; hide

    2017-01-01

    Exposure of highly deuterated materials to a low-energy (nom. 2 MeV) photon beam resulted in nuclear activity of both the parent metals of hafnium and erbium and a witness material (molybdenum) mixed with the reactants. Gamma spectral analysis of all deuterated materials, ErD2.8+C36D74+Mo and HfD2+C36D74+Mo, showed that nuclear processes had occurred as shown by unique gamma signatures. For the deuterated erbium specimens, posttest gamma spectra showed evidence of radioisotopes of erbium ((163)Er and (171)Er) and of molybdenum ((99)Mo and (101)Mo) and by beta decay, technetium (99mTc and 101Tc). For the deuterated hafnium specimens, posttest gamma spectra showed evidence of radioisotopes of hafnium (180mHf and 181Hf) and molybdenum ((99)Mo and (101)Mo), and by beta decay, technetium ((99m)Tc and (101)Tc). In contrast, when either the hydrogenated or non-gas-loaded erbium or hafnium materials were exposed to the gamma flux, the gamma spectra revealed no new isotopes. Neutron activation materials showed evidence of thermal and epithermal neutrons. CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors showed evidence of fast neutrons with energies between 1.4 and 2.5 MeV and several instances of triple tracks, indicating (is) greater than 10 MeV neutrons. Further study is required to determine the mechanism causing the nuclear activity.

  14. Compliant high temperature seals for dissimilar materials

    DOEpatents

    Rynders, Steven Walton; Minford, Eric; Tressler, Richard Ernest; Taylor, Dale M.

    2001-01-01

    A high temperature, gas-tight seal is formed by utilizing one or more compliant metallic toroidal ring sealing elements, where the applied pressure serves to activate the seal, thus improving the quality of the seal. The compliant nature of the sealing element compensates for differences in thermal expansion between the materials to be sealed, and is particularly useful in sealing a metallic member and a ceramic tube art elevated temperatures. The performance of the seal may be improved by coating the sealing element with a soft or flowable coating such as silver or gold and/or by backing the sealing element with a bed of fine powder. The material of the sealing element is chosen such that the element responds to stress elastically, even at elevated temperatures, permitting the seal to operate through multiple thermal cycles.

  15. Family differences related to carbohydrate utilization in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rainbow trout utilize protein as an energy source much more efficiently than carbohydrates. Alternative diets utilizing plant material typically contain higher levels of carbohydrate than standard fish meal diets. The goal of this study was to determine if there are molecular and physiological diffe...

  16. Cost Avoidance vs. Utility Bill Accounting - Explaining theDiscrepancy Between Guaranteed Savings in ESPC Projects and UtilityBills

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kumar, S.; Sartor, D.

    2005-08-15

    Federal agencies often ask if Energy Savings PerformanceContracts (ESPCs) result in the energy and cost savings projected duringthe project development phase. After investing in ESPCs, federal agenciesexpect a reduction in the total energy use and energy cost at the agencylevel. Such questions about the program are common when implementing anESPC project. But is this a fair or accurate perception? Moreimportantly, should the federal agencies evaluate the success or failureof ESPCs by comparing the utility costs before and after projectimplementation?In fact, ESPC contracts employ measurement andverification (M&V) protocols to measure and ensure kilowatt-hour orBTU savings at the project level. In mostmore » cases, the translation toenergy cost savings is not based on actual utility rate structure, but acontracted utility rate that takes the existing utility rate at the timethe contract is signed with a clause to escalate the utility rate by afixed percentage for the duration of the contract. Reporting mechanisms,which advertise these savings in dollars, may imply an impact to budgetsat a much higher level depending on actual utility rate structure. FEMPhas prepared the following analysis to explain why the utility billreduction may not materialize, demonstrate its larger implication onagency s energy reduction goals, and advocate setting the rightexpectations at the outset to preempt the often asked question why I amnot seeing the savings in my utility bill?« less

  17. Progress in Materials and Component Development for Advanced Lithium-ion Cells for NASA's Exploration Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reid, Concha, M.; Reid, Concha M.

    2011-01-01

    Vehicles and stand-alone power systems that enable the next generation of human missions to the Moon will require energy storage systems that are safer, lighter, and more compact than current state-of-the- art (SOA) aerospace quality lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. NASA is developing advanced Li-ion cells to enable or enhance the power systems for the Altair Lunar Lander, Extravehicular Activities spacesuit, and rovers and portable utility pallets for Lunar Surface Systems. Advanced, high-performing materials are required to provide component-level performance that can offer the required gains at the integrated cell level. Although there is still a significant amount of work yet to be done, the present state of development activities has resulted in the synthesis of promising materials that approach the ultimate performance goals. This report on interim progress of the development efforts will elaborate on the challenges of the development activities, proposed strategies to overcome technical issues, and present performance of materials and cell components.

  18. Characterizing proton-activated materials to develop PET-mediated proton range verification markers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Jongmin; Ibbott, Geoffrey S.; Kerr, Matthew D.; Amos, Richard A.; Stingo, Francesco C.; Marom, Edith M.; Truong, Mylene T.; Palacio, Diana M.; Betancourt, Sonia L.; Erasmus, Jeremy J.; DeGroot, Patricia M.; Carter, Brett W.; Gladish, Gregory W.; Sabloff, Bradley S.; Benveniste, Marcelo F.; Godoy, Myrna C.; Patil, Shekhar; Sorensen, James; Mawlawi, Osama R.

    2016-06-01

    Conventional proton beam range verification using positron emission tomography (PET) relies on tissue activation alone and therefore requires particle therapy PET whose installation can represent a large financial burden for many centers. Previously, we showed the feasibility of developing patient implantable markers using high proton cross-section materials (18O, Cu, and 68Zn) for in vivo proton range verification using conventional PET scanners. In this technical note, we characterize those materials to test their usability in more clinically relevant conditions. Two phantoms made of low-density balsa wood (~0.1 g cm-3) and beef (~1.0 g cm-3) were embedded with Cu or 68Zn foils of several volumes (10-50 mm3). The metal foils were positioned at several depths in the dose fall-off region, which had been determined from our previous study. The phantoms were then irradiated with different proton doses (1-5 Gy). After irradiation, the phantoms with the embedded foils were moved to a diagnostic PET scanner and imaged. The acquired data were reconstructed with 20-40 min of scan time using various delay times (30-150 min) to determine the maximum contrast-to-noise ratio. The resultant PET/computed tomography (CT) fusion images of the activated foils were then examined and the foils’ PET signal strength/visibility was scored on a 5 point scale by 13 radiologists experienced in nuclear medicine. For both phantoms, the visibility of activated foils increased in proportion to the foil volume, dose, and PET scan time. A linear model was constructed with visibility scores as the response variable and all other factors (marker material, phantom material, dose, and PET scan time) as covariates. Using the linear model, volumes of foils that provided adequate visibility (score 3) were determined for each dose and PET scan time. The foil volumes that were determined will be used as a guideline in developing practical implantable markers.

  19. Absolute nuclear material assay using count distribution (LAMBDA) space

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prasad, Mano K.; Snyderman, Neal J.; Rowland, Mark S.

    A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.

  20. Absolute nuclear material assay using count distribution (LAMBDA) space

    DOEpatents

    Prasad, Manoj K [Pleasanton, CA; Snyderman, Neal J [Berkeley, CA; Rowland, Mark S [Alamo, CA

    2012-06-05

    A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.

  1. Active material, optical mode and cavity impact on nanoscale electro-optic modulation performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amin, Rubab; Suer, Can; Ma, Zhizhen; Sarpkaya, Ibrahim; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Agarwal, Ritesh; Sorger, Volker J.

    2017-10-01

    Electro-optic modulation is a key function in optical data communication and possible future optical compute engines. The performance of modulators intricately depends on the interaction between the actively modulated material and the propagating waveguide mode. While a variety of high-performance modulators have been demonstrated, no comprehensive picture of what factors are most responsible for high performance has emerged so far. Here we report the first systematic and comprehensive analytical and computational investigation for high-performance compact on-chip electro-optic modulators by considering emerging active materials, model considerations and cavity feedback at the nanoscale. We discover that the delicate interplay between the material characteristics and the optical mode properties plays a key role in defining the modulator performance. Based on physical tradeoffs between index modulation, loss, optical confinement factors and slow-light effects, we find that there exist combinations of bias, material and optical mode that yield efficient phase or amplitude modulation with acceptable insertion loss. Furthermore, we show how material properties in the epsilon near zero regime enable reduction of length by as much as by 15 times. Lastly, we introduce and apply a cavity-based electro-optic modulator figure of merit, Δλ/Δα, relating obtainable resonance tuning via phase shifting relative to the incurred losses due to the fundamental Kramers-Kronig relations suggesting optimized device operating regions with optimized modulation-to-loss tradeoffs. This work paves the way for a holistic design rule of electro-optic modulators for high-density on-chip integration.

  2. Quality and Knowledge Content in Music Activities in Preschool: The Impact of Human Materiality Combinations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmerman Nilsson, Marie-Helene; Holmberg, Kristina

    2017-01-01

    Traditionally, pedagogical research has been child centered, where materialities often have been considered as objects and tools. However, in recent posthuman research, attempts have been made to consider human materiality combinations to have impact on pedagogical activities in preschool, but to a large extent music as an issue has been…

  3. Synthesis of Iminodiacetate Functionalized Polypropylene Films and Their Efficacy as Antioxidant Active-Packaging Materials.

    PubMed

    Lin, Zhuangsheng; Roman, Maxine J; Decker, Eric A; Goddard, Julie M

    2016-06-08

    The introduction of metal-chelating ligands to the food-contact surface of packaging materials may enable the removal of synthetic chelators (e.g., ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA)) from food products. In this study, the metal-chelating ligand iminodiacetate (IDA) was covalently grafted onto polypropylene surfaces to produce metal-chelating active-packaging films. The resulting films were able to chelate 138.1 ± 26 and 210.0 ± 28 nmol/cm(2) Fe(3+) and Cu(2+) ions, respectively, under acidic conditions (pH 3.0). The films demonstrated potent antioxidant efficacy in two model food systems. In an emulsified-oil system, the chelating materials extended the lag phase of both lipid hydroperoxide and hexanal formation from 5 to 25 days and were as effective as EDTA. The degradation half-life of ascorbic acid in an aqueous solution was extended from 5 to 14 days. This work demonstrates the potential application of surface-grafted chelating IDA ligands as effective antioxidant active food-packaging materials.

  4. Gamma/neutron time-correlation for special nuclear material detection – Active stimulation of highly enriched uranium

    DOE PAGES

    Paff, Marc G.; Monterial, Mateusz; Marleau, Peter; ...

    2014-06-21

    A series of simulations and experiments were undertaken to explore and evaluate the potential for a novel new technique for fissile material detection and characterization, the timecorrelated pulse-height (TCPH) method, to be used concurrent with active stimulation of potential nuclear materials. In previous work TCPH has been established as a highly sensitive method for the detection and characterization of configurations of fissile material containing Plutonium in passive measurements. By actively stimulating fission with the introduction of an external radiation source, we have shown that TCPH is also an effective method of detecting and characterizing configurations of fissile material containing Highlymore » Enriched Uranium (HEU). The TCPH method is shown to be robust in the presence of the proper choice of external radiation source. An evaluation of potential interrogation sources is presented.« less

  5. Method for characterization of the redox condition of cementitious materials

    DOEpatents

    Almond, Philip M.; Langton, Christine A.; Stefanko, David B.

    2015-12-22

    Disclosed are methods for determining the redox condition of cementitious materials. The methods are leaching methods that utilize an in situ redox indicator that is present in the cementitious materials as formed. The in situ redox indicator leaches from cementitious material and, when the leaching process is carried out under anaerobic conditions can be utilized to determine the redox condition of the material. The in situ redox indicator can exhibit distinct characteristics in the leachate depending upon the redox condition of the indicator.

  6. Agricultural management legacy affects microbial energetics, resource utilization and active bacterial community membership during 13C-glucose consumption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helgason, B. L.; Levy-Booth, D.; Arcand, M. M.

    2017-12-01

    Over the long-term, differences in soil management can result in fundamental changes in biogeochemical cycling. The Alternative Cropping Systems (ACS) Study at Scott, SK, Canada (est. 1994) compares organic (ORG) vs. conventionally (CON) managed crop rotations in a loamy Typic Borall. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deficiency in the ORG systems have limited crop growth and thus plant carbon (C) inputs for over two decades, ultimately resulting in a C deficiency which has further altered biogeochemical cycling. We conducted a short-term microcosm experiment using 13C-glucose stable isotope probing (SIP) of DNA to test whether ORG soils have greater microbial C use efficiency due to long term resource limitation. Glucose-utilizing populations were dominated by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, with differing species-level identities and physiological capacities between CON and ORG systems. Of the 13C-utilizing taxa, relative abundance of Proteobacteria was greater in CON while Actinobacteria (and notably Firmicutes) were more dominant in ORG soils. Using isothermal calorimetry, we measured a thermodynamic efficiency (ηeff) of 0.68, which was not significantly different between soils indicating that the metabolic cost of glucose utilization was similar in CON and ORG soils. In spite of this, differential abundance analysis of 13C-labelled OTUs revealed that ORG soils had distinct active bacterial populations that were positively correlated with ηeff, ηsoil (glucose energy retained in soil) and primed soil organic matter (pSOM). In contrast, differentially abundant OTUs in the CON soils were negatively correlated with measures of thermodynamic efficiency but positively correlated with glucose-derived heat and CO2 production as well as NO3- and PO4- availability. ORG bacterial communities may co-metabolize other resources (N and P) from SOM to meet their metabolic requirements during glucose utilization, while the active bacteria in the CON soils could access these

  7. Defense Infrastructure: Actions Needed to Strengthen Utility Resilience Planning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-11-01

    and design , historical architecture and materials, and overhead; and inflation adjustments. 6We obtained and analyzed records from DOD’s Real...the impacts of those disruptions, and the characteristics of the DOD-owned utility systems, among other things. To inform the design of our survey...managing and operating DOD-owned utility systems. Furthermore, the survey instrument was independently reviewed by a survey design expert within GAO. We

  8. Broad spectrum antibacterial and antifungal polymeric paint materials: synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and membrane-active mode of action.

    PubMed

    Hoque, Jiaul; Akkapeddi, Padma; Yadav, Vikas; Manjunath, Goutham B; Uppu, Divakara S S M; Konai, Mohini M; Yarlagadda, Venkateswarlu; Sanyal, Kaustuv; Haldar, Jayanta

    2015-01-28

    Microbial attachment and subsequent colonization onto surfaces lead to the spread of deadly community-acquired and hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. Noncovalent immobilization of water insoluble and organo-soluble cationic polymers onto a surface is a facile approach to prevent microbial contamination. In the present study, we described the synthesis of water insoluble and organo-soluble polymeric materials and demonstrated their structure-activity relationship against various human pathogenic bacteria including drug-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and beta lactam-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae as well as pathogenic fungi such as Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp. The polymer coated surfaces completely inactivated both bacteria and fungi upon contact (5 log reduction with respect to control). Linear polymers were more active and found to have a higher killing rate than the branched polymers. The polymer coated surfaces also exhibited significant activity in various complex mammalian fluids such as serum, plasma, and blood and showed negligible hemolysis at an amount much higher than minimum inhibitory amounts (MIAs). These polymers were found to have excellent compatibility with other medically relevant polymers (polylactic acid, PLA) and commercial paint. The cationic hydrophobic polymer coatings disrupted the lipid membrane of both bacteria and fungi and thus showed a membrane-active mode of action. Further, bacteria did not develop resistance against these membrane-active polymers in sharp contrast to conventional antibiotics and lipopeptides, thus the polymers hold great promise to be used as coating materials for developing permanent antimicrobial paint.

  9. Electron Radiation Effects on Candidate Solar Sail Material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Edwards, David L.; Hollerman, William A.; Hubbs, Whitney S.; Gray, Perry A.; Wertz, George E.; Hoppe, David T.; Nehls, Mary K.; Semmel, Charles L.

    2003-01-01

    Solar sailing is a unique form of propulsion where a spacecraft gains momentum from incident photons. Solar sails are not limited by reaction mass and provide continual acceleration, reduced only by the lifetime of the lightweight film in the space environment and the distance to the Sun. Once thought to be difficult or impossible, solar sailing has come out of science fiction and into the realm of possibility. Any spacecraft using this propulsion method would need to deploy a thin sail that could be as large as many kilometers in extent. The availability of strong, ultra lightweight, and radiation resistant materials will determine the future of solar sailing. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is concentrating research into the utilization of ultra lightweight materials for spacecraft propulsion. The Space Environmental Effects Team at MSFC is actively characterizing candidate solar sail material to evaluate the thermo-optical and mechanical properties after exposure to space environmental effects. This paper will describe the irradiation of candidate solar sail materials to energetic electrons, in vacuum, to determine the hardness of several candidate sail materials.

  10. Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-03-17

    Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization References: (a) Title 15, United States Code (b) Title 10, United States Code (c) DoD 5025.1-M, "Department...position of Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (Director, SADBU) under the direction, authority, and control of the Under...Defense Agencies, and the DoD Field Activities. C. RESPONSIBILITIES The Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization shall serve as the

  11. Emodin Regulates Glucose Utilization by Activating AMP-activated Protein Kinase*

    PubMed Central

    Song, Parkyong; Kim, Jong Hyun; Ghim, Jaewang; Yoon, Jong Hyuk; Lee, Areum; Kwon, Yonghoon; Hyun, Hyunjung; Moon, Hyo-Youl; Choi, Hueng-Sik; Berggren, Per-Olof; Suh, Pann-Ghill; Ryu, Sung Ho

    2013-01-01

    AMP-activated protein kinase has been described as a key signaling protein that can regulate energy homeostasis. Here, we aimed to characterize novel AMP-activated kinase (AMPK)-activating compounds that have a much lower effective concentration than metformin. As a result, emodin, a natural anthraquinone derivative, was shown to stimulate AMPK activity in skeletal muscle and liver cells. Emodin enhanced GLUT4 translocation and [14C]glucose uptake into the myotube in an AMPK-dependent manner. Also, emodin inhibited glucose production by suppressing the expression of key gluconeogenic genes, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase, in hepatocytes. Furthermore, we found that emodin can activate AMPK by inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory complex I activity, leading to increased reactive oxygen species and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase activity. Finally, we confirmed that a single dose administration of emodin significantly decreased the fasting plasma glucose levels and improved glucose tolerance in C57Bl/6J mice. Increased insulin sensitivity was also confirmed after daily injection of emodin for 8 days using an insulin tolerance test and insulin-stimulated PI3K phosphorylation in wild type and high fat diet-induced diabetic mouse models. Our study suggests that emodin regulates glucose homeostasis in vivo by AMPK activation and that this may represent a novel therapeutic principle in the treatment of type 2 diabetic models. PMID:23303186

  12. Thermal activated ("thermal") battery technology. Part IIIa: FeS 2 cathode material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masset, Patrick J.; Guidotti, Ronald A.

    This article presents an overview of the pyrite FeS 2 used as cathode material in thermally activated ("thermal") batteries. A large emphasis was placed on the physicochemical properties and electrochemical performance of the pyrite FeS 2, including the discharge mechanisms, self-discharge phenomena, and recent developments.

  13. Teaching about Hazardous and Toxic Materials. Teaching Activities in Environmental Education Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Disinger, John F.; Lisowski, Marylin

    Designed to assist practitioners of both formal and non-formal settings, this 18th volume of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education's Teaching Activities in Environmental Education series specifically focuses on the theme of hazardous and toxic materials. Initially, basic environmental concepts that deal with…

  14. Examining porous bio-active glass as a potential osteo-odonto-keratoprosthetic skirt material.

    PubMed

    Huhtinen, Reeta; Sandeman, Susan; Rose, Susanna; Fok, Elsie; Howell, Carol; Fröberg, Linda; Moritz, Niko; Hupa, Leena; Lloyd, Andrew

    2013-05-01

    Bio-active glass has been developed for use as a bone substitute with strong osteo-inductive capacity and the ability to form strong bonds with soft and hard tissue. The ability of this material to enhance tissue in-growth suggests its potential use as a substitute for the dental laminate of an osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis. A preliminary in vitro investigation of porous bio-active glass as an OOKP skirt material was carried out. Porous glass structures were manufactured from bio-active glasses 1-98 and 28-04 containing varying oxide formulation (1-98, 28-04) and particle size range (250-315 μm for 1-98 and 28-04a, 315-500 μm for 28-04b). Dissolution of the porous glass structure and its effect on pH was measured. Structural 2D and 3D analysis of porous structures were performed. Cell culture experiments were carried out to study keratocyte adhesion and the inflammatory response induced by the porous glass materials. The dissolution results suggested that the porous structure made out of 1-98 dissolves faster than the structures made from glass 28-04. pH experiments showed that the dissolution of the porous glass increased the pH of the surrounding solution. The cell culture results showed that keratocytes adhered onto the surface of each of the porous glass structures, but cell adhesion and spreading was greatest for the 98a bio-glass. Cytokine production by all porous glass samples was similar to that of the negative control indicating that the glasses do not induce a cytokine driven inflammatory response. Cell culture results support the potential use of synthetic porous bio-glass as an OOKP skirt material in terms of limited inflammatory potential and capacity to induce and support tissue ingrowth.

  15. Role of carbon nano-materials in the analysis of biological materials by laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Najam-ul-Haq, M; Rainer, M; Szabó, Z; Vallant, R; Huck, C W; Bonn, G K

    2007-03-10

    At present, carbon nano-materials are being utilized in various procedures, especially in laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) for analyzing a range of analytes, which include peptides, proteins, metabolites, and polymers. Matrix-oriented LDI-MS techniques are very well established, with weak organic acids as energy-absorbing substances. Carbon materials, such as nano-tubes and fullerenes are being successfully applied in the small-mass range, where routine matrices have strong background signals. In addition, the role of carbon nano-materials is very well established in the fractionation and purification fields. Modified diamond powder and surfaces are utilized in binding peptides and proteins from complex biological fluids and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Polylysine-coated diamond is used for solid-phase extraction to pre-concentrate DNA oligonucleotides. Graphite is useful for desalting, pre-concentration, and as energy-absorbing material (matrix) in desorption/ionization. Carbon nano-tubes in their different derivatized forms are used as matrix materials for the analysis of a range of analytes, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and some environmental samples by LDI-MS. Fullerenes are modified in different ways to bind serum entities analyzed through MALDI/TOF-MS and are subsequently utilized in their identifications. In addition, the fullerenes are a promising matrix in LDI-MS, but improvements are needed.

  16. Lignocellulolytic enzyme activity, substrate utilization, and mushroom yield by Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on substrate containing anaerobic digester solids.

    PubMed

    Isikhuemhen, Omoanghe S; Mikiashvilli, Nona A

    2009-11-01

    Solid waste from anaerobic digestion of litter from the commercial production of broiler chickens has limited use as fertilizer. Its disposal is a major problem for digester operators who are seeking alternative use for anaerobic digester solids, also referred to as solid waste (SW). The use of SW as substrates for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus strain MBFBL400 was investigated. Lignocellulolytic enzymes activity, substrate utilization, and mushroom yield were evaluated in ten different substrate combinations (SCs) containing varying amounts of solid waste, wheat straw, and millet. Nutritional content of mushrooms produced on the different substrates was also determined. Substrates containing 70-80% wheat straw, 10-20% SW, and 10-20% millet were found to produce the highest mushroom yield (874.8-958.3 g/kg). Loss of organic matter in all SCs tested varied from 45.8% to 56.2%, which had positive correlation with the biological efficiency. Laccase, peroxidase, and carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activities were higher before fruiting, whereas xylanase showed higher activities after mushroom fruiting. SW increased the nutritional content in mushrooms harvested, and the combination of wheat straw and SW with millet significantly improved mushroom yield. Our findings demonstrated the possibility of utilizing anaerobic digester solids in mushroom cultivation. The application of SW as such could improve the financial gains in the overall economy of anaerobic digester plants.

  17. Unusual spacecraft materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Post, Jonathan V.

    1990-01-01

    For particularly innovative space exploration missions, unusual requirements are levied on the structural components of the spacecraft. In many cases, the preferred solution is the utilization of unusual materials. This trend is forecast to continue. Several hypothetic examples are discussed.

  18. [Fabrication of porous poly lactic acid-bone matrix gelatin composite bioactive material and its osteoinductive activity].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yumin; Li, Baoxing; Li, Ji

    2007-02-01

    To fabricate a novel porous bioactive composite biomaterial consisting of poly lactic acid (PLA)-bone matrix gelatin (BMG) by using the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid technique (SC-CO2) and to evaluate its osteoinductive activity. The cortical bones selected from healthy adult donors were processed into BMG by the defatting, demineralizing, and deproteinizing processes. PLA and BMG were mixed at a volume radio of 3 : 1; then, the PLA-BMG mixed material and the pure PLA material were respectively placed in the supercritical carbon dioxide reaction kettles, and were respectively added by the NaCl particles 100-200 microm in diameter for the porosity of the materials so that the porous PLA-BMG composite material and the porous PLA composite material could be formed. The mouse osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in the dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Then, 20 microl of the MC3T3-E1 cell suspensions containing 2 X 10(6) cells /ml were delivered into the culturing plate (24 wells/plate) made of the different materials, which were co-cultured for 2 weeks. In the PLA-BMG group, 100 microg of the crushed PLA-BMG material was contained in each well; in the PLA group, 100 microg of the crushed PLA material was contained in each well; and in the DMEM group, only DMEM was contained, which served as the control group. There were 6 wells in each group. The quantitative analysis on the calcification area was performed by the staining of the alizarin red S. The co-cultured cells were harvested and lysated in 1 ml of 0. 2% Nonidet P-40 by the ultrasonic lysating technique. Then, the ALP activity and the Ca content were measured according to the illuminations of the reagent kits. The porous PLA-BMG composite material showed a good homological porosity with a pore diameter of 50-150 microm and a good connectivity between the pores. The ALP activity, the Ca content, and the calcification area were significantly greater in

  19. 30 CFR 817.180 - Utility installations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND MINING ACTIVITIES § 817.180 Utility installations. All underground mining activities shall be conducted in a manner...; oil, gas, and coal-slurry pipelines, railroads; electric and telephone lines; and water and sewage...

  20. Proposed industrial recoverd materials utilization targets for the textile mill products industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1979-05-01

    Materials recovery targets were established to represent the maximum technically and economically feasible increase in the use of energy-saving materials by January 1, 1987. This report describes targets for the textile industry and describes how those targets were determined. (MCW)

  1. ITV Utilization Ideabook, 1986. A Collection of Outstanding Utilization Practices That Support Classroom Use of Instructional Television.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    TeMaat, Agatha, Ed.

    In 1985 the Agency for Instructional Technology conducted its second national contest to search out the best promotion and utilization ideas that instructional television (ITV) agencies use to increase use of instructional video materials; and this 1986 compilation of the award-winning ideas is intended to serve as a reference for instructional…

  2. Gov. King's stance against utilities upsets both camps

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    Massachusetts utilities and utility detractors all object to Governor King's position stated at a March press conference and urging regulators to deny rate increases that he claimed would be paying for utility mistakes. Boston Edison's request for a $291 million rate increase would recover the money lost when the utility abandoned its Pilgrim II nuclear plant. Boston Gas is seeking $46 million to recover money lost during last winter's shortage of natural gas. The governor's timing and mode of intervention prompted most of the criticism because of their political ramifications during an election year. Most of his statements drew uponmore » materials from a consumer group called Fair Share, but were stated in a way that the governor's re-election is necessary to secure the desired effects. (DCK)« less

  3. Combination of lightweight elements and nanostructured materials for batteries.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jun; Cheng, Fangyi

    2009-06-16

    In a society that increasingly relies on mobile electronics, demand is rapidly growing for both primary and rechargeable batteries that power devices from cell phones to vehicles. Existing batteries utilize lightweight active materials that use electrochemical reactions of ions such as H(+), OH(-) and Li(+)/Mg(2+) to facilitate energy storage and conversion. Ideal batteries should be inexpensive, have high energy density, and be made from environmentally friendly materials; batteries based on bulk active materials do not meet these requirements. Because of slow electrode process kinetics and low-rate ionic diffusion/migration, most conventional batteries demonstrate huge gaps between their theoretical and practical performance. Therefore, efforts are underway to improve existing battery technologies and develop new electrode reactions for the next generation of electrochemical devices. Advances in electrochemistry, surface science, and materials chemistry are leading to the use of nanomaterials for efficient energy storage and conversion. Nanostructures offer advantages over comparable bulk materials in improving battery performance. This Account summarizes our progress in battery development using a combination of lightweight elements and nanostructured materials. We highlight the benefits of nanostructured active materials for primary zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-Mn), lithium-manganese dioxide (Li-Mn), and metal (Mg, Al, Zn)-air batteries, as well as rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. Through selected examples, we illustrate the effect of structure, shape, and size on the electrochemical properties of electrode materials. Because of their numerous active sites and facile electronic/ionic transfer and diffusion, nanostructures can improve battery efficiency. In particular, we demonstrate the properties of nanostructured active materials including Mg, Al, Si, Zn, MnO(2), CuV(2)O(6), LiNi(0.8)Co(0.2)O(2), LiFePO(4), Fe(2)O(3

  4. Activation characteristics of candidate structural materials for a near-term Indian fusion reactor and the impact of their impurities on design considerations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    H, L. SWAMI; C, DANANI; A, K. SHAW

    2018-06-01

    Activation analyses play a vital role in nuclear reactor design. Activation analyses, along with nuclear analyses, provide important information for nuclear safety and maintenance strategies. Activation analyses also help in the selection of materials for a nuclear reactor, by providing the radioactivity and dose rate levels after irradiation. This information is important to help define maintenance activity for different parts of the reactor, and to plan decommissioning and radioactive waste disposal strategies. The study of activation analyses of candidate structural materials for near-term fusion reactors or ITER is equally essential, due to the presence of a high-energy neutron environment which makes decisive demands on material selection. This study comprises two parts; in the first part the activation characteristics, in a fusion radiation environment, of several elements which are widely present in structural materials, are studied. It reveals that the presence of a few specific elements in a material can diminish its feasibility for use in the nuclear environment. The second part of the study concentrates on activation analyses of candidate structural materials for near-term fusion reactors and their comparison in fusion radiation conditions. The structural materials selected for this study, i.e. India-specific Reduced Activation Ferritic‑Martensitic steel (IN-RAFMS), P91-grade steel, stainless steel 316LN ITER-grade (SS-316LN-IG), stainless steel 316L and stainless steel 304, are candidates for use in ITER either in vessel components or test blanket systems. Tungsten is also included in this study because of its use for ITER plasma-facing components. The study is carried out using the reference parameters of the ITER fusion reactor. The activation characteristics of the materials are assessed considering the irradiation at an ITER equatorial port. The presence of elements like Nb, Mo, Co and Ta in a structural material enhance the activity level as well

  5. Soil microbial carbon utilization, enzyme activities and nutrient availability responses to Bidens pilosa and a non-invasive congener under different irradiances.

    PubMed

    Wei, Hui; Yan, Wenbin; Quan, Guoming; Zhang, Jiaen; Liang, Kaiming

    2017-09-12

    Two Bidens species (Bidens pilosa and B. bipinnata) that originate from America have been introduced widely in pan-tropics, with the former regarded as a noxious invasive weed whereas the latter naturalized as a plant resource. Whether the two species exhibit different effects on the belowground system remains rarely studied. This study was conducted to investigate soil microbial carbon (C) utilization, enzyme activities and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents under the two species in a subtropical garden soil of southern China under different levels of light intensity. Results showed that the microbial C utilization and enzyme activities were not significantly different under the two species, implying that the strong invasiveness of B. pilosa could not be due to the plant-soil microbe interactions, at least plant-induced alterations of microbial community function to utilize C substrates. Alternatively, available soil nitrogen and potassium contents were significantly higher under B. pilosa than under B. bipinnata in full sun, indicating that the strong invasiveness of B. pilosa could result from rapid nutrient mobilizations by B. pilosa. However, the differences turned non-significant as light intensity decreased, suggesting that light availability could substantially alter the plant effects on soil nutrient mobilizations.

  6. Use of silicon carbide sludge to form porous alkali-activated materials for insulating application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prud'homme, E.; Joussein, E.; Rossignol, S.

    2015-07-01

    One of the objectives in the field of alkali-activated materials is the development of materials having greater thermal performances than conventional construction materials such as aerated concrete. The aim of this paper is to present the possibility to obtain controlled porosity and controlled thermal properties with geopolymer materials including a waste like silicon carbide sludge. The porosity is created by the reaction of free silicon contains in silicon carbide sludge leading to the formation of hydrogen. Two possible ways are investigated to control the porosity: modification of mixture formulation and additives introduction. The first way is the most promising and allowed the formation of materials presenting the same density but various porosities, which shows that the material is adaptable to the application. The insulation properties are logically linked to the porosity and density of materials. A lower value of thermal conductivity of 0.075 W.m-1.K-1 can be reached for a material with a low density of 0.27 g.cm-3. These characteristics are really good for a mineral-based material which always displays non-negligible resistance to manipulation.

  7. Peaceful Use of Outer Space: principles of Japanese Policies on Utilization and Activities in Outer space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosuge, Toshio

    2002-01-01

    " P e aceful use of outer space of outer space.....Principles of exploitation of outer space was passed in the Japanese Diet. It clearly mentioned that any activity of launching space object into outer space and developing launching rocket should be exclusively for peaceful purpose. NASDA was also established based upon the same principles of the public law. Japanese interpretation of Space Treaty and other related international agreements has been more strict on peaceful use of outer space, like non-military use rather than non-aggressive, because of influence of Japanese Constitution. Treaty and other agreements is analyzed through rapid development of its space activities, technologies and international cooperation with other space powers. Through more than thirty years experiences in space activities in public and private sectors, Japanese domestic laws and policies have not been changed in relation with basic principles. and laws relating to space activities in order to develop new space law and more international cooperation for space utilization rather than military use in new century.

  8. Electrode material comprising graphene-composite materials in a graphite network

    DOEpatents

    Kung, Harold H.; Lee, Jung K.

    2014-07-15

    A durable electrode material suitable for use in Li ion batteries is provided. The material is comprised of a continuous network of graphite regions integrated with, and in good electrical contact with a composite comprising graphene sheets and an electrically active material, such as silicon, wherein the electrically active material is dispersed between, and supported by, the graphene sheets.

  9. Electrode material comprising graphene-composite materials in a graphite network

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kung, Harold H.; Lee, Jung K.

    A durable electrode material suitable for use in Li ion batteries is provided. The material is comprised of a continuous network of graphite regions integrated with, and in good electrical contact with a composite comprising graphene sheets and an electrically active material, such as silicon, wherein the electrically active material is dispersed between, and supported by, the graphene sheets.

  10. Information Alchemy: Transforming Information through Knowledge Utilization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Backer, Thomas E.

    1993-01-01

    Provides an overview of knowledge utilization, what it encompasses, and its three waves of activity in America. Basic principles and strategies to consider are listed, and an example of how knowledge utilization is applied by the Center for Mental Health Services is given. (17 references) (EA)

  11. On the way to the creation of next generation photoactive materials.

    PubMed

    Emeline, A V; Kuznetsov, V N; Ryabchuk, V K; Serpone, N

    2012-11-01

    Transition from first- to second-generation photocatalysts has followed the notion that greater absorption of light in the visible region would yield greater spectral sensitivity and greater photoactivity. Though a promising strategy, in practice, it did not meet expectation because of various side issues, which in many cases has led to loss of photoactivity and chemical reactivity. This article examines some earlier notions that arose from applications of different metal oxides (e.g., TiO(2), ZnO, MgO among others) that made these oxides good photocatalysts in many processes. Phenomena that proved relevant in developing next generation photoactive materials are considered: the dependence of the activity of photocatalysts on the band gap energy, the spectral variations of the activity of photoactive materials, and the spectral variations of selectivity of photoactive materials. The tendency to decrease the energy of actinic photons through doping in forming second-generation photocatalysts is completely opposite the fundamental observation in first-generation photocatalysts whereby the activity increased with increasing band gap energy. Extension of spectral sensitivity of second-generation photoactive materials also caused a decrease of their photoactivity; hence, some notions are reconsidered to produce next(third) generation photoactive materials. The article proposes the following concepts to develop next generation photocatalysts: (1) multi(two)-photon excitation of photoactive materials with lower energy photons to achieve the same excited state as with higher energy photons, (2) utilization of heterojunctions to drive electronic processes in the desired direction, and (3) selective photoexcitation of localized electronic states to gain better selectivity.

  12. Active-learning assignments to integrate basic science and clinical course material.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Leisa L; Nykamp, Diane

    2010-09-10

    To develop, implement, and evaluate active-learning exercises requiring the integration and application of pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics knowledge of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to formulate therapeutic recommendations for patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Two team-based case study exercises, one evaluating a patient with osteoarthritis and the second, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, were developed, incorporating material and questions from pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics. The learning assignments were implemented in a required pharmacotherapy module. Student learning was evaluated using performance on the team-based case study exercises and on 2 examinations. A standard student course evaluation was used to assess students' impressions of the learning activity. The mean student grades for the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis activities were 9.1 and 8.9, respectively, on a 10-point scale. The majority of students indicated that the learning exercises were more than adequate to excellent in helping students learn. The addition of active-learning activities was successful in teaching pharmacy students the knowledge needed to formulate therapeutic recommendations for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

  13. Cost-utility analysis of an adjunctive recombinant activated factor VIIa for on-demand treatment of bleeding episodes in dengue haemorrhagic fever.

    PubMed

    Naing, Cho; Poovorawan, Yong; Mak, Joon Wah; Aung, Kyan; Kamolratankul, Pirom

    2015-06-01

    The present study aimed to assess the cost-utility analysis of using an adjunctive recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in children for controlling life-threatening bleeding in dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue shock syndrome (DSS). We constructed a decision-tree model, comparing a standard care and the use of an additional adjuvant rFVIIa for controlling life-threatening bleeding in children with DHF/DSS. Cost and utility benefit were estimated from the societal perspective. The outcome measure was cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Overall, treatment with adjuvant rFVIIa gained QALYs, but the total cost was higher. The incremental cost-utility ratio for the introduction of adjuvant rFVIIa was $4241.27 per additional QALY. Sensitivity analyses showed the utility value assigned for calculation of QALY was the most sensitive parameter. We concluded that despite high cost, there is a role for rFVIIa in the treatment of life-threatening bleeding in patients with DHF/DSS.

  14. How protein materials balance strength, robustness, and adaptability

    PubMed Central

    Buehler, Markus J.; Yung, Yu Ching

    2010-01-01

    Proteins form the basis of a wide range of biological materials such as hair, skin, bone, spider silk, or cells, which play an important role in providing key functions to biological systems. The focus of this article is to discuss how protein materials are capable of balancing multiple, seemingly incompatible properties such as strength, robustness, and adaptability. To illustrate this, we review bottom-up materiomics studies focused on the mechanical behavior of protein materials at multiple scales, from nano to macro. We focus on alpha-helix based intermediate filament proteins as a model system to explain why the utilization of hierarchical structural features is vital to their ability to combine strength, robustness, and adaptability. Experimental studies demonstrating the activation of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, are presented as an example of how adaptability of structure in biological tissue is achieved through changes in gene expression that result in an altered material structure. We analyze the concepts in light of the universality and diversity of the structural makeup of protein materials and discuss the findings in the context of potential fundamental evolutionary principles that control their nanoscale structure. We conclude with a discussion of multiscale science in biology and de novo materials design. PMID:20676305

  15. Thermal activated ("thermal") battery technology. Part IIIb. Sulfur and oxide-based cathode materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masset, Patrick J.; Guidotti, Ronald A.

    This article presents an overview of cathode materials (except the pyrite FeS 2) used or envisaged in thermally activated ("thermal") batteries. The physicochemical properties and electrochemical performance of different cathode families (oxides, sulfides) are reviewed, including discharge mechanisms, when known.

  16. Utilization Management in the Blood Transfusion Service

    PubMed Central

    Peña, Jeremy Ryan Andrew; Dzik, Walter “Sunny”

    2015-01-01

    The scope of activity of the Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) makes it unique among the clinical laboratories. The combination of therapeutic and diagnostic roles necessitates a multi-faceted approach to utilization management in the BTS. We present our experience in utilization management in large academic medical center. PMID:24080431

  17. Assessing corporate restructurings in the electric utility industry: A framework

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Malko, J.R.

    1996-12-31

    Corporate restructurings of electric utilities in the United States have become an important and controversial issue during the 1980s. Regulators and electric utility executives have different perspectives concerning corporate restructurings associated with diversification, mergers, and functional separation of generation, transmission, and distribution. Regulators attempt to regulate electric utilities effectively in order to assure that adequate electricity services are provided at reasonable cost and to protect the public interest which includes considering choices and risks to customers. Regulators are considering and developing new regulatory approaches in order to address corporate restructurings and balance regulation and competitive pressures. Electric utility executives typicallymore » view corporate restructurings as a potential partial solution to financial challenges and problems and are analyzing corporate restructuring activities within the framework of the corporate strategic planning process. Executives attempt to find new sources of economic value and consider risks and potential returns to investors in an increasingly competitive environment. The parent holding company is generally used as the basic corporate form for restructuring activities in the electric utility industry. However, the wholly-owned utility subsidiary structure remains in use for some restructurings. The primary purpose of this paper is to propose a framework to assess corporate restructurings in the electric utility industry from a public policy perspective. This paper is organized in the following manner. First, different types of corporate restructurings in the electric utility industry are examined. Second, reasons for corporate restructuring activities are represented. Third, a framework for assessing corporate restructuring activities is proposed. Fourth, the application of the framework is discussed.« less

  18. Fabrication of a PANI/CPs composite material: a feasible method to enhance the photocatalytic activity of coordination polymers.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xin-Xin; Cui, Zhong-Ping; Qi, Ji; Liu, Xiao-Xia

    2013-03-21

    To improve the photocatalytic activity of a coordination polymer in the visible light region, polyaniline (PANI) was loaded onto its surface through a facile in situ chemical oxidation polymerization process. The resulting PANI loaded coordination polymer composite materials with excellent stability exhibit significantly higher photocatalytic activities than the pure coordination polymer photocatalyst on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. This enhancement can be ascribed to the introduction of PANI on the surface of the coordination polymer, which leads to efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs as well as a significant expansion of the photoresponse region. Finally, we discussed the influence of acidity on the morphology and photocatalytic activity of the composite material. An optimal condition to obtain the PANI loaded coordination polymer composite material with excellent photocatalytic activity has been obtained.

  19. Recent Developments in C-H Activation for Materials Science in the Center for Selective C-H Activation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junxiang; Kang, Lauren J; Parker, Timothy C; Blakey, Simon B; Luscombe, Christine K; Marder, Seth R

    2018-04-16

    Abstract : Organic electronics is a rapidly growing field driven in large part by the synthesis of ∏-conjugated molecules and polymers. Traditional aryl cross-coupling reactions such as the Stille and Suzuki have been used extensively in the synthesis of ∏-conjugated molecules and polymers, but the synthesis of intermediates necessary for traditional cross-couplings can include multiple steps with toxic and hazardous reagents. Direct arylation through C-H bond activation has the potential to reduce the number of steps and hazards while being more atom-economical. Within the Center for Selective C-H Functionalization (CCHF), we have been developing C-H activation methodology for the synthesis of ∏-conjugated materials of interest, including direct arylation of difficult-to-functionalize electron acceptor intermediates and living polymerization of ∏-conjugated polymers through C-H activation.

  20. Materials Informatics: Statistical Modeling in Material Science.

    PubMed

    Yosipof, Abraham; Shimanovich, Klimentiy; Senderowitz, Hanoch

    2016-12-01

    Material informatics is engaged with the application of informatic principles to materials science in order to assist in the discovery and development of new materials. Central to the field is the application of data mining techniques and in particular machine learning approaches, often referred to as Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling, to derive predictive models for a variety of materials-related "activities". Such models can accelerate the development of new materials with favorable properties and provide insight into the factors governing these properties. Here we provide a comparison between medicinal chemistry/drug design and materials-related QSAR modeling and highlight the importance of developing new, materials-specific descriptors. We survey some of the most recent QSAR models developed in materials science with focus on energetic materials and on solar cells. Finally we present new examples of material-informatic analyses of solar cells libraries produced from metal oxides using combinatorial material synthesis. Different analyses lead to interesting physical insights as well as to the design of new cells with potentially improved photovoltaic parameters. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. In-situ materials processing systems and bioregenerative life support systems interrelationships

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mignon, George V.; Frye, Robert J.

    1992-01-01

    The synergy and linkages between bioregenerative life support systems and the materials produced by in-situ materials processing systems was investigated. Such systems produce a broad spectrum of byproducts such as oxygen, hydrogen, processed soil material, ceramics, refractory, and other materials. Some of these materials may be utilized by bioregenerative systems either directly or with minor modifications. The main focus of this project was to investigate how these materials can be utilized to assist a bioregenerative life support system. Clearly the need to provide a sustainable bioregenerative life support system for long term human habitation of space is significant.

  2. Study utilization of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste as the main material for making solid fuels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendrianie, Nuniek; Juliastuti, Sri Rachmania; Ar-rosyidah, Fanny Husna; Rochman, Hilal Abdur

    2017-05-01

    Nowadays the existence of energy sources of oil and was limited. Therefore, it was important to searching for new innovations of renewable energy sources by utilizing the waste into a source of energy. On the other hand, the process of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation generated sludge that had calorific value and untapped. Because of the need for alternative sources of energy innovation with the concept of zero waste and the fuel potential from extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste, so it was necessary to study the use of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste as the main material for making solid fuel. In addition, sawdust is a waste that had a great quantities and also had a high calorific value to be mixed with extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of the extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste and to determine the potential and a combination of a mixture of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste and sawdust which has the best calorific value. The variables of this study was the composition of the waste and sawdust as follows 1:1; 1:3; and 3:1 (mass of sawdust : mass of waste) and time of sawdust carbonization was 10, 15 and 20 minutes. Sawdust was carbonized to get the high heating value. The characteristic of main material and fuel analysis performed with proximate analysis. While the calorific value analysis was performed with a bomb calorimeter. From the research, it was known that extractable petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation waste had a moisture content of 3.06%; volatile matter 19.98%; ash content of 0.56%; fixed carbon content of 76.4% and a calorific value of 717 cal/gram. And a mixture that had the highest calorific value (4286.5 cal/gram) achieved in comparison sawdust : waste (3:1) by carbonization of sawdust for 20 minutes.

  3. Advanced Water Purification System for In Situ Resource Utilization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anthony, Stephen M.; Jolley, Scott T.; Captain, James G.

    2013-01-01

    One of NASA's goals is to enable longterm human presence in space, without the need for continuous replenishment of consumables from Earth. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the use of extraterrestrial resources to support activities such as human life-support, material fabrication and repair, and radiation shielding. Potential sources of ISRU resources include lunar and Martian regolith, and Martian atmosphere. Water and byproducts (including hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids) can be produced from lunar regolith via a high-temperature hydrogen reduction reaction and passing the produced gas through a condenser. center dot Due to the high solubility of HCI and HF in water, these byproducts are expected to be present in the product stream (up to 20,000 ppm) and must be removed (less than 10 ppm) prior to water consumption or electrolysis.

  4. The cost-utility of open prostatectomy compared with active surveillance in early localised prostate cancer

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background There is an on-going debate about whether to perform surgery on early stage localised prostate cancer and risk the common long term side effects such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Alternatively these patients could be closely monitored and treated only in case of disease progression (active surveillance). The aim of this paper is to develop a decision-analytic model comparing the cost-utility of active surveillance (AS) and radical prostatectomy (PE) for a cohort of 65 year old men with newly diagnosed low risk prostate cancer. Methods A Markov model comparing PE and AS over a lifetime horizon was programmed in TreeAge from a German societal perspective. Comparative disease specific mortality was obtained from the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group trial. Direct costs were identified via national treatment guidelines and expert interviews covering in-patient, out-patient, medication, aids and remedies as well as out of pocket payments. Utility values were used as factor weights for age specific quality of life values of the German population. Uncertainty was assessed deterministically and probabilistically. Results With quality adjustment, AS was the dominant strategy compared with initial treatment. In the base case, it was associated with an additional 0.04 quality adjusted life years (7.60 QALYs vs. 7.56 QALYs) and a cost reduction of €6,883 per patient (2011 prices). Considering only life-years gained, PE was more effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €96,420/life year gained. Sensitivity analysis showed that the probability of developing metastases under AS and utility weights under AS are a major sources of uncertainty. A Monte Carlo simulation revealed that AS was more likely to be cost-effective even under very high willingness to pay thresholds. Conclusion AS is likely to be a cost-saving treatment strategy for some patients with early stage localised prostate cancer. However, cost-effectiveness is

  5. Preliminary results utilizing high-energy fission product γ-rays to detect fissionable material in cargo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slaughter, D. R.; Accatino, M. R.; Bernstein, A.; Church, J. A.; Descalle, M. A.; Gosnell, T. B.; Hall, J. M.; Loshak, A.; Manatt, D. R.; Mauger, G. J.; Moore, T. L.; Norman, E. B.; Pohl, B. A.; Pruet, J. A.; Petersen, D. C.; Walling, R. S.; Weirup, D. L.; Prussin, S. G.; McDowell, M.

    2005-12-01

    A concept for detecting the presence of special nuclear material (235U or 239Pu) concealed in intermodal cargo containers is described. It is based on interrogation with a pulsed beam of 7 MeV neutrons that produce fission events and their β-delayed neutron emission or β-delayed high-energy γ radiation between beam pulses provide the detection signature. Fission product β-delayed γ-rays above 3 MeV are nearly 10 times more abundant than β-delayed neutrons and are distinct from natural radioactivity and from nearly all of the induced activity in a normal cargo. Detector backgrounds and potential interferences with the fission signature radiation have been identified and quantified.

  6. Advertising content in physical activity print materials.

    PubMed

    Cardinal, Bradley J

    2002-01-01

    Copies of 80 sets of print materials available free of charge to the general public were analyzed to determine the relationship between the developer and advertising-related material. Almost all of the materials had some form of advertising content. Materials from commercial product vendors were most likely to have product logos, references to specific brands, and had the greatest number of logos, and the greatest number of references to specific brands. They were the second most likely to have advertising slogans, and had the second greatest number of advertising slogans.

  7. Complete utilization of spent coffee to biodiesel, bio-oil and biochar

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Energy production from renewable or waste biomass/material is a more attractive alternative compared to conventional feedstocks, such as corn and soybean. The objective of this study is to maximize utilization of any waste organic carbon material to produce renewable energy. This study presents tota...

  8. Theoretical Considerations for Improving the Pulse Power of a Battery through the Addition of a Second Electrochemically Active Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knehr, K. W.; West, Alan C.

    Here, porous electrode theory is used to conduct case studies for when the addition of a second electrochemically active material can improve the pulse-power performance of an electrode. Case studies are conducted for the positive electrode of a sodium metal-halide battery and the graphite negative electrode of a lithium “rocking chair” battery. The replacement of a fraction of the nickel chloride capacity with iron chloride in a sodium metal-halide electrode and the replacement of a fraction of the graphite capacity with carbon black in a lithium-ion negative electrode were both predicted to increase the maximum pulse power by up tomore » 40%. In general, whether or not a second electrochemically active material increases the pulse power depends on the relative importance of ohmic-to-charge transfer resistances within the porous structure, the capacity fraction of the second electrochemically active material, and the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the two active materials.« less

  9. Theoretical Considerations for Improving the Pulse Power of a Battery through the Addition of a Second Electrochemically Active Material

    DOE PAGES

    Knehr, K. W.; West, Alan C.

    2016-05-26

    Here, porous electrode theory is used to conduct case studies for when the addition of a second electrochemically active material can improve the pulse-power performance of an electrode. Case studies are conducted for the positive electrode of a sodium metal-halide battery and the graphite negative electrode of a lithium “rocking chair” battery. The replacement of a fraction of the nickel chloride capacity with iron chloride in a sodium metal-halide electrode and the replacement of a fraction of the graphite capacity with carbon black in a lithium-ion negative electrode were both predicted to increase the maximum pulse power by up tomore » 40%. In general, whether or not a second electrochemically active material increases the pulse power depends on the relative importance of ohmic-to-charge transfer resistances within the porous structure, the capacity fraction of the second electrochemically active material, and the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the two active materials.« less

  10. Poultry litter-based activated carbon for removing heavy metal ions in water.

    PubMed

    Guo, Mingxin; Qiu, Guannan; Song, Weiping

    2010-02-01

    Utilization of poultry litter as a precursor material to manufacture activated carbon for treating heavy metal-contaminated water is a value-added strategy for recycling the organic waste. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate kinetics, isotherms, and capacity of poultry litter-based activated carbon for removing heavy metal ions in water. It was revealed that poultry litter-based activated carbon possessed significantly higher adsorption affinity and capacity for heavy metals than commercial activated carbons derived from bituminous coal and coconut shell. Adsorption of metal ions onto poultry litter-based carbon was rapid and followed Sigmoidal Chapman patterns as a function of contact time. Adsorption isotherms could be described by different models such as Langmuir and Freundlich equations, depending on the metal species and the coexistence of other metal ions. Potentially 404 mmol of Cu2+, 945 mmol of Pb2+, 236 mmol of Zn2+, and 250-300 mmol of Cd2+ would be adsorbed per kg of poultry litter-derived activated carbon. Releases of nutrients and metal ions from litter-derived carbon did not pose secondary water contamination risks. The study suggests that poultry litter can be utilized as a precursor material for economically manufacturing granular activated carbon that is to be used in wastewater treatment for removing heavy metals.

  11. Isoalantolactone derivative promotes glucose utilization in skeletal muscle cells and increases energy expenditure in db/db mice via activating AMPK-dependent signaling.

    PubMed

    Arha, Deepti; Ramakrishna, E; Gupta, Anand P; Rai, Amit K; Sharma, Aditya; Ahmad, Ishbal; Riyazuddin, Mohammed; Gayen, Jiaur R; Maurya, Rakesh; Tamrakar, Akhilesh K

    2018-01-15

    Augmenting glucose utilization and energy expenditure in skeletal muscle via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an imperative mechanism for the management of type 2 diabetes. Chemical derivatives (2a-2h, 3, 4a-4d, 5) of the isoalantolactone (K007), a bioactive molecule from roots of Inula racemosa were synthesized to optimize the bioactivity profile to stimulate glucose utilization in skeletal muscle cells. Interestingly, 4a augmented glucose uptake, driven by enhanced translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to cell periphery in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells. The effect of 4a was independent to phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase (PI-3-K)/Akt pathway, but mediated through Liver kinase B1 (LKB1)/AMPK-dependent signaling, leading to activation of downstream targets acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c). In db/db mice, 4a administration decreased blood glucose level and improved body mass index, lipid parameters and glucose tolerance associated with elevation of GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. Moreover, 4a increased energy expenditure via activating substrate utilization and upregulated the expression of thermogenic transcription factors and mitochondrial proteins in skeletal muscle, suggesting the regulation of energy balance. These findings suggest the potential implication of isoalantolactone derivatives for the management of diabetes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Highly Efficient Full-Color Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes: Extremely Low Efficiency Roll-Off Utilizing a Host with Small Singlet-Triplet Splitting.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Dongdong; Zhao, Chongguang; Zhang, Yunge; Song, Xiaozeng; Wei, Pengcheng; Cai, Minghan; Duan, Lian

    2017-02-08

    Numerous efforts have been devoted to boost the efficiency of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) devices; however, strategies to suppress the device efficiency roll-off are still in urgent need. Here, a general and effective approach to suppress the efficiency roll-off of TADF devices is proposed, that is, utilizing TADF materials as the hosts for TADF emitters. Bearing small singlet-triplet splitting (ΔE ST ) with donor and acceptor units, TADF materials as the hosts possess the potential to achieve matched frontier energy levels with the adjacent transporting layers, facilitating balanced charge injection as well as bipolar charge transport mobilities beneficial to the balanced charges transportation. Furthermore, an enhanced Förster energy transfer from the host to the dopant can be anticipated, helpful to reduce the exciton concentration. Based on the principles, a new TADF material based on indeno[2,1-b]carbazole/1,3,5-triazin derivation is synthesized and used as the universal host for the full-color TADF devices. Remarkable low efficiency roll-off was achieved with above 90% of the maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQE max 's) maintained even at a brightness of 2000 cd/m 2 , along with EQE max 's of 23.2, 21.0, and 19.2% for orange, green, and sky-blue TADF devices, respectively. Through computational simulation, we identified the suppressed exciton annihilation rates compared with devices adopting conventional hosts. The state-of-the-art low efficiency roll-off of those TADF devices manifests the great potential of such host design strategy, paving an efficient strategy toward their practical application.

  13. Use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes in alkali-activated materials, ceramics and granular applications: A review.

    PubMed

    Silva, R V; de Brito, J; Lynn, C J; Dhir, R K

    2017-10-01

    This paper presents a literature review on the incorporation of municipal solid waste incinerated bottom ash as raw material in several markets, other than those where it is conventionally used, such as geotechnical applications and road pavement construction. The main findings of an ample selection of experimental investigations on the use of the bottom ash as precursor of alkali-activated materials, as an adsorbent material for the removal of hazardous elements from wastewater and landfill gases, as soil replacement in agricultural activities, as partial or complete substitute of raw materials for the manufacture of ceramic-based products, as landfill cover and as biogas production enhancer, were gathered, collated and analysed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Potential utilization of glass experiments in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kreidl, N. J.

    1984-01-01

    Materials processing in space utilizing the microgravity environment is discussed; glass processing in particular is considered. Attention is given to the processing of glass shells, critical cooling rate and novel glasses, gel synthesis of glasses, immiscibility, surface tension, and glass composites. Soviet glass experiments in space are also enumerated.

  15. Possibilities for specific utilization of material properties for an optimal part design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beier, T.; Gerlach, J.; Roettger, R.; Kuhn, P.

    2017-09-01

    High-strength, cold-formable steels offer great potential for meeting cost and safety requirements in the automotive industry. In view of strengths of up to 1200 MPa now attainable, certain aspects need to be analysed and evaluated in advance in the development process using these materials. In addition to early assessment of crash properties, it is also highly important to adapt the forming process to match the material potential. The steel making companies have widened their portfolios of cold-rolled dual-phase steels well beyond the conventional high-strength steels. There are added new grades which offer a customized selection of high energy absorption, deformation resistance or enhanced cold-forming properties. In this article the necessary components for material modelling for finite element simulation are discussed. Additionally the required tests for material model calibration are presented and the potentials of the thyssenkrupp Steel material data base are introduced. Besides classical tensile tests at different angles to rolling direction and the forming limit curve, the hydraulic bulge test is now available for a wide range of modern steel grades. Using the conventional DP-K®60/98 and the DP-K®700Y980T with higher yield strength the method for calibrating yield locus, hardening and formability is given. With reference to the examples of an A-pillar reinforcement and different crash tests the procedure is shown how the customer can evaluate an optimal steel grade for specific requirements. Although the investigated materials have different yield strengths, no large differences in the forming process between the two steel grades can be found. However some advantages of the high-yield grade can be detected in crash performance depending on the specific boundary and loading conditions.

  16. Effect of sorbent attrition on utilization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Keener, T.C.; Khang, S.J.; Lee, S.K.

    1992-10-01

    During this period, the project has focused on two aspects of attrition; (1) mechanical attrition which is responsible for particle fracture whenever particles are moving with respect to a fixed reference frame, and (2) chemical attrition which can be responsible for particle fracture whenever particles undergo reactions. The experiments were conducted with calcium based sorbent materials. Two specific project objectives were identified and studied. The first of these was to determine the effect of temperature, particle velocity, and particle surface area on the extent of attrition in a circulating fluidized reactor. The second was to investigate if attrition could improvemore » sorbent utilization of typical calcium based sorbents of small size (<20 [mu]m). A sample of sulfated calcium hydroxide sorbent was obtained for attrition tests in a circulating fluidized bed reactor. Attempts at attriting this material in the fluidized bed were not successful, and no improvements in sorbent utilization were measured in subsequent TGA tests with the solids. However, an analysis of the other constituents in the particles revealed that a major portion of the hydroxide had been converted to calcium carbonate. This gave rise to the possibility that dolomitic hydroxide may have characteristics which may be beneficial and that improvements in utilization could be realized by means of chemical attrition. This is due to the thermal instability of magnesium carbonate at temperatures above 650[degree]F which means that magnesium oxide will be the major unreacted magnesium species in spent sorbent.« less

  17. Potential structural material problems in a hydrogen energy system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gray, H. R.; Nelson, H. G.; Johnson, R. E.; Mcpherson, B.; Howard, F. S.; Swisher, J. H.

    1975-01-01

    Potential structural material problems that may be encountered in the three components of a hydrogen energy system - production, transmission/storage, and utilization - were identified. Hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion, oxidation, and erosion may occur during the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen embrittlement is of major concern during both transmission and utilization of hydrogen. Specific materials research and development programs necessary to support a hydrogen energy system are described.

  18. Real space mapping of ionic diffusion and electrochemical activity in energy storage and conversion materials

    DOEpatents

    Kalinin, Sergei V; Balke, Nina; Kumar, Amit; Dudney, Nancy J; Jesse, Stephen

    2014-05-06

    A method and system for probing mobile ion diffusivity and electrochemical reactivity on a nanometer length scale of a free electrochemically active surface includes a control module that biases the surface of the material. An electrical excitation signal is applied to the material and induces the movement of mobile ions. An SPM probe in contact with the surface of the material detects the displacement of mobile ions at the surface of the material. A detector measures an electromechanical strain response at the surface of the material based on the movement and reactions of the mobile ions. The use of an SPM tip to detect local deformations allows highly reproducible measurements in an ambient environment without visible changes in surface structure. The measurements illustrate effective spatial resolution comparable with defect spacing and well below characteristic grain sizes of the material.

  19. Development of active and sensitive material systems based on composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asanuma, Hiroshi

    2002-07-01

    This paper describes new concepts proposed by the author to realize active and sensitive structural material systems. Two examples of multifunctional composites were fabricated and evaluated in this study as follows: (1) An active laminate of aluminum plate (works as muscle), epoxy film (as insulator), unidirectional CFRP prepreg (as bone and blood vessel) and copper foil electrode (to apply voltage on CFRP) was made with an embedded optical fiber multiply fractured in the CFRP layer (works as nerve), of which curvature change could be effectively monitored with the fractured optical fiber. (2) A stainless steel fiber/aluminum active composite with embedded Ti oxide/Ti composite fiber was fabricated. The Ti oxide/Ti fiber could work as a sensor for temperature by removing a part of the oxide before embedment to make a metallic contact between the embedded titanium fiber and aluminum matrix to be able to generate thermal electromotive force, and also could work as a sensor for strain and as a heater for actuation. In the both cases, the outputs from their embedded sensors can be used to control their actuations.

  20. Proceedings of the LDEF Materials Data Analysis Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stein, Bland A. (Compiler); Young, Philip R. (Compiler)

    1990-01-01

    The 5-year, 10-month flight of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) greatly enhanced the potential value of most LDEF materials, compared to the original 1-year flight plan. NASA recognized this potential by forming the LDEF Space Environmental Effects on Materials Special Investigation Group in early 1989 to address the expanded opportunities available in the LDEF structure and on experimental trays, so that the value of all LDEF materials to current and future space missions would be assessed and documented. The LDEF Materials Data Analysis Workshop served as one step toward the realization of that responsibility and ran concurrently with activities surrounding the successful return of the spacecraft to the NASA Kennedy Space Center. A compilation of visual aids utilized by speakers at the workshop is presented. Session 1 summarized current information on analysis responsibilities and plans and was aimed at updating the workshop attendees: the LDEF Advisory Committee, Principle Investigators, Special Investigation Group Members, and others involved in LDEF analyses or management. Sessions 2 and 3 addressed materials data analysis methodology, specimen preparation, shipment and archival, and initial plans for the LDEF Materials Data Base. A complementary objective of the workshop was to stimulate interest and awareness of opportunities to vastly expand the overall data base by considering the entire spacecraft as a materials experiment.

  1. Proton irradiation on materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chang, C. Ken

    1993-01-01

    A computer code is developed by utilizing a radiation transport code developed at NASA Langley Research Center to study the proton radiation effects on materials which have potential application in NASA's future space missions. The code covers the proton energy from 0.01 Mev to 100 Gev and is sufficient for energetic protons encountered in both low earth and geosynchronous orbits. With some modification, the code can be extended for particles heavier than proton as the radiation source. The code is capable of calculating the range, stopping power, exit energy, energy deposition coefficients, dose, and cumulative dose along the path of the proton in a target material. The target material can be any combination of the elements with atomic number ranging from 1 to 92, or any compound with known chemical composition. The generated cross section for a material is stored and is reused in future to save computer time. This information can be utilized to calculate the proton dose a material would receive in an orbit when the radiation environment is known. It can also be used to determine, in the laboratory, the parameters such as beam current of proton and irradiation time to attain the desired dosage for accelerated ground testing of any material. It is hoped that the present work be extended to include polymeric and composite materials which are prime candidates for use as coating, electronic components, and structure building. It is also desirable to determine, for ground testing these materials, the laboratory parameters in order to simulate the dose they would receive in space environments. A sample print-out for water subject to 1.5 Mev proton is included as a reference.

  2. Preliminary Component Integration Utilizing Rapid Prototyping Techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cooper, K.; Salvail, P.

    2001-01-01

    One of the most costly errors committed during the development of an element to be used in the space industry is the lack of communication between design and manufacturing engineers. A very important tool that should be utilized in the development stages by both design and manufacturing disciplines is rapid prototyping. Communication levels are intensified with the injection of functional models that are generated from a drawing. At the Marshall Space Flight Center, this discipline is utilized on a more frequent basis as a manner by which hardware may be tested for design and material compatibility.

  3. Rapeseed and Raspberry Seed Cakes as Inexpensive Raw Materials in the Production of Activated Carbon by Physical Activation: Effect of Activation Conditions on Textural and Phenol Adsorption Characteristics

    PubMed Central

    Smets, Koen; De Jong, Mats; Lupul, Iwona; Gryglewicz, Grazyna; Schreurs, Sonja; Carleer, Robert; Yperman, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The production of activated carbons (ACs) from rapeseed cake and raspberry seed cake using slow pyrolysis followed by physical activation of the obtained solid residues is the topic of this study. The effect of activation temperature (850, 900 and 950 °C), activation time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min) and agent (steam and CO2) on the textural characteristics of the ACs is investigated by N2 adsorption. In general, higher activation temperatures and longer activation times increase the BET specific surface area and the porosity of the ACs, regardless of the activation agent or raw material. Steam is more reactive than CO2 in terms of pore development, especially in the case of raspberry seed cake. The performance of the ACs in liquid adsorption is evaluated by batch phenol adsorption tests. Experimental data are best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. Based on total yield, textural characteristics and phenol adsorption, steam activation at 900 °C for 90 min and CO2 activation at 900 °C for 120 min are found as the best activation conditions. Raspberry seed cake turns out to be a better raw material than rapeseed cake. Moreover, AC from raspberry seed cake produced by steam activation at 900 °C for 90 min performs as well as commercial AC (Norit GAC 1240) in phenol adsorption. The adsorption kinetics of the selected ACs are best fitted by the pseudo-second-order model. PMID:28773684

  4. Material-based figure of merit for caloric materials

    DOE PAGES

    Griffith, L. D.; Mudryk, Y.; Slaughter, J.; ...

    2018-01-21

    Efficient use of reversible thermal effects in magnetocaloric, electrocaloric, and elastocaloric materials is a promising avenue that can lead to a substantially increased efficiency of refrigeration and heat pumping devices, most importantly those used in household and commercial cooling applications near ambient temperature. A proliferation in caloric materials research has resulted in a wide array of materials where only the isothermal change in entropy in response to a handful of different field strengths over a limited range of temperatures has been evaluated and reported. Given the abundance of such data, there is a clear need for a simple and reliablemore » figure of merit enabling fast screening and down-selection to justify further detailed characterization of those materials systems that hold the greatest promise. Based on the analysis of several well-known materials that exhibit vastly different magnetocaloric effects, the Temperature averaged Entropy Change (TEC) is introduced as a suitable early indicator of the material’s utility for magnetocaloric cooling applications, and its adoption by the caloric community is recommended.« less

  5. Material-based figure of merit for caloric materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Griffith, L. D.; Mudryk, Y.; Slaughter, J.

    Efficient use of reversible thermal effects in magnetocaloric, electrocaloric, and elastocaloric materials is a promising avenue that can lead to a substantially increased efficiency of refrigeration and heat pumping devices, most importantly those used in household and commercial cooling applications near ambient temperature. A proliferation in caloric materials research has resulted in a wide array of materials where only the isothermal change in entropy in response to a handful of different field strengths over a limited range of temperatures has been evaluated and reported. Given the abundance of such data, there is a clear need for a simple and reliablemore » figure of merit enabling fast screening and down-selection to justify further detailed characterization of those materials systems that hold the greatest promise. Based on the analysis of several well-known materials that exhibit vastly different magnetocaloric effects, the Temperature averaged Entropy Change (TEC) is introduced as a suitable early indicator of the material’s utility for magnetocaloric cooling applications, and its adoption by the caloric community is recommended.« less

  6. Losses, gain, and lasing in organic and perovskite active materials (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pourdavoud, Neda; Riedl, Thomas J.

    2016-09-01

    Organic solid state lasers (OSLs) based on semiconducting polymers or small molecules have seen some significant progress over the past decade. Highly efficient organic gain materials combined with high-Q resonator geometries (distributed feedback (DFB), VCSEL, etc.) have enabled OSLs, optically pumped by simple inorganic laser diodes or even LEDs. However, some fundamental goals remain to be reached, like continuous wave (cw) operation and injection lasing. I will address various loss mechanisms related to accumulated triplet excitons or long-lived polarons that in combination with the particular photo-physics of organic gain media state the dominant road-blocks on the way to reach these goals. I will discuss the recent progress in fundamental understanding of these loss processes, which now provides a solid basis for modelling, e.g. of laser dynamics. Avenues to mitigate these fundamental loss mechanisms, e.g. by alternative materials will be presented. In this regard, a class of gain materials based on organo-lead halide perovskites re-entered the scene as light emitters, recently. Enjoying a tremendous lot of attention as active material for solution processed solar cells with a 20+% efficiency, they have recently unveiled their exciting photo-physics for lasing applications. Optically pumped lasing in these materials has been achieved. I will discuss some of the unique properties that render this class of materials a promising candidate to overcome some of the limitations of "classical" organic gain media.

  7. Catalyst material and method of making

    DOEpatents

    Matson, Dean W.; Fulton, John L.; Linehan, John C.; Bean, Roger M.; Brewer, Thomas D.; Werpy, Todd A.; Darab, John G.

    1997-01-01

    The material of the present invention is a mixture of catalytically active material and carrier materials, which may be catalytically active themselves. Hence, the material of the present invention provides a catalyst particle that has catalytically active material throughout its bulk volume as well as on its surface. The presence of the catalytically active material throughout the bulk volume is achieved by chemical combination of catalytically active materials with carrier materials prior to or simultaneously with crystallite formation.

  8. Utility Energy Services Contracts: Enabling Documents, May 2009 (Book)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    2009-05-01

    Enabling Documents, delivered by the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to provide materials that clarify the authority for federal agencies to enter into utility energy services contracts (UESCs).

  9. Preface: Terrestrial Fieldwork to Support in situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and Robotic Resource Prospecting for Future Activities in Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanders, Gerald B.

    2015-05-01

    Finding, extracting, and using resources at the site of robotic and human exploration activities holds the promise of enabling sustainable and affordable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, and eventually allow humans to expand their economy and habitation beyond the surface of the Earth. Commonly referred to as in situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), mineral and volatile resources found in space can be converted into oxygen, water, metals, fuels, and manufacturing and construction materials (such as plastics and concrete) for transportation, power, life support, habitation construction, and part/logistics manufacturing applications. For every kilogram of payload landed on the surface of the Moon or Mars, 7.5-11 kg of payload (mostly propellant) needs to be launched into low Earth orbit. Therefore, besides promising long-term self-sufficiency and infrastructure growth, ISRU can provide significant reductions in launch costs and the number of launches required. Key to being able to use space resources is knowing where they are located, how much is there, and how the resources are distributed. While ISRU holds great promise, it has also never been demonstrated in an actual space mission. Therefore, operations and hardware associated with each ISRU prospecting, excavation, transportation, and processing step must be examined, tested, and finally integrated to enable the end goal of using space resources in future human space missions.

  10. Material for radioactive protection

    DOEpatents

    Taylor, R.S.; Boyer, N.W.

    A boron containing burn resistant, low-level radiation protection material useful, for example, as a liner for radioactive waste disposal and storage, a component for neutron absorber, and a shield for a neutron source is described. The material is basically composed of borax in the range of 25 to 50%, coal tar in the range of 25 to 37.5%, with the remainder being an epoxy resin mix. A preferred composition is 50% borax, 25% coal tar and 25% epoxy resin. The material is not susceptible to burning and is about 1/5 the cost of existing radiation protection material utilized in similar applications.

  11. Use of electrochemically activated aqueous solutions in the manufacture of fur materials.

    PubMed

    Danylkovych, Anatoliy G; Lishchuk, Viktor I; Romaniuk, Oksana O

    2016-01-01

    The influence of characteristics of electrochemically activated aqueous processing mediums in the treatment of fur skins with different contents of fatty substances was investigated. The use of electroactive water, namely anolytes and catholytes, forgoing antiseptics or surface-active materials, helped to restore the hydration of fur skins and to remove from them soluble proteins, carbohydrates and fatty substances. The activating effect of anolyte and catholyte in solutions of water on the processes of treating raw furs is explained by their special physical and chemical properties, namely the presence of free radicals, ions and molecules of water which easily penetrate cells' membranes and into the structure of non-collagen components and microfiber structure of dermic collagen. The stage of lengthy acid and salt treatment is excluded from the technical treatment as a result of using electroactivated water with high oxidizing power. A low-cost technology of processing different kinds of fur with the use of electroactivated water provides for substantial economy of water and chemical reagents, a two to threefold acceleration of the soaking and tanning processes and creation of highly elastic fur materials with a specified set of physical and chemical properties. At the same time the technology of preparatory processes of fur treatment excludes the use of such toxic antiseptics as formalin and sodium silicofluoride, which gives grounds to regard it as ecologically safe.

  12. Impedance spectroscopy study of a catechol-modified activated carbon electrode as active material in electrochemical capacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cougnon, C.; Lebègue, E.; Pognon, G.

    2015-01-01

    Modified activated carbon (Norit S-50) electrodes with electrochemical double layer (EDL) capacitance and redox capacitance contributions to the electric charge storage were tested in 1 M H2SO4 to quantify the benefit and the limitation of the surface redox reactions on the electrochemical performances of the resulting pseudo-capacitive materials. The electrochemical performances of an electrochemically anodized carbon electrode and a catechol-modified carbon electrode, which make use both EDL capacitance of the porous structure of the carbon and redox capacitance, were compared to the performances obtained for the pristine carbon. Nitrogen gas adsorption measurements have been used for studying the impact of the grafting on the BET surface area, pore size distribution, pore volume and average pore diameter. The electrochemical behavior of carbon materials was studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS data were discussed by using a complex capacitance model that allows defining the characteristic time constant, the global capacitance and the frequency at which the maximum charge stored is reached. The EIS measurements were achieved at different dc potential values where a redox activity occurs and the evolution of the capacitance and the capacitive relaxation time with the electrode potential are presented. Realistic galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements performed at different current rates corroborate the results obtained by impedance.

  13. Materials testing of the IUS techroll seal material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nichols, R. L.; Hall, W. B.

    1984-01-01

    As a part of the investigation of the control system failure Inertial Upper Stage on IUS-1 flight to position a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) in geosynchronous orbit, the materials utilized in the techroll seal are evaluated for possible failure models. Studies undertaken included effect of temperature on the strength of the system, effect of fatigue on the strength of the system, thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimeter analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and peel test. The most likely failure mode is excessive temperature in the seal. In addition, the seal material is susceptible to fatigue damage which could be a contributing factor.

  14. Catalyst material and method of making

    DOEpatents

    Matson, D.W.; Fulton, J.L.; Linehan, J.C.; Bean, R.M.; Brewer, T.D.; Werpy, T.A.; Darab, J.G.

    1997-07-29

    The material of the present invention is a mixture of catalytically active material and carrier materials, which may be catalytically active themselves. Hence, the material of the present invention provides a catalyst particle that has catalytically active material throughout its bulk volume as well as on its surface. The presence of the catalytically active material throughout the bulk volume is achieved by chemical combination of catalytically active materials with carrier materials prior to or simultaneously with crystallite formation. 7 figs.

  15. Active and passive interaction mechanism of smart materials for health monitoring of engineering structures: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav; Annamdas, Kiran Kumar

    2009-03-01

    Smart materials when interact with engineering structures, should have the capability to sense, measure, process, and detect any change in the selected variables (stress, damage) at critical locations. These smart materials can be classified into active and passive depending on the type of the structure, variables to be monitored, and interaction mechanism due to surface bonding or embedment. Some of the prominent smart materials are piezoelectric materials, micro fiber composite, polymers, shape memory alloys, electrostrictive and magnetostrictive materials, electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids and fiber optics. In addition, host structures do have the properties to support or repel the usage of smart materials inside or on it. This paper presents some of the most widely used smart materials and their interaction mechanism for structural health monitoring of engineering structures.

  16. Material cutting, shaping, and forming: A compilation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    Information is presented concerning cutting, shaping, and forming of materials, and the equipment and techniques required for utilizing these materials. The use of molds, electrical fields, and mechanical devices are related to forming materials. Material cutting methods by devices including borers and slicers are presented along with chemical techniques. Shaping and fabrication techniques are described for tubing, honeycomb panels, and ceramic structures. The characteristics of the materials are described. Patent information is included.

  17. Reducing fire potential in lodgepole pine by increasing timber utilization

    Treesearch

    James K. Brown

    1974-01-01

    Fuel and fire potential in clearcut lodgepole pine were compared after stands were logged to near complete and conventional utilization standards. After logging, material greater than 3 inches in diameter had been reduced threefold on the near complete units and had been increased threefold on the conventional units. Material smaller than 3 inches in diameter was...

  18. Prototype rigid polyimide components. [application of Apollo technology to commercial nonflammable materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wykes, D. H.

    1975-01-01

    The activity is reported which was conducted for utilizing spin-off Apollo base technology to fabricate a variety of commercial and aerospace related parts that are nonflammable and resistant to high-temperature degradation. Manufacturing techniques and the tooling used to fabricate each of the polyimide/glass structures is discussed. A brief history, tracing the development of high-temperature polyimide resins, is presented along with a discussion of the properties of DuPont's PI 2501/glass material (later redesignated PI 4701/glass). Mechanical and flammability properties of DuPont's PI 2501/glass laminates are compared with epoxy, phenolic, and silicone high-temperature resin/glass material systems. Offgassing characteristics are also presented. A discussion is included of the current developments in polyimide materials technology and the potential civilian and government applications of polyimide materials to reduce fire hazards and increase the survivability of men and equipment.

  19. Male Adolescent Contraceptive Utilization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finkel, Madelon Lubin; Finkel, David J.

    1978-01-01

    The contraceptive utilization of a sample of sexually active, urban, high school males (Black, Hispanic, and White) was examined by anonymous questionnaire. Contraceptive use was haphazard, but White males tended to be more effective contraceptors than the other two groups. Reasons for nonuse were also studied. (Author/SJL)

  20. Crossing Cultures--Third World Women. A Book of Materials, Activities, and Ideas for the Classroom Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valiant, Sharon

    This resource bibliography includes and briefly discusses activities and instructional materials on the lives of women in the non-European/non-white world, suitable for use in elementary and secondary school rooms. The books, films, and other materials give a sampling of ideas and contributions often overlooked in middle-class America (for…