Chemical-Reaction-Controlled Phase Separated Drops: Formation, Size Selection, and Coarsening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurtz, Jean David; Lee, Chiu Fan

2018-02-01

Phase separation under nonequilibrium conditions is exploited by biological cells to organize their cytoplasm but remains poorly understood as a physical phenomenon. Here, we study a ternary fluid model in which phase-separating molecules can be converted into soluble molecules, and vice versa, via chemical reactions. We elucidate using analytical and simulation methods how drop size, formation, and coarsening can be controlled by the chemical reaction rates, and categorize the qualitative behavior of the system into distinct regimes. Ostwald ripening arrest occurs above critical reaction rates, demonstrating that this transition belongs entirely to the nonequilibrium regime. Our model is a minimal representation of the cell cytoplasm.

Fast Switching Magnet for Heavy Ion Beam Separation

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

Hartzell, Josiah

2017-10-03

Fast magnets for multiplexing ion beams between different beamlines are technologically challenging and expensive, but there is an ever-growing need to develop such systems for beam separation at research and industrial facilities. For example, The Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) is planning to expand its operations as a multi-user facility and there is a clear need, presently unmet by the industry, for a switching magnet system with the sub-millisecond transient times.In response to this problem, RadiaBeam Technologies is developing a novel pulsed switching magnet system capable of producing a 1.1T peak field over 45 cm length with a shortmore » (<1 ms) rise and fall time. The key enabling innovation in this project is an introduction of a solid-state interposed modulator architecture, which enables to improve magnet performance and reliability and reduce the cost to a practical level.« less

Chemical separation of Mo and W from terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples via anion exchange chromatography.

PubMed

Nagai, Yuichiro; Yokoyama, Tetsuya

2014-05-20

A new two-stage chemical separation method was established using an anion exchange resin, Eichrom 1 × 8, to separate Mo and W from four natural rock samples. First, the distribution coefficients of nine elements (Ti, Fe, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, and W) under various chemical conditions were determined using HCl, HNO3, and HF. On the basis of the obtained distribution coefficients, a new technique for the two-stage chemical separation of Mo and W, along with the group separation of Ti-Zr-Hf, was developed as follows: 0.4 M HCl-0.5 M HF (major elements), 9 M HCl-0.05 M HF (Ti-Zr-Hf), 9 M HCl-1 M HF (W), and 6 M HNO3-3 M HF (Mo). After the chemical procedure, Nb remaining in the W fraction was separated using 9 M HCl-3 M HF. On the other hand, Nb and Zn remaining in the Mo fraction were removed using 2 M HF and 6 M HCl-0.1 M HF. The performance of this technique was evaluated by separating these elements from two terrestrial and two extraterrestrial samples. The recovery yields for Mo, W, Zr, and Hf were nearly 100% for all of the examined samples. The total contents of the Zr, Hf, W, and Mo in the blanks used for the chemical separation procedure were 582, 9, 29, and 396 pg, respectively. Therefore, our new separation technique can be widely used in various fields of geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and environmental sciences and particularly for multi-isotope analysis of these elements from a single sample with significant internal isotope heterogeneities.

Separation methods and chemical and nutritional characteristics of tomato pomace

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tomato processing generates a large amount of pomace as a low value by-product primarily used as livestock feed or disposed. The objectives of this research were to investigate the chemical and nutritional characteristics and determine effective separation methods of peel and seed of commercial toma...

Multiscale stochastic simulations of chemical reactions with regulated scale separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koumoutsakos, Petros; Feigelman, Justin

2013-07-01

We present a coupling of multiscale frameworks with accelerated stochastic simulation algorithms for systems of chemical reactions with disparate propensities. The algorithms regulate the propensities of the fast and slow reactions of the system, using alternating micro and macro sub-steps simulated with accelerated algorithms such as τ and R-leaping. The proposed algorithms are shown to provide significant speedups in simulations of stiff systems of chemical reactions with a trade-off in accuracy as controlled by a regulating parameter. More importantly, the error of the methods exhibits a cutoff phenomenon that allows for optimal parameter choices. Numerical experiments demonstrate that hybrid algorithms involving accelerated stochastic simulations can be, in certain cases, more accurate while faster, than their corresponding stochastic simulation algorithm counterparts.

Age determination of single plutonium particles after chemical separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinonaga, T.; Donohue, D.; Ciurapinski, A.; Klose, D.

2009-01-01

Age determination of single plutonium particles was demonstrated using five particles of the standard reference material, NBS 947 (Plutonium Isotopic Standard. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234, August 19, 1982, currently distributed as NBL CRM-137) and the radioactive decay of 241Pu into 241Am. The elemental ratio of Am/Pu in Pu particles found on a carbon planchet was measured by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometry (WDX) coupled to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). After the WDX measurement, each plutonium particle, with an average size of a few μm, was picked up and relocated to a silicon wafer inside the SEM chamber using a micromanipulator. The silicon wafer was then transferred to a quartz tube for dissolution in an acid solution prior to chemical separation. After the Pu was chemically separated from Am and U, the isotopic ratios of Pu ( 240Pu/ 239Pu, 241Pu/ 239Pu and 242Pu/ 239Pu) were measured with a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) for the calculation of Pu age. The age of particles determined in this study was in good agreement with the expected age (35.9 a) of NBS 947 within the measurement uncertainty.

Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Chiral and Achiral Separations of Pharmaceuticals, Biologics and Chemicals

PubMed Central

Hemasa, Ayman L.; Maher, William A.; Ghanem, Ashraf

2017-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique mechanical, physical, electrical and absorbability properties coupled with their nanometer dimensional scale that renders them extremely valuable for applications in many fields including nanotechnology and chromatographic separation. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview about the applications of CNTs in chiral and achiral separations of pharmaceuticals, biologics and chemicals. Chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been directly applied for the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals and biologicals by using them as stationary or pseudostationary phases in chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). Achiral MWCNTs have been used for achiral separations as efficient sorbent objects in solid-phase extraction techniques of biochemicals and drugs. Achiral SWCNTs have been applied in achiral separation of biological samples. Achiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been also successfully used to separate achiral mixtures of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Collectively, functionalized CNTs have been indirectly applied in separation science by enhancing the enantioseparation of different chiral selectors whereas non-functionalized CNTs have shown efficient capabilities for chiral separations by using techniques such as encapsulation or immobilization in polymer monolithic columns. PMID:28718832

Artificial receptor-functionalized nanoshell: facile preparation, fast separation and specific protein recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Ruizhuo; Lei, Jianping; Ju, Huangxian

2010-05-01

This work combined molecular imprinting technology with superparamagnetic nanospheres as the core to prepare artificial receptor-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for separation of homologous proteins. Using dopamine as a functional monomer, novel surface protein-imprinted superparamagnetic polydopamine (PDA) core-shell nanoparticles were successfully prepared in physiological conditions, which could maintain the natural structure of a protein template and achieved the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) from one dimension to zero dimension for efficient recognition towards large biomolecules. The resultant nanoparticles could be used for convenient magnetic separation of homologous proteins with high specificity. The nanoparticles possessed good monodispersibility, uniform surface morphology and high saturation magnetization value. The bound amounts of template proteins measured by both indirect and direct methods were in good agreement. The maximum number of imprinted cavities on the surface of the bovine hemoglobin (Hb)-imprinted nanoshell was 2.21 × 1018 g - 1, which well matched their maximum binding capacity toward bovine Hb. Both the simple method for preparation of MIPs and the magnetic nanospheres showed good application potential in fast separation, effective concentration and selective biosensing of large protein molecules.

Long-term fertilization alters chemically-separated soil organic carbon pools: Based on stable C isotope analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dou, Xiaolin; He, Ping; Cheng, Xiaoli; Zhou, Wei

2016-01-01

Quantification of dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools under the influence of long-term fertilization is essential for predicting carbon (C) sequestration. We combined soil chemical fractionation with stable C isotope analyses to investigate the C dynamics of the various SOC pools after 25 years of fertilization. Five types of soil samples (0-20, 20-40 cm) including the initial level (CK) and four fertilization treatments (inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, IN; balanced inorganic fertilizer, NPK; inorganic fertilizer plus farmyard manure, MNPK; inorganic fertilizer plus corn straw residue, SNPK) were separated into recalcitrant and labile fractions, and the fractions were analysed for C content, C:N ratios, δ13C values, soil C and N recalcitrance indexes (RIC and RIN). Chemical fractionation showed long-term MNPK fertilization strongly increased the SOC storage in both soil layers (0-20 cm = 1492.4 gC m2 and 20-40 cm = 1770.6 gC m2) because of enhanced recalcitrant C (RC) and labile C (LC). The 25 years of inorganic fertilizer treatment did not increase the SOC storage mainly because of the offsetting effects of enhanced RC and decreased LC, whereas no clear SOC increases under the SNPK fertilization resulted from the fast decay rates of soil C.

Long-term fertilization alters chemically-separated soil organic carbon pools: Based on stable C isotope analyses.

PubMed

Dou, Xiaolin; He, Ping; Cheng, Xiaoli; Zhou, Wei

2016-01-11

Quantification of dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools under the influence of long-term fertilization is essential for predicting carbon (C) sequestration. We combined soil chemical fractionation with stable C isotope analyses to investigate the C dynamics of the various SOC pools after 25 years of fertilization. Five types of soil samples (0-20, 20-40 cm) including the initial level (CK) and four fertilization treatments (inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, IN; balanced inorganic fertilizer, NPK; inorganic fertilizer plus farmyard manure, MNPK; inorganic fertilizer plus corn straw residue, SNPK) were separated into recalcitrant and labile fractions, and the fractions were analysed for C content, C:N ratios, δ(13)C values, soil C and N recalcitrance indexes (RIC and RIN). Chemical fractionation showed long-term MNPK fertilization strongly increased the SOC storage in both soil layers (0-20 cm = 1492.4 gC m(2) and 20-40 cm = 1770.6 gC m(2)) because of enhanced recalcitrant C (RC) and labile C (LC). The 25 years of inorganic fertilizer treatment did not increase the SOC storage mainly because of the offsetting effects of enhanced RC and decreased LC, whereas no clear SOC increases under the SNPK fertilization resulted from the fast decay rates of soil C.

Motion-based, high-yielding, and fast separation of different charged organics in water.

PubMed

Xuan, Mingjun; Lin, Xiankun; Shao, Jingxin; Dai, Luru; He, Qiang

2015-01-12

We report a self-propelled Janus silica micromotor as a motion-based analytical method for achieving fast target separation of polyelectrolyte microcapsules, enriching different charged organics with low molecular weights in water. The self-propelled Janus silica micromotor catalytically decomposes a hydrogen peroxide fuel and moves along the direction of the catalyst face at a speed of 126.3 μm s(-1) . Biotin-functionalized Janus micromotors can specifically capture and rapidly transport streptavidin-modified polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules, which could effectively enrich and separate different charged organics in water. The interior of the polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules were filled with a strong charged polyelectrolyte, and thus a Donnan equilibrium is favorable between the inner solution within the capsules and the bulk solution to entrap oppositely charged organics in water. The integration of these self-propelled Janus silica micromotors and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules into a lab-on-chip device that enables the separation and analysis of charged organics could be attractive for a diverse range of applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast isotopic separation of 10 B and 11 B boric acid by capillary zone electrophoresis.

PubMed

Kamencev, Mikhail; Yakimova, Nina; Moskvin, Leonid; Kuchumova, Irina; Tkach, Kirill; Malinina, Yulia

2016-11-01

Fast isotopic separation of 10 B and 11 B boric acid by CZE was demonstrated. The BGE contained 25 mM phenylalanine and 5 mM putrescine (рН 8.95). The running conditions were +25 kV at 20°C with indirect photometric detection at 210 nm. Baseline separation was achieved in less than 9 min. RSD of migration times and corrected peak areas were less than 0.5 and 3%, respectively (n = 5). Linearity was demonstrated in the range 0.2-2 mM for 11 B and 0.2-0.5 mM for 10 B. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast gradient HPLC/MS separation of phenolics in green tea to monitor their degradation.

PubMed

Šilarová, Petra; Česlová, Lenka; Meloun, Milan

2017-12-15

The degradation of catechins and other phenolics in green tea infusions were monitored using fast HPLC/MS separation. The final separation was performed within 2.5min using Ascentis Express C18 column (50mm×2.1mm i.d.) packed with 2μm porous shell particles. Degradation was studied in relation to the temperature of water (70, 80, 90°C) and the standing time of the infusion (up to 6h). Along with chromatographic separation, the antioxidant properties of the infusions were monitored using two spectrophotometric methods. During staying of green tea infusion, the degradation of some catechins probably to gallic acid was observed. Finally, the influence of tea bag storage on antioxidant properties of green tea was evaluated. Rapid degradation of antioxidants after 3weeks was observed. The principal component analysis, factor analysis and discriminant analysis were used for the statistical evaluation of obtained experimental data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of digestion, chemical separation, and deposition on Po-210 quantitative analysis

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

Seiner, Brienne N.; Morley, Shannon M.; Beacham, Tere A.

Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope often used to study sedimentation processes, food chains, aerosol behavior, and atmospheric circulations related to environmental sciences. Materials for the analysis of Po-210 range from tobacco leaves or cotton fibers, to soils and sediments. The purpose of this work was to determine polonium losses from a variety of sample types (soil, cotton fiber, and air filter) due to digestion technique, chemical separation, and deposition method for alpha energy analysis. Results demonstrated that yields from a perchloric acid wet-ash were similar to that from a microwave digestion. Both were greater than the dry-ash procedure. The poloniummore » yield from the perchloric acid wet ash was 87 ± 5%, the microwave digestion had a yield of 100 ± 7%, and the dry ash had a yield of 38 ± 5%. The chemical separation of polonium by an anion exchange resin was used only on the soil samples due to the complex nature of this sample. The yield of Po-209 tracer after chemical separation and deposition for alpha analysis was 83 ± 7% for the soil samples. Spontaneous deposition yields for the cotton and air filters were 87 ± 4% and 92 ± 6%, respectively. Based on the overall process yields for each sample type the amount of Po-210 was quantified using alpha energy analysis. The soil contained 0.18 ± 0.08 Bq/g, the cotton swipe contained 0.7 mBq/g, and the air filter contained 0.04 ± 0.02 mBq/g. High and robust yields of polonium are possible using a suitable digestion, separation, and deposition method.« less

Physiological and chemical analysis of neurotransmitter candidates at a fast excitatory synapse in the jellyfish Cyanea capillata (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa).

PubMed

Anderson, Peter A V; Trapido-Rosenthal, H G

2009-12-01

Motor nerve net (MNN) neurons in the jellyfish Cyanea capillata communicate with one another by way of fast, bidirectional excitatory chemical synapses. As is the case with almost all identified chemical synapses in cnidarians, the identity of the neurotransmitter at these synapses is unclear. MNN neurons are large enough for stable intracellular recordings. This, together with the fact that they can be exposed, providing unlimited access to them and to their synapses, prompted a study of the action of a variety of neurotransmitter candidates, including those typically associated with fast synapses in higher animals. Only the amino acids taurine and beta-alanine produced physiological responses consistent with those of the normal EPSP in these cells. Moreover, chemical analysis revealed that both taurine and beta-alanine are present in the neurons and released by depolarization. These various findings strongly suggest that either or both of these amino acids, or a closely related compound is the neurotransmitter at the fast chemical synapses between MNN neurons.

Preparation and evaluation of silica-UIO-66 composite as liquid chromatographic stationary phase for fast and efficient separation.

PubMed

Yan, Zhiming; Zheng, Jiangnan; Chen, Jinfeng; Tong, Ping; Lu, Minghua; Lin, Zian; Zhang, Lan

2014-10-31

A silica-UIO-66 composite was fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method and then applied as liquid chromatographic stationary phase for fast and efficient separation. X-ray diffraction patterns showed the presence of UIO-66 crystals in the silica-UIO-66 composites; while scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that silica-UIO-66 composites were a homogeneous mixture of silica bead and UIO-66 crystals. A variety of substituted aromatics, chlorobenzene compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were used to evaluate the retention properties of the silica-UIO-66 composite packed column. Under the optimized conditions, baseline separation of ethylbenzene (EB) and styrene was obtained with high resolution and short retention time. In addition, the silica-UIO-66 composite packed column also showed some advantages in separation of positional isomers, with which baseline separation of EB and xylene, chlorotoluene and dichlorobenzene isomers was achieved. Moreover, the retention mechanisms of these compounds were also discussed in detail. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the separation of EB and xylene, chlorotoluene and dichlorobenzene isomers, as well as EB and styrene were 0.42-0.9%, 1.0-1.9%, 0.75-2.0%, and 0.9-2.1% for the retention time, peak area, peak height, and half peak width, respectively. The column efficiencies for EB, p-chlorotoluene, p-dichlorobenzene and styrene were 8780, 9060, 9990 and 5130 plates/m. The successful applications suggested high potentials of silica-MOFs composite as stationary phase for fast and efficient liquid chromatography separation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can Nanofluidic Chemical Release Enable Fast, High Resolution Neurotransmitter-Based Neurostimulation?

PubMed

Jones, Peter D; Stelzle, Martin

2016-01-01

Artificial chemical stimulation could provide improvements over electrical neurostimulation. Physiological neurotransmission between neurons relies on the nanoscale release and propagation of specific chemical signals to spatially-localized receptors. Current knowledge of nanoscale fluid dynamics and nanofluidic technology allows us to envision artificial mechanisms to achieve fast, high resolution neurotransmitter release. Substantial technological development is required to reach this goal. Nanofluidic technology-rather than microfluidic-will be necessary; this should come as no surprise given the nanofluidic nature of neurotransmission. This perspective reviews the state of the art of high resolution electrical neuroprostheses and their anticipated limitations. Chemical release rates from nanopores are compared to rates achieved at synapses and with iontophoresis. A review of microfluidic technology justifies the analysis that microfluidic control of chemical release would be insufficient. Novel nanofluidic mechanisms are discussed, and we propose that hydrophobic gating may allow control of chemical release suitable for mimicking neurotransmission. The limited understanding of hydrophobic gating in artificial nanopores and the challenges of fabrication and large-scale integration of nanofluidic components are emphasized. Development of suitable nanofluidic technology will require dedicated, long-term efforts over many years.

Separation of the isotopes of boron by chemical exchange reactions

DOEpatents

McCandless, F.P.; Herbst, R.S.

1995-05-30

The isotopes of boron, {sup 10}B and {sup 11}B, are separated by means of a gas-liquid chemical exchange reaction involving the isotopic equilibrium between gaseous BF{sub 3} and a liquid BF{sub 3} donor molecular addition complex formed between BF{sub 3} gas and a donor chosen from the group consisting of: nitromethane, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or diisobutyl ketone. 1 Fig.

Separation of the isotopes of boron by chemical exchange reactions

DOEpatents

McCandless, Frank P.; Herbst, Ronald S.

1995-01-01

The isotopes of boron, .sup.10 B and .sup.11 B, are separated by means of a gas-liquid chemical exchange reaction involving the isotopic equilibrium between gaseous BF.sub.3 and a liquid BF.sub.3 . donor molecular addition complex formed between BF.sub.3 gas and a donor chosen from the group consisting of: nitromethane, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or diisobutyl ketone.

Long-term fertilization alters chemically-separated soil organic carbon pools: Based on stable C isotope analyses

PubMed Central

Dou, Xiaolin; He, Ping; Cheng, Xiaoli; Zhou, Wei

2016-01-01

Quantification of dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools under the influence of long-term fertilization is essential for predicting carbon (C) sequestration. We combined soil chemical fractionation with stable C isotope analyses to investigate the C dynamics of the various SOC pools after 25 years of fertilization. Five types of soil samples (0–20, 20–40 cm) including the initial level (CK) and four fertilization treatments (inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, IN; balanced inorganic fertilizer, NPK; inorganic fertilizer plus farmyard manure, MNPK; inorganic fertilizer plus corn straw residue, SNPK) were separated into recalcitrant and labile fractions, and the fractions were analysed for C content, C:N ratios, δ13C values, soil C and N recalcitrance indexes (RIC and RIN). Chemical fractionation showed long-term MNPK fertilization strongly increased the SOC storage in both soil layers (0–20 cm = 1492.4 gC m2 and 20–40 cm = 1770.6 gC m2) because of enhanced recalcitrant C (RC) and labile C (LC). The 25 years of inorganic fertilizer treatment did not increase the SOC storage mainly because of the offsetting effects of enhanced RC and decreased LC, whereas no clear SOC increases under the SNPK fertilization resulted from the fast decay rates of soil C. PMID:26750143

Rapid separation of bacteria from blood — Chemical aspects

PubMed Central

Alizadeh, Mahsa; Wood, Ryan L.; Buchanan, Clara M.; Bledsoe, Colin G.; Wood, Madison E.; McClellan, Daniel S.; Blanco, Rae; Ravsten, Tanner V.; Husseini, Ghaleb A.; Hickey, Caroline L.; Robison, Richard A.; Pitt, William G.

2017-01-01

To rapidly diagnose infectious organisms causing blood sepsis, bacteria must be rapidly separated from blood, a very difficult process considering that concentrations of bacteria are many orders of magnitude lower than concentrations of blood cells. We have successfully separated bacteria from red and white blood cells using a sedimentation process in which the separation is driven by differences in density and size. Seven mL of whole human blood spiked with bacteria is placed in a 12-cm hollow disk and spun at 3000 rpm for 1 min. The red and white cells sediment more than 30-fold faster than bacteria, leaving much of the bacteria in the plasma. When the disk is slowly decelerated, the plasma flows to a collection site and the red and white cells are trapped in the disk. Analysis of the recovered plasma shows that about 36% of the bacteria is recovered in the plasma. The plasma is not perfectly clear of red blood cells, but about 94% have been removed. This paper describes the effects of various chemical aspects of this process, including the influence of anticoagulant chemistry on the separation efficiency and the use of wetting agents and platelet aggregators that may influence the bacterial recovery. In a clinical scenario, the recovered bacteria can be subsequently analyzed to determine their species and resistance to various antibiotics. PMID:28365426

Monoterpene separation by coupling proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry with fastGC.

PubMed

Materić, Dušan; Lanza, Matteo; Sulzer, Philipp; Herbig, Jens; Bruhn, Dan; Turner, Claire; Mason, Nigel; Gauci, Vincent

2015-10-01

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a well-established technique for real-time analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although it is extremely sensitive (with sensitivities of up to 4500 cps/ppbv, limits of detection <1 pptv and the response times of approximately 100 ms), the selectivity of PTR-MS is still somewhat limited, as isomers cannot be separated. Recently, selectivity-enhancing measures, such as manipulation of drift tube parameters (reduced electric field strength) and using primary ions other than H3O(+), such as NO(+) and O2 (+), have been introduced. However, monoterpenes, which belong to the most important plant VOCs, still cannot be distinguished so more traditional technologies, such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), have to be utilised. GC-MS is very time consuming (up to 1 h) and cannot be used for real-time analysis. Here, we introduce a sensitive, near-to-real-time method for plant monoterpene research-PTR-MS coupled with fastGC. We successfully separated and identified six of the most abundant monoterpenes in plant studies (α- and β-pinenes, limonene, 3-carene, camphene and myrcene) in less than 80 s, using both standards and conifer branch enclosures (Norway spruce, Scots pine and black pine). Five monoterpenes usually present in Norway spruce samples with a high abundance were separated even when the compound concentrations were diluted to 20 ppbv. Thus, fastGC-PTR-ToF-MS was shown to be an adequate one-instrument solution for plant monoterpene research.

Fabrication of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-methacrylate monolith composite capillary columns for fast gas chromatographic separation of small molecules.

PubMed

Yusuf, Kareem; Badjah-Hadj-Ahmed, Ahmed Yacine; Aqel, Ahmad; ALOthman, Zeid Abdullah

2015-08-07

A composite zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with a butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate (BuMA-co-EDMA) monolithic capillary column (33.5cm long×250μm i.d.) was fabricated to enhance the separation efficiency of methacrylate monoliths toward small molecules using conventional low-pressure gas chromatography in comparison with a neat butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate (BuMA-co-EDMA) monolithic capillary column (33.5cm long×250μm i.d.). The addition of 10mgmL(-1) ZIF-8 micro-particles increased the BET surface area of BuMA-co-EDMA by 3.4-fold. A fast separation of five linear alkanes in 36s with high resolution (Rs≥1.3) was performed using temperature program. Isothermal separation of the same sample also showed a high efficiency (3315platesm(-1) for octane) at 0.89min. Moreover, the column was able to separate skeletal isomers, such as iso-octane/octane and 2-methyl octane/nonane. In addition, an iso-butane/iso-butylene gas mixture was separated at ambient temperature. Comparison with an open tubular TR-5MS column (30m long×250μm i.d.) revealed the superiority of the composite column in separating the five-membered linear alkane mixture with 4-5 times increase in efficiency and a total separation time of 0.89min instead of 4.67min. A paint thinner sample was fully separated using the composite column in 2.43min with a good resolution (Rs≥0.89). The perfect combination between the polymeric monolith, with its high permeability, and ZIF-8, with its high surface area and flexible 0.34nm pore openings, led to the fast separation of small molecules with high efficiency and opened a new horizon in GC applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iron aluminides and nickel aluminides as materials for chemical air separation

DOEpatents

Kang, Doohee

1991-01-01

The present invention is directed to a chemical air separation process using a molten salt solution of alkali metal nitrate and nitrite wherein the materials of construction of the containment for the process are chosen from intermetallic alloys of nickel and/or iron aluminide wherein the aluminum content is 28 atomic percent or greater to impart enhanced corrosion resistance.

Iron aluminides and nickel aluminides as materials for chemical air separation

DOEpatents

Kang, D.

1991-01-29

The present invention is directed to a chemical air separation process using a molten salt solution of alkali metal nitrate and nitrite wherein the materials of construction of the containment for the process are chosen from intermetallic alloys of nickel and/or iron aluminide wherein the aluminum content is 28 atomic percent or greater to impart enhanced corrosion resistance.

Porous multi-component material for the capture and separation of species of interest

DOEpatents

Addleman, Raymond S.; Chouyyok, Wilaiwan; Li, Xiaohong S.; Cinson, Anthony D.; Gerasimenko, Aleksandr A

2016-06-21

A method and porous multi-component material for the capture, separation or chemical reaction of a species of interest is disclosed. The porous multi-component material includes a substrate and a composite thin film. The composite thin film is formed by combining a porous polymer with a nanostructured material. The nanostructured material may include a surface chemistry for the capture of chemicals or particles. The composite thin film is coupled to the support or device surface. The method and material provides a simple, fast, and chemically and physically benign way to integrate nanostructured materials into devices while preserving their chemical activity.

The Crystal-Chemical Effect of REE Separation in Minerals: Causes and Practical Values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinokurov, S. F.

2018-03-01

Contrast variations in the type of REE distribution from a distinctly negative mode to a positive mode is revealed in zonal fluorites of Eastern Transbaikal, with a pronounced decrease in the Ce/Y ratios in successive zones of increasing Y accompanied by a gradual decrease in the temperature and salinity of fluid inclusions in the fluorites. It is assumed that these facts are caused by the appearance of nm-size phases of REE minerals characterized by various crystalline structures and demonstrating selective concentrations of lanthanides, i.e., exhibiting a crystal-chemical differentiation of REEs that is widespread in the processes of mineral formation. Based on this natural mechanism, the development of a procedure of selective REE extraction from the concentrates is proposed. The primary laboratory experiments resulted in the discovery of the difference in REE concentrations in the sediment and filtrate with the separation coefficient varying by a factor of 76. The results obtained allow one to expect a true separation possibility for Nd along with the medium and heavy REEs. In view of the data obtained, the crystalline-chemical separation of REEs has some advantages compared to the processes currently used, especially extraction.

FastChem: An ultra-fast equilibrium chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitzmann, Daniel; Stock, Joachim

2018-04-01

FastChem is an equilibrium chemistry code that calculates the chemical composition of the gas phase for given temperatures and pressures. Written in C++, it is based on a semi-analytic approach, and is optimized for extremely fast and accurate calculations.

INVESTIGATION OF OPEN-PATH FTIR FOR FAST DEPLOYMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL THREATS AND ACCIDENTS.

EPA Science Inventory

We have performed a series of experiments to determine the tradeoff in detection sensitivity for implementing design features for an Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) chemical analyzer that would be quick to deploy under emergency response conditions. The fast-deplo...

Impact of calibration errors on CMB component separation using FastICA and ILC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Jason; Remazeilles, Mathieu; Delabrouille, Jacques

2010-01-01

The separation of emissions from different astrophysical processes is an important step towards the understanding of observational data. This topic of component separation is of particular importance in the observation of the relic cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, as performed by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite and the more recent Planck mission, launched on 2009 May 14 from Kourou and currently taking data. When performing any sort of component separation, some assumptions about the components must be used. One assumption that many techniques typically use is knowledge of the frequency scaling of one or more components. This assumption may be broken in the presence of calibration errors. Here we compare, in the context of imperfect calibration, the recovery of a clean map of emission of the CMB from observational data with two methods: FastICA (which makes no assumption of the frequency scaling of the components) and an `Internal Linear Combination' (ILC), which explicitly extracts a component with a given frequency scaling. We find that even in the presence of small calibration errors (less than 1 per cent) with a Planck-style mission, the ILC method can lead to inaccurate CMB reconstruction in the high signal-to-noise ratio regime, because of partial cancellation of the CMB emission in the recovered map. While there is no indication that the failure of the ILC will translate to other foreground cleaning or component separation techniques, we propose that all methods which assume knowledge of the frequency scaling of one or more components be careful to estimate the effects of calibration errors.

Synthesis and analysis of separation networks for the recovery of intracellular chemicals generated from microbial-based conversions.

PubMed

Yenkie, Kirti M; Wu, Wenzhao; Maravelias, Christos T

2017-01-01

Bioseparations can contribute to more than 70% in the total production cost of a bio-based chemical, and if the desired chemical is localized intracellularly, there can be additional challenges associated with its recovery. Based on the properties of the desired chemical and other components in the stream, there can be multiple feasible options for product recovery. These options are composed of several alternative technologies, performing similar tasks. The suitability of a technology for a particular chemical depends on (1) its performance parameters, such as separation efficiency; (2) cost or amount of added separating agent; (3) properties of the bioreactor effluent (e.g., biomass titer, product content); and (4) final product specifications. Our goal is to first synthesize alternative separation options and then analyze how technology selection affects the overall process economics. To achieve this, we propose an optimization-based framework that helps in identifying the critical technologies and parameters. We study the separation networks for two representative classes of chemicals based on their properties. The separation network is divided into three stages: cell and product isolation (stage I), product concentration (II), and product purification and refining (III). Each stage exploits differences in specific product properties for achieving the desired product quality. The cost contribution analysis for the two cases (intracellular insoluble and intracellular soluble) reveals that stage I is the key cost contributor (>70% of the overall cost). Further analysis suggests that changes in input conditions and technology performance parameters lead to new designs primarily in stage I. The proposed framework provides significant insights for technology selection and assists in making informed decisions regarding technologies that should be used in combination for a given set of stream/product properties and final output specifications. Additionally, the

Exploiting Diffusion Barrier and Chemical Affinity of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Efficient Hydrogen Isotope Separation.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Yeong; Balderas-Xicohténcatl, Rafael; Zhang, Linda; Kang, Sung Gu; Hirscher, Michael; Oh, Hyunchul; Moon, Hoi Ri

2017-10-25

Deuterium plays a pivotal role in industrial and scientific research, and is irreplaceable for various applications such as isotope tracing, neutron moderation, and neutron scattering. In addition, deuterium is a key energy source for fusion reactions. Thus, the isolation of deuterium from a physico-chemically almost identical isotopic mixture is a seminal challenge in modern separation technology. However, current commercial approaches suffer from extremely low separation efficiency (i.e., cryogenic distillation, selectivity of 1.5 at 24 K), requiring a cost-effective and large-scale separation technique. Herein, we report a highly effective hydrogen isotope separation system based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) having the highest reported separation factor as high as ∼26 at 77 K by maximizing synergistic effects of the chemical affinity quantum sieving (CAQS) and kinetic quantum sieving (KQS). For this purpose, the MOF-74 system having high hydrogen adsorption enthalpies due to strong open metal sites is chosen for CAQS functionality, and imidazole molecules (IM) are employed to the system for enhancing the KQS effect. To the best of our knowledge, this work is not only the first attempt to implement two quantum sieving effects, KQS and CAQS, in one system, but also provides experimental validation of the utility of this system for practical industrial usage by isolating high-purity D 2 through direct selective separation studies using 1:1 D 2 /H 2 mixtures.

Strontium-90 measurement after the Chernobyl accident in Romanian samples without chemical separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosma, C.

2000-07-01

This paper presents a method for measuring 90Sr from soil and sediments without a preliminary chemical separation of strontium from samples. The measurements were done using a Geiger-Müller proportional radiation detector of VA-Z-520 type, an RFT-20026 monochannel analyser and aluminium plates of two thicknesses determined in this way to select the 1500-2281-keV energy range for the 90Y measurement and to avoid the 106Rh interference. The results obtained with this method were compared with those using chemical separation. This method was used to determine the strontium content in four samples, which were collected in Cluj-Napoca and three other Romanian towns (Transylvania region) after the Chernobyl disaster. The obtained values for these samples are in the 40-75-Bq/g range for 90Sr. The 90Sr/ 137Cs ratio is approximately 1:8, close to the ratio 1:10 determined in samples from Bucharest area and Japanese samples measured during 1988.

Chemical composition separation of a propylene-ethylene random copolymer by high temperature solvent gradient interaction chromatography.

PubMed

Liu, Yonggang; Phiri, Mohau Justice; Ndiripo, Anthony; Pasch, Harald

2017-11-03

A propylene-ethylene random copolymer was fractionated by preparative temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF). The structural heterogeneity of the bulk sample and its TREF fractions was studied by high temperature liquid chromatography with a solvent gradient elution from 1-decanol to 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene. HPLC alone cannot resolve those propylene-ethylene copolymers with high ethylene content in the bulk sample, due to their low weight fractions in the bulk sample and a small response factor of these components in the ELSD detector, as well as their broad chemical composition distribution. These components can only be detected after being separated and enriched by TREF followed by HPLC analysis. Chemical composition separations were achieved for TREF fractions with average ethylene contents between 2.1 and 22.0mol%, showing that copolymers with higher ethylene contents were adsorbed stronger in the Hypercarb column and eluted later. All TREF fractions, except the 40°C fraction, were relatively homogeneous in both molar mass and chemical composition. The 40°C fraction was rather broad in both molar mass and chemical composition distributions. 2D HPLC showed that the molar masses of the components containing more ethylene units were getting lower for the 40°C fraction. HPLC revealed and confirmed that co-crystallization influences the separation in TREF of the studied propylene-ethylene copolymer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and analysis of separation networks for the recovery of intracellular chemicals generated from microbial-based conversions

DOE PAGES

Yenkie, Kirti M.; Wu, Wenzhao; Maravelias, Christos T.

2017-05-08

Background. Bioseparations can contribute to more than 70% in the total production cost of a bio-based chemical, and if the desired chemical is localized intracellularly, there can be additional challenges associated with its recovery. Based on the properties of the desired chemical and other components in the stream, there can be multiple feasible options for product recovery. These options are composed of several alternative technologies, performing similar tasks. The suitability of a technology for a particular chemical depends on (1) its performance parameters, such as separation efficiency; (2) cost or amount of added separating agent; (3) properties of the bioreactormore » effluent (e.g., biomass titer, product content); and (4) final product specifications. Our goal is to first synthesize alternative separation options and then analyze how technology selection affects the overall process economics. To achieve this, we propose an optimization-based framework that helps in identifying the critical technologies and parameters. Results. We study the separation networks for two representative classes of chemicals based on their properties. The separation network is divided into three stages: cell and product isolation (stage I), product concentration (II), and product purification and refining (III). Each stage exploits differences in specific product properties for achieving the desired product quality. The cost contribution analysis for the two cases (intracellular insoluble and intracellular soluble) reveals that stage I is the key cost contributor (>70% of the overall cost). Further analysis suggests that changes in input conditions and technology performance parameters lead to new designs primarily in stage I. Conclusions. The proposed framework provides significant insights for technology selection and assists in making informed decisions regarding technologies that should be used in combination for a given set of stream/product properties and final

Synthesis and analysis of separation networks for the recovery of intracellular chemicals generated from microbial-based conversions

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

Yenkie, Kirti M.; Wu, Wenzhao; Maravelias, Christos T.

Background. Bioseparations can contribute to more than 70% in the total production cost of a bio-based chemical, and if the desired chemical is localized intracellularly, there can be additional challenges associated with its recovery. Based on the properties of the desired chemical and other components in the stream, there can be multiple feasible options for product recovery. These options are composed of several alternative technologies, performing similar tasks. The suitability of a technology for a particular chemical depends on (1) its performance parameters, such as separation efficiency; (2) cost or amount of added separating agent; (3) properties of the bioreactormore » effluent (e.g., biomass titer, product content); and (4) final product specifications. Our goal is to first synthesize alternative separation options and then analyze how technology selection affects the overall process economics. To achieve this, we propose an optimization-based framework that helps in identifying the critical technologies and parameters. Results. We study the separation networks for two representative classes of chemicals based on their properties. The separation network is divided into three stages: cell and product isolation (stage I), product concentration (II), and product purification and refining (III). Each stage exploits differences in specific product properties for achieving the desired product quality. The cost contribution analysis for the two cases (intracellular insoluble and intracellular soluble) reveals that stage I is the key cost contributor (>70% of the overall cost). Further analysis suggests that changes in input conditions and technology performance parameters lead to new designs primarily in stage I. Conclusions. The proposed framework provides significant insights for technology selection and assists in making informed decisions regarding technologies that should be used in combination for a given set of stream/product properties and final

Fast Orthogonal Separation by Superposition of Time of Flight and Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

PubMed

Bohnhorst, Alexander; Kirk, Ansgar T; Berger, Marc; Zimmermann, Stefan

2018-01-16

Ion mobility spectrometry is a powerful and low-cost technique for the identification of chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, or explosives in air. Drift tube ion mobility spectrometers (DT-IMS) separate ions by the absolute value of their low field ion mobility, while field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometers (FAIMS) separate them by the change of their ion mobility at high fields. However, using one of these devices alone, some common and harmless substances show the same response as the hazardous target substances. In order to increase the selectivity, orthogonal data are required. Thus, in this work, we present for the first time an ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometer which is able to separate ions both by their differential and low field mobility, providing additional information for selectivity enhancement. This novel field asymmetric time of flight ion mobility spectrometer (FAT-IMS) allows high repetition rates and reaches limits of detection in the low ppb range common for DT-IMS. The device consists of a compact 44 mm drift tube with a tritium ionization source and a resolving power of 70. An increased separation of four substances with similar low field ion mobility is shown: phosgene (K 0 = 2.33 cm 2 /(V s)), 1,1,2-trichlorethane (K 0 = 2.31 cm 2 /(V s)), chlorine (K 0 = 2.24 cm 2 /(V s)), and nitrogen dioxide (K 0 = 2.25 cm 2 /(V s)). Furthermore, the behavior and limits of detection for acetonitrile, dimethyl methylphosphonate, diisopropyl methyl phosphonate in positive polarity and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, cyanogen chloride, and hydrogen cyanide in negative polarity are investigated.

Separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extraction

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

Ren, Shoujie; Ye, Philip; Borole, Abhijeet P

Bio-oil aqueous phase contains a considerable amount of furans, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and phenolics besides the major components of organic acids and anhydrosugars. The complexity of bio-oil aqueous phase limits its efficient utilization. To improve the efficiency of bio-oil biorefinery, this study focused on the separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extractions. Due to their high recoverability and low solubility in water, four solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) with different polarities were evaluated, and the optimum process conditions for chemical extraction were determined. Chloroform had high extraction efficiency for furans, phenolics,more » and ketones. In addition to these chemical groups, ethyl acetate had high extraction efficiency for organic acids. The sequential extraction by using chloroform followed by ethyl acetate rendered that 62.2 wt.% of original furans, ketones, alcohols, and phenolics were extracted to chloroform, over 62 wt.% acetic acid was extracted to ethyl acetate, resulting in a high concentration of levoglucosan (~53.0 wt.%) in the final aqueous phase. Chemicals separated via the sequential extraction could be used as feedstocks in biorefinery using processes such as catalytic upgrading of furans and phenolics to hydrocarbons, fermentation of levoglucosan to produce alcohols and diols, and hydrogen production from organic acids via microbial electrolysis.« less

Separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extraction

DOE PAGES

Ren, Shoujie; Ye, Philip; Borole, Abhijeet P

2017-01-05

Bio-oil aqueous phase contains a considerable amount of furans, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and phenolics besides the major components of organic acids and anhydrosugars. The complexity of bio-oil aqueous phase limits its efficient utilization. To improve the efficiency of bio-oil biorefinery, this study focused on the separation of chemical groups from bio-oil aqueous phase via sequential organic solvent extractions. Due to their high recoverability and low solubility in water, four solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) with different polarities were evaluated, and the optimum process conditions for chemical extraction were determined. Chloroform had high extraction efficiency for furans, phenolics,more » and ketones. In addition to these chemical groups, ethyl acetate had high extraction efficiency for organic acids. The sequential extraction by using chloroform followed by ethyl acetate rendered that 62.2 wt.% of original furans, ketones, alcohols, and phenolics were extracted to chloroform, over 62 wt.% acetic acid was extracted to ethyl acetate, resulting in a high concentration of levoglucosan (~53.0 wt.%) in the final aqueous phase. Chemicals separated via the sequential extraction could be used as feedstocks in biorefinery using processes such as catalytic upgrading of furans and phenolics to hydrocarbons, fermentation of levoglucosan to produce alcohols and diols, and hydrogen production from organic acids via microbial electrolysis.« less

Spatial pattern separation of chemicals and frequency-independent components by terahertz spectroscopic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Yuuki; Kawase, Kodo; Ikari, Tomofumi; Ito, Hiromasa; Ishikawa, Youichi; Minamide, Hiroaki

2003-10-01

We separated the component spatial patterns of frequency-dependent absorption in chemicals and frequency-independent components such as plastic, paper, and measurement noise in terahertz (THz) spectroscopic images, using known spectral curves. Our measurement system, which uses a widely tunable coherent THz-wave parametric oscillator source, can image at a specific frequency in the range 1-2 THz. The component patterns of chemicals can easily be extracted by use of the frequency-independent components. This method could be successfully used for nondestructive inspection for the detection of illegal drugs and devices of bioterrorism concealed, e.g., inside mail and packages.

Fast charge separation in a non-fullerene organic solar cell with a small driving force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jing; Chen, Shangshang; Qian, Deping; Gautam, Bhoj; Yang, Guofang; Zhao, Jingbo; Bergqvist, Jonas; Zhang, Fengling; Ma, Wei; Ade, Harald; Inganäs, Olle; Gundogdu, Kenan; Gao, Feng; Yan, He

2016-07-01

Fast and efficient charge separation is essential to achieve high power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells (OSCs). In state-of-the-art OSCs, this is usually achieved by a significant driving force, defined as the offset between the bandgap (Egap) of the donor/acceptor materials and the energy of the charge transfer (CT) state (ECT), which is typically greater than 0.3 eV. The large driving force causes a relatively large voltage loss that hinders performance. Here, we report non-fullerene OSCs that exhibit ultrafast and efficient charge separation despite a negligible driving force, as ECT is nearly identical to Egap. Moreover, the small driving force is found to have minimal detrimental effects on charge transfer dynamics of the OSCs. We demonstrate a non-fullerene OSC with 9.5% efficiency and nearly 90% internal quantum efficiency despite a low voltage loss of 0.61 V. This creates a path towards highly efficient OSCs with a low voltage loss.

A fast direct solver for a class of two-dimensional separable elliptic equations on the sphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorthi, Shrinivas; Higgins, R. Wayne

1992-01-01

An efficient, direct, second-order solver for the discrete solution of two-dimensional separable elliptic equations on the sphere is presented. The method involves a Fourier transformation in longitude and a direct solution of the resulting coupled second-order finite difference equations in latitude. The solver is made efficient by vectorizing over longitudinal wavenumber and by using a vectorized fast Fourier transform routine. It is evaluated using a prescribed solution method and compared with a multigrid solver and the standard direct solver from FISHPAK.

Discovery of optimal zeolites for challenging separations and chemical conversions through predictive materials modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siepmann, J. Ilja; Bai, Peng; Tsapatsis, Michael; Knight, Chris; Deem, Michael W.

2015-03-01

Zeolites play numerous important roles in modern petroleum refineries and have the potential to advance the production of fuels and chemical feedstocks from renewable resources. The performance of a zeolite as separation medium and catalyst depends on its framework structure and the type or location of active sites. To date, 213 framework types have been synthesized and >330000 thermodynamically accessible zeolite structures have been predicted. Hence, identification of optimal zeolites for a given application from the large pool of candidate structures is attractive for accelerating the pace of materials discovery. Here we identify, through a large-scale, multi-step computational screening process, promising zeolite structures for two energy-related applications: the purification of ethanol beyond the ethanol/water azeotropic concentration in a single separation step from fermentation broths and the hydroisomerization of alkanes with 18-30 carbon atoms encountered in petroleum refining. These results demonstrate that predictive modeling and data-driven science can now be applied to solve some of the most challenging separation problems involving highly non-ideal mixtures and highly articulated compounds. Financial support from the Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences under Award DE-FG02-12ER16362 is gratefully acknowledged.

The chemical enhancement of the triboelectric separation of coal from pyrite and ash: A novel approach for electrostatic separation of mineral matter from coal

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

Gustafson, R.M.; DiMare, S.; Sabatini, J.

1992-02-01

Arthur D. Little, Inc., under contract to the US DOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, has developed a triboelectric separation device for coal beneficiation, that employs an entrained-flow, rotating-cylinder concept. The described apparatus has been used to test the efficacy of chemical pretreatment and in-situ treatment of coal on separation efficiency. Coal particle entrainment is achieved with gaseous carbon dioxide and particle collection is accomplished by an electrostatic plate separator. The triboelectric separation device incorporates instrumentation for the direct measurement of charge in the dilute-phase particle stream. Some of the pretreatment materials investigated under this project to modify the surface chargingmore » characteristics of the coal included oleic acid, sodium oleate, quinoline and dicyclohexylamine. Ammonia and sulfur dioxide at a concentration up to 1000 ppM was used for in-situ treatment of the coal, with carbon dioxide as the carrier/inerting gas. Nitrogen was used earlier in the test program as the carrier/inerting gas for the coal, but a severe arcing problem was encountered in the electrostatic collector with nitrogen as the carrier gas. This problem did not occur when carbon dioxide was used. The report covers the chemical treatment employed, and summarizes and interprets the results achieved. In addition, an economic analysis of a full scale system based on this concept is presented.« less

Ultra-Fast Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents Using MOF-Nanofiber Kebabs.

PubMed

Zhao, Junjie; Lee, Dennis T; Yaga, Robert W; Hall, Morgan G; Barton, Heather F; Woodward, Ian R; Oldham, Christopher J; Walls, Howard J; Peterson, Gregory W; Parsons, Gregory N

2016-10-10

The threat associated with chemical warfare agents (CWAs) motivates the development of new materials to provide enhanced protection with a reduced burden. Metal-organic frame-works (MOFs) have recently been shown as highly effective catalysts for detoxifying CWAs, but challenges still remain for integrating MOFs into functional filter media and/or protective garments. Herein, we report a series of MOF-nanofiber kebab structures for fast degradation of CWAs. We found TiO 2 coatings deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto polyamide-6 nanofibers enable the formation of conformal Zr-based MOF thin films including UiO-66, UiO-66-NH 2 , and UiO-67. Cross-sectional TEM images show that these MOF crystals nucleate and grow directly on and around the nanofibers, with strong attachment to the substrates. These MOF-functionalized nanofibers exhibit excellent reactivity for detoxifying CWAs. The half-lives of a CWA simulant compound and nerve agent soman (GD) are as short as 7.3 min and 2.3 min, respectively. These results therefore provide the earliest report of MOF-nanofiber textile composites capable of ultra-fast degradation of CWAs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast higher-order MR image reconstruction using singular-vector separation.

PubMed

Wilm, Bertram J; Barmet, Christoph; Pruessmann, Klaas P

2012-07-01

Medical resonance imaging (MRI) conventionally relies on spatially linear gradient fields for image encoding. However, in practice various sources of nonlinear fields can perturb the encoding process and give rise to artifacts unless they are suitably addressed at the reconstruction level. Accounting for field perturbations that are neither linear in space nor constant over time, i.e., dynamic higher-order fields, is particularly challenging. It was previously shown to be feasible with conjugate-gradient iteration. However, so far this approach has been relatively slow due to the need to carry out explicit matrix-vector multiplications in each cycle. In this work, it is proposed to accelerate higher-order reconstruction by expanding the encoding matrix such that fast Fourier transform can be employed for more efficient matrix-vector computation. The underlying principle is to represent the perturbing terms as sums of separable functions of space and time. Compact representations with this property are found by singular-vector analysis of the perturbing matrix. Guidelines for balancing the accuracy and speed of the resulting algorithm are derived by error propagation analysis. The proposed technique is demonstrated for the case of higher-order field perturbations due to eddy currents caused by diffusion weighting. In this example, image reconstruction was accelerated by two orders of magnitude.

Adsorptive removal and separation of chemicals with metal-organic frameworks: Contribution of π-complexation.

PubMed

Khan, Nazmul Abedin; Jhung, Sung Hwa

2017-03-05

Efficient removal and separation of chemicals from the environment has become a vital issue from a biological and environmental point of view. Currently, adsorptive removal/separation is one of the most promising approaches for cleaning purposes. Selective adsorption/removal of various sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds, olefins, and π-electron-rich gases via π-complex formation between an adsorbent and adsorbate molecules is very competitive. Porous metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are very promising in the adsorption/separation of various liquids and gases owing to their distinct characteristics. This review summarizes the literature on the adsorptive removal/separation of various π-electron-rich compounds mainly from fuel and gases using MOF materials containing metal ions that are active for π-complexation. Details of the π-complexation, including mechanism, pros/cons, applications, and efficient ways to form the complex, are discussed systematically. For in-depth understanding, molecular orbital calculations regarding charge transfer between the π-complexing species are also explained in a separate section. From this review, readers will gain an understanding of π-complexation for adsorption and separation, especially with MOFs, to develop new insight for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FAST User Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walatka, Pamela P.; Clucas, Jean; McCabe, R. Kevin; Plessel, Todd; Potter, R.; Cooper, D. M. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The Flow Analysis Software Toolkit, FAST, is a software environment for visualizing data. FAST is a collection of separate programs (modules) that run simultaneously and allow the user to examine the results of numerical and experimental simulations. The user can load data files, perform calculations on the data, visualize the results of these calculations, construct scenes of 3D graphical objects, and plot, animate and record the scenes. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) visualization is the primary intended use of FAST, but FAST can also assist in the analysis of other types of data. FAST combines the capabilities of such programs as PLOT3D, RIP, SURF, and GAS into one environment with modules that share data. Sharing data between modules eliminates the drudgery of transferring data between programs. All the modules in the FAST environment have a consistent, highly interactive graphical user interface. Most commands are entered by pointing and'clicking. The modular construction of FAST makes it flexible and extensible. The environment can be custom configured and new modules can be developed and added as needed. The following modules have been developed for FAST: VIEWER, FILE IO, CALCULATOR, SURFER, TOPOLOGY, PLOTTER, TITLER, TRACER, ARCGRAPH, GQ, SURFERU, SHOTET, and ISOLEVU. A utility is also included to make the inclusion of user defined modules in the FAST environment easy. The VIEWER module is the central control for the FAST environment. From VIEWER, the user can-change object attributes, interactively position objects in three-dimensional space, define and save scenes, create animations, spawn new FAST modules, add additional view windows, and save and execute command scripts. The FAST User Guide uses text and FAST MAPS (graphical representations of the entire user interface) to guide the user through the use of FAST. Chapters include: Maps, Overview, Tips, Getting Started Tutorial, a separate chapter for each module, file formats, and system

Synthesis of zirconia monoliths for chromatographic separations.

PubMed

Randon, Jérôme; Huguet, Samuel; Piram, Anne; Puy, Guillaume; Demesmay, Claire; Rocca, Jean-Louis

2006-03-17

The aim of this work is to join the advantages of two different kinds of stationary phases: monolithic columns and zirconia-based supports. On the one hand, silica monolithic columns allow a higher efficiency with a lower back-pressure than traditional packed columns. On the other hand, chromatographic stationary phases based on zirconia have a higher thermal and chemical stability and specific surface properties. Combining these advantages, a zirconia monolith with a macroporous framework could be a real improvement in separation sciences. Two main strategies can be used in order to obtain a zirconia surface on a monolithic skeleton: coating or direct synthesis. The coverage by a zirconia layer of the surface of a silica-based monolith can be performed using the chemical properties of the silanol surface groups. We realized this coverage using zirconium alkoxide and we further grafted n-dodecyl groups using phosphate derivatives. Any loss of efficiency was observed and fast separations have been achieved. The main advance reported in this paper is related to the preparation of zirconia monoliths by a sol-gel process starting from zirconium alkoxide. The synthesis parameters (hydrolysis ratio, porogen type, precursor concentration, drying step, etc.) were defined in order to produce a macroporous zirconia monoliths usable in separation techniques. We produced various homogeneous structures: zirconia rod 2 cm long with a diameter of 2.3 mm, and zirconia monolith inside fused silica capillaries with a 75 microm I.D. These monoliths have a skeleton size of 2 microm and have an average through pore size of 6 microm. Several separations have been reported.

Fast sparse Raman spectral unmixing for chemical fingerprinting and quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaghoobi, Mehrdad; Wu, Di; Clewes, Rhea J.; Davies, Mike E.

2016-10-01

Raman spectroscopy is a well-established spectroscopic method for the detection of condensed phase chemicals. It is based on scattered light from exposure of a target material to a narrowband laser beam. The information generated enables presumptive identification from measuring correlation with library spectra. Whilst this approach is successful in identification of chemical information of samples with one component, it is more difficult to apply to spectral mixtures. The capability of handling spectral mixtures is crucial for defence and security applications as hazardous materials may be present as mixtures due to the presence of degradation, interferents or precursors. A novel method for spectral unmixing is proposed here. Most modern decomposition techniques are based on the sparse decomposition of mixture and the application of extra constraints to preserve the sum of concentrations. These methods have often been proposed for passive spectroscopy, where spectral baseline correction is not required. Most successful methods are computationally expensive, e.g. convex optimisation and Bayesian approaches. We present a novel low complexity sparsity based method to decompose the spectra using a reference library of spectra. It can be implemented on a hand-held spectrometer in near to real-time. The algorithm is based on iteratively subtracting the contribution of selected spectra and updating the contribution of each spectrum. The core algorithm is called fast non-negative orthogonal matching pursuit, which has been proposed by the authors in the context of nonnegative sparse representations. The iteration terminates when the maximum number of expected chemicals has been found or the residual spectrum has a negligible energy, i.e. in the order of the noise level. A backtracking step removes the least contributing spectrum from the list of detected chemicals and reports it as an alternative component. This feature is particularly useful in detection of chemicals

A High-Resolution 3D Separated-Local-Field Experiment by Means of Magic-Angle Turning

PubMed

Hu; Alderman; Pugmire; Grant

1997-05-01

A 3D separated-local-field (SLF) experiment based on the 2D PHORMAT technique is described. In the 3D experiment, the conventional 2D SLF powder pattern for each chemically inequivalent carbon is separated according to their different isotropic chemical shifts. The dipolar coupling constant of a C-H pair, hence the bond distance, and the relative orientation of the chemical-shift tensor to the C-H vector can all be determined for the protonated carbons with a single measurement. As the sample turns at only about 30 Hz in a MAT experiment, the SLF patterns obtained approach those of a stationary sample, and an accuracy in the measurement similar to that obtained on a stationary sample is expected. The technique is demonstrated on 2,6-dimethoxynaphthalene, where the 13 C-1 H separated-local-field powder patterns for the six chemically inequivalent carbons are clearly identified and measured. The observed dipolar coupling for the methoxy carbon is effectively reduced by the fast rotation of the group about its C3 symmetry axis. The average angle between the C-H bond direction and the C3 rotation axis in the OCH3 group is found to be about 66°.

Nano-TiO2 decorated carbon coating on the separator to physically and chemically suppress the shuttle effect for lithium-sulfur battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Hongyuan; Wang, Weikun; Zhang, Hao; Wang, Anbang; Chen, Xiaonong; Huang, Yaqin

2018-02-01

Despite recent progress in designing modified separators for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, detail in optimizing the synergistic effect between chemical and physical immobilization for lithium polysulfides (LiPS) in modified separator hasn't been investigated totally. Here, a nano-TiO2 decorated carbon layer (T-DCL) has been successfully applied to modify separator for the Li-S battery. The results indicate that appropriate weight percentage of nano-TiO2 uniformly distributed in conductive carbon layer is effective to chemically and physically immobilize for LiPS, and promote the electron transfer during discharge/charge process. The performance of the modified Li-S battery with T-DCL separator are significantly enhanced, with a specific capacity of 883 mAh g-1 retained after 180 cycles at 0.1 C and 762 mAh g-1 retained after 200 cycles at 0.5C, which are much higher than that of separators only coated with TiO2 layer or conductive carbon layer. Besides, the separator coated with T-DCL also shows low electrochemical impedance and good lithium anode protection. These results indicate that separator with T-DCL is promising to balance the physical and chemical LiPS trapping effect, and optimize the electrochemical performance for Li-S battery.

Numerical investigation of the boundary layer separation in chemical oxygen iodine laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huai, Ying; Jia, Shuqin; Wu, Kenan; Jin, Yuqi; Sang, Fengting

2017-11-01

Large eddy simulation is carried out to model the flow process in a supersonic chemical oxygen iodine laser. Unlike the common approaches relying on the tensor representation theory only, the model in the present work is an explicit anisotropy-resolving algebraic Subgrid-scale scalar flux formulation. With an accuracy in capturing the unsteady flow behaviours in the laser. Boundary layer separation initiated by the adverse pressure gradient is identified using Large Eddy Simulation. To quantify the influences of flow boundary layer on the laser performance, the fluid computations coupled with a physical optics loaded cavity model is developed. It has been found that boundary layer separation has a profound effect on the laser outputs due to the introduced shock waves. The F factor of the output beam decreases to 10% of the original one when the boundary transit into turbulence for the setup depicted in the paper. Because the pressure is always greater on the downstream of the boundary layer, there will always be a tendency of boundary separation in the laser. The results inspire designs of the laser to apply positive/passive control methods avoiding the boundary layer perturbation.

Chemical Shift Encoded Water–Fat Separation Using Parallel Imaging and Compressed Sensing

PubMed Central

Sharma, Samir D.; Hu, Houchun H.; Nayak, Krishna S.

2013-01-01

Chemical shift encoded techniques have received considerable attention recently because they can reliably separate water and fat in the presence of off-resonance. The insensitivity to off-resonance requires that data be acquired at multiple echo times, which increases the scan time as compared to a single echo acquisition. The increased scan time often requires that a compromise be made between the spatial resolution, the volume coverage, and the tolerance to artifacts from subject motion. This work describes a combined parallel imaging and compressed sensing approach for accelerated water–fat separation. In addition, the use of multiscale cubic B-splines for B0 field map estimation is introduced. The water and fat images and the B0 field map are estimated via an alternating minimization. Coil sensitivity information is derived from a calculated k-space convolution kernel and l1-regularization is imposed on the coil-combined water and fat image estimates. Uniform water–fat separation is demonstrated from retrospectively undersampled data in the liver, brachial plexus, ankle, and knee as well as from a prospectively undersampled acquisition of the knee at 8.6x acceleration. PMID:22505285

Laser photochemical lead isotopes separation for harmless nuclear power engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bokhan, P. A.; Fateev, N. V.; Kim, V. A.; Zakrevsky, D. E.

2016-09-01

The collisional quenching of the metastable 3 P 1,2 and 1 D 2 lead atoms is studied experimentally in the gas flow of the lead atoms, reagent-molecules and a carrier gas Ar. The experimental parameters were similar to the conditions that are required in the operation of the experimental setup for photochemical isotope separation. Excited atoms are generated under electron impact conditions created by a gas glow discharge through the mixture of gases and monitored photoelectrically by attenuation of atomic resonance radiation from hollow cathode 208Pb lamp. The decay of the excited atoms has been studied in the presence various molecules and total cross section data are reported. The flow tube measurements has allowed to separate the physical and chemical quenching channels and measure the rates of the chemical reaction excited lead with N2O, CH2Cl2, SF6 and CuBr molecules. These results are discussed in the prospects of the obtaining isotopically modified lead as a promising coolant in the reactors on the fast-neutron.

The chemical enhancement of the triboelectric separation of coal from pyrite and ash: A novel approach for electrostatic separation of mineral matter from coal. Final report

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

Gustafson, R.M.; DiMare, S.; Sabatini, J.

1992-02-01

Arthur D. Little, Inc., under contract to the US DOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, has developed a triboelectric separation device for coal beneficiation, that employs an entrained-flow, rotating-cylinder concept. The described apparatus has been used to test the efficacy of chemical pretreatment and in-situ treatment of coal on separation efficiency. Coal particle entrainment is achieved with gaseous carbon dioxide and particle collection is accomplished by an electrostatic plate separator. The triboelectric separation device incorporates instrumentation for the direct measurement of charge in the dilute-phase particle stream. Some of the pretreatment materials investigated under this project to modify the surface chargingmore » characteristics of the coal included oleic acid, sodium oleate, quinoline and dicyclohexylamine. Ammonia and sulfur dioxide at a concentration up to 1000 ppM was used for in-situ treatment of the coal, with carbon dioxide as the carrier/inerting gas. Nitrogen was used earlier in the test program as the carrier/inerting gas for the coal, but a severe arcing problem was encountered in the electrostatic collector with nitrogen as the carrier gas. This problem did not occur when carbon dioxide was used. The report covers the chemical treatment employed, and summarizes and interprets the results achieved. In addition, an economic analysis of a full scale system based on this concept is presented.« less

Determination of association constants at moderately fast chemical exchange: complexation of camphor enantiomers by alpha-cyclodextrin.

PubMed

Bernatowicz, Piotr; Nowakowski, Michał; Dodziuk, Helena; Ejchart, Andrzej

2006-08-01

Association constants in weak molecular complexes can be determined by analysis of chemical shifts variations resulting from changes of guest to host concentration ratio. In the regime of very fast exchange, i.e., when exchange rate is several orders of magnitude larger than the Larmor angular frequency difference of the observed resonance in free and complexed molecule, the apparent position of averaged resonance is a population-weighted mean of resonances of particular forms involved in the equilibrium. The assumption of very fast exchange is often, however, tacitly admitted in literature even in cases where the process of interest is much slower than required. We show that such an unjustified simplification may, under certain circumstances, lead to significant underestimation of association constant and, in consequence, to non-negligible errors in Gibbs free energy under determination. We present a general method, based on iterative numerical NMR line shape analysis, which allows one for the compensation of chemical exchange effects, and delivers both the correct association constants and the exchange rates. The latter are not delivered by the other mentioned method. Practical application of our algorithm is illustrated by the case of camphor-alpha-cyclodextrin complexes.

Fast gradient separation by very high pressure liquid chromatography: reproducibility of analytical data and influence of delay between successive runs.

PubMed

Stankovicha, Joseph J; Gritti, Fabrice; Beaver, Lois Ann; Stevensona, Paul G; Guiochon, Georges

2013-11-29

Five methods were used to implement fast gradient separations: constant flow rate, constant column-wall temperature, constant inlet pressure at moderate and high pressures (controlled by a pressure controller),and programmed flow constant pressure. For programmed flow constant pressure, the flow rates and gradient compositions are controlled using input into the method instead of the pressure controller. Minor fluctuations in the inlet pressure do not affect the mobile phase flow rate in programmed flow. There producibilities of the retention times, the response factors, and the eluted band width of six successive separations of the same sample (9 components) were measured with different equilibration times between 0 and 15 min. The influence of the length of the equilibration time on these reproducibilities is discussed. The results show that the average column temperature may increase from one separation to the next and that this contributes to fluctuation of the results.

Integrated supply chain design for commodity chemicals production via woody biomass fast pyrolysis and upgrading.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanan; Hu, Guiping; Brown, Robert C

2014-04-01

This study investigates the optimal supply chain design for commodity chemicals (BTX, etc.) production via woody biomass fast pyrolysis and hydroprocessing pathway. The locations and capacities of distributed preprocessing hubs and integrated biorefinery facilities are optimized with a mixed integer linear programming model. In this integrated supply chain system, decisions on the biomass chipping methods (roadside chipping vs. facility chipping) are also explored. The economic objective of the supply chain model is to maximize the profit for a 20-year chemicals production system. In addition to the economic objective, the model also incorporates an environmental objective of minimizing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, analyzing the trade-off between the economic and environmental considerations. The capital cost, operating cost, and revenues for the biorefinery facilities are based on techno-economic analysis, and the proposed approach is illustrated through a case study of Minnesota, with Minneapolis-St. Paul serving as the chemicals distribution hub. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control of Chemical Effects in the Separation Process of a Differential Mobility / Mass Spectrometer System

PubMed Central

Schneider, Bradley B.; Coy, Stephen L.; Krylov, Evgeny V.; Nazarov, Erkinjon G.

2013-01-01

Differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) separates ions on the basis of the difference in their migration rates under high versus low electric fields. Several models describing the physical nature of this field mobility dependence have been proposed but emerging as a dominant effect is the clusterization model sometimes referred to as the dynamic cluster-decluster model. DMS resolution and peak capacity is strongly influenced by the addition of modifiers which results in the formation and dissociation of clusters. This process increases selectivity due to the unique chemical interactions that occur between an ion and neutral gas phase molecules. It is thus imperative to bring the parameters influencing the chemical interactions under control and find ways to exploit them in order to improve the analytical utility of the device. In this paper we describe three important areas that need consideration in order to stabilize and capitalize on the chemical processes that dominate a DMS separation. The first involves means of controlling the dynamic equilibrium of the clustering reactions with high concentrations of specific reagents. The second area involves a means to deal with the unwanted heterogeneous cluster ion populations emitted from the electrospray ionization process that degrade resolution and sensitivity. The third involves fine control of parameters that affect the fundamental collision processes, temperature and pressure. PMID:20065515

Fast chemical reaction in two-dimensional Navier-Stokes flow: initial regime.

PubMed

Ait-Chaalal, Farid; Bourqui, Michel S; Bartello, Peter

2012-04-01

This paper studies an infinitely fast bimolecular chemical reaction in a two-dimensional biperiodic Navier-Stokes flow. The reactants in stoichiometric quantities are initially segregated by infinite gradients. The focus is placed on the initial stage of the reaction characterized by a well-defined one-dimensional material contact line between the reactants. Particular attention is given to the effect of the diffusion κ of the reactants. This study is an idealized framework for isentropic mixing in the lower stratosphere and is motivated by the need to better understand the effect of resolution on stratospheric chemistry in climate-chemistry models. Adopting a Lagrangian straining theory approach, we relate theoretically the ensemble mean of the length of the contact line, of the gradients along it, and of the modulus of the time derivative of the space-average reactant concentrations (here called the chemical speed) to the joint probability density function of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent λ with two times τ and τ[over ̃]. The time 1/λ measures the stretching time scale of a Lagrangian parcel on a chaotic orbit up to a finite time t, while τ measures it in the recent past before t, and τ[over ̃] in the early part of the trajectory. We show that the chemical speed scales like κ(1/2) and that its time evolution is determined by rare large events in the finite-time Lyapunov exponent distribution. The case of smooth initial gradients is also discussed. The theoretical results are tested with an ensemble of direct numerical simulations (DNSs) using a pseudospectral model.

Mass Separation by Metamaterials

PubMed Central

Restrepo-Flórez, Juan Manuel; Maldovan, Martin

2016-01-01

Being able to manipulate mass flow is critically important in a variety of physical processes in chemical and biomolecular science. For example, separation and catalytic systems, which requires precise control of mass diffusion, are crucial in the manufacturing of chemicals, crystal growth of semiconductors, waste recovery of biological solutes or chemicals, and production of artificial kidneys. Coordinate transformations and metamaterials are powerful methods to achieve precise manipulation of molecular diffusion. Here, we introduce a novel approach to obtain mass separation based on metamaterials that can sort chemical and biomolecular species by cloaking one compound while concentrating the other. A design strategy to realize such metamaterial using homogeneous isotropic materials is proposed. We present a practical case where a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen is manipulated using a metamaterial that cloaks nitrogen and concentrates oxygen. This work lays the foundation for molecular mass separation in biophysical and chemical systems through metamaterial devices. PMID:26912419

Chiral separation of G-type chemical warfare nerve agents via analytical supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Kasten, Shane A; Zulli, Steven; Jones, Jonathan L; Dephillipo, Thomas; Cerasoli, Douglas M

2014-12-01

Chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs) are extremely toxic organophosphorus compounds that contain a chiral phosphorus center. Undirected synthesis of G-type CWNAs produces stereoisomers of tabun, sarin, soman, and cyclosarin (GA, GB, GD, and GF, respectively). Analytical-scale methods were developed using a supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system in tandem with a mass spectrometer for the separation, quantitation, and isolation of individual stereoisomers of GA, GB, GD, and GF. Screening various chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for the capacity to provide full baseline separation of the CWNAs revealed that a Regis WhelkO1 (SS) column was capable of separating the enantiomers of GA, GB, and GF, with elution of the P(+) enantiomer preceding elution of the corresponding P(-) enantiomer; two WhelkO1 (SS) columns had to be connected in series to achieve complete baseline resolution. The four diastereomers of GD were also resolved using two tandem WhelkO1 (SS) columns, with complete baseline separation of the two P(+) epimers. A single WhelkO1 (RR) column with inverse stereochemistry resulted in baseline separation of the GD P(-) epimers. The analytical methods described can be scaled to allow isolation of individual stereoisomers to assist in screening and development of countermeasures to organophosphorus nerve agents. © 2014 The Authors. Chirality published by John Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chiral Separation of G-type Chemical Warfare Nerve Agents via Analytical Supercritical Fluid Chromatography

PubMed Central

Kasten, Shane A; Zulli, Steven; Jones, Jonathan L; Dephillipo, Thomas; Cerasoli, Douglas M

2014-01-01

Chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs) are extremely toxic organophosphorus compounds that contain a chiral phosphorus center. Undirected synthesis of G-type CWNAs produces stereoisomers of tabun, sarin, soman, and cyclosarin (GA, GB, GD, and GF, respectively). Analytical-scale methods were developed using a supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system in tandem with a mass spectrometer for the separation, quantitation, and isolation of individual stereoisomers of GA, GB, GD, and GF. Screening various chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for the capacity to provide full baseline separation of the CWNAs revealed that a Regis WhelkO1 (SS) column was capable of separating the enantiomers of GA, GB, and GF, with elution of the P(+) enantiomer preceding elution of the corresponding P(–) enantiomer; two WhelkO1 (SS) columns had to be connected in series to achieve complete baseline resolution. The four diastereomers of GD were also resolved using two tandem WhelkO1 (SS) columns, with complete baseline separation of the two P(+) epimers. A single WhelkO1 (RR) column with inverse stereochemistry resulted in baseline separation of the GD P(–) epimers. The analytical methods described can be scaled to allow isolation of individual stereoisomers to assist in screening and development of countermeasures to organophosphorus nerve agents. Chirality 26:817–824, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. Chirality published by John Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:25298066

Water and lipid diffusion MRI using chemical shift displacement-based separation of lipid tissue (SPLIT).

PubMed

Ohno, Naoki; Kan, Hirohito; Miyati, Tosiaki; Aoki, Toshitaka; Ishida, Shota; Gabata, Toshifumi

2017-06-01

To obtain water and lipid diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) simultaneously, we devised a novel method utilizing chemical shift displacement-based separation of lipid tissue (SPLIT) imaging. Single-shot diffusion echo-planar imaging without fat suppression was used and the imaging parameters were optimized to separate water and lipid DWIs by chemical shift displacement of the lipid signals along the phase-encoding direction. Using the optimized conditions, transverse DWIs at the maximum diameter of the right calf were scanned with multiple b-values in five healthy subjects. Then, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated in the tibialis anterior muscle (TA), tibialis bone marrow (TB), and subcutaneous fat (SF), as well as restricted and perfusion-related diffusion coefficients (D and D*, respectively) and the fraction of the perfusion-related diffusion component (F) for TA. Water and lipid DWIs were separated adequately. The mean ADCs of the TA, TB, and SF were 1.56±0.03mm 2 /s, 0.01±0.01mm 2 /s, and 0.06±0.02mm 2 /s, respectively. The mean D*, D, and F of the TA were 13.7±4.3mm 2 /s, 1.48±0.05mm 2 /s, and 4.3±1.6%, respectively. SPLIT imaging makes it possible to simply and simultaneously obtain water and lipid DWIs without special pulse sequence and increases the amount of diffusion information of water and lipid tissue. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Separation of Corn Fiber and Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals Phase II: Pilot-scale Operation

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

Abbas, Charles; Beery, Kyle; Orth, Rick

2007-09-28

The purpose of the Department of Energy (DOE)-supported corn fiber conversion project, “Separation of Corn Fiber and Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals Phase II: Pilot-scale Operation” is to develop and demonstrate an integrated, economical process for the separation of corn fiber into its principal components to produce higher value-added fuel (ethanol and biodiesel), nutraceuticals (phytosterols), chemicals (polyols), and animal feed (corn fiber molasses). This project has successfully demonstrated the corn fiber conversion process on the pilot scale, and ensured that the process will integrate well into existing ADM corn wet-mills. This process involves hydrolyzing the corn fiber to solubilize 50%more » of the corn fiber as oligosaccharides and soluble protein. The solubilized fiber is removed and the remaining fiber residue is solvent extracted to remove the corn fiber oil, which contains valuable phytosterols. The extracted oil is refined to separate the phytosterols and the remaining oil is converted to biodiesel. The de-oiled fiber is enzymatically hydrolyzed and remixed with the soluble oligosaccharides in a fermentation vessel where it is fermented by a recombinant yeast, which is capable of fermenting the glucose and xylose to produce ethanol. The fermentation broth is distilled to remove the ethanol. The stillage is centrifuged to separate the yeast cell mass from the soluble components. The yeast cell mass is sold as a high-protein yeast cream and the remaining sugars in the stillage can be purified to produce a feedstock for catalytic conversion of the sugars to polyols (mainly ethylene glycol and propylene glycol) if desirable. The remaining materials from the purification step and any materials remaining after catalytic conversion are concentrated and sold as a corn fiber molasses. Additional high-value products are being investigated for the use of the corn fiber as a dietary fiber sources.« less

Fast CT-PRESS-based spiral chemical shift imaging at 3 Tesla.

PubMed

Mayer, Dirk; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Adalsteinsson, Elfar; Spielman, Daniel M

2006-05-01

A new sequence is presented that combines constant-time point-resolved spectroscopy (CT-PRESS) with fast spiral chemical shift imaging. It allows the acquisition of multivoxel spectra without line splitting with a minimum total measurement time of less than 5 min for a field of view of 24 cm and a nominal 1.5x1.5-cm2 in-plane resolution. Measurements were performed with 17 CS encoding steps in t1 (Deltat1=12.8 ms) and an average echo time of 151 ms, which was determined by simulating the CT-PRESS experiment for the spin systems of glutamate (Glu) and myo-inositol (mI). Signals from N-acetyl-aspartate, total creatine, choline-containing compounds (Cho), Glu, and mI were detected in a healthy volunteer with no or only minor baseline distortions within 14 min on a 3 T MR scanner. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Monolithic poly[(trimethylsilyl-4-methylstyrene)-co- bis(4-vinylbenzyl)dimethylsilane] stationary phases for the fast separation of proteins and oligonucleotides.

PubMed

Jakschitz, Thomas A E; Huck, Christian W; Lubbad, Said; Bonn, Günther K

2007-04-13

In this paper the synthesis, optimisation and application of a silane based monolithic copolymer for the rapid separation of proteins and oligonucleotides is described. The monolith was prepared by thermal initiated in situ copolymerisation of trimethylsilyl-4-methylstyrene (TMSiMS) and bis(4-vinylbenzyl)dimethylsilane (BVBDMSi) in a silanised 200 microm I.D. fused silica column. Different ratios of monomer and crosslinker, as well as different ratios of micro- (toluene) and macro-porogen (2-propanol) were used for optimising the physical properties of the stationary phase regarding separation efficiency. The prepared monolithic stationary phases were characterised by measurement of permeability with different solvents, determination of pore size distribution by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Applying optimised conditions, a mixture comprised of five standard proteins ribunuclease A, cytochrome c, alpha-lactalbumine, myoglobine and ovalbumine was separated within 1 min by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography (IP-RPLC) obtaining half-height peak widths between 1.8 and 2.4 s. Baseline separation of oligonucleotides d(pT)(12-18) was achieved within 1.8 min obtaining half-height peak widths between 3.6 and 5.4 s. The results demonstrate the high potential of this stationary phase for fast separation of high-molecular weight biomolecules such as oligonucleotides and proteins.

FAST NEUTRON DOSIMETER FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE OPERATION BY MEASUREMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF CESIUM 137 FORMED FROM A THORIUM WIRE

DOEpatents

McCune, D.A.

1964-03-17

A method and device for measurement of integrated fast neutron flux in the presence of a large thermal neutron field are described. The device comprises a thorium wire surrounded by a thermal neutron attenuator that is, in turn, enclosed by heat-resistant material. The method consists of irradiating the device in a neutron field whereby neutrons with energies in excess of 1.1 Mev cause fast fissions in the thorium, then removing the thorium wire, separating the cesium-137 fission product by chemical means from the thorium, and finally counting the radioactivity of the cesium to determine the number of fissions which have occurred so that the integrated fast flux may be obtained. (AEC)

Rotating belt sieves for primary treatment, chemically enhanced primary treatment and secondary solids separation.

PubMed

Rusten, B; Rathnaweera, S S; Rismyhr, E; Sahu, A K; Ntiako, J

2017-06-01

Fine mesh rotating belt sieves (RBS) offer a very compact solution for removal of particles from wastewater. This paper shows examples from pilot-scale testing of primary treatment, chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) and secondary solids separation of biofilm solids from moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs). Primary treatment using a 350 microns belt showed more than 40% removal of total suspended solids (TSS) and 30% removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) at sieve rates as high as 160 m³/m²-h. Maximum sieve rate tested was 288 m³/m²-h and maximum particle load was 80 kg TSS/m²-h. When the filter mat on the belt increased from 10 to 55 g TSS/m², the removal efficiency for TSS increased from about 35 to 60%. CEPT is a simple and effective way of increasing the removal efficiency of RBS. Adding about 1 mg/L of cationic polymer and about 2 min of flocculation time, the removal of TSS typically increased from 40-50% without polymer to 60-70% with polymer. Using coagulation and flocculation ahead of the RBS, separation of biofilm solids was successful. Removal efficiencies of 90% TSS, 83% total P and 84% total COD were achieved with a 90 microns belt at a sieve rate of 41 m³/m²-h.

Effects of chemical composition of fly ash on efficiency of metal separation in ash-melting of municipal solid waste

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

Okada, Takashi, E-mail: t-okada@u-fukui.ac.jp; Tomikawa, Hiroki

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Separation of Pb and Zn from Fe and Cu in ash-melting of municipal solid waste. ► Molar ratio of Cl to Na and K in fly ash affected the metal-separation efficiency. ► The low molar ratio and a non-oxidative atmosphere were better for the separation. - Abstract: In the process of metal separation by ash-melting, Fe and Cu in the incineration residue remain in the melting furnace as molten metal, whereas Pb and Zn in the residue are volatilized. This study investigated the effects of the chemical composition of incineration fly ash on the metal-separation efficiency of themore » ash-melting process. Incineration fly ash with different chemical compositions was melted with bottom ash in a lab-scale reactor, and the efficiency with which Pb and Zn were volatilized preventing the volatilization of Fe and Cu was evaluated. In addition, the behavior of these metals was simulated by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Depending on the exhaust gas treatment system used in the incinerator, the relationships among Na, K, and Cl concentrations in the incineration fly ash differed, which affected the efficiency of the metal separation. The amounts of Fe and Cu volatilized decreased by the decrease in the molar ratio of Cl to Na and K in the ash, promoting metal separation. The thermodynamic simulation predicted that the chlorination volatilization of Fe and Cu was prevented by the decrease in the molar ratio, as mentioned before. By melting incineration fly ash with the low molar ratio in a non-oxidative atmosphere, most of the Pb and Zn in the ash were volatilized leaving behind Fe and Cu.« less

Chemical abundances of fast-rotating massive stars . II. Interpretation and comparison with evolutionary models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazorla, Constantin; Nazé, Yaël; Morel, Thierry; Georgy, Cyril; Godart, Mélanie; Langer, Norbert

2017-08-01

Aims: Past observations of fast-rotating massive stars exhibiting normal nitrogen abundances at their surface have raised questions about the rotational mixing paradigm. We revisit this question thanks to a spectroscopic analysis of a sample of bright fast-rotating OB stars, with the goal of quantifying the efficiency of rotational mixing at high rotation rates. Methods: Our sample consists of 40 fast rotators on the main sequence, with spectral types comprised between B0.5 and O4. We compare the abundances of some key element indicators of mixing (He, CNO) with the predictions of evolutionary models for single objects and for stars in interacting binary systems. Results: The properties of half of the sample stars can be reproduced by single evolutionary models, even in the case of probable or confirmed binaries that can therefore be true single stars in a pre-interaction configuration. The main problem for the rest of the sample is a mismatch for the [N/O] abundance ratio (we confirm the existence of fast rotators with a lack of nitrogen enrichment) and/or a high helium abundance that cannot be accounted for by models. Modifying the diffusion coefficient implemented in single-star models does not solve the problem as it cannot simultaneously reproduce the helium abundances and [N/O] abundance ratios of our targets. Since part of them actually are binaries, we also compared their chemical properties with predictions for post-mass transfer systems. We found that these models can explain the abundances measured for a majority of our targets, including some of the most helium-enriched, but fail to reproduce them in other cases. Our study thus reveals that some physical ingredients are still missing in current models.

Characterization of rice starch and protein obtained by a fast alkaline extraction method.

PubMed

Souza, Daiana de; Sbardelotto, Arthur Francisco; Ziegler, Denize Righetto; Marczak, Ligia Damasceno Ferreira; Tessaro, Isabel Cristina

2016-01-15

This study evaluated the characteristics of rice starch and protein obtained by a fast alkaline extraction method on rice flour (RF) derived from broken rice. The extraction was conducted using 0.18% NaOH at 30°C for 30min followed by centrifugation to separate the starch rich and the protein rich fractions. This fast extraction method allowed to obtain an isoelectric precipitation protein concentrate (IPPC) with 79% protein and a starchy product with low protein content. The amino acid content of IPPC was practically unchanged compared to the protein in RF. The proteins of the IPPC underwent denaturation during extraction and some of the starch suffered the cold gelatinization phenomenon, due to the alkaline treatment. With some modifications, the fast method can be interesting in a technological point of view as it enables process cost reduction and useful ingredients obtention to the food and chemical industries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuel clad chemical interactions in fast reactor MOX fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, R.

2014-01-01

Clad corrosion being one of the factors limiting the life of a mixed-oxide fast reactor fuel element pin at high burn-up, some aspects known about the key elements (oxygen, cesium, tellurium, iodine) in the clad-attack are discussed and many Fuel-Clad-Chemical-Interaction (FCCI) models available in the literature are also discussed. Based on its relatively superior predictive ability, the HEDL (Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory) relation is recommended: d/μm = ({0.507 ṡ [B/(at.% fission)] ṡ (T/K-705) ṡ [(O/M)i-1.935]} + 20.5) for (O/M)i ⩽ 1.98. A new model is proposed for (O/M)i ⩾ 1.98: d/μm = [B/(at.% fission)] ṡ (T/K-800)0.5 ṡ [(O/M)i-1.94] ṡ [P/(W cm-1)]0.5. Here, d is the maximum depth of clad attack, B is the burn-up, T is the clad inner surface temperature, (O/M)i is the initial oxygen-to-(uranium + plutonium) ratio, and P is the linear power rating. For fuels with [n(Pu)/n(M = U + Pu)] > 0.25, multiplication factors f are recommended to consider the potential increase in the depth of clad-attack.

Utilization of photoinduced charge-separated state of donor-acceptor-linked molecules for regulation of cell membrane potential and ion transport.

PubMed

Numata, Tomohiro; Murakami, Tatsuya; Kawashima, Fumiaki; Morone, Nobuhiro; Heuser, John E; Takano, Yuta; Ohkubo, Kei; Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Mori, Yasuo; Imahori, Hiroshi

2012-04-11

The control of ion transport across cell membranes by light is an attractive strategy that allows targeted, fast control of precisely defined events in the biological membrane. Here we report a novel general strategy for the control of membrane potential and ion transport by using charge-separation molecules and light. Delivery of charge-separation molecules to the plasma membrane of PC12 cells by a membranous nanocarrier and subsequent light irradiation led to depolarization of the membrane potential as well as inhibition of the potassium ion flow across the membrane. Photoregulation of the cell membrane potential and ion transport by using charge-separation molecules is highly promising for control of cell functions. © 2012 American Chemical Society

On-resonance variable delay multipulse scheme for imaging of fast-exchanging protons and semisolid macromolecules.

PubMed

Xu, Jiadi; Chan, Kannie W Y; Xu, Xiang; Yadav, Nirbhay; Liu, Guanshu; van Zijl, Peter C M

2017-02-01

To develop an on-resonance variable delay multipulse (VDMP) scheme to image magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) and the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast of total fast-exchanging protons (TFP) with exchange rate above approximately 1 kHz. A train of high power binomial pulses was applied at the water resonance. The interpulse delay, called mixing time, was varied to observe its effect on the water signal reduction, allowing separation and quantification of MTC and CEST contributions as a result of their different proton transfer rates. The fast-exchanging protons in CEST and MTC are labeled together with the short T 2 components in MTC and separated out using a variable mixing time. Phantom studies of selected metabolite solutions (glucose, glutamate, creatine, myo-inositol), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and hair conditioner show the capability of on-resonance VDMP to separate out exchangeable protons with exchange rates above 1 kHz. Quantitative MTC and TFP maps were acquired on healthy mouse brains using this method, showing strong gray/white matter contrast for the slowly transferring MTC protons, whereas the TFP map was more uniform across the brain but somewhat higher in gray matter. The new method provides a simple way of imaging fast-exchanging protons and MTC components with a slow transfer rate. Magn Reson Med 77:730-739, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

On-resonance Variable Delay Multi Pulse Scheme for Imaging of Fast-exchanging Protons and semi-solid Macromolecules

PubMed Central

Xu, Jiadi; Chan, Kannie W.Y.; Xu, Xiang; Yadav, Nibhay; Liu, Guanshu; van Zijl, Peter C. M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop an on-resonance variable delay multi-pulse (VDMP) scheme to image magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) as well as the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast of total fast-exchanging protons (TFP) with exchange rate above about 1 kHz. Methods A train of high power binomial pulses was applied at the water resonance. The inter-pulse delay, called mixing time, was varied to observe its effect on the water signal reduction, allowing separation and quantification of MTC and CEST contributions due to their different proton transfer rates. The fast-exchanging protons in CEST and MTC are labeled together with the short T2 components in MTC and separated out using a variable mixing time. Results Phantom studies of selected metabolite solutions (glucose, glutamate, creatine, myo-inositol), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hair conditioner show the capability of on-resonance VDMP to separate out exchangeable protons with exchange rates above 1 kHz. Quantitative MTC and TFP maps were acquired on healthy mouse brains using this method showing strong gray/white matter contrast for the slowly transferring MTC protons while the TFP map was more uniform across the brain but somewhat higher in gray matter. Conclusions The new method provides a simple way of imaging fast-exchanging protons, as well as MTC components with a slow transfer rate. PMID:26900759

Chemical Interactions and Their Role in the Microphase Separation of Block Copolymer Thin Films

PubMed Central

Farrell, Richard A.; Fitzgerald, Thomas G.; Borah, Dipu; Holmes, Justin D.; Morris, Michael A.

2009-01-01

The thermodynamics of self-assembling systems are discussed in terms of the chemical interactions and the intermolecular forces between species. It is clear that there are both theoretical and practical limitations on the dimensions and the structural regularity of these systems. These considerations are made with reference to the microphase separation that occurs in block copolymer (BCP) systems. BCP systems self-assemble via a thermodynamic driven process where chemical dis-affinity between the blocks driving them part is balanced by a restorative force deriving from the chemical bond between the blocks. These systems are attracting much interest because of their possible role in nanoelectronic fabrication. This form of self-assembly can obtain highly regular nanopatterns in certain circumstances where the orientation and alignment of chemically distinct blocks can be guided through molecular interactions between the polymer and the surrounding interfaces. However, for this to be possible, great care must be taken to properly engineer the interactions between the surfaces and the polymer blocks. The optimum methods of structure directing are chemical pre-patterning (defining regions on the substrate of different chemistry) and graphoepitaxy (topographical alignment) but both centre on generating alignment through favourable chemical interactions. As in all self-assembling systems, the problems of defect formation must be considered and the origin of defects in these systems is explored. It is argued that in these nanostructures equilibrium defects are relatively few and largely originate from kinetic effects arising during film growth. Many defects also arise from the confinement of the systems when they are ‘directed’ by topography. The potential applications of these materials in electronics are discussed. PMID:19865513

Mixed matrix membranes with fast and selective transport pathways for efficient CO2 separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Jinpeng; Li, Xueqin; Guo, Ruili; Zhang, Jianshu; Wang, Zhongming

2018-03-01

To improve CO2 separation performance, porous carbon nanosheets (PCNs) were used as a filler into a Pebax MH 1657 (Pebax) matrix, fabricating mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The PCNs exhibited a preferential horizontal orientation within the Pebax matrix because of the extremely large 2D plane and nanoscale thickness of the matrix. Therefore, the micropores of the PCNs provided fast CO2 transport pathways, which led to increased CO2 permeability. The reduced pore size of the PCNs was a consequence of the overlapping of PCNs and the polymer chains penetrating into the pores of the PCNs. The reduction in the pore size of the PCNs improved the CO2/gas selectivity. As a result, the CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selectivity of the Pebax membrane with 10 wt% PCNs-loading (Pebax-PCNs-10) were 520 barrer and 51, respectively, for CO2/CH4 mixed-gas. The CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity of the Pebax-PCNs-10 membrane were 614 barrer and 61, respectively, for CO2/N2 mixed-gas.

Chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation

DOEpatents

Aldridge, Frederick T.

1981-01-01

Intermetallic compounds with the CaCu.sub.5 type of crystal structure, particularly LaNiCo.sub.4 and CaNi.sub.5, exhibit high separation factors and fast equilibrium times and therefore are useful for packing a chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation colum. The addition of an inert metal to dilute the hydride improves performance of the column. A large scale mutli-stage chromatographic separation process run as a secondary process off a hydrogen feedstream from an industrial plant which uses large volumes of hydrogen can produce large quantities of heavy water at an effective cost for use in heavy water reactors.

Chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation

DOEpatents

Aldridge, F.T.

Intermetallic compounds with the CaCu/sub 5/ type of crystal structure, particularly LaNiCo/sub 4/ and CaNi/sub 5/, exhibit high separation factors and fast equilibrium times and therefore are useful for packing a chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation column. The addition of an inert metal to dilute the hydride improves performance of the column. A large scale multi-stage chromatographic separation process run as a secondary process off a hydrogen feedstream from an industrial plant which uses large volumes of hydrogen cn produce large quantities of heavy water at an effective cost for use in heavy water reactors.

Discovery of optimal zeolites for challenging separations and chemical transformations using predictive materials modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Peng; Jeon, Mi Young; Ren, Limin; Knight, Chris; Deem, Michael W.; Tsapatsis, Michael; Siepmann, J. Ilja

2015-01-01

Zeolites play numerous important roles in modern petroleum refineries and have the potential to advance the production of fuels and chemical feedstocks from renewable resources. The performance of a zeolite as separation medium and catalyst depends on its framework structure. To date, 213 framework types have been synthesized and >330,000 thermodynamically accessible zeolite structures have been predicted. Hence, identification of optimal zeolites for a given application from the large pool of candidate structures is attractive for accelerating the pace of materials discovery. Here we identify, through a large-scale, multi-step computational screening process, promising zeolite structures for two energy-related applications: the purification of ethanol from fermentation broths and the hydroisomerization of alkanes with 18-30 carbon atoms encountered in petroleum refining. These results demonstrate that predictive modelling and data-driven science can now be applied to solve some of the most challenging separation problems involving highly non-ideal mixtures and highly articulated compounds.

Membranes for nanometer-scale mass fast transport

DOEpatents

Bakajin, Olgica [San Leandro, CA; Holt, Jason [Berkeley, CA; Noy, Aleksandr [Belmont, CA; Park, Hyung Gyu [Oakland, CA

2011-10-18

Nanoporous membranes comprising single walled, double walled, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes embedded in a matrix material were fabricated for fluid mechanics and mass transfer studies on the nanometer scale and commercial applications. Average pore size can be 2 nm to 20 nm, or seven nm or less, or two nanometers or less. The membrane can be free of large voids spanning the membrane such that transport of material such as gas or liquid occurs exclusively through the tubes. Fast fluid, vapor, and liquid transport are observed. Versatile micromachining methods can be used for membrane fabrication. A single chip can comprise multiple membranes. These membranes are a robust platform for the study of confined molecular transport, with applications in liquid and gas separations and chemical sensing including desalination, dialysis, and fabric formation.

FastChem: A computer program for efficient complex chemical equilibrium calculations in the neutral/ionized gas phase with applications to stellar and planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, Joachim W.; Kitzmann, Daniel; Patzer, A. Beate C.; Sedlmayr, Erwin

2018-06-01

For the calculation of complex neutral/ionized gas phase chemical equilibria, we present a semi-analytical versatile and efficient computer program, called FastChem. The applied method is based on the solution of a system of coupled nonlinear (and linear) algebraic equations, namely the law of mass action and the element conservation equations including charge balance, in many variables. Specifically, the system of equations is decomposed into a set of coupled nonlinear equations in one variable each, which are solved analytically whenever feasible to reduce computation time. Notably, the electron density is determined by using the method of Nelder and Mead at low temperatures. The program is written in object-oriented C++ which makes it easy to couple the code with other programs, although a stand-alone version is provided. FastChem can be used in parallel or sequentially and is available under the GNU General Public License version 3 at https://github.com/exoclime/FastChem together with several sample applications. The code has been successfully validated against previous studies and its convergence behavior has been tested even for extreme physical parameter ranges down to 100 K and up to 1000 bar. FastChem converges stable and robust in even most demanding chemical situations, which posed sometimes extreme challenges for previous algorithms.

Magnetic separations in biotechnology.

PubMed

Borlido, L; Azevedo, A M; Roque, A C A; Aires-Barros, M R

2013-12-01

Magnetic separations are probably one of the most versatile separation processes in biotechnology as they are able to purify cells, viruses, proteins and nucleic acids directly from crude samples. The fast and gentle process in combination with its easy scale-up and automation provide unique advantages over other separation techniques. In the midst of this process are the magnetic adsorbents tailored for the envisioned target and whose complex synthesis spans over multiple fields of science. In this context, this article reviews both the synthesis and tailoring of magnetic adsorbents for bioseparations as well as their ultimate application. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laser Ablation-Aerosol Mass Spectrometry-Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Ambient Surface Imaging

DOE PAGES

Berry, Jennifer L.; Day, Douglas A.; Elseberg, Tim; ...

2018-02-20

Mass spectrometry imaging is becoming an increasingly common analytical technique due to its ability to provide spatially resolved chemical information. In this paper, we report a novel imaging approach combining laser ablation with two mass spectrometric techniques, aerosol mass spectrometry and chemical ionization mass spectrometry, separately and in parallel. Both mass spectrometric methods provide the fast response, rapid data acquisition, low detection limits, and high-resolution peak separation desirable for imaging complex samples. Additionally, the two techniques provide complementary information with aerosol mass spectrometry providing near universal detection of all aerosol molecules and chemical ionization mass spectrometry with a heated inletmore » providing molecular-level detail of both gases and aerosols. The two techniques operate with atmospheric pressure interfaces and require no matrix addition for ionization, allowing for samples to be investigated in their native state under ambient pressure conditions. We demonstrate the ability of laser ablation-aerosol mass spectrometry-chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LA-AMS-CIMS) to create 2D images of both standard compounds and complex mixtures. Finally, the results suggest that LA-AMS-CIMS, particularly when combined with advanced data analysis methods, could have broad applications in mass spectrometry imaging applications.« less

Laser Ablation-Aerosol Mass Spectrometry-Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Ambient Surface Imaging

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

Berry, Jennifer L.; Day, Douglas A.; Elseberg, Tim

Mass spectrometry imaging is becoming an increasingly common analytical technique due to its ability to provide spatially resolved chemical information. In this paper, we report a novel imaging approach combining laser ablation with two mass spectrometric techniques, aerosol mass spectrometry and chemical ionization mass spectrometry, separately and in parallel. Both mass spectrometric methods provide the fast response, rapid data acquisition, low detection limits, and high-resolution peak separation desirable for imaging complex samples. Additionally, the two techniques provide complementary information with aerosol mass spectrometry providing near universal detection of all aerosol molecules and chemical ionization mass spectrometry with a heated inletmore » providing molecular-level detail of both gases and aerosols. The two techniques operate with atmospheric pressure interfaces and require no matrix addition for ionization, allowing for samples to be investigated in their native state under ambient pressure conditions. We demonstrate the ability of laser ablation-aerosol mass spectrometry-chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LA-AMS-CIMS) to create 2D images of both standard compounds and complex mixtures. Finally, the results suggest that LA-AMS-CIMS, particularly when combined with advanced data analysis methods, could have broad applications in mass spectrometry imaging applications.« less

Numerical modeling of coupled variably saturated fluid flow and reactive transport with fast and slow chemical reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Gour-Tsyh (George); Siegel, Malcolm D.; Li, Ming-Hsu

2001-02-01

The couplings among chemical reaction rates, advective and diffusive transport in fractured media or soils, and changes in hydraulic properties due to precipitation and dissolution within fractures and in rock matrix are important for both nuclear waste disposal and remediation of contaminated sites. This paper describes the development and application of LEHGC2.0, a mechanistically based numerical model for simulation of coupled fluid flow and reactive chemical transport, including both fast and slow reactions in variably saturated media. Theoretical bases and numerical implementations are summarized, and two example problems are demonstrated. The first example deals with the effect of precipitation/dissolution on fluid flow and matrix diffusion in a two-dimensional fractured media. Because of the precipitation and decreased diffusion of solute from the fracture into the matrix, retardation in the fractured medium is not as large as the case wherein interactions between chemical reactions and transport are not considered. The second example focuses on a complicated but realistic advective-dispersive-reactive transport problem. This example exemplifies the need for innovative numerical algorithms to solve problems involving stiff geochemical reactions.

Rare earth separations by selective borate crystallization

PubMed Central

Yin, Xuemiao; Wang, Yaxing; Bai, Xiaojing; Wang, Yumin; Chen, Lanhua; Xiao, Chengliang; Diwu, Juan; Du, Shiyu; Chai, Zhifang; Albrecht-Schmitt, Thomas E.; Wang, Shuao

2017-01-01

Lanthanides possess similar chemical properties rendering their separation from one another a challenge of fundamental chemical and global importance given their incorporation into many advanced technologies. New separation strategies combining green chemistry with low cost and high efficiency remain highly desirable. We demonstrate that the subtle bonding differences among trivalent lanthanides can be amplified during the crystallization of borates, providing chemical recognition of specific lanthanides that originates from Ln3+ coordination alterations, borate polymerization diversity and soft ligand coordination selectivity. Six distinct phases are obtained under identical reaction conditions across lanthanide series, further leading to an efficient and cost-effective separation strategy via selective crystallization. As proof of concept, Nd/Sm and Nd/Dy are used as binary models to demonstrate solid/aqueous and solid/solid separation processes. Controlling the reaction kinetics gives rise to enhanced separation efficiency of Nd/Sm system and a one-step quantitative separation of Nd/Dy with the aid of selective density-based flotation. PMID:28290448

Modified Separator Performing Dual Physical/Chemical Roles to Inhibit Polysulfide Shuttle Resulting in Ultrastable Li-S Batteries.

PubMed

Abbas, Syed Ali; Ding, Jiang; Wu, Sheng Hui; Fang, Jason; Boopathi, Karunakara Moorthy; Mohapatra, Anisha; Lee, Li Wei; Wang, Pen-Cheng; Chang, Chien-Cheng; Chu, Chih Wei

2017-12-26

In this paper we describe a modified (AEG/CH) coated separator for Li-S batteries in which the shuttling phenomenon of the lithium polysulfides is restrained through two types of interactions: activated expanded graphite (AEG) flakes interacted physically with the lithium polysulfides, while chitosan (CH), used to bind the AEG flakes on the separator, interacted chemically through its abundance of amino and hydroxyl functional groups. Moreover, the AEG flakes facilitated ionic and electronic transfer during the redox reaction. Live H-cell discharging experiments revealed that the modified separator was effective at curbing polysulfide shuttling; moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the cycled separator confirmed the presence of lithium polysulfides in the AEG/CH matrix. Using this dual functional interaction approach, the lifetime of the pure sulfur-based cathode was extended to 3000 cycles at 1C-rate (1C = 1670 mA/g), decreasing the decay rate to 0.021% per cycle, a value that is among the best reported to date. A flexible battery based on this modified separator exhibited stable performance and could turn on multiple light-emitting diodes. Such modified membranes with good mechanical strength, high electronic conductivity, and anti-self-discharging shield appear to be a scalable solution for future high-energy battery systems.

A novel fast gas chromatography method for higher time resolution measurements of speciated monoterpenes in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, C. E.; Kato, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Kajii, Y.

2014-05-01

Biogenic emissions supply the largest fraction of non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the biosphere to the atmospheric boundary layer, and typically comprise a complex mixture of reactive terpenes. Due to this chemical complexity, achieving comprehensive measurements of biogenic VOC (BVOC) in air within a satisfactory time resolution is analytically challenging. To address this, we have developed a novel, fully automated Fast Gas Chromatography (Fast-GC) based technique to provide higher time resolution monitoring of monoterpenes (and selected other C9-C15 terpenes) during plant emission studies and in ambient air. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a Fast-GC based separation technique to achieve quantification of terpenes in ambient air. Three chromatography methods have been developed for atmospheric terpene analysis under different sampling scenarios. Each method facilitates chromatographic separation of selected BVOC within a significantly reduced analysis time compared to conventional GC methods, whilst maintaining the ability to quantify individual monoterpene structural isomers. Using this approach, the C9-C15 BVOC composition of single plant emissions may be characterised within a 14.5 min analysis time. Moreover, in-situ quantification of 12 monoterpenes in unpolluted ambient air may be achieved within an 11.7 min chromatographic separation time (increasing to 19.7 min when simultaneous quantification of multiple oxygenated C9-C10 terpenoids is required, and/or when concentrations of anthropogenic VOC are significant). These analysis times potentially allow for a twofold to fivefold increase in measurement frequency compared to conventional GC methods. Here we outline the technical details and analytical capability of this chromatographic approach, and present the first in-situ Fast-GC observations of 6 monoterpenes and the oxygenated BVOC (OBVOC) linalool in ambient air. During this field deployment within a suburban forest

Enhanced separation of rare earth elements

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

Lyon, K.; Greenhalgh, M.; Herbst, R. S.

2016-09-01

Industrial rare earth separation processes utilize PC88A, a phosphonic acid ligand, for solvent extraction separations. The separation factors of the individual rare earths, the equipment requirements, and chemical usage for these flowsheets are well characterized. Alternative ligands such as Cyanex® 572 and the associated flowsheets are being investigated at the pilot scale level to determine if significant improvements to the current separation processes can be realized. These improvements are identified as higher separation factors, reduced stage requirements, or reduced chemical consumption. Any of these improvements can significantly affect the costs associated with these challenging separation proccesses. A mid/heavy rare earthmore » element (REE) separations flowsheet was developed and tested for each ligand in a 30 stage mixer-settler circuit to compare the separation performance of PC88A and Cyanex® 572. The ligand-metal complex strength of Cyanex® 572 provides efficient extraction of REE while significantly reducing the strip acid requirements. Reductions in chemical consumption have a significant impact on process economics for REE separations. Partitioning results summarized Table 1 indicate that Cyanex® 572 offers the same separation performance as PC88A while reducing acid consumption by 30% in the strip section for the mid/heavy REE separation. Flowsheet Effluent Compositions PC88A Cyanex® 572 Raffinate Mid REE Heavy REE 99.40% 0.60% 99.40% 0.60% Rich Mid REE Heavy REE 2.20% 97.80% 0.80% 99.20% Liquor Strip Acid Required 3.4 M 2.3 M Table 1 – Flowsheet results comparing separation performance of PC88A and Cyanex® 572 for a mid/heavy REE separation.« less

Practical comparison of 2.7 microm fused-core silica particles and porous sub-2 microm particles for fast separations in pharmaceutical process development.

PubMed

Abrahim, Ahmed; Al-Sayah, Mohammad; Skrdla, Peter; Bereznitski, Yuri; Chen, Yadan; Wu, Naijun

2010-01-05

Fused-core silica stationary phases represent a key technological advancement in the arena of fast HPLC separations. These phases are made by fusing a 0.5 microm porous silica layer onto 1.7 microm nonporous silica cores. The reduced intra-particle flow path of the fused particles provides superior mass transfer kinetics and better performance at high mobile phase velocities, while the fused-core particles provide lower pressure than sub-2 microm particles. In this work, chromatographic performance of the fused-core particles (Ascentis Express) was investigated and compared to that of sub-2 microm porous particles (1.8 microm Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 and 1.7 microm Acquity BEH C18). Specifically, retention, selectivity, and loading capacity were systematically compared for these two types of columns. Other chromatographic parameters such as efficiency and pressure drop were also studied. Although the fused-core column was found to provide better analyte shape selectivity, both columns had similar hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, total ion-exchange, and acidic ion-exchange selectivities. As expected, the retention factors and sample loading capacity on the fused-core particle column were slightly lower than those for the sub-2 microm particle column. However, the most dramatic observation was that similar efficiency separations to the sub-2 microm particles could be achieved using the fused-core particles, without the expense of high column back pressure. The low pressure of the fused-core column allows fast separations to be performed routinely on a conventional LC system without significant loss in efficiency or resolution. Applications to the HPLC impurity profiling of drug substance candidates were performed using both types of columns to validate this last point.

Development of a supercritical fluid chromatography method with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection for the characterization of biomass fast pyrolysis bio oils.

PubMed

Crepier, Julien; Le Masle, Agnès; Charon, Nadège; Albrieux, Florian; Heinisch, Sabine

2017-08-11

The characterization of complex mixtures is a challenging issue for the development of innovative processes dedicated to biofuels and bio-products production. The huge number of compounds present in biomass fast pyrolysis oils combined with the large diversity of chemical functions represent a bottleneck as regards analytical technique development. For the extensive characterization of complex samples, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) can be alternative to usual separation techniques such as gas (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC). In this study, an approach is proposed to define the best conditions for the SFC separation of a fast pyrolysis bio-oil. This approach was based on SFC data obtained directly from the bio-oil itself instead of selecting model compounds as usually done. SFC conditions were optimized by using three specific, easy-to-use and quantitative criteria aiming at maximizing the separation power. Polar stationary phases (ethylpyridine bonded silica) associated to a mix of acetonitrile and water as polarity modifier provided the best results, with more than 120 peaks detected in SFC-UV. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical microsensors

DOEpatents

Li, DeQuan; Swanson, Basil I.

1995-01-01

An article of manufacture is provided including a substrate having an oxide surface layer and a selective thin film of a cyclodextrin derivative chemically bound upon said substrate, said film is adapted for the inclusion of a selected organic compound therewith. Such an article can be either a chemical sensor capable of detecting a resultant mass change from inclusion of the selected organic compound or a chemical separator capable of reversibly selectively separating a selected organic compound.

A novel Fast Gas Chromatography based technique for higher time resolution measurements of speciated monoterpenes in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, C. E.; Kato, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Kajii, Y.

2013-12-01

Biogenic emissions supply the largest fraction of non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the biosphere to the atmospheric boundary layer, and typically comprise a complex mixture of reactive terpenes. Due to this chemical complexity, achieving comprehensive measurements of biogenic VOC (BVOC) in air within a satisfactory time resolution is analytically challenging. To address this, we have developed a novel, fully automated Fast Gas Chromatography (Fast-GC) based technique to provide higher time resolution monitoring of monoterpenes (and selected other C9-C15 terpenes) during plant emission studies and in ambient air. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a Fast-GC based separation technique to achieve quantification of terpenes in air. Three chromatography methods have been developed for atmospheric terpene analysis under different sampling scenarios. Each method facilitates chromatographic separation of selected BVOC within a significantly reduced analysis time compared to conventional GC methods, whilst maintaining the ability to quantify individual monoterpene structural isomers. Using this approach, the C10-C15 BVOC composition of single plant emissions may be characterised within a ~ 14 min analysis time. Moreover, in situ quantification of 12 monoterpenes in unpolluted ambient air may be achieved within an ~ 11 min chromatographic separation time (increasing to ~ 19 min when simultaneous quantification of multiple oxygenated C9-C10 terpenoids is required, and/or when concentrations of anthropogenic VOC are significant). This corresponds to a two- to fivefold increase in measurement frequency compared to conventional GC methods. Here we outline the technical details and analytical capability of this chromatographic approach, and present the first in situ Fast-GC observations of 6 monoterpenes and the oxygenated BVOC linalool in ambient air. During this field deployment within a suburban forest ~ 30 km west of central Tokyo, Japan, the

Application of fast Fourier transforms to the direct solution of a class of two-dimensional separable elliptic equations on the sphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorthi, Shrinivas; Higgins, R. W.

1993-01-01

An efficient, direct, second-order solver for the discrete solution of a class of two-dimensional separable elliptic equations on the sphere (which generally arise in implicit and semi-implicit atmospheric models) is presented. The method involves a Fourier transformation in longitude and a direct solution of the resulting coupled second-order finite-difference equations in latitude. The solver is made efficient by vectorizing over longitudinal wave-number and by using a vectorized fast Fourier transform routine. It is evaluated using a prescribed solution method and compared with a multigrid solver and the standard direct solver from FISHPAK.

Improved chemical identification from sensor arrays using intelligent algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roppel, Thaddeus A.; Wilson, Denise M.

2001-02-01

Intelligent signal processing algorithms are shown to improve identification rates significantly in chemical sensor arrays. This paper focuses on the use of independently derived sensor status information to modify the processing of sensor array data by using a fast, easily-implemented "best-match" approach to filling in missing sensor data. Most fault conditions of interest (e.g., stuck high, stuck low, sudden jumps, excess noise, etc.) can be detected relatively simply by adjunct data processing, or by on-board circuitry. The objective then is to devise, implement, and test methods for using this information to improve the identification rates in the presence of faulted sensors. In one typical example studied, utilizing separately derived, a-priori knowledge about the health of the sensors in the array improved the chemical identification rate by an artificial neural network from below 10 percent correct to over 99 percent correct. While this study focuses experimentally on chemical sensor arrays, the results are readily extensible to other types of sensor platforms.

Evaluation of possible physical-chemical processes that might lead to separations of actinides in ORNL waste tanks

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

Del Cul, G.D.; Toth, L.M.; Bond, W.D.

The concern that there might be some physical-chemical process which would lead to a separation of the poisoning actinides ({sup 232}Th, {sup 238}U) from the fissionable ones ({sup 239}Pu, {sup 235}U) in waste storage tanks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has led to a paper study of potential separations processes involving these elements. At the relatively high pH values (>8), the actinides are normally present as precipitated hydroxides. Mechanisms that might then selectively dissolve and reprecipitate the actinides through thermal processes or additions of reagents were addressed. Although redox reactions, pH changes, and complexation reactions were all considered, only themore » last type was regarded as having any significant probability. Furthermore, only carbonate accumulation, through continual unmonitored air sparging of the tank contents, could credibly account for gross transport and separation of the actinide components. From the large amount of equilibrium data in the literature, concentration differences in Th, U, and Pu due to carbonate complexation as a function of pH have been presented to demonstrate this phenomenon. While the carbonate effect does represent a potential separations process, control of long-term air sparging and solution pH, accompanied by routine determinations of soluble carbonate concentration, should ensure that this separations process does not occur.« less

Poultry femoral head separation and necrosis: A review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Femoral head separation (FHS) is a degenerative skeletal problem in fast growing poultry where the growth plate of proximal femur separates from its articular cartilage. FHS can remain asymptomatic but under strenuous conditions the damage is pronounced leading to lameness. The etiology of FHS is po...

Composite separators and redox flow batteries based on porous separators

DOEpatents

Li, Bin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Luo, Qingtao; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2016-01-12

Composite separators having a porous structure and including acid-stable, hydrophilic, inorganic particles enmeshed in a substantially fully fluorinated polyolefin matrix can be utilized in a number of applications. The inorganic particles can provide hydrophilic characteristics. The pores of the separator result in good selectivity and electrical conductivity. The fluorinated polymeric backbone can result in high chemical stability. Accordingly, one application of the composite separators is in redox flow batteries as low cost membranes. In such applications, the composite separator can also enable additional property-enhancing features compared to ion-exchange membranes. For example, simple capacity control can be achieved through hydraulic pressure by balancing the volumes of electrolyte on each side of the separator. While a porous separator can also allow for volume and pressure regulation, in RFBs that utilize corrosive and/or oxidizing compounds, the composite separators described herein are preferable for their robustness in the presence of such compounds.

Separated Representations and Fast Algorithms for Materials Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-29

Quantum Chemisty , 127 (1999), pp. 143–269. [28] A. Smilde, R. Bro, and P. Geladi, Multi-way Analysis. Applications in the Chemical Sciences, John...Advances in highly correlated approaches. Advances in Quantum Chemisty , 127:143–269, 1999. [58] Age Smilde, Rasmus Bro, and Paul Geladi. Multi-way Analysis

Separation of metals by supported liquid membrane

DOEpatents

Takigawa, Doreen Y.

1992-01-01

A supported liquid membrane system for the separation of a preselected chemical species within a feedstream, preferably an aqueous feedstream, includes a feed compartment containing a feed solution having at least one preselected chemical species therein, a stripping compartment containing a stripping solution therein, and a microporous polybenzimidazole membrane situated between the compartments, the microporous polybenzimidazole membrane containing an extractant mixture selective for the preselected chemical species within the membrane pores is disclosed along with a method of separating preselected chemical species from a feedstream with such a system, and a supported liquid membrane for use in such a system.

Fast Spatial Resolution Analysis of Quadratic Penalized Least-Squares Image Reconstruction With Separate Real and Imaginary Roughness Penalty: Application to fMRI.

PubMed

Olafsson, Valur T; Noll, Douglas C; Fessler, Jeffrey A

2018-02-01

Penalized least-squares iterative image reconstruction algorithms used for spatial resolution-limited imaging, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), commonly use a quadratic roughness penalty to regularize the reconstructed images. When used for complex-valued images, the conventional roughness penalty regularizes the real and imaginary parts equally. However, these imaging methods sometimes benefit from separate penalties for each part. The spatial smoothness from the roughness penalty on the reconstructed image is dictated by the regularization parameter(s). One method to set the parameter to a desired smoothness level is to evaluate the full width at half maximum of the reconstruction method's local impulse response. Previous work has shown that when using the conventional quadratic roughness penalty, one can approximate the local impulse response using an FFT-based calculation. However, that acceleration method cannot be applied directly for separate real and imaginary regularization. This paper proposes a fast and stable calculation for this case that also uses FFT-based calculations to approximate the local impulse responses of the real and imaginary parts. This approach is demonstrated with a quadratic image reconstruction of fMRI data that uses separate roughness penalties for the real and imaginary parts.

The selective conversion of glutamic acid in amino acid mixtures using glutamate decarboxylase--a means of separating amino acids for synthesizing biobased chemicals.

PubMed

Teng, Yinglai; Scott, Elinor L; Sanders, Johan P M

2014-01-01

Amino acids (AAs) derived from hydrolysis of protein rest streams are interesting feedstocks for the chemical industry due to their functionality. However, separation of AAs is required before they can be used for further applications. Electrodialysis may be applied to separate AAs, but its efficiency is limited when separating AAs with similar isoelectric points. To aid the separation, specific conversion of an AA to a useful product with different charge behavior to the remaining compounds is desired. Here the separation of L-aspartic acid (Asp) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) was studied. L-Glutamate α-decarboxylase (GAD, Type I, EC 4.1.1.15) was applied to specifically convert Glu into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA has a different charge behavior from Asp therefore allowing a potential separation by electrodialysis. Competitive inhibition and reduced operational stability caused by Asp could be eliminated by maintaining a sufficiently high concentration of Glu. Immobilization of GAD does not reduce the enzyme's initial activity. However, the operational stability was slightly reduced. An initial study on the reaction operating in a continuous mode was performed using a column reactor packed with immobilized GAD. As the reaction mixture was only passed once through the reactor, the conversion of Glu was lower than expected. To complete the conversion of Glu, the stream containing Asp and unreacted Glu might be recirculated back to the reactor after GABA has been removed. Overall, the reaction by GAD is specific to Glu and can be applied to aid the electrodialysis separation of Asp and Glu. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Improving chemical shift encoding‐based water–fat separation based on a detailed consideration of magnetic field contributions

PubMed Central

Ruschke, Stefan; Eggers, Holger; Meineke, Jakob; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Karampinos, Dimitrios C.

2018-01-01

Purpose To improve the robustness of existing chemical shift encoding‐based water–fat separation methods by incorporating a priori information of the magnetic field distortions in complex‐based water–fat separation. Methods Four major field contributions are considered: inhomogeneities of the scanner magnet, the shim field, an object‐based field map estimate, and a residual field. The former two are completely determined by spherical harmonic expansion coefficients directly available from the magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. The object‐based field map is forward simulated from air–tissue interfaces inside the field of view (FOV). The missing residual field originates from the object outside the FOV and is investigated by magnetic field simulations on a numerical whole body phantom. In vivo the spatially linear first‐order component of the residual field is estimated by measuring echo misalignments after demodulation of other field contributions resulting in a linear residual field. Gradient echo datasets of the cervical and the ankle region without and with shimming were acquired, where all four contributions were incorporated in the water–fat separation with two algorithms from the ISMRM water–fat toolbox and compared to water–fat separation with less incorporated field contributions. Results Incorporating all four field contributions as demodulation steps resulted in reduced temporal and spatial phase wraps leading to almost swap‐free water–fat separation results in all datasets. Conclusion Demodulating estimates of major field contributions reduces the phase evolution to be driven by only small differences in local tissue susceptibility, which supports the field smoothness assumption of existing water–fat separation techniques. PMID:29424458

New on-line separation workflow of microbial metabolites via hyphenation of analytical and preparative comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Yan, Xia; Wang, Li-Juan; Wu, Zhen; Wu, Yun-Long; Liu, Xiu-Xiu; Chang, Fang-Rong; Fang, Mei-Juan; Qiu, Ying-Kun

2016-10-15

Microbial metabolites represent an important source of bioactive natural products, but always exhibit diverse of chemical structures or complicated chemical composition with low active ingredients content. Traditional separation methods rely mainly on off-line combination of open-column chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the multi-step and prolonged separation procedure might lead to exposure to oxygen and structural transformation of metabolites. In the present work, a new two-dimensional separation workflow for fast isolation and analysis of microbial metabolites from Chaetomium globosum SNSHI-5, a cytotoxic fungus derived from extreme environment. The advantage of this analytical comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) lies on its ability to analyze the composition of the metabolites, and to optimize the separation conditions for the preparative 2D-LC. Furthermore, gram scale preparative 2D-LC separation of the crude fungus extract could be performed on a medium-pressure liquid chromatograph×preparative high-performance liquid chromatography system, under the optimized condition. Interestingly, 12 cytochalasan derivatives, including two new compounds named cytoglobosin Ab (3) and isochaetoglobosin Db (8), were successfully obtained with high purity in a short period of time. The structures of the isolated metabolites were comprehensively characterized by HR ESI-MS and NMR. To be highlighted, this is the first report on the combination of analytical and preparative 2D-LC for the separation of microbial metabolites. The new workflow exhibited apparent advantages in separation efficiency and sample treatment capacity compared with conventional methods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separation of thiol and cyanide hydrolysis products of chemical warfare agents by capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Copper, Christine L; Collins, Greg E

2004-03-01

The fluorescence derivatizing agent, o-phthalaldehyde (OPA), has been applied to the separation and detection of cyanide and several structurally similar thiols by capillary electrophoresis (CE)-laser induced fluorescence (LIF). Of particular interest to this investigation was the separation of 2-dimethylaminoethanethiol, 2-diethylaminoethanethiol, and cyanide, each of which are hydrolysis products or hydrolysis product simulants of the chemical warfare (CW) agents O-ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate (VX), O-isobutyl S-2-diethylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate (R-VX), and tabun (GA). Other structurally similar thiols simultaneously resolved by this method include 1-pentanethiol and 2-mercaptoethanol. Instrumental parameters were probed and optimum values for capillary length (50 cm) and inner diameter (75 microm), injection time (30 s) and field strength (15 kV) were determined. Sample stacking methods enabled detection limits of 9.3 microg/L for cyanide, 1.8 microg/L for 2-diethylaminoethanethiol, 35 microg/L for 2-dimethylaminoethanethiol, 15 microg/L for 2-mercaptoethanol, and 89 microg/L for 1-pentanethiol. The linearity of the method was verified over an order of magnitude and the reproducibility was found to be 3.0%.

Method for separating boron isotopes

DOEpatents

Rockwood, Stephen D.

1978-01-01

A method of separating boron isotopes .sup.10 B and .sup.11 B by laser-induced selective excitation and photodissociation of BCl.sub.3 molecules containing a particular boron isotope. The photodissociation products react with an appropriate chemical scavenger and the reaction products may readily be separated from undissociated BCl.sub.3, thus effecting the desired separation of the boron isotopes.

Fast Growth of GaN Epilayers via Laser-Assisted Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition for Ultraviolet Photodetector Applications.

PubMed

Rabiee Golgir, Hossein; Li, Da Wei; Keramatnejad, Kamran; Zou, Qi Ming; Xiao, Jun; Wang, Fei; Jiang, Lan; Silvain, Jean-François; Lu, Yong Feng

2017-06-28

In this study, we successfully developed a carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LMOCVD) approach to fast synthesis of high-quality gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers on Al 2 O 3 [sapphire(0001)] substrates. By employing a two-step growth procedure, high crystallinity and smooth GaN epilayers with a fast growth rate of 25.8 μm/h were obtained. The high crystallinity was confirmed by a combination of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. By optimizing growth parameters, the ∼4.3-μm-thick GaN films grown at 990 °C for 10 min showed a smooth surface with a root-mean-square surface roughness of ∼1.9 nm and excellent thickness uniformity with sharp GaN/substrate interfaces. The full-width at half-maximum values of the GaN(0002) X-ray rocking curve of 313 arcsec and the GaN(101̅2) X-ray rocking curve of 390 arcsec further confirmed the high crystallinity of the GaN epilayers. We also fabricated ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on the as-grown GaN layers, which exhibited a high responsivity of 0.108 A W -1 at 367 nm and a fast response time of ∼125 ns, demonstrating its high optical quality with potential in optoelectronic applications. Our strategy thus provides a simple and cost-effective means toward fast and high-quality GaN heteroepitaxy growth suitable for fabricating high-performance GaN-based UV detectors.

Separator material for electrochemical cells

DOEpatents

Cieslak, W.R.; Storz, L.J.

1991-03-26

An electrochemical cell is characterized as utilizing an aramid fiber as a separator material. The aramid fibers are especially suited for lithium/thionyl chloride battery systems. The battery separator made of aramid fibers possesses superior mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and is flame retardant.

Separator material for electrochemical cells

DOEpatents

Cieslak, Wendy R.; Storz, Leonard J.

1991-01-01

An electrochemical cell characterized as utilizing an aramid fiber as a separator material. The aramid fibers are especially suited for lithium/thionyl chloride battery systems. The battery separator made of aramid fibers possesses superior mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and is flame retardant.

Stereoisomers Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieczorek, Piotr

The use of capillary electrophoresis for enantiomer separation and optical purity determination is presented. The contents start with basic information about the nature of stereoizomers and the mechanism of enantioseparation using capillary electrophoresis techniques. The molecules to be separated show identical chemical structure and electrochemical behavior. Therefore, the chiral recognition of enantiomers is possible only by bonding to chiral selector and the separation based on very small differences in complexation energies of diastereomer complexes formed. This method is useful for this purpose due to the fact that different compounds can be used as chiral selectors. The mostly used chiral selectors like cyclodextrins, crown ethers, chiral surfactants, macrocyclic antibiotics, transition metal complexes, natural, and synthetic polymers and their application for this purpose is also discussed. Finally, examples of practical applications of electromigration techniques for enantiomers separation and determination are presented.

Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) of Highly Cross-Linked Polymer Films for Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Separators.

PubMed

Yoo, Youngmin; Kim, Byung Gon; Pak, Kwanyong; Han, Sung Jae; Song, Heon-Sik; Choi, Jang Wook; Im, Sung Gap

2015-08-26

We report an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process to coat polyethylene (PE) separators in Li-ion batteries with a highly cross-linked, mechanically strong polymer, namely, polyhexavinyldisiloxane (pHVDS). The highly cross-linked but ultrathin pHVDS films can only be obtained by a vapor-phase process, because the pHVDS is insoluble in most solvents and thus infeasible with conventional solution-based methods. Moreover, even after the pHVDS coating, the initial porous structure of the separator is well preserved owing to the conformal vapor-phase deposition. The coating thickness is delicately controlled by deposition time to the level that the pore size decreases to below 7% compared to the original dimension. The pHVDS-coated PE shows substantially improved thermal stability and electrolyte wettability. After incubation at 140 °C for 30 min, the pHVDS-coated PE causes only a 12% areal shrinkage (versus 90% of the pristine separator). The superior wettability results in increased electrolyte uptake and ionic conductivity, leading to significantly improved rate performance. The current approach is applicable to a wide range of porous polymeric separators that suffer from thermal shrinkage and poor electrolyte wetting.

Flow processes in overexpanded chemical rocket nozzles. Part 1: Flow separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmucker, R. H.

1984-01-01

An investigation was made of published nozzle flow separation data in order to determine the parameters which affect the separation conditions. A comparison of experimental data with empirical and theoretical separation prediction methods leads to the selection of suitable equations for the separation criterion. The results were used to predict flow separation of the main space shuttle engine.

Flow processes in overexpanded chemical rocket nozzles. Part 1: Flow separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmucker, R. H.

1973-01-01

An investigation was made of published nozzle flow separation data in order to determine the parameters which affect the separation condition. A comparison of experimental data with empirical and theoretical separation prediction methods leads to the selection of suitable equations for the separation criterion. The results were used to predict flow separation of the main space shuttle engine.

Ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography hyphenated to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization high resolution mass spectrometry for the characterization of fast pyrolysis bio-oils.

PubMed

Crepier, Julien; Le Masle, Agnès; Charon, Nadège; Albrieux, Florian; Duchene, Pascal; Heinisch, Sabine

2018-06-01

Extensive characterization of complex mixtures requires the combination of powerful analytical techniques. A Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) method was previously developed, for the specific case of fast pyrolysis bio oils, as an alternative to gas chromatography (GC and GC × GC) or liquid chromatography (LC and LC × LC), both separation methods being generally used prior to mass spectrometry (MS) for the characterization of such complex matrices. In this study we investigated the potential of SFC hyphenated to high resolution mass spectrometry (SFC-HRMS) for this characterization using Negative ion Atmospheric Pressure Chemical ionization ((-)APCI) for the ionization source. The interface between SFC and (-)APCI/HRMS was optimized from a mix of model compounds with the objective of maximizing the signal to noise ratio. The main studied parameters included both make-up flow-rate and make-up composition. A methodology for the treatment of APCI/HRMS data is proposed. This latter allowed for the identification of molecular formulae. Both SFC-APCI/HRMS method and data processing method were applied to a mixture of 36 model compounds, first analyzed alone and then spiked in a bio-oil. In both cases, 19 compounds could be detected. Among them 9 could be detected in a fast pyrolysis bio-oil by targeted analysis. The whole procedure was applied to the characterization of a bio-oil using helpful representations such as mass-plots, van Krevelen diagrams and heteroatom class distributions. Finally the results were compared with those obtained with a Fourier Transform ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR/MS). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separation of Doppler radar-based respiratory signatures.

PubMed

Lee, Yee Siong; Pathirana, Pubudu N; Evans, Robin J; Steinfort, Christopher L

2016-08-01

Respiration detection using microwave Doppler radar has attracted significant interest primarily due to its unobtrusive form of measurement. With less preparation in comparison with attaching physical sensors on the body or wearing special clothing, Doppler radar for respiration detection and monitoring is particularly useful for long-term monitoring applications such as sleep studies (i.e. sleep apnoea, SIDS). However, motion artefacts and interference from multiple sources limit the widespread use and the scope of potential applications of this technique. Utilising the recent advances in independent component analysis (ICA) and multiple antenna configuration schemes, this work investigates the feasibility of decomposing respiratory signatures into each subject from the Doppler-based measurements. Experimental results demonstrated that FastICA is capable of separating two distinct respiratory signatures from two subjects adjacent to each other even in the presence of apnoea. In each test scenario, the separated respiratory patterns correlate closely to the reference respiration strap readings. The effectiveness of FastICA in dealing with the mixed Doppler radar respiration signals confirms its applicability in healthcare applications, especially in long-term home-based monitoring as it usually involves at least two people in the same environment (i.e. two people sleeping next to each other). Further, the use of FastICA to separate involuntary movements such as the arm swing from the respiratory signatures of a single subject was explored in a multiple antenna environment. The separated respiratory signal indeed demonstrated a high correlation with the measurements made by a respiratory strap used currently in clinical settings.

Teaching Separations: Why, What, When, and How?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wankat, Phillip C.

2001-01-01

Describes how and when to teach separation science to chemical engineering students. Separation science is important for industrial businesses involving the manufacture of adsorption systems, distillation columns, extractors, and other separation equipment and techniques. (Contains 13 references.) (YDS)

Fast "hyperlayer" separation development in sedimentation field flow fractionation.

PubMed

Kassab, James R; Cardot, Philippe J P; Zahoransky, Richard A; Battu, Serge

2005-11-05

Specific prototypes of sedimentation field flow fractionation devices (SdFFF) have been developed with relative success for cell sorting. However, no data are available to compare these apparatus with commercial ones. In order to compare with other devices mainly used for non-biological species, biocompatible systems were used for standard particle (latex: 3-10 microm of different size dispersities) separation development. In order to enhance size dependent separations, channels of reduced thickness were used (80 and 100 microm) and channel/carrier-phase equilibration procedures were necessary. For sample injection, the use of inlet tubing linked to the FFF accumulation wall, common for cell sorting, can be extended to latex species when they are eluted in the Steric Hyperlayer elution mode. It avoids any primary relaxation steps (stop flow injection procedure) simplifying series of elution processing. Mixtures composed of four different monodispersed latex beads can be eluted in 6 min with 100 microm channel thickness.

Centrifugal partition chromatography a first dimension for biomass fast pyrolysis oil analysis.

PubMed

Le Masle, Agnès; Santin, Sandra; Marlot, Léa; Chahen, Ludovic; Charon, Nadège

2018-10-31

Biomass fast pyrolysis oils contain molecules having a large variety of chemical functions and a wide range of molecular weights (from several tens to several thousand grams per mole). The good knowledge of their complex composition is essential for optimizing the conversion of bio-oils to biofuels, thereby requiring powerful separation techniques. In this work, we investigate the interest of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) as a first dimension for the analysis of a bio-oil. A CPC method is proposed to separate oxygen containing compounds according to their partition coefficients in the solvent system. This approach is a powerful and easy-to-use technique that enables fractionation of a bio-oil at a semi-preparative scale, without any sample loss related to adsorption on the stationary phase. Collected fractions are then injected in liquid chromatography as a second dimension of separation. Contour plot representations of the CPC × LC separation are established to discuss the potential of this approach. These representations can be used as a veritable fingerprint in the comparison of different samples or samples at different steps of a conversion process but also as a powerful tool to identify new compounds and describe the entire composition of the bio-oil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discrimination and chemical characterization of different Paeonia lactifloras (Radix Paeoniae Alba and Radix Paeoniae Rubra) by infrared macro-fingerprint analysis-through-separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Wang, Ping; Xu, Changhua; Sun, Suqin; Zhou, Qun; Shi, Zhe; Li, Jin; Chen, Tao; Li, Zheng; Cui, Weili

2015-11-01

Paeonia lactiflora, a commonly used herbal medicine (HM) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), mainly has two species, Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) and Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR), for different clinical applications in TCM. For expounding the chemical profile of RPA and RPR and ensuring the clinical efficacy and safety, an infrared macro-fingerprint analysis-through-separation method integrated with statistical pattern recognition was developed to analyze and discriminate the two Paeonia lactifloras. In IR spectra, the major difference between the two was in the range of 1200-900 cm-1: the strongest peak of RPA was at 1024 cm-1, while that of RPR was 1049 cm-1. The difference was magnified in second derivative spectra. The findings were further verified by investigating the separation process of total glucosides, stepwisely monitored by both of IR and UPLC-MS/MS. Simultaneously, the aqueous extracts of RPA and RPR had been separated continuously to acquire the comprehensively hierarchical chemical characteristics for undoubtedly identification and subsequently discrimination of the two herbs. Moreover, 60 batches of the two HMs (30 for each) were objectively classified by principal component regression (PCR) model based on IR macro-fingerprints.

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

DOE PAGES

Engtrakul, Dr. Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L; ...

2016-01-01

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach utilized high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over 1-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed due to amore » surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.« less

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

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

Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L.

2016-10-20

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach used high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over one-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed as a resultmore » of a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations, suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.« less

Fast screening of analytes for chemical reactions by reactive low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Huang, Guangming

2015-11-15

Approaches for analyte screening have been used to aid in the fine-tuning of chemical reactions. Herein, we present a simple and straightforward analyte screening method for chemical reactions via reactive low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry (reactive LTP-MS). Solution-phase reagents deposited on sample substrates were desorbed into the vapor phase by action of the LTP and by thermal desorption. Treated with LTP, both reagents reacted through a vapor phase ion/molecule reaction to generate the product. Finally, protonated reagents and products were identified by LTP-MS. Reaction products from imine formation reaction, Eschweiler-Clarke methylation and the Eberlin reaction were detected via reactive LTP-MS. Products from the imine formation reaction with reagents substituted with different functional groups (26 out of 28 trials) were successfully screened in a time of 30 s each. Besides, two short-lived reactive intermediates of Eschweiler-Clarke methylation were also detected. LTP in this study serves both as an ambient ionization source for analyte identification (including reagents, intermediates and products) and as a means to produce reagent ions to assist gas-phase ion/molecule reactions. The present reactive LTP-MS method enables fast screening for several analytes from several chemical reactions, which possesses good reagent compatibility and the potential to perform high-throughput analyte screening. In addition, with the detection of various reactive intermediates (intermediates I and II of Eschweiler-Clarke methylation), the present method would also contribute to revealing and elucidating reaction mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis

DOE PAGES

Black, Brenna A.; Michener, William E.; Ramirez, Kelsey J.; ...

2016-09-05

Here, biomass pyrolysis offers a promising means to rapidly depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass for subsequent catalytic upgrading to renewable fuels. Substantial efforts are currently ongoing to optimize pyrolysis processes including various fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis schemes. In all cases, complex aqueous streams are generated containing solubilized organic compounds that are not converted to target fuels or chemicals and are often slated for wastewater treatment, in turn creating an economic burden on the biorefinery. Valorization of the species in these aqueous streams, however, offers significant potential for substantially improving the economics and sustainability of thermochemical biorefineries. To that end, heremore » we provide a thorough characterization of the aqueous streams from four pilot-scale pyrolysis processes: namely, from fast pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis with downstream fractionation, in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis, and ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis. These configurations and processes represent characteristic pyrolysis processes undergoing intense development currently. Using a comprehensive suite of aqueous-compatible analytical techniques, we quantitatively characterize between 12 g kg -1 of organic carbon of a highly aqueous catalytic fast pyrolysis stream and up to 315 g kg -1 of organic carbon present in the fast pyrolysis aqueous streams. In all cases, the analysis ranges between 75 and 100% of mass closure. The composition and stream properties closely match the nature of pyrolysis processes, with high contents of carbohydrate-derived compounds in the fast pyrolysis aqueous phase, high acid content in nearly all streams, and mostly recalcitrant phenolics in the heavily deoxygenated ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis stream. Overall, this work provides a detailed compositional analysis of aqueous streams from leading thermochemical processes -- analyses that are critical for subsequent development of selective

Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis

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

Black, Brenna A.; Michener, William E.; Ramirez, Kelsey J.

Here, biomass pyrolysis offers a promising means to rapidly depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass for subsequent catalytic upgrading to renewable fuels. Substantial efforts are currently ongoing to optimize pyrolysis processes including various fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis schemes. In all cases, complex aqueous streams are generated containing solubilized organic compounds that are not converted to target fuels or chemicals and are often slated for wastewater treatment, in turn creating an economic burden on the biorefinery. Valorization of the species in these aqueous streams, however, offers significant potential for substantially improving the economics and sustainability of thermochemical biorefineries. To that end, heremore » we provide a thorough characterization of the aqueous streams from four pilot-scale pyrolysis processes: namely, from fast pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis with downstream fractionation, in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis, and ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis. These configurations and processes represent characteristic pyrolysis processes undergoing intense development currently. Using a comprehensive suite of aqueous-compatible analytical techniques, we quantitatively characterize between 12 g kg -1 of organic carbon of a highly aqueous catalytic fast pyrolysis stream and up to 315 g kg -1 of organic carbon present in the fast pyrolysis aqueous streams. In all cases, the analysis ranges between 75 and 100% of mass closure. The composition and stream properties closely match the nature of pyrolysis processes, with high contents of carbohydrate-derived compounds in the fast pyrolysis aqueous phase, high acid content in nearly all streams, and mostly recalcitrant phenolics in the heavily deoxygenated ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis stream. Overall, this work provides a detailed compositional analysis of aqueous streams from leading thermochemical processes -- analyses that are critical for subsequent development of selective

Separations by supported liquid membrane cascades

DOEpatents

Danesi, Pier R.

1986-01-01

The invention describes a new separation technique which leads to multi-stage operations by the use of a series (a cascade) of alternated carrier-containing supported-liquid membranes. The membranes contain alternatively a liquid cation exchanger extractant and a liquid anion exchanger extractant (or a neutral extractant) as carrier. The membranes are spaced between alternated aqueous electrolytic solutions of different composition which alternatively provide positively charged extractable species and negatively charged (or zero charged) extractable species, of the chemical species to be separated. The alternated aqueous electrolytic solutions in addition to providing the driving force to the process, simultaneously function as a stripping solution from one type of membrane and as an extraction-promoting solution for the other type of membrane. The aqueous electrolytic solutions and the supported liquid membranes are arranged in such a way to provide a continuous process which leads to the continuous enrichment of the species which show the highest permeability coefficients. By virtue of the very high number of stages which can be arranged, even chemical species having very similar chemical behavior (and consequently very similar permeability coefficients) can be completely separated. The invention also provide a way to concentrate the separated species.

Fast and Sustained Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants Using Flexible Self-Supported Metal-Organic Framework Filters.

PubMed

Liang, Huixin; Yao, Aonan; Jiao, Xiuling; Li, Cheng; Chen, Dairong

2018-06-20

Self-detoxification filters against lethal chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are highly desirable for the protection of human beings and the environment. In this report, flexible self-supported filters of a series of Zr(IV)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) including UiO-66, UiO-67, and UiO-66-NH 2 were successfully prepared and exhibited fast and sustained degradation of CWA simulants. A half-life as short as 2.4 min was obtained for the catalytic hydrolysis of dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, and the percent conversion remained above 90% over a long-term exposure of 120 min, well exceeding those of the previously reported composite MOF filters and the corresponding MOF powders. The outstanding detoxification performance of the self-supported fibrous filter comes from the exceptionally high surface area, excellent pore accessibility, and hierarchical structure from the nano- to macroscale. This work demonstrates, for the first time, MOF-only filters as efficient self-detoxification media, which will offer new opportunities for the design and fabrication of functional materials for toxic chemical protection.

Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Animal Husbandry: Chemical Compositions, Separation of Sources and Animal Types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, B.; Coggon, M.; Koss, A.; Warneke, C.; Eilerman, S. J.; Neuman, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.; De Gouw, J. A.

2016-12-01

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are important sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. We used a hydronium ion time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (H3O+ ToF-CIMS) to measure VOC emissions from CAFOs in the Northern Front Range of Colorado during an aircraft campaign (SONGNEX) for regional contributions and from a mobile laboratory sampling for chemical characterizations of individual animal feedlots. The main VOCs emitted from CAFOs include carboxylic acids, alcohols, carbonyls, phenolic species, sulfur- and nitrogen-containing species. Alcohols and carboxylic acids dominate VOC concentrations. Sulfur-containing and phenolic species become more important in terms of odor activity values and NO3 reactivity, respectively. The high time-resolution mobile measurements allow the separation of the sources of VOCs from different parts of the operations occurring within the facilities. We show that the increase of ethanol concentrations were primarily associated with feed storage and handling. We apply a multivariate regression analysis using NH3 and ethanol as tracers to attribute the relative importance of animal-related emissions (animal exhalation and waste) and feed-related emissions (feed storage and handling) for different VOC species. Feed storage and handling contribute significantly to emissions of alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids. Phenolic species and nitrogen-containing species are predominantly associated with animals and their waste. VOC ratios can be potentially used as indicators for the separation of emissions from dairy and beef cattle from the regional aircraft measurements.

A fast and sensitive method for the separation of carotenoids using ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Jumaah, Firas; Plaza, Merichel; Abrahamsson, Victor; Turner, Charlotta; Sandahl, Margareta

2016-08-01

In this study, a rapid and sensitive ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS) method has been developed and partially validated for the separation of carotenoids within less than 6 min. Six columns of orthogonal selectivity were examined, and the best separation was obtained by using a 1-aminoanthracene (1-AA) column. The length of polyene chain as well as the number of hydroxyl groups in the structure of the studied carotenoids determines their differences in the physiochemical properties and thus the separation that is achieved on this column. All of the investigated carotenoids were baseline separated with resolution values greater than 1.5. The effects of gradient program, back pressure, and column temperature were studied with respect to chromatographic properties such as retention and selectivity. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) were compared in both positive and negative mode, using both direct infusion and hyphenated with UHPSFC. The ESI in positive mode provided the highest response. The coefficient of determination (R (2)) for all calibration curves were greater than 0.998. Limit of detection (LOD) was in the range of 2.6 and 25.2 ng/mL for α-carotene and astaxanthin, respectively, whereas limit of quantification (LOQ) was in the range of 7.8 and 58.0 ng/mL for α-carotene and astaxanthin, respectively. Repeatability and intermediate precision of the developed UHPSFC-MS method were determined and found to be RSD < 3 % and RSD < 6 %, respectively. The method was applied in order to determine carotenoids in supercritical fluid extracts of microalgae and rosehip. Graphical Abstract Ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-a rapid separation method for the analysis of carotenoids in rosehip and microalgae samples.

Value-added organonitrogen chemicals evolution from the pyrolysis of chitin and chitosan.

PubMed

Liu, Chao; Zhang, Huiyan; Xiao, Rui; Wu, Shubin

2017-01-20

Thermogravimetric characteristics of chitin and chitosan and their potentials to produce value-added organonitrogen chemicals were separately evaluated via TG/DSC-FTIR and Py-GC/MS. Results shown that chitin had the better thermal stability and higher activation energy than chitosan because of the abundant acetamido group. Furthermore, the dominated volatilization in active pyrolysis of chitin contributed to its endothermic property, whereas the charring in chitosan led to the exothermal. During fast pyrolysis, the acetamido group in chitin and chitosan was converted into acetic acid or acetamide. Typical products from chitosan pyrolysis were aza-heterocyclic chemicals, i.e. pyridines, pyrazines, and pyrroles, with the total selectivity of 50.50% at 600°C. Herein, selectivity of pyrazine compounds was up to 22.99%. These aza-heterocyclic chemicals came from the nucleophilic addition reaction of primary amine and carbonyl. However, main reaction during chitin pyrolysis was ring-opening degradation, which led to the formation of acetamido chemicals, especially acetamido acetaldehyde with the highest selectivity of 27.27% at 450°C. In summary, chitosan had the potential to produce aza-heterocyclic chemicals, and chitin to acetamido chemicals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitive fluorescence on-off probes for the fast detection of a chemical warfare agent mimic.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Shar Jhahan; Wang, Ya-Wen; Senge, Mathias O; Peng, Yu

2018-01-15

Two highly sensitive probes bearing a nucleophilic imine moiety have been utilized for the selective detection of chemical warfare agent (CWA) mimics. Diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP) was used as mimic CWAs. Both iminocoumarin-benzothiazole-based probes not only demonstrated a remarkable fluorescence ON-OFF response and good recognition, but also exhibited fast response times (10s) along with color changes upon addition of DCP. Limits of detection for the two sensors 1 and 2 were calculated as 0.065μM and 0.21μM, respectively, which are much lower than most other reported probes. These two probes not only show high sensitivity and selectivity in solution, but can also be applied for the recognition of DCP in the gas state, with significant color changes easily observed by the naked eye. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemically Layered Porous Solids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koontz, Steve

1991-01-01

Aerogels and other porous solids in which surfaces of pores have chemical properties varying with depth below macroscopic surfaces prepared by sequences of chemical treatments. Porous glass or silica bead treated to make two depth zones having different chemical properties. Beads dropped along tube filled with flowing gas containing atomic oxygen, generated in microwave discharge. General class of materials treatable include oxides of aluminum, silicon, zirconium, tin, titanium, and nickel, and mixtures of these oxides. Potential uses of treated materials include chromatographic separations, membrane separations, controlled releases of chemicals, and catalysis.

Characterization of new types of stationary phases for fast and ultra-fast liquid chromatography by signal processing based on AutoCovariance Function: a case study of application to Passiflora incarnata L. extract separations.

PubMed

Pietrogrande, Maria Chiara; Dondi, Francesco; Ciogli, Alessia; Gasparrini, Francesco; Piccin, Antonella; Serafini, Mauro

2010-06-25

In this study, a comparative investigation was performed of HPLC Ascentis (2.7 microm particles) columns based on fused-core particle technology and Acquity (1.7 microm particles) columns requiring UPLC instruments, in comparison with Chromolith RP-18e columns. The study was carried out on mother and vegetal tinctures of Passiflora incarnata L. on one single or two coupled columns. The fundamental attributions of the chromatographic profiles are evaluated using a chemometric procedure, based on the AutoCovariance Function (ACVF). Different chromatographic systems are compared in terms of their separation parameters, i.e., number of total chemical components (m(tot)), separation efficiency (sigma), peak capacity (n(c)), overlap degree of peaks and peak purity. The obtained results show the improvements achieved by HPLC columns with narrow size particles in terms of total analysis time and chromatographic efficiency: comparable performance are achieved by Ascentis (2.7 microm particle) column and Acquity (1.7 microm particle) column requiring UPLC instruments. The ACVF plot is proposed as a simplified tool describing the chromatographic fingerprint to be used for evaluating and comparing chemical composition of plant extracts by using the parameters D% - relative abundance of the deterministic component - and c(EACF) - similarity index computed on ACVF. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cherenkov and scintillation light separation on the CheSS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caravaca, Javier; Land, Benjamin; Descamps, Freija; Orebi Gann, Gabriel D.

2016-09-01

Separation of the scintillation and Cherenkov light produced in liquid scintillators enables outstanding capabilities for future particle detectors, the most relevant being: particle directionality information in a low energy threshold detector and improved particle identification. The CheSS experiment uses an array of small, fast photomultipliers (PMTs) and state-of-the-art electronics to demonstrate the reconstruction of a Cherenkov ring in liquid scintillator using two techniques: based on the photon density and using the photon hit time information. A charged particle ionizing a scintillation medium produces a prompt Cherenkov cone and late isotropic scintillation light, typically delayed by several ns. The fast response of our PMTs and DAQ provides a precision well below the ns level, making possible the time separation. Furthermore, the usage of the new developed water-based liquid scintillators (WbLS) enhances the separation since it allows tuning of the Cherenkov/Scintillation ratio. Latest results on the separation for pure liquid scintillators and WbLS will be presented.

Metabolomics based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry reveals the chemical difference in the stems and roots derived from Ephedra sinica.

PubMed

Lv, Mengying; Chen, Jiaqing; Gao, Yiqiao; Sun, Jianbo; Zhang, Qianqian; Zhang, Mohan; Xu, Fengguo; Zhang, Zunjian

2015-10-01

To better understand different traditional uses of the stems (known as Mahuang) and roots (known as Mahuanggen) of Ephedra sinica, their chemical difference should be investigated. In this study, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry untargeted metabolomics approach was established to reveal global chemical difference between Mahuang and Mahuanggen. Clear separation was observed in scores plots of principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. Twenty two chemical markers responsible for such separation were screened out and unambiguously/tentatively characterized. Then chemical markers of pharmacologically important ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were absolutely quantified using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry under multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results showed that Mahuang was rich in ephedrine-type alkaloids, while Mahuanggen was rich in macrocyclic spermine alkaloids. Additionally, different types of flavan-3-ols and flavones exist in Mahuang and Mahuanggen extracts. This research facilitates a better understanding of different traditional uses of Mahuang and Mahuanggen and provides references for chemical analysis of other medicinal plants. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Amide proton transfer imaging of brain tumors using a self-corrected 3D fast spin-echo dixon method: Comparison With separate B0 correction.

PubMed

Togao, Osamu; Keupp, Jochen; Hiwatashi, Akio; Yamashita, Koji; Kikuchi, Kazufumi; Yoneyama, Masami; Honda, Hiroshi

2017-06-01

To assess the quantitative performance of three-dimensional (3D) fast spin-echo (FSE) Dixon amide proton transfer (APT) imaging of brain tumors compared with B 0 correction with separate mapping methods. Twenty-two patients with brain tumors (54.2 ± 18.7 years old, 12 males and 10 females) were scanned at 3 Tesla (T). Z-spectra were obtained at seven different frequency offsets at ±3.1 ppm, ± 3.5 ppm, ± 3.9 ppm, and -1560 ppm. The scan was repeated three times at +3.5 ppm with echo shifts for Dixon B 0 mapping. The APT image corrected by a three-point Dixon-type B 0 map from the same scan (3D-Dixon) or a separate B 0 map (2D-separate and 3D-separate), and an uncorrected APT image (3D-uncorrected) were generated. We compared the APT-weighted signals within a tumor obtained with each 3D method with those obtained with 2D-separate as a reference standard. Excellent agreements and correlations with the 2D-separate were obtained by the 3D-Dixon method for both mean (ICC = 0.964, r = 0.93, P < 0.0001) and 90th-percentile (ICC = 0.972, r = 0.95, P < 0.0001) APT-weighted signals. These agreements and correlations for 3D-Dixon were better than those obtained by the 3D-uncorrected and 3D-separate methods. The 3D FSE Dixon APT method with intrinsic B 0 correction offers a quantitative performance that is similar to that of established two-dimensional (2D) methods. Magn Reson Med 77:2272-2279, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Separation and characterization of high-density lipoprotein subpopulations by gel permeation chromatography.

PubMed

Clifton, P M; MacKinnon, A M; Barter, P J

1987-02-20

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) contain at least five distinct subpopulations when analyzed by gradient gel electrophoresis. This report represents the first description of a simple technique for isolating these subpopulations of HDL in quantities sufficient to enable characterization in terms of particle size, apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein AII content and chemical composition. Lipoproteins were separated and subfractionated on a column of Superose 6B using a fast protein liquid chromatography system. Five normal subjects were studied: HDL2b and HDL3a were isolated as essentially single subpopulations from all subjects, while HDL2a could be isolated from only three of the subjects. HDL3b was isolated in a relatively impure form (70%) from all subjects. Identical subpopulations were identified in each subject by gradient gel electrophoresis of unseparated HDL.

Fast, high peak capacity separations in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fitz, Brian D; Wilson, Ryan B; Parsons, Brendon A; Hoggard, Jamin C; Synovec, Robert E

2012-11-30

Peak capacity production is substantially improved for two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) and applied to the fast separation of a 28 component liquid test mixture, and two complex vapor samples (a 65 component volatile organic compound test mixture, and the headspace of warm ground coffee beans). A high peak capacity is achieved in a short separation time by selecting appropriate experimental conditions based on theoretical modeling of on-column band broadening, and by reducing the off-column band broadening by applying a narrow, concentrated injection pulse onto the primary column using high-speed cryo-focusing injection (HSCFI), referred to as thermal injection. A long, relatively narrow open tubular capillary column (20 m, 100 μm inner diameter (i.d.) with a 0.4 μm film thickness to benefit column capacity) was used as the primary column. The initial flow rate was 2 ml/min (60 cm/s average linear flow velocity) which is slightly below the optimal average linear gas velocity of 83 cm/s, due to the flow rate constraint of the TOFMS vacuum system. The oven temperature programming rate was 30°C/min. The secondary column (1.8m, 100 μm i.d. with a 0.1 μm film thickness) provided a relatively high peak capacity separation, concurrent with a significantly shorter modulation period, P(M), than commonly applied with the commercial instrument. With this GC×GC-TOFMS instrumental platform, compounds in the 28 component liquid test mixture provided a ∼7 min separation (with a ∼6.5 min separation time window), producing average peak widths of ∼600 ms full width half maximum (FWHM), resulting in a peak capacity on the primary column of ∼400 peaks (at unit resolution). Using a secondary column with a 500 ms P(M), average peak widths of ∼20 ms FWHM were achieved, thus providing a peak capacity of 15 peaks on the second dimension. Overall, an ideal orthogonal GC×GC peak capacity of ∼6000 peaks (at unit

Very high pressure liquid chromatography using fully porous particles: quantitative analysis of fast gradient separations without post-run times.

PubMed

Stankovich, Joseph J; Gritti, Fabrice; Stevenson, Paul G; Beaver, Lois Ann; Guiochon, Georges

2014-01-10

Using a column packed with fully porous particles, four methods for controlling the flow rates at which gradient elution runs are conducted in very high pressure liquid chromatography (VHPLC) were tested to determine whether reproducible thermal conditions could be achieved, such that subsequent analyses would proceed at nearly the same initial temperature. In VHPLC high flow rates are achieved, producing fast analyses but requiring high inlet pressures. The combination of high flow rates and high inlet pressures generates local heat, leading to temperature changes in the column. Usually in this case a post-run time is input into the analytical method to allow the return of the column temperature to its initial state. An alternative strategy involves operating the column without a post-run equilibration period and maintaining constant temperature variations for subsequent analysis after conducting one or a few separations to bring the column to a reproducible starting temperature. A liquid chromatography instrument equipped with a pressure controller was used to perform constant pressure and constant flow rate VHPLC separations. Six replicate gradient separations of a nine component mixture consisting of acetophenone, propiophenone, butyrophenone, valerophenone, hexanophenone, heptanophenone, octanophenone, benzophenone, and acetanilide dissolved in water/acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) were performed under various experimental conditions: constant flow rate, two sets of constant pressure, and constant pressure operation with a programmed flow rate. The relative standard deviations of the response factors for all the analytes are lower than 5% across the methods. Programming the flow rate to maintain a fairly constant pressure instead of using instrument controlled constant pressure improves the reproducibility of the retention times by a factor of 5, when plotting the chromatograms in time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of a Fast Separation Method for Anti-diabetics in Pharmaceuticals Using Monolithic Column: Comparative Study With Silica Based C-18 Particle Packed Column.

PubMed

Hemdan, A; Abdel-Aziz, Omar

2018-04-01

Run time is a predominant factor in HPLC for quality control laboratories especially if there is large number of samples have to be analyzed. Working at high flow rates cannot be attained with silica based particle packed column due to elevated backpressure issues. The use of monolithic column as an alternative to traditional C-18 column was tested for fast separation of pharmaceuticals, where the results were very competitive. The performance comparison of both columns was tested for separation of anti-diabetic combination containing Metformin, Pioglitazone and Glimepiride using Gliclazide as an internal standard. Working at high flow rates with less significant backpressure was obtained with the monolithic column where the run time was reduced from 6 min in traditional column to only 1 min in monolithic column with accepted resolution. The structure of the monolith contains many pores which can adapt the high flow rate of the mobile phase. Moreover, peak symmetry and equilibration time were more efficient with monolithic column.

Substituted polyacetylene separation membrane

DOEpatents

Pinnau, Ingo; Morisato, Atsushi

1998-01-13

A separation membrane useful for gas separation, particularly separation of C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons from natural gas. The invention encompasses the membrane itself, methods of making it and processes for using it. The membrane comprises a polymer having repeating units of a hydrocarbon-based, disubstituted polyacetylene, having the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is chosen from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and phenyl, and wherein R.sub.2 is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen and phenyl. In the most preferred embodiment, the membrane comprises poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) ›PMP!. The membrane exhibits good chemical resistance and has super-glassy properties with regard to separating certain large, condensable permeant species from smaller, less-condensable permeant species. The membranes may also be useful in other fluid separations.

Field programmable chemistry: integrated chemical and electronic processing of informational molecules towards electronic chemical cells.

PubMed

Wagler, Patrick F; Tangen, Uwe; Maeke, Thomas; McCaskill, John S

2012-07-01

The topic addressed is that of combining self-constructing chemical systems with electronic computation to form unconventional embedded computation systems performing complex nano-scale chemical tasks autonomously. The hybrid route to complex programmable chemistry, and ultimately to artificial cells based on novel chemistry, requires a solution of the two-way massively parallel coupling problem between digital electronics and chemical systems. We present a chemical microprocessor technology and show how it can provide a generic programmable platform for complex molecular processing tasks in Field Programmable Chemistry, including steps towards the grand challenge of constructing the first electronic chemical cells. Field programmable chemistry employs a massively parallel field of electrodes, under the control of latched voltages, which are used to modulate chemical activity. We implement such a field programmable chemistry which links to chemistry in rather generic, two-phase microfluidic channel networks that are separated into weakly coupled domains. Electric fields, produced by the high-density array of electrodes embedded in the channel floors, are used to control the transport of chemicals across the hydrodynamic barriers separating domains. In the absence of electric fields, separate microfluidic domains are essentially independent with only slow diffusional interchange of chemicals. Electronic chemical cells, based on chemical microprocessors, exploit a spatially resolved sandwich structure in which the electronic and chemical systems are locally coupled through homogeneous fine-grained actuation and sensor networks and play symmetric and complementary roles. We describe how these systems are fabricated, experimentally test their basic functionality, simulate their potential (e.g. for feed forward digital electrophoretic (FFDE) separation) and outline the application to building electronic chemical cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

Quality testing of an innovative cascade separation system for multiple cell separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierzchalski, Arkadiusz; Moszczynska, Aleksandra; Albrecht, Bernd; Heinrich, Jan-Michael; Tarnok, Attila

2012-03-01

Isolation of different cell types from mixed samples in one separation step by FACS is feasible but expensive and slow. It is cheaper and faster but still challenging by magnetic separation. An innovative bead-based cascade-system (pluriSelect GmbH, Leipzig, Germany) relies on simultaneous physical separation of different cell types. It is based on antibody-mediated binding of cells to beads of different size and isolation with sieves of different mesh-size. We validated pluriSelect system for single parameter (CD3) and simultaneous separation of CD3 and CD15 cells from EDTA blood-samples. Results were compared with those obtained by MACS (Miltenyi-Biotech) magnetic separation (CD3 separation). pluriSelect separation was done in whole blood, MACS on Ficoll gradient isolated leukocytes, according to the manufacturer's protocols. Isolated and residual cells were immunophenotyped (7-color 8-antibody panel (CD3; CD16/56; CD4; CD8; CD14; CD19; CD45; HLADR) on a CyFlowML flow cytometer (Partec GmbH). Cell count (Coulter), purity, yield and viability (7-AAD exclusion) were determined. There were no significant differences between both systems regarding purity (92-98%), yield (50-60%) and viability (92-98%) of isolated cells. PluriSelect separation was slightly faster than MACS (1.15 h versus 1.5h). Moreover, no preenrichment steps were necessary. In conclusion, pluriSelect is a fast, simple and gentle system for efficient simultaneous separation of two cell subpopulation directly from whole blood and can provide a simple alternative to FACS. The isolated cells can be used for further research applications.

Vapor-liquid interfacial reaction to fabricate superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabric for oil/water separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongqiang; Liang, Tao; Lai, Xuejun; Su, Xiaojing; Zhang, Lin; Zeng, Xingrong

2018-01-01

With oil spill accidents and oil industrial wastewater increasing, oil/water separation has attracted much attention in recent years. Herein, we report the fabrication of superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabrics for oil/water separation via vapor-liquid interfacial reaction. It is based on sol-gel reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to generate silica and thiol-ene reaction between poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) (TTMP) to form crosslinked hydrophilic polymer on polyester fabric under the catalysis of butylamine/ammonia vapor. The chemical structure of the surfaces on thiol-ene/silica hybrid decorated fabric was confirmed by FTIR and XPS, and obvious micro-nano morphology and roughness were observed with SEM and AFM. The water contact angle of the fabric attained 0° in 0.36 s, and the underwater oil contact angle reached up to 160°. Importantly, the fabric exhibited high separation efficiency at 99.5%, fast water flux above 71600 Lm-2h-1 and excellent recyclability in oil/water separation. Our findings open a new strategy to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic materials for oil/water separation.

Chiral separation and chemical profile of Dengzhan Shengmai by integrating comprehensive with multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Sheng, Ning; Zheng, Hao; Xiao, Yao; Wang, Zhe; Li, Menglin; Zhang, Jinlan

2017-09-29

Chemical profile for Chinese medicine formulas composed of several herbs is always a challenge due to a big array of small molecules with high chemical diversity so much as isomers. The present paper develops a feasible strategy to characterize and identify complex chemical constituents of a four-herb traditional Chinese medicine formula, Denzhan Shenmai (DZSM) by integrating comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC×LC-qTOF-MS) with multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MHC-qTOF-MS). DZSM was separated by C8×C18 HPLC column system for comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system and 283 compounds most of which belonged to phenolic acid, flavonoid, saponin and lignan families were characterized and identified within 75min. Some isomers and compounds at low level were analyzed on C8×Chiral HPLC column system for multiple heart-cutting two-dimensional liquid chromatography system with 1D and 2D optimized gradient elution program. These 1D cutting fractions were successively separated on 2D chiral chromatographic column under extended the 2D gradient elution time from 30s to 5.0min. 12 pairs of isomer compounds were separated with good resolution. The combination of LC×LC and MHC system provides a powerful technique for global chemical profiling of DZSM and provided feasible strategy for other complex systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous estimation of baseflow in snowmelt-dominated streams and rivers in the Upper Colorado River Basin: A chemical hydrograph separation approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Matthew P.; Susong, David D.; Shope, Christopher L.; Heilweil, Victor M.; Stolp, Bernard J.

2014-01-01

Effective science-based management of water resources in large basins requires a qualitative understanding of hydrologic conditions and quantitative measures of the various components of the water budget, including difficult to measure components such as baseflow discharge to streams. Using widely available discharge and continuously collected specific conductance (SC) data, we adapted and applied a long established chemical hydrograph separation approach to quantify daily and representative annual baseflow discharge at fourteen streams and rivers at large spatial (> 1,000 km2 watersheds) and temporal (up to 37 years) scales in the Upper Colorado River Basin. On average, annual baseflow was 21-58% of annual stream discharge, 13-45% of discharge during snowmelt, and 40-86% of discharge during low-flow conditions. Results suggest that reservoirs may act to store baseflow discharged to the stream during snowmelt and release that baseflow during low-flow conditions, and that irrigation return flows may contribute to increases in fall baseflow in heavily irrigated watersheds. The chemical hydrograph separation approach, and associated conceptual model defined here provide a basis for the identification of land use, management, and climate effects on baseflow.

Substituted polyacetylene separation membrane

DOEpatents

Pinnau, I.; Morisato, Atsushi

1998-01-13

A separation membrane is described which is useful for gas separation, particularly separation of C{sub 2+} hydrocarbons from natural gas. The invention encompasses the membrane itself, methods of making it and processes for using it. The membrane comprises a polymer having repeating units of a hydrocarbon-based, disubstituted polyacetylene, having the general formula shown in the accompanying diagram, wherein R{sub 1} is chosen from the group consisting of C{sub 1}-C{sub 4} alkyl and phenyl, and wherein R{sub 2} is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen and phenyl. In the most preferred embodiment, the membrane comprises poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) [PMP]. The membrane exhibits good chemical resistance and has super-glassy properties with regard to separating certain large, condensable permeant species from smaller, less-condensable permeant species. The membranes may also be useful in other fluid separations. 4 figs.

Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy.

PubMed

Stender, S; Dyerberg, J; Astrup, A

2007-06-01

Although nutrition experts might be able to navigate the menus of fast-food restaurant chains, and based on the nutritional information, compose apparently 'healthy' meals, there are still many reasons why frequent fast-food consumption at most chains is unhealthy and contributes to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Fast food generally has a high-energy density, which, together with large portion sizes, induces over consumption of calories. In addition, we have found it to be a myth that the typical fast-food meal is the same worldwide. Chemical analyses of 74 samples of fast-food menus consisting of French fries and fried chicken (nuggets/hot wings) bought in McDonalds and KFC outlets in 35 countries in 2005-2006 showed that the total fat content of the same menu varies from 41 to 65 g at McDonalds and from 42 to 74 g at KFC. In addition, fast food from major chains in most countries still contains unacceptably high levels of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (IP-TFA). IP-TFA have powerful biological effects and may contribute to increased weight gain, abdominal obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. The food quality and portion size need to be improved before it is safe to eat frequently at most fast-food chains.

1.9 μm superficially porous packing material with radially oriented pores and tailored pore size for ultra-fast separation of small molecules and biomolecules.

PubMed

Min, Yi; Jiang, Bo; Wu, Ci; Xia, Simin; Zhang, Xiaodan; Liang, Zhen; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2014-08-22

In this work, 1.9 μm reversed-phase packing materials with superficially porous structure were prepared to achieve the rapid and high efficient separation of peptides and proteins. The silica particles were synthesized via three steps, nonporous silica particle preparation by a modified seeded growth method, mesoporous shell formation by a one pot templated dissolution and redeposition strategy, and pore size expansion via acid-refluxing. By such a method, 1.9 μm superficially porous materials with 0.18 μm shell thickness and tailored pore diameter (10 nm, 15 nm) were obtained. After pore enlargement, the formerly dense arrays of mesoporous structure changed, the radially oriented pores dominated the superficially porous structure. The chromatographic performance of such particles was investigated after C18 derivatization. For packing materials with 1.9 μm diameter and 10 nm pore size, the column efficiency could reach 211,300 plates per m for naphthalene. To achieve the high resolution separation of peptides and proteins, particles with pore diameter of 15 nm were tailored, by which the baseline separation of 5 peptides and 5 intact proteins could be respectively achieved within 1 min, demonstrating the superiority in the high efficiency and high throughput analysis of biomolecules. Furthermore, BSA digests were well separated with peak capacity of 120 in 30 min on a 15 cm-long column. Finally, we compared our columns with a 1.7 μm Kinetex C18 column under the same conditions, our particles with 10nm pore size demonstrated similar performance for separation of the large intact proteins. Moreover, the particles with 15 nm pore size showed more symmetrical peaks for the separation of large proteins (BSA, OVA and IgG) and provided rapid separation of protein extracts from Escherichia coli in 5 min. All these results indicated that the synthesized 1.9 μm superficially porous silica packing materials would be promising in the ultra-fast and high

[Rapid detection of four antipertensive chemicals adulterated in traditional Chinese medicine for hypertension using TLC-SERS].

PubMed

Zhu, Qing-Xia; Cao, Yong-Bing; Cao, Ying-Ying; Lu, Feng

2014-04-01

A novel facile method for on-site detection of antipertensive chemicals (e. g. nicardipine hydrochloride, doxazosin mesylate, propranolol hydrochloride, and hydrochlorothiazide) adulterated in traditional Chinese medicine for hypertension using thin layer chromatography (TLC) combined with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was reported in the present paper. Analytes and pharmaceutical matrices was separated by TLC, then SERS method was used to complete qualitative identification of trace substances on TLC plate. By optimizing colloidal silver concentration and developing solvent, as well as exploring the optimal limits of detection (LOD), the initially established TLC-SERS method was used to detect real hypertension Chinese pharmaceuticals. The results showed that this method had good specificity for the four chemicals and high sensitivity with a limit of detection as lower as to 0.005 microg. Finally, two of the ten antipertensive drugs were detected to be adulterated with chemicals. This simple and fast method can realize rapid detection of chemicals illegally for doping in antipertensive Chinese pharmaceuticals, and would have good prospects in on-site detection of chemicals for doping in Chinese pharmaceuticals.

Fast imaging with inelastically scattered electrons by off-axis chromatic confocal electron microscopy.

PubMed

Zheng, Changlin; Zhu, Ye; Lazar, Sorin; Etheridge, Joanne

2014-04-25

We introduce off-axis chromatic scanning confocal electron microscopy, a technique for fast mapping of inelastically scattered electrons in a scanning transmission electron microscope without a spectrometer. The off-axis confocal mode enables the inelastically scattered electrons to be chromatically dispersed both parallel and perpendicular to the optic axis. This enables electrons with different energy losses to be separated and detected in the image plane, enabling efficient energy filtering in a confocal mode with an integrating detector. We describe the experimental configuration and demonstrate the method with nanoscale core-loss chemical mapping of silver (M4,5) in an aluminium-silver alloy and atomic scale imaging of the low intensity core-loss La (M4,5@840  eV) signal in LaB6. Scan rates up to 2 orders of magnitude faster than conventional methods were used, enabling a corresponding reduction in radiation dose and increase in the field of view. If coupled with the enhanced depth and lateral resolution of the incoherent confocal configuration, this offers an approach for nanoscale three-dimensional chemical mapping.

Bio-Oil Separation and Stabilization by Near-Critical Propane Fractionation

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

Ginosar, Daniel M.; Petkovic, Lucia M.; Agblevor, Foster A.

Bio-oils produced by thermal process are promising sources of sustainable, low greenhouse gas alternative fuels. These thermal processes are also well suited to decentralized energy production due to low capital and operating costs. Algae feedstocks for bio-oil production are of particular interest, due in part to their high-energy growth yields. Further, algae can be grown in non-arable areas in fresh, brackish, salt water, or even waste water. Unfortunately, bio-oils produced by thermal processes present significant stability challenges. These oils have complex chemical compositions, are viscous, reactive, and thermally unstable. Further, the components within the oils are difficult to separate bymore » fractional distillation. By far, the most effective separation and stabilization method has been solvent extraction. However, liquid phase extraction processes pose two main obstacles to commercialization; they require a significant amount of energy to remove and recover the solvent from the product, and they have a propensity for the solvent to become contaminated with minerals from the char and ash present in the original bio-oil. Separation and fractionation of thermally produced bio-oils using supercritical fluids (SCF) offers the advantages of liquid solvent extraction while drastically reducing energy demands and the predisposition to carry over solids into the extracted phase. SCFs are dense fluids with liquid-like solvent properties and gas-like transport properties. Further, SCF density and solvent strength can be tuned with minor adjustments in pressure, co-solvent addition, or gas anti-solvent addition. Catalytic pyrolysis oils were produced from Scenedesmus dimorphus algae using a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst. Bio-oil produced from catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) was separated using critical fluids. Propane extraction was performed at 65 °C at a fluid reduced pressure of 2.0 (85 bar) using an eight to one solvent to feed ratio by weight

Mass production of chemicals from biomass-derived oil by directly atmospheric distillation coupled with co-pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xue-Song; Yang, Guang-Xi; Jiang, Hong; Liu, Wu-Jun; Ding, Hong-Sheng

2013-01-01

Production of renewable commodity chemicals from bio-oil derived from fast pyrolysis of biomass has received considerable interests, but hindered by the presence of innumerable components in bio-oil. In present work, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated an innovative approach combining atmospheric distillation of bio-oil with co-pyrolysis for mass production of renewable chemicals from biomass, in which no waste was produced. It was estimated that 51.86 wt.% of distillate just containing dozens of separable organic components could be recovered using this approach. Ten protogenetic and three epigenetic compounds in distillate were qualitatively identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantified by gas chromatography. Among them, the recovery efficiencies of acetic acid, propanoic acid, and furfural were all higher than 80 wt.%. Formation pathways of the distillate components in this process were explored. This work opens up a fascinating prospect for mass production of chemical feedstock from waste biomass.

Highly accurate and fast optical penetration-based silkworm gender separation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamtongdee, Chakkrit; Sumriddetchkajorn, Sarun; Chanhorm, Sataporn

2015-07-01

Based on our research work in the last five years, this paper highlights our innovative optical sensing system that can identify and separate silkworm gender highly suitable for sericulture industry. The key idea relies on our proposed optical penetration concepts and once combined with simple image processing operations leads to high accuracy in identifying of silkworm gender. Inside the system, there are electronic and mechanical parts that assist in controlling the overall system operation, processing the optical signal, and separating the female from male silkworm pupae. With current system performance, we achieve a very highly accurate more than 95% in identifying gender of silkworm pupae with an average system operational speed of 30 silkworm pupae/minute. Three of our systems are already in operation at Thailand's Queen Sirikit Sericulture Centers.

Adsorptive separation in bioprocess engineering

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

Huang, E.W.Y.

1987-01-01

The invention and development of an energy-efficient separation technique for recovery of desired chemicals from biomass conversion would greatly enhance the economic viability of this bioprocess. Adsorptive separation of several chemicals from aqueous solution was studied in this thesis. The desired species were recovered from the dilute aqueous solution by using crosslinked polyvinylpyridine resin to effect selective sorption. The sorbed chemicals were then removed from the resin by either thermal regeneration or elution with some appropriate desorbents. The effects of temperature, pH value, and solute concentration on resin swelling were investigated. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms, resin capacities and resin selectivitiesmore » of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, isopropanol, glycerol, acetone, 1-butanol, tert-butanol, and 2,3-butanediol were determined to study the homologies. Furthermore, acetic acid, butyric acid, hydrochloric acid, lactic acid, and sulfuric acid were recovered from very dilute aqueous solutions. The concentration of the sorbed chemical in the stationary phase can be many times higher than in the mobile phase for some acids. Finally, different types of equilibrium isotherms were used to fit the experimental data. A mathematical model was developed by using the theory of interference to predict the breakthrough curves and the process efficiency to provide information for large-scale process design and development.« less

Quantitative Insights into the Fast Pyrolysis of Extracted Cellulose, Hemicelluloses, and Lignin

PubMed Central

Windt, Michael; Ziegler, Bernhard; Appelt, Jörn; Saake, Bodo; Meier, Dietrich; Bridgwater, Anthony

2017-01-01

Abstract The transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into bio‐based commodity chemicals is technically possible. Among thermochemical processes, fast pyrolysis, a relatively mature technology that has now reached a commercial level, produces a high yield of an organic‐rich liquid stream. Despite recent efforts to elucidate the degradation paths of biomass during pyrolysis, the selectivity and recovery rates of bio‐compounds remain low. In an attempt to clarify the general degradation scheme of biomass fast pyrolysis and provide a quantitative insight, the use of fast pyrolysis microreactors is combined with spectroscopic techniques (i.e., mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy) and mixtures of unlabeled and 13C‐enriched materials. The first stage of the work aimed to select the type of reactor to use to ensure control of the pyrolysis regime. A comparison of the chemical fragmentation patterns of “primary” fast pyrolysis volatiles detected by using GC‐MS between two small‐scale microreactors showed the inevitable occurrence of secondary reactions. In the second stage, liquid fractions that are also made of primary fast pyrolysis condensates were analyzed by using quantitative liquid‐state 13C NMR spectroscopy to provide a quantitative distribution of functional groups. The compilation of these results into a map that displays the distribution of functional groups according to the individual and main constituents of biomass (i.e., hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin) confirmed the origin of individual chemicals within the fast pyrolysis liquids. PMID:28644517

Quantitative Insights into the Fast Pyrolysis of Extracted Cellulose, Hemicelluloses, and Lignin.

PubMed

Carrier, Marion; Windt, Michael; Ziegler, Bernhard; Appelt, Jörn; Saake, Bodo; Meier, Dietrich; Bridgwater, Anthony

2017-08-24

The transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-based commodity chemicals is technically possible. Among thermochemical processes, fast pyrolysis, a relatively mature technology that has now reached a commercial level, produces a high yield of an organic-rich liquid stream. Despite recent efforts to elucidate the degradation paths of biomass during pyrolysis, the selectivity and recovery rates of bio-compounds remain low. In an attempt to clarify the general degradation scheme of biomass fast pyrolysis and provide a quantitative insight, the use of fast pyrolysis microreactors is combined with spectroscopic techniques (i.e., mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy) and mixtures of unlabeled and 13 C-enriched materials. The first stage of the work aimed to select the type of reactor to use to ensure control of the pyrolysis regime. A comparison of the chemical fragmentation patterns of "primary" fast pyrolysis volatiles detected by using GC-MS between two small-scale microreactors showed the inevitable occurrence of secondary reactions. In the second stage, liquid fractions that are also made of primary fast pyrolysis condensates were analyzed by using quantitative liquid-state 13 C NMR spectroscopy to provide a quantitative distribution of functional groups. The compilation of these results into a map that displays the distribution of functional groups according to the individual and main constituents of biomass (i.e., hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin) confirmed the origin of individual chemicals within the fast pyrolysis liquids. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Review of anhydrous zirconium-hafnium separation techniques. Information circular/1984

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

Skaggs, R.L.; Rogers, D.T.; Hunter, D.B.

1983-12-01

Sixteen nonaqueous techniques conceived to replace the current aqueous scheme for separating hafnium and zirconium tetrachlorides were reviewed and evaluated by the Bureau of Mines. The methods are divided into two classes: separation by fractional volatilization of the tetrachlorides, which takes advantage of the higher volatility of hafnium tetrachloride; and separation by chemical techniques, based on differences in chemical behavior of the two tetrachlorides. The criteria used to evaluate separation methods were temperature, pressure, separation factor per equilibrium stage, complexity, compatibility with existing technology, and potential for continuous operation. Three processes were selected as being most promising: (1) high-pressure distillation,more » (2) extractive distillation from a molten salt, and (3) preferential reduction of gaseous ZrCl4. Any of the proposed nonaqueous Hf-Zr separation schemes must be supplemented with additional purification to remove trace impurities.« less

[Fast identification of constituents of Lagotis brevituba by using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method].

PubMed

Xie, Jing; Zhang, Li; Zeng, Jin-Xiang; Li, Min; Wang, Juan; Xie, Xiong-Xiong; Zhong, Guo-Yue; Luo, Guang-Ming; Yuan, Jin-Bin; Liang, Jian

2017-06-01

The chemical constituents of Lagotis brevituba were rapidly determined and analyzed by using ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) method, providing material basis for the clinical application of L. brevituba. The separation was performed on UPLC YMC-Triart C₁₈ (2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.9 μm) column, with acetonitrile-water containing 0.2% formic acid as mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 0.4 mL•min-1 gradient elution and column temperature was 40 ℃, the injection volume was 2 μL. ESI ion source was used to ensure the data collected in a negative ion mode. The chemical components of L. brevituba were identified through retention time, exact relative molecular mass, cleavage fragments of MS/MS and reported data. The results showed that a total of 22 compounds were identified, including 11 flavones, 6 phenylethanoid glycosides, 1 iridoid glucosides, and 4 organic acid. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method could fast identify the chemical components of L. brevituba, providing valuable information about L. brevituba for its clinical application. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Assessing Principal Component Regression Prediction of Neurochemicals Detected with Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Principal component regression is a multivariate data analysis approach routinely used to predict neurochemical concentrations from in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry measurements. This mathematical procedure can rapidly be employed with present day computer programming languages. Here, we evaluate several methods that can be used to evaluate and improve multivariate concentration determination. The cyclic voltammetric representation of the calculated regression vector is shown to be a valuable tool in determining whether the calculated multivariate model is chemically appropriate. The use of Cook’s distance successfully identified outliers contained within in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry training sets. This work also presents the first direct interpretation of a residual color plot and demonstrated the effect of peak shifts on predicted dopamine concentrations. Finally, separate analyses of smaller increments of a single continuous measurement could not be concatenated without substantial error in the predicted neurochemical concentrations due to electrode drift. Taken together, these tools allow for the construction of more robust multivariate calibration models and provide the first approach to assess the predictive ability of a procedure that is inherently impossible to validate because of the lack of in vivo standards. PMID:21966586

Assessing principal component regression prediction of neurochemicals detected with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

PubMed

Keithley, Richard B; Wightman, R Mark

2011-06-07

Principal component regression is a multivariate data analysis approach routinely used to predict neurochemical concentrations from in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry measurements. This mathematical procedure can rapidly be employed with present day computer programming languages. Here, we evaluate several methods that can be used to evaluate and improve multivariate concentration determination. The cyclic voltammetric representation of the calculated regression vector is shown to be a valuable tool in determining whether the calculated multivariate model is chemically appropriate. The use of Cook's distance successfully identified outliers contained within in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry training sets. This work also presents the first direct interpretation of a residual color plot and demonstrated the effect of peak shifts on predicted dopamine concentrations. Finally, separate analyses of smaller increments of a single continuous measurement could not be concatenated without substantial error in the predicted neurochemical concentrations due to electrode drift. Taken together, these tools allow for the construction of more robust multivariate calibration models and provide the first approach to assess the predictive ability of a procedure that is inherently impossible to validate because of the lack of in vivo standards.

FAST - A multiprocessed environment for visualization of computational fluid dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bancroft, Gordon V.; Merritt, Fergus J.; Plessel, Todd C.; Kelaita, Paul G.; Mccabe, R. Kevin

1991-01-01

The paper presents the Flow Analysis Software Toolset (FAST) to be used for fluid-mechanics analysis. The design criteria for FAST including the minimization of the data path in the computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) process, consistent user interface, extensible software architecture, modularization, and the isolation of three-dimensional tasks from the application programmer are outlined. Each separate process communicates through the FAST Hub, while other modules such as FAST Central, NAS file input, CFD calculator, surface extractor and renderer, titler, tracer, and isolev might work together to generate the scene. An interprocess communication package making it possible for FAST to operate as a modular environment where resources could be shared among different machines as well as a single host is discussed.

Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Steel Substrate: Fabrication, Reversibly Extreme Wettability and Oil-Water Separation.

PubMed

Su, Xiaojing; Li, Hongqiang; Lai, Xuejun; Zhang, Lin; Liang, Tao; Feng, Yuchun; Zeng, Xingrong

2017-01-25

Functional surfaces for reversibly switchable wettability and oil-water separation have attracted much interest with pushing forward an immense influence on fundamental research and industrial application in recent years. This article proposed a facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces on steel substrates via electroless replacement deposition of copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) and UV curing of vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). PDMS-based superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited water contact angle (WCA) close to 160° and water sliding angle (WSA) lower than 5°, preserving outstanding chemical stability that maintained superhydrophobicity immersing in different aqueous solutions with pH values from 1 to 13 for 12 h. Interestingly, the superhydrophobic surface could dramatically switch to the superhydrophilic state under UV irradiation and then gradually recover to the highly hydrophobic state with WCA at 140° after dark storage. The underlying mechanism was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the PDMS-based steel mesh possessed high separation efficiency and excellent reusability in oil-water separation. Our studies provide a simple, fast, and economical fabrication method for wettability-transformable superhydrophobic surfaces and have the potential applications in microfluidics, the biomedical field, and oil spill cleanup.

High-sensitivity detection of biological amines using fast Hadamard transform CE coupled with photolytic optical gating.

PubMed

Braun, Kevin L; Hapuarachchi, Suminda; Fernandez, Facundo M; Aspinwall, Craig A

2007-08-01

Here, we report the first utilization of Hadamard transform CE (HTCE), a high-sensitivity, multiplexed CE technique, with photolytic optical gating sample injection of caged fluorescent labels for the detection of biologically important amines. Previous implementations of HTCE have relied upon photobleaching optical gating sample injection of fluorescent dyes. Photolysis of caged fluorescent labels reduces the fluorescence background, providing marked enhancements in sensitivity compared to photobleaching. Application of fast Hadamard transform CE (fHTCE) for fluorescein-based dyes yields a ten-fold higher sensitivity for photolytic injections compared to photobleaching injections, due primarily to the reduced fluorescent background provided by caged fluorescent dyes. Detection limits as low as 5 pM (ca. 18 molecules per injection event) were obtained with on-column LIF detection using fHTCE in less than 25 s, with the capacity for continuous, online separations. Detection limits for glutamate and aspartate below 150 pM (1-2 amol/injection event) were obtained using photolytic sample injection, with separation efficiencies exceeding 1 x 10(6) plates/m and total multiplexed separation times as low as 8 s. These results strongly support the feasibility of this approach for high-sensitivity dynamic chemical monitoring applications.

Improved Separators For Rechargeable Lithium Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, David; Surampudi, Subbarao; Huang, Chen-Kuo; Halpert, Gerald

1994-01-01

Improved pairs of separators proposed for use in rechargeable lithium cells operating at ambient temperature. Block growth of lithium dendrites and help prevent short circuits. Each cell contains one separator made of microporous polypropylene placed next to anode, and one separator made of microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) next to cathode. Separators increase cycle lives of secondary lithium cells. Cells to which concept applicable those of Li/TiS(2), Li/NbSe(3), Li/CoO(2), Li/MoS(2), Li/VO(x), and Li/MnO(2) chemical systems. Advantageous in spacecraft, military, communications, automotive, and other applications in which high energy density and rechargeability needed.

Method of separating thorium from plutonium

DOEpatents

Clifton, David G.; Blum, Thomas W.

1984-01-01

A method of chemically separating plutonium from thorium. Plutonium and thorium to be separated are dissolved in an aqueous feed solution, preferably as the nitrate salts. The feed solution is acidified and sodium nitrite is added to the solution to adjust the valence of the plutonium to the +4 state. A chloride salt, preferably sodium chloride, is then added to the solution to induce formation of an anionic plutonium chloride complex. The anionic plutonium chloride complex and the thorium in solution are then separated by ion exchange on a strong base anion exchange column.

Separation and identification of twelve catechins in tea using liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zeeb, D J; Nelson, B C; Albert, K; Dalluge, J J

2000-10-15

A method has been developed for the direct microscale determination of 12 catechins in green and black tea infusions. The method is based on liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS). Standard catechin mixtures and tea infusions were analyzed by LC/APCI-MS with detection of protonated molecular ions and characteristic fragment ions for each compound. The identities of eight major catechins and caffeine in tea were established based on LC retention times and simultaneously recorded mass spectra. In addition, monitoring of the catechin-specific retro Diels-Alder fragment ion at m/z 139 throughout the chromatogram provided a unique fingerprint for catechin content in the samples that led to the identification of four minor chemically modified catechin derivatives in the infusions. This report is the first to describe the comprehensive determination of all 12 reported catechins in a single analysis. The utility of LC/APCI-MS for providing routine separation and identification of catechins at femtomole to low-picomole levels without extraction or sample pretreatment, and its potential as a standard analytical tool for the determination of polyphenols in natural products and biological fluids, are discussed.

Comparing monolithic and fused core HPLC columns for fast chromatographic analysis of fat-soluble vitamins.

PubMed

Kurdi, Said El; Muaileq, Dina Abu; Alhazmi, Hassan A; Bratty, Mohammed Al; Deeb, Sami El

2017-06-27

HPLC stationary phases of monolithic and fused core type can be used to achieve fast chromatographic separation as an alternative to UPLC. In this study, monolithic and fused core stationary phases are compared for fast separation of four fat-soluble vitamins. Three new methods on the first and second generation monolithic silica RP-18e columns and a fused core pentafluoro-phenyl propyl column were developed. Application of three fused core columns offered comparable separations of retinyl palmitate, DL-α-tocopheryl acetate, cholecalciferol and menadione in terms of elution speed and separation efficiency. Separation was achieved in approx. 5 min with good resolution (Rs > 5) and precision (RSD ≤ 0.6 %). Monolithic columns showed, however, a higher number of theoretical plates, better precision and lower column backpressure than the fused core column. The three developed methods were successfully applied to separate and quantitate fat-soluble vitamins in commercial products.

Separations: A Short History and a Cloudy Crystal Ball

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wankat, Phil

2009-01-01

Separations have played a major role in the history of chemical engineering and will continue to be important. Since separations have always been a major cost item in the process industries, they have always been a critical key to successful commercialization. First, while reviewing the history of separation processes we will observe that many…

Mass production of chemicals from biomass-derived oil by directly atmospheric distillation coupled with co-pyrolysis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xue-Song; Yang, Guang-Xi; Jiang, Hong; Liu, Wu-Jun; Ding, Hong-Sheng

2013-01-01

Production of renewable commodity chemicals from bio-oil derived from fast pyrolysis of biomass has received considerable interests, but hindered by the presence of innumerable components in bio-oil. In present work, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated an innovative approach combining atmospheric distillation of bio-oil with co-pyrolysis for mass production of renewable chemicals from biomass, in which no waste was produced. It was estimated that 51.86 wt.% of distillate just containing dozens of separable organic components could be recovered using this approach. Ten protogenetic and three epigenetic compounds in distillate were qualitatively identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantified by gas chromatography. Among them, the recovery efficiencies of acetic acid, propanoic acid, and furfural were all higher than 80 wt.%. Formation pathways of the distillate components in this process were explored. This work opens up a fascinating prospect for mass production of chemical feedstock from waste biomass. PMID:23350028

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Separation.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiang; Wang, Yanxiang; Li, Dong-Sheng; Bu, Xianhui; Feng, Pingyun

2018-03-27

Separation is an important industrial step with critical roles in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and nuclear industries, as well as in many other fields. Although much progress has been made, the development of better separation technologies, especially through the discovery of high-performance separation materials, continues to attract increasing interest due to concerns over factors such as efficiency, health and environmental impacts, and the cost of existing methods. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a rapidly expanding family of crystalline porous materials, have shown great promise to address various separation challenges due to their well-defined pore size and unprecedented tunability in both composition and pore geometry. In the past decade, extensive research is performed on applications of MOF materials, including separation and capture of many gases and vapors, and liquid-phase separation involving both liquid mixtures and solutions. MOFs also bring new opportunities in enantioselective separation and are amenable to morphological control such as fabrication of membranes for enhanced separation outcomes. Here, some of the latest progress in the applications of MOFs for several key separation issues, with emphasis on newly synthesized MOF materials and the impact of their compositional and structural features on separation properties, are reviewed and highlighted. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Using Visualization and Computation in the Analysis of Separation Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joo, Yong Lak; Choudhary, Devashish

2006-01-01

For decades, every chemical engineer has been asked to have a background in separations. The required separations course can, however, be uninspiring and superficial because understanding many separation processes involves conventional graphical methods and commercial process simulators. We utilize simple, user-­friendly mathematical software,…

Development and Application of a Fast Chromatography Technique for Analysis of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds in Plant Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, C. E.; Kato, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Yamazakii, S.; Kajii, Y. J.

2011-12-01

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted from vegetation constitute the largest fraction (>90 %) of total global non-methane VOC supplied to the atmosphere, yet the chemical complexity of these emissions means that achieving comprehensive measurements of BVOCs, and in particular the less volatile terpenes, is not straightforward. As such, there is still significant uncertainty associated with the contribution of BVOCs to the tropospheric oxidation budget, and to atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. The rate of BVOC emission from vegetation is regulated by environmental conditions such as light intensity and temperature, and thus can be highly variable, necessitating high time-resolution BVOC measurements. In addition, the numerous monoterpene and sesquiterpene isomers, which are indistinguishable by some analytical techniques, have greatly varying lifetimes with respect to atmospheric oxidants, and as such quantification of each individual isomer is fundamental to achieving a comprehensive characterisation of the impact of BVOCs upon the atmospheric oxidation capacity. However, established measurement techniques for these trace gases typically offer a trade-off between sample frequency and the level of speciation; detailed information regarding chemical composition may be obtained, but with reduced time resolution, or vice versa. We have developed a Fast-GC-FID technique for quantification of a range of monoterpene, sesquiterpene and oxygenated C10 BVOC isomers, which retains the separation capability of conventional gas chromatography, yet offers considerably improved sample frequency. Development of this system is ongoing, but currently a 20 m x 0.18 mm i.d resistively heated metal column is employed to achieve chromatographic separation of thirteen C10-C15 BVOCs, within a total cycle time of ~15 minutes. We present the instrument specifications and analytical capability, together with the first application of this Fast-GC technique

Method of separating thorium from plutonium

DOEpatents

Clifton, D.G.; Blum, T.W.

A method of chemically separating plutonium from thorium is claimed. Plutonium and thorium to be separated are dissolved in an aqueous feed solution, preferably as the nitrate salts. The feed solution is acidified and sodium nitrite is added to the solution to adjust the valence of the plutonium to the +4 state. A chloride salt, preferably sodium chloride, is then added to the solution to induce formation of an anionic plutonium chloride complex. The anionic plutonium chloride complex and the thorium in solution are then separated by ion exchange on a strong base anion exchange column.

Method of separating thorium from plutonium

DOEpatents

Clifton, D.G.; Blum, T.W.

1984-07-10

A method is described for chemically separating plutonium from thorium. Plutonium and thorium to be separated are dissolved in an aqueous feed solution, preferably as the nitrate salts. The feed solution is acidified and sodium nitrite is added to the solution to adjust the valence of the plutonium to the +4 state. A chloride salt, preferably sodium chloride, is then added to the solution to induce formation of an anionic plutonium chloride complex. The anionic plutonium chloride complex and the thorium in solution are then separated by ion exchange on a strong base anion exchange column.

Lifetime estimates for sterilizable silver-zinc battery separators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuddihy, E. F.; Walmsley, D. E.; Moacanin, J.

1972-01-01

The lifetime of separator membranes currently employed in the electrolyte environment of silver-zinc batteries was estimated at 3 to 5 years. The separator membranes are crosslinked polyethylene film containing grafted poly (potassium acrylate)(PKA), the latter being the hydrophilic agent which promotes electrolyte ion transport. The lifetime was estimated by monitoring the rate of loss of PKA from the separators, caused by chemical attack of the electrolyte, and relating this loss rate to a known relationship between battery performance and PKA concentration in the separators.

Separations and characterizations of fractions from Mayan, Heavy Arabian, and Hondo crude oils

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

Kircher, C.C.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on Mayan, Heavy Arabian, and Hondo crude oil resids separated with a modified, extended ASTM D2007 procedure. The fractions obtained have been characterized with various analytical techniques. Chemical properties, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrodemetallation activities of the resids have been correlated with the chemical properties of the separated fractions. Many correlations were indicative of the overall bulk properties of the resids and the broad chemical classes obtained from the separation schemes. Other correlations reflected the unique chemical nature of each crude oil resid. Some potentially important correlations were found between hydrodesulfurization activity and sulfur concentration in polars and asphaltenes,more » and between hydrodemetallation activity and nitrogen concentration in the acid and bases fractions.« less

Metallography and fuel cladding chemical interaction in fast flux test facility irradiated metallic U-10Zr MFF-3 and MFF-5 fuel pins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmack, W. J.; Chichester, H. M.; Porter, D. L.; Wootan, D. W.

2016-05-01

The Mechanistic Fuel Failure (MFF) series of metal fuel irradiations conducted in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) provides an important comparison between data generated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II) and that expected in a larger-scale fast reactor. The MFF fuel operated with a peak cladding temperature at the top of the fuel column, but developed peak burnup at the centerline of the core. This places the peak fuel temperature midway between the core center and the top of fuel, lower in the fuel column than in EBR-II experiments. Data from the MFF-3 and MFF-5 assemblies are most comparable to the data obtained from the EBR-II X447 experiment. The two X447 pin breaches were strongly influenced by fuel/cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) at the top of the fuel column. Post irradiation examination data from MFF-3 and MFF-5 are presented and compared to historical EBR-II data.

Gas separation using ultrasound and light absorption

DOEpatents

Sinha, Dipen N [Los Alamos, NM

2012-07-31

An apparatus and method for separating a chosen gas from a mixture of gases having no moving parts and utilizing no chemical processing is described. The separation of particulates from fluid carriers thereof has been observed using ultrasound. In a similar manner, molecular species may be separated from carrier species. It is also known that light-induced drift may separate light-absorbing species from carrier species. Therefore, the combination of temporally pulsed absorption of light with ultrasonic concentration is expected to significantly increase the efficiency of separation by ultrasonic concentration alone. Additionally, breaking the spatial symmetry of a cylindrical acoustic concentrator decreases the spatial distribution of the concentrated particles, and increases the concentration efficiency.

Fast quantum nD Fourier and radon transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labunets, Valeri G.; Labunets-Rundblad, Ekaterina V.; Astola, Jaakko T.

2001-07-01

Fast Classical and quantum algorithms are introduced for a wide class of non-separable nD discrete unitary K- transforms(DKT)KNn. They require a number of 1D DKT Kn smaller than in the Cooley-Tukey radix-p FFT-type approach. The method utilizes a decomposition of the nDK- transform into a product of original nD discrete Radon Transform and of a family parallel/independ 1DK-transforms. If the nDK-transform has a separable kernel, that again in this case our approach leads to decrease of multiplicative complexity by factor of n compared to the tow/column separable Cooley-Tukey p-radix approach.

A Novel Architecture for Carbon Nanotube Membranes towards Fast and Efficient Oil/water Separation.

PubMed

Saththasivam, Jayaprakash; Yiming, Wubulikasimu; Wang, Kui; Jin, Jian; Liu, Zhaoyang

2018-05-09

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are robust and proven as promising building blocks for oil/water separating membranes. However, according to classic fluid dynamic theory, achieving high permeation flux without sacrificing other membrane properties is a formidable challenge for CNT membranes, because of the trade-off nature among key membrane parameters. Herein, to relieve the trade-off between permeation fluxes, oil rejection rate, and membrane thickness, we present a new concept to engineer CNT membranes with a three-dimensional (3D) architecture. Apart from achieving high oil separation efficiency (>99.9%), these new oil/water separating membranes can achieve water flux as high as 5,500 L/m 2 .h.bar, which is one order of magnitude higher than pristine CNT membranes. Most importantly, these outstanding properties can be achieved without drastically slashing membrane thickness down to nanoscale. The present study sheds a new light for the adoption of CNT-based membranes in oil/water separation industry.

Apportionment of motor vehicle emissions from fast changes in number concentration and chemical composition of ultrafine particles near a roadway intersection.

PubMed

Klems, Joseph P; Pennington, M Ross; Zordan, Christopher A; McFadden, Lauren; Johnston, Murray V

2011-07-01

High frequency spikes in ultrafine number concentration near a roadway intersection arise from motor vehicles that accelerate after a red light turns green. The present work describes a method to determine the contribution of motor vehicles to the total ambient ultrafine particle mass by correlating these number concentration spikes with fast changes in ultrafine particle chemical composition measured with the nano aerosol mass spectrometer, NAMS. Measurements were performed at an urban air quality monitoring site in Wilmington, Delaware during the summer and winter of 2009. Motor vehicles were found to contribute 48% of the ultrafine particle mass in the winter measurement period, but only 16% of the ultrafine particle mass in the summer period. Chemical composition profiles and contributions to the ultrafine particle mass of spark vs diesel vehicles were estimated by correlating still camera images, chemical composition and spike contribution at each time interval.. The spark and diesel contributions were roughly equal, but the uncertainty in the split was large. The distribution of emissions from individual vehicles was determined by correlating camera images with the spike contribution to particle number concentration at each time interval. A small percentage of motor vehicles were found to emit a disproportionally large concentration of ultrafine particles, and these high emitters included both spark ignition and diesel vehicles.

Adaptive multiple super fast simulated annealing for stochastic microstructure reconstruction

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

Ryu, Seun; Lin, Guang; Sun, Xin

2013-01-01

Fast image reconstruction from statistical information is critical in image fusion from multimodality chemical imaging instrumentation to create high resolution image with large domain. Stochastic methods have been used widely in image reconstruction from two point correlation function. The main challenge is to increase the efficiency of reconstruction. A novel simulated annealing method is proposed for fast solution of image reconstruction. Combining the advantage of very fast cooling schedules, dynamic adaption and parallelization, the new simulation annealing algorithm increases the efficiencies by several orders of magnitude, making the large domain image fusion feasible.

Chemical Processing Manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beyerle, F. J.

1972-01-01

Chemical processes presented in this document include cleaning, pickling, surface finishes, chemical milling, plating, dry film lubricants, and polishing. All types of chemical processes applicable to aluminum, for example, are to be found in the aluminum alloy section. There is a separate section for each category of metallic alloy plus a section for non-metals, such as plastics. The refractories, super-alloys and titanium, are prime candidates for the space shuttle, therefore, the chemical processes applicable to these alloys are contained in individual sections of this manual.

Simulating Biomass Fast Pyrolysis at the Single Particle Scale

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

Ciesielski, Peter; Wiggins, Gavin; Daw, C Stuart

2017-07-01

Simulating fast pyrolysis at the scale of single particles allows for the investigation of the impacts of feedstock-specific parameters such as particle size, shape, and species of origin. For this reason particle-scale modeling has emerged as an important tool for understanding how variations in feedstock properties affect the outcomes of pyrolysis processes. The origins of feedstock properties are largely dictated by the composition and hierarchical structure of biomass, from the microstructural porosity to the external morphology of milled particles. These properties may be accounted for in simulations of fast pyrolysis by several different computational approaches depending on the level ofmore » structural and chemical complexity included in the model. The predictive utility of particle-scale simulations of fast pyrolysis can still be enhanced substantially by advancements in several areas. Most notably, considerable progress would be facilitated by the development of pyrolysis kinetic schemes that are decoupled from transport phenomena, predict product evolution from whole-biomass with increased chemical speciation, and are still tractable with present-day computational resources.« less

New Fragment Separation Technology for Superheavy Element Research

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

Shaughnessy, D A; Moody, K J; Henderson, R A

2008-01-28

This project consisted of three major research areas: (1) development of a solid Pu ceramic target for the MASHA separator, (2) chemical separation of nuclear decay products, and (3) production of new isotopes and elements through nuclear reactions. There have been 16 publications as a result of this project, and this collection of papers summarizes our accomplishments in each of the three areas of research listed above. The MASHA (Mass Analyzer for Super-Heavy Atoms) separator is being constructed at the U400 Cyclotron at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in Dubna, Russia. The purpose of the separator is to physicallymore » separate the products from nuclear reactions based on their isotopic masses rather than their decay characteristics. The separator was designed to have a separation between isotopic masses of {+-}0.25 amu, which would enable the mass of element 114 isotopes to be measured with outstanding resolution, thereby confirming their discovery. In order to increase the production rate of element 114 nuclides produced via the {sup 244}Pu+{sup 48}Ca reaction, a new target technology was required. Instead of a traditional thin actinide target, the MASHA separator required a thick, ceramic-based Pu target that was thick enough to increase element 114 production while still being porous enough to allow reaction products to migrate out of the target and travel through the separator to the detector array located at the back end. In collaboration with UNLV, we began work on development of the Pu target for MASHA. Using waste-form synthesis technology, we began by creating zirconia-based matrices that would form a ceramic with plutonium oxide. We used samarium oxide as a surrogate for Pu and created ceramics that had varying amounts of the starting materials in order to establish trends in material density and porosity. The results from this work are described in more detail in Refs. [1,4,10]. Unfortunately, work on MASHA was delayed in Russia because

Fast, low-level detection of strontium-90 and strontium-89 in environmental samples by collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monz, L.; Hohmann, R.; Kluge, H.-J.; Kunze, S.; Lantzsch, J.; Otten, E. W.; Passler, G.; Senne, P.; Stenner, J.; Stratmann, K.; Swendt, K.; Zimmer, K.; Herrmann, G.; Trautmann, N.; Walter, K.

1993-12-01

Environmental assessment in the wake of a nuclear accident requires the rapid determination of the radiotoxic isotopes 89Sr and 90Sr. Useful measurements must be able to detect 10 8 atoms in the presence of about 10 18 atoms of the stable, naturally occurring isotopes. This paper describes a new approach to this problem using resonance ionization spectroscopy in collinear geometry, combined with classical mass separation. After collection and chemical separation, the strontium from a sample is surface-ionized and the ions are accelerated to an energy of about 30 keV. Initially, a magnetic mass separator provides an isotopic selectivity of about 10 6. The ions are then neutralized by charge exchange and the resulting fast strontium atoms are selectively excited into high-lying atomic Rydberg states by narrow-band cw laser light in collinear geometry. The Rydberg atoms are then field-ionized and detected. Thus far, a total isotopic selectivity of S > 10 10 and an overall efficiency of ξ = 5 × 10 -6 have been achieved. The desired detection limit of 10 8 atoms 90Sr has been demonstrated with synthetic samples.

Gas/vapour separation using ultra-microporous metal-organic frameworks: insights into the structure/separation relationship.

PubMed

Adil, Karim; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Pillai, Renjith S; Cadiau, Amandine; Bhatt, Prashant M; Assen, Ayalew H; Maurin, Guillaume; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2017-06-06

The separation of related molecules with similar physical/chemical properties is of prime industrial importance and practically entails a substantial energy penalty, typically necessitating the operation of energy-demanding low temperature fractional distillation techniques. Certainly research efforts, in academia and industry alike, are ongoing with the main aim to develop advanced functional porous materials to be adopted as adsorbents for the effective and energy-efficient separation of various important commodities. Of special interest is the subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with pore aperture sizes below 5-7 Å, namely ultra-microporous MOFs, which in contrast to conventional zeolites and activated carbons show great prospects for addressing key challenges in separations pertaining to energy and environmental sustainability, specifically materials for carbon capture and separation of olefin/paraffin, acetylene/ethylene, linear/branched alkanes, xenon/krypton, etc. In this tutorial review we discuss the latest developments in ultra-microporous MOF adsorbents and their use as separating agents via thermodynamics and/or kinetics and molecular sieving. Appreciably, we provide insights into the distinct microscopic mechanisms governing the resultant separation performances, and suggest a plausible correlation between the inherent structural features/topology of MOFs and the associated gas/vapour separation performance.

Separator development and testing of nickel-hydrogen cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.; Manzo, M. A.

1984-01-01

The components, design, and operating characteristics of Ni-H2 cells batteries were improved. A separator development program was designed to develop a separator that is resistant to penetration by oxygen and loose active material from then nickel electrode, while retraining the required chemical and thermal stability, reservoir capability, and high ionic conductivity. The performance of the separators in terms of cell operating voltage was to at least match that of state-of-the-art separators while eliminating the separator problems. The separators were submitted to initial screening tests and those which successfully completed the tests were built into Ni-H2 cells for short term testing. The separators with the best performance are tested for long term performance and life.

Motility-Induced Phase Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cates, Michael E.; Tailleur, Julien

2015-03-01

Self-propelled particles include both self-phoretic synthetic colloids and various microorganisms. By continually consuming energy, they bypass the laws of equilibrium thermodynamics. These laws enforce the Boltzmann distribution in thermal equilibrium: The steady state is then independent of kinetic parameters. In contrast, self-propelled particles tend to accumulate where they move more slowly. They may also slow down at high density for either biochemical or steric reasons. This creates positive feedback, which can lead to motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) between dense and dilute fluid phases. At leading order in gradients, a mapping relates variable-speed, self-propelled particles to passive particles with attractions. This deep link to equilibrium phase separation is confirmed by simulations but generally breaks down at higher order in gradients: New effects, with no equilibrium counterpart, then emerge. We give a selective overview of the fast-developing field of MIPS, focusing on theory and simulation but including a brief speculative survey of its experimental implications.

Fast food prices, obesity, and the minimum wage.

PubMed

Cotti, Chad; Tefft, Nathan

2013-03-01

Recent proposals argue that a fast food tax may be an effective policy lever for reducing population weight. Although there is growing evidence for a negative association between fast food prices and weight among adolescents, less is known about adults. That any measured relationship to date is causal is unclear because there has been no attempt to separate variation in prices on the demand side from that on the supply side. We argue that the minimum wage is an exogenous source of variation in fast food prices, conditional on income and employment. In two-stage least-squares analyses, we find little evidence that fast food price changes affect adult BMI or obesity prevalence. Results are robust to including controls for area and time fixed effects, area time trends, demographic characteristics, substitute prices, numbers of establishments and employment in related industries, and other potentially related factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation with the centrifugal fast analyzer of a chemical activation procedure for creatine kinase MB isoenzyme

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

Bostick, W.D.; Mrochek, J.E.

1977-09-01

The differential activation method for the determination of the ''myocardial'' isoenzyme of creatine kinase (MB) is based on the computed difference in activity of serum aliquots activated by the combination of dithiothreitol and glutathione (skeletal plus myocardial creatine kinase) and by glutathione alone (skeletal creatine kinase). The unique ability of the Centrifugal Fast Analyzer to perform analyses in parallel is used to precisely measure (CV = 0.1 to 1.5%) the activity of the two chemically activated aliquots. Statistical considerations concerning the reliability of this difference estimation are discussed with respect to both the precision of the rate measurements and tomore » the relative amount of isoenzyme MB present. Another potential source of error in the analysis of the two differently activated by use of a linear-search FOCAL software package. This program searches the data for a linear segment of maximum slope, automatically rejecting those data that appear in lag or depletion regions of the curve representing the progress of the reaction. Correspondence of the results obtained with those of comparison techniques (chromatography and electrophoresis) are discussed.« less

Fast, high temperature and thermolabile GC--MS in supersonic molecular beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dagan, Shai; Amirav, Aviv

1994-05-01

This work describes and evaluates the coupling of a fast gas chromatograph (GC) based on a short column and high carrier gas flow rate to a supersonic molecular beam mass spectrometer (MS). A 50 cm long megabore column serves for fast GC separation and connects the injector to the supersonic nozzle source. Sampling is achieved with a conventional syringe based splitless sample injection. The injector contains no septum and is open to the atmosphere. The linear velocity of the carrier gas is controlled by a by-pass (make-up) gas flow introduced after the column and prior to the supersonic nozzle. The supersonic expansion serves as a jet separator and the skimmed supersonic molecular beam (SMB) is highly enriched with the heavier organic molecules. The supersonic molecular beam constituents are ionized either by electron impact (EI) or hyperthermal surface ionization (HSI) and mass analyzed. A 1 s fast GC--MS of four aromatic molecules in methanol is demonstrated and some fundamental aspects of fast GC--MS with time limit constraints are outlined. The flow control (programming) of the speed of analysis is shown and the analysis of thermolabile and relatively non-volatile molecules is demonstrated and discussed. The tail-free, fast GC--MS of several mixtures is shown and peak tailing of caffeine is compared with that of conventional GC--MS. The improvement of the peak shapes with the SMB--MS is analyzed with the respect to the elimination of thermal vacuum chamber background. The extrapolated minimum detected amount was about 400 ag of anthracence-d10, with an elution time which was shorter than 2s. Repetitive injections could be performed within less than 10 s. The fast GC--MS in SMB seems to be ideal for fast target compound analysis even in real world, complex mixtures. The few seconds GC--MS separation and quantification of lead (as tetraethyllead) in gasoline, caffeine in coffee, and codeine in a drug is demonstrated. Controlled HSI selectivity is demonstrated in

Mitigating external and internal cathode fouling using a polymer bonded separator in microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Yang, Wulin; Rossi, Ruggero; Tian, Yushi; Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Logan, Bruce E

2018-02-01

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes rapidly foul when treating domestic wastewater, substantially reducing power production over time. Here a wipe separator was chemically bonded to an activated carbon air cathode using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to mitigate cathode fouling and extend cathode performance over time. MFCs with separator-bonded cathodes produced a maximum power density of 190 ± 30 mW m -2 after 2 months of operation using domestic wastewater, which was ∼220% higher than controls (60 ± 50 mW m -2 ) with separators that were not chemically bonded to the cathode. Less biomass (protein) was measured on the bonded separator surface than the non-bonded separator, indicating chemical bonding reduced external bio-fouling. Salt precipitation that contributed to internal fouling was also reduced using separator-bonded cathodes. Overall, the separator-bonded cathodes showed better performance over time by mitigating both external bio-fouling and internal salt fouling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomimetic super-lyophobic and super-lyophilic materials applied for oil/water separation: a new strategy beyond nature.

PubMed

Wang, Ben; Liang, Weixin; Guo, Zhiguang; Liu, Weimin

2015-01-07

Oil spills and industrial organic pollutants have induced severe water pollution and threatened every species in the ecological system. To deal with oily water, special wettability stimulated materials have been developed over the past decade to separate oil-and-water mixtures. Basically, synergy between the surface chemical composition and surface topography are commonly known as the key factors to realize the opposite wettability to oils and water and dominate the selective wetting or absorption of oils/water. In this review, we mainly focus on the development of materials with either super-lyophobicity or super-lyophilicity properties in oil/water separation applications where they can be classified into four kinds as follows (in terms of the surface wettability of water and oils): (i) superhydrophobic and superoleophilic materials, (ii) superhydrophilic and under water superoleophobic materials, (iii) superhydrophilic and superoleophobic materials, and (iv) smart oil/water separation materials with switchable wettability. These materials have already been applied to the separation of oil-and-water mixtures: from simple oil/water layered mixtures to oil/water emulsions (including oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions), and from non-intelligent materials to intelligent materials. Moreover, they also exhibit high absorption capacity or separation efficiency and selectivity, simple and fast separation/absorption ability, excellent recyclability, economical efficiency and outstanding durability under harsh conditions. Then, related theories are proposed to understand the physical mechanisms that occur during the oil/water separation process. Finally, some challenges and promising breakthroughs in this field are also discussed. It is expected that special wettability stimulated oil/water separation materials can achieve industrial scale production and be put into use for oil spills and industrial oily wastewater treatment in the near future.

Separation and Sealing of a Sample Container Using Brazing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Rivellini, Tommaso P.; Wincentsen, James E.; Gershman, Robert

2007-01-01

A special double-wall container and a process for utilizing the container are being developed to enable (1) acquisition of a sample of material in a dirty environment that may include a biological and/or chemical hazard; (2) sealing a lid onto the inner part of the container to hermetically enclose the sample; (3) separating the resulting hermetic container from the dirty environment; and (4) bringing that hermetic container, without any biological or chemical contamination of its outer surface, into a clean environment. The process is denoted S(exp 3)B (separation, seaming, and sealing using brazing) because sealing of the sample into the hermetic container, separating the container from the dirty environment, and bringing the container with a clean outer surface into the clean environment are all accomplished simultaneously with a brazing operation.

Facile Fabrication of a Polyethylene Mesh for Oil/Water Separation in a Complex Environment.

PubMed

Zhao, Tianyi; Zhang, Dongmei; Yu, Cunming; Jiang, Lei

2016-09-14

Low cost, eco-friendly, and easily scaled-up processes are needed to fabricate efficient oil/water separation materials, especially those useful in harsh environments such as highly acidic, alkaline, and salty environments, to deal with serious oil spills and industrial organic pollutants. Herein, a highly efficient oil/water separation mesh with durable chemical stability was fabricated by simply scratching and pricking a conventional polyethylene (PE) film. Multiscaled morphologies were obtained by this scratching and pricking process and provided the mesh with a special wettability performance termed superhydrophobicity, superoleophilicity, and low water adhesion, while the inert chemical properties of PE delivered chemical etching resistance to the fabricated mesh. In addition to a highly efficient oil/corrosive liquid separation, the fabricated PE mesh was also reusable and exhibited ultrafast oil/water separation solely by gravity. The easy operation, chemical durability, reusability, and efficiency of the novel PE mesh give it high potential for use in industrial and consumer applications.

E-FAST-Exposure and Fate Assessment Screening Tool Version 2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

E-FAST estimates potential exposures to the general population and surface water concentrations based on releases from industrial operations and basic physical-chemical properties and fate parameters of the substance

Novel Separation of Actinides

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

Mariella, R

The separation of actinides and other elements of interest for nuclear forensics and threat reduction is currently performed using decades-old chemistries and ion-exchange columns. We propose to determine the technical feasibility of a novel method for separating actinide ions in solution. This method is based upon isotachophoresis (ITP), which has been applied in the purification of pharmaceuticals and other biochemical applications. This technique has the potential to separate inorganic ions more effectively than existing methods, which is key to analyzing very small samples. We will perform a quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of specific isotachophoretic approaches including predicting the physicalmore » and chemical properties, such as ion mobility, of inorganic ions under specific solvent conditions using a combination of ab initio calculations and semi-empirical methods. We expect to obtain a thorough understanding of the analytical systems parameters under which ITP is most effective for the separation of inorganic samples, including the influence of the double layer surrounding actinide ions, the Debye length for different ions and ion complexes, and Debye-Hueckel limits. Inorganic separations are key to nuclear forensics for countering terrorism and nuclear proliferation. If found to be feasible and potentially superior to currently used separation approaches, ITP could provide the conceptual basis for an improved means to separate samples of nuclear explosion debris for nuclear forensic analysis, in support of the Laboratory's missions in homeland and national security.« less

Quarterly progress report for the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division, April--June 1997

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

Jubin, R.T.

The Chemical and Energy Research Section conducts basic and applied research and development in chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and bioprocessing, with an emphasis on energy-driven technologies and advanced chemical separations for nuclear and waste applications. The report describes the various tasks performed within six major areas of research: Hot Cell Operations, Process Chemistry and thermodynamics, Separations and Materials Synthesis, Solution Thermodynamics, biotechnology Research, and Molecular Studies. The name of a technical contact is included with each task described, and readers are encouraged to contact these individuals if they need additional information.

Balanced Steady-State Free Precession (bSSFP) from an effective field perspective: Application to the detection of chemical exchange (bSSFPX).

PubMed

Zhang, Shu; Liu, Zheng; Grant, Aaron; Keupp, Jochen; Lenkinski, Robert E; Vinogradov, Elena

2017-02-01

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a novel contrast mechanism and it is gaining increasing popularity as many promising applications have been proposed and investigated. Fast and quantitative CEST imaging techniques are further needed in order to increase the applicability of CEST for clinical use as well as to derive quantitative physiological and biological information. Steady-state methods for fast CEST imaging have been reported recently. Here, we observe that an extreme case of these methods is a balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequence. The bSSFP in itself is sensitive to the exchange processes; hence, no additional saturation or preparation is needed for CEST-like data acquisition. The bSSFP experiment can be regarded as observation during saturation, without separate saturation and acquisition modules as used in standard CEST and similar experiments. One of the differences from standard CEST methods is that the bSSFP spectrum is an XY-spectrum not a Z-spectrum. As the first proof-of-principle step, we have implemented the steady-state bSSFP sequence for chemical exchange detection (bSSFPX) and verified its feasibility in phantom studies. These studies have shown that bSSFPX can achieve exchange-mediated contrast comparable to the standard CEST experiment. Therefore, the bSSFPX method has a potential for fast and quantitative CEST data acquisition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determining attenuation properties of interfering fast and slow ultrasonic waves in cancellous bone.

PubMed

Nelson, Amber M; Hoffman, Joseph J; Anderson, Christian C; Holland, Mark R; Nagatani, Yoshiki; Mizuno, Katsunori; Matsukawa, Mami; Miller, James G

2011-10-01

Previous studies have shown that interference between fast waves and slow waves can lead to observed negative dispersion in cancellous bone. In this study, the effects of overlapping fast and slow waves on measurements of the apparent attenuation as a function of propagation distance are investigated along with methods of analysis used to determine the attenuation properties. Two methods are applied to simulated data that were generated based on experimentally acquired signals taken from a bovine specimen. The first method uses a time-domain approach that was dictated by constraints imposed by the partial overlap of fast and slow waves. The second method uses a frequency-domain log-spectral subtraction technique on the separated fast and slow waves. Applying the time-domain analysis to the broadband data yields apparent attenuation behavior that is larger in the early stages of propagation and decreases as the wave travels deeper. In contrast, performing frequency-domain analysis on the separated fast waves and slow waves results in attenuation coefficients that are independent of propagation distance. Results suggest that features arising from the analysis of overlapping two-mode data may represent an alternate explanation for the previously reported apparent dependence on propagation distance of the attenuation coefficient of cancellous bone. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Determining attenuation properties of interfering fast and slow ultrasonic waves in cancellous bone

PubMed Central

Nelson, Amber M.; Hoffman, Joseph J.; Anderson, Christian C.; Holland, Mark R.; Nagatani, Yoshiki; Mizuno, Katsunori; Matsukawa, Mami; Miller, James G.

2011-01-01

Previous studies have shown that interference between fast waves and slow waves can lead to observed negative dispersion in cancellous bone. In this study, the effects of overlapping fast and slow waves on measurements of the apparent attenuation as a function of propagation distance are investigated along with methods of analysis used to determine the attenuation properties. Two methods are applied to simulated data that were generated based on experimentally acquired signals taken from a bovine specimen. The first method uses a time-domain approach that was dictated by constraints imposed by the partial overlap of fast and slow waves. The second method uses a frequency-domain log-spectral subtraction technique on the separated fast and slow waves. Applying the time-domain analysis to the broadband data yields apparent attenuation behavior that is larger in the early stages of propagation and decreases as the wave travels deeper. In contrast, performing frequency-domain analysis on the separated fast waves and slow waves results in attenuation coefficients that are independent of propagation distance. Results suggest that features arising from the analysis of overlapping two-mode data may represent an alternate explanation for the previously reported apparent dependence on propagation distance of the attenuation coefficient of cancellous bone. PMID:21973378

Apparatus and method for extraction of chemicals from aquifer remediation effluent water

DOEpatents

McMurtrey, Ryan D.; Ginosar, Daniel M.; Moor, Kenneth S.; Shook, G. Michael; Moses, John M.; Barker, Donna L.

2002-01-01

An apparatus and method for extraction of chemicals from an aquifer remediation aqueous effluent are provided. The extraction method utilizes a critical fluid for separation and recovery of chemicals employed in remediating aquifers contaminated with hazardous organic substances, and is particularly suited for separation and recovery of organic contaminants and process chemicals used in surfactant-based remediation technologies. The extraction method separates and recovers high-value chemicals from the remediation effluent and minimizes the volume of generated hazardous waste. The recovered chemicals can be recycled to the remediation process or stored for later use.

Method and system for extraction of chemicals from aquifer remediation effluent water

DOEpatents

McMurtrey, Ryan D.; Ginosar, Daniel M.; Moor, Kenneth S.; Shook, G. Michael; Barker, Donna L.

2003-01-01

A method and system for extraction of chemicals from an groundwater remediation aqueous effluent are provided. The extraction method utilizes a critical fluid for separation and recovery of chemicals employed in remediating groundwater contaminated with hazardous organic substances, and is particularly suited for separation and recovery of organic contaminants and process chemicals used in surfactant-based remediation technologies. The extraction method separates and recovers high-value chemicals from the remediation effluent and minimizes the volume of generated hazardous waste. The recovered chemicals can be recycled to the remediation process or stored for later use.

Using Biomolecules to Separate Plutonium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogolski, Jarrod

Used nuclear fuel has traditionally been treated through chemical separations of the radionuclides for recycle or disposal. This research considers a biological approach to such separations based on a series of complex and interdependent interactions that occur naturally in the human body with plutonium. These biological interactions are mediated by the proteins serum transferrin and the transferrin receptor. Transferrin to plutonium in vivo and can deposit plutonium into cells after interacting with the transferrin receptor protein at the cell surface. Using cerium as a non-radioactive surrogate for plutonium, it was found that cerium(IV) required multiple synergistic anions to bind in the N-lobe of the bilobal transferrin protein, creating a conformation of the cerium-loaded protein that would be unable to interact with the transferrin receptor protein to achieve a separation. The behavior of cerium binding to transferrin has contributed to understanding how plutonium(IV)-transferrin interacts in vivo and in biological separations.

The production of chemicals from food processing wastes using a novel fermenter separator. Annual progress report, January 1993--March 1994

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

Dale, M.C.; Venkatesh, K.V.; Choi, H.

The basic objective of this project is to convert waste streams from the food processing industry to usable fuels and chemicals using novel bioreactors. These bioreactors should allow economical utilization of waste (whey, waste sugars, waste starch, bottling wastes, candy wastes, molasses, and cellulosic wastes) by the production of ethanol, acetone/butanol, organic acids (acetic, lactic, and gluconic), yeast diacetyl flavor, and antifungal compounds. Continuous processes incorporating various processing improvements such as simultaneous product separation and immobilized cells are being developed to allow commercial scale utilization of waste stream. The production of ethanol by a continuous reactor-separator is the process closestmore » to commercialization with a 7,500 liter pilot plant presently sited at an Iowa site to convert whey lactose to ethanol. Accomplishments during 1993 include installation and start-up of a 7,500 liter ICRS for ethanol production at an industry site in Iowa; Donation and installation of a 200 liter yeast pilot Plant to the project from Kenyon Enterprises; Modeling and testing of a low energy system for recovery of ethanol from vapor is using a solvent absorption/extractive distillation system; Simultaneous saccharification/fermentation of raw corn grits and starch in a stirred reactor/separator; Testing of the ability of `koji` process to ferment raw corn grits in a `no-cook` process.« less

Diamine-Appended Mg 2 (dobpdc) Nanorods as Phase-Change Fillers in Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Efficient CO 2/N 2 Separations

DOE PAGES

Maserati, Lorenzo; Meckler, Stephen M.; Bachman, Jonathan E.; ...

2017-10-18

Despite the availability of chemistries to tailor the pore architectures of microporous polymer membranes for chemical separations, trade-offs in permeability and selectivity with functional group manipulations nevertheless persist, which ultimately places an upper bound on membrane performance. We introduce a new design strategy to uncouple these attributes of the membrane. Key to our success is the incorporation of phase-change metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into the polymer matrix, which can be used to increase the solubility of a specific gas in the membrane, and thereby its permeability. We further show that it is necessary to scale the size of the phase-change MOFmore » to nanoscopic dimensions, in order to take advantage of this effect in a gas separation. Our observation of an increase in solubility and permeability of only one of the gases during steady-state permeability measurements suggests fast exchange between free and chemisorbed gas molecules within the MOF pores. While the kinetics of this exchange in phase-change MOFs are not yet fully understood, their role in enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of the separation is clearly a compelling new direction for membrane technology.« less

Macro-fingerprint analysis-through-separation of licorice based on FT-IR and 2DCOS-IR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Wang, Ping; Xu, Changhua; Yang, Yan; Li, Jin; Chen, Tao; Li, Zheng; Cui, Weili; Zhou, Qun; Sun, Suqin; Li, Huifen

2014-07-01

In this paper, a step-by-step analysis-through-separation method under the navigation of multi-step IR macro-fingerprint (FT-IR integrated with second derivative IR (SD-IR) and 2DCOS-IR) was developed for comprehensively characterizing the hierarchical chemical fingerprints of licorice from entirety to single active components. Subsequently, the chemical profile variation rules of three parts (flavonoids, saponins and saccharides) in the separation process were holistically revealed and the number of matching peaks and correlation coefficients with standards of pure compounds was increasing along the extracting directions. The findings were supported by UPLC results and a verification experiment of aqueous separation process. It has been demonstrated that the developed multi-step IR macro-fingerprint analysis-through-separation approach could be a rapid, effective and integrated method not only for objectively providing comprehensive chemical characterization of licorice and all its separated parts, but also for rapidly revealing the global enrichment trend of the active components in licorice separation process.

Improved FastICA algorithm in fMRI data analysis using the sparsity property of the sources.

PubMed

Ge, Ruiyang; Wang, Yubao; Zhang, Jipeng; Yao, Li; Zhang, Hang; Long, Zhiying

2016-04-01

As a blind source separation technique, independent component analysis (ICA) has many applications in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Although either temporal or spatial prior information has been introduced into the constrained ICA and semi-blind ICA methods to improve the performance of ICA in fMRI data analysis, certain types of additional prior information, such as the sparsity, has seldom been added to the ICA algorithms as constraints. In this study, we proposed a SparseFastICA method by adding the source sparsity as a constraint to the FastICA algorithm to improve the performance of the widely used FastICA. The source sparsity is estimated through a smoothed ℓ0 norm method. We performed experimental tests on both simulated data and real fMRI data to investigate the feasibility and robustness of SparseFastICA and made a performance comparison between SparseFastICA, FastICA and Infomax ICA. Results of the simulated and real fMRI data demonstrated the feasibility and robustness of SparseFastICA for the source separation in fMRI data. Both the simulated and real fMRI experimental results showed that SparseFastICA has better robustness to noise and better spatial detection power than FastICA. Although the spatial detection power of SparseFastICA and Infomax did not show significant difference, SparseFastICA had faster computation speed than Infomax. SparseFastICA was comparable to the Infomax algorithm with a faster computation speed. More importantly, SparseFastICA outperformed FastICA in robustness and spatial detection power and can be used to identify more accurate brain networks than FastICA algorithm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Air separation with temperature and pressure swing

DOEpatents

Cassano, Anthony A.

1986-01-01

A chemical absorbent air separation process is set forth which uses a temperature swing absorption-desorption cycle in combination with a pressure swing wherein the pressure is elevated in the desorption stage of the process.

FAST: FAST Analysis of Sequences Toolbox

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Travis J.; Kauffman, Kyle T.; Amrine, Katherine C. H.; Carper, Dana L.; Lee, Raymond S.; Becich, Peter J.; Canales, Claudia J.; Ardell, David H.

2015-01-01

FAST (FAST Analysis of Sequences Toolbox) provides simple, powerful open source command-line tools to filter, transform, annotate and analyze biological sequence data. Modeled after the GNU (GNU's Not Unix) Textutils such as grep, cut, and tr, FAST tools such as fasgrep, fascut, and fastr make it easy to rapidly prototype expressive bioinformatic workflows in a compact and generic command vocabulary. Compact combinatorial encoding of data workflows with FAST commands can simplify the documentation and reproducibility of bioinformatic protocols, supporting better transparency in biological data science. Interface self-consistency and conformity with conventions of GNU, Matlab, Perl, BioPerl, R, and GenBank help make FAST easy and rewarding to learn. FAST automates numerical, taxonomic, and text-based sorting, selection and transformation of sequence records and alignment sites based on content, index ranges, descriptive tags, annotated features, and in-line calculated analytics, including composition and codon usage. Automated content- and feature-based extraction of sites and support for molecular population genetic statistics make FAST useful for molecular evolutionary analysis. FAST is portable, easy to install and secure thanks to the relative maturity of its Perl and BioPerl foundations, with stable releases posted to CPAN. Development as well as a publicly accessible Cookbook and Wiki are available on the FAST GitHub repository at https://github.com/tlawrence3/FAST. The default data exchange format in FAST is Multi-FastA (specifically, a restriction of BioPerl FastA format). Sanger and Illumina 1.8+ FastQ formatted files are also supported. FAST makes it easier for non-programmer biologists to interactively investigate and control biological data at the speed of thought. PMID:26042145

Method and apparatus for separating material

DOEpatents

Oder, Robin R.; Jamison, Russell E.

2004-11-23

An apparatus for sorting particles composed of a mixture of particles with differing physical and chemical characteristics. The apparatus includes a comminutor or a pulverizer for reducing the size of the particles. The apparatus includes a mechanism for separating undesired material from desired material.

Diffusion of multi-isotopic chemical species in molten silicates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, James M.; Liang, Yan; Richter, Frank; Ryerson, Frederick J.; DePaolo, Donald J.

2014-08-01

Diffusion experiments in a simplified Na2O-CaO-SiO2 liquid system are used to develop a general formulation for the fractionation of Ca isotopes during liquid-phase diffusion. Although chemical diffusion is a well-studied process, the mathematical description of the effects of diffusion on the separate isotopes of a chemical element is surprisingly underdeveloped and uncertain. Kinetic theory predicts a mass dependence on isotopic mobility, but it is unknown how this translates into a mass dependence on effective binary diffusion coefficients, or more generally, the chemical diffusion coefficients that are housed in a multicomponent diffusion matrix. Our experiments are designed to measure Ca mobility, effective binary diffusion coefficients, the multicomponent diffusion matrix, and the effects of chemical diffusion on Ca isotopes in a liquid of single composition. We carried out two chemical diffusion experiments and one self-diffusion experiment, all at 1250 °C and 0.7 GPa and using a bulk composition for which other information is available from the literature. The self-diffusion experiment is used to determine the mobility of Ca in the absence of diffusive fluxes of other liquid components. The chemical diffusion experiments are designed to determine the effect on Ca isotope fractionation of changing the counter-diffusing component from fast-diffusing Na2O to slow-diffusing SiO2. When Na2O is the main counter-diffusing species, CaO diffusion is fast and larger Ca isotopic effects are generated. When SiO2 is the main counter-diffusing species, CaO diffusion is slow and smaller Ca isotopic effects are observed. In both experiments, the liquid is initially isotopically homogeneous, and during the experiment Ca isotopes become fractionated by diffusion. The results are used as a test of a new general expression for the diffusion of isotopes in a multicomponent liquid system that accounts for both self diffusion and the effects of counter-diffusing species. Our

Chemical vapor deposition of aminopropyl silanes in microfluidic channels for highly efficient microchip capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Batz, Nicholas G; Mellors, J Scott; Alarie, Jean Pierre; Ramsey, J Michael

2014-04-01

We describe a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for the surface modification of glass microfluidic devices designed to perform electrophoretic separations of cationic species. The microfluidic channel surfaces were modified using aminopropyl silane reagents. Coating homogeneity was inferred by precise measurement of the separation efficiency and electroosmotic mobility for multiple microfluidic devices. Devices coated with (3-aminopropyl)di-isopropylethoxysilane (APDIPES) yielded near diffusion-limited separations and exhibited little change in electroosmotic mobility between pH 2.8 and pH 7.5. We further evaluated the temporal stability of both APDIPES and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) coatings when stored for a total of 1 week under vacuum at 4 °C or filled with pH 2.8 background electrolyte at room temperature. Measurements of electroosmotic flow (EOF) and separation efficiency during this time confirmed that both coatings were stable under both conditions. Microfluidic devices with a 23 cm long, serpentine electrophoretic separation channel and integrated nanoelectrospray ionization emitter were CVD coated with APDIPES and used for capillary electrophoresis (CE)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS) of peptides and proteins. Peptide separations were fast and highly efficient, yielding theoretical plate counts over 600,000 and a peak capacity of 64 in less than 90 s. Intact protein separations using these devices yielded Gaussian peak profiles with separation efficiencies between 100,000 and 400,000 theoretical plates.

Functioning of inorganic/organic battery separators in silver-zinc cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philipp, W. H.; May, C. E.

1976-01-01

The results of three experimental studies related to the inorganic/organic battery separator operating mechanism are described: saponification of the plasticizer, resistivity of the simulated separators, and zincate diffusion through the separators. The inorganic/organic separator appears to be a particular example of a general class of ionic conducting films composed of inorganic fillers and/or substrates bonded together by an organic polymer containing an incompatible plasticizer that may be leached by the electrolyte. The I/O separator functions as a microporous film of varying tortuosity with essentially no specific chemical inhibition to zincate diffusion.

Burst and Principal Components Analyses of MEA Data Separates Chemicals by Class

EPA Science Inventory

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) detect drug and chemical induced changes in action potential "spikes" in neuronal networks and can be used to screen chemicals for neurotoxicity. Analytical "fingerprinting," using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) on spike trains recorded from prim...

A 3D Chemically Modified Graphene Hydrogel for Fast, Highly Sensitive, and Selective Gas Sensor.

PubMed

Wu, Jin; Tao, Kai; Guo, Yuanyuan; Li, Zhong; Wang, Xiaotian; Luo, Zhongzhen; Feng, Shuanglong; Du, Chunlei; Chen, Di; Miao, Jianmin; Norford, Leslie K

2017-03-01

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has proved to be a promising candidate in high-performance gas sensing in ambient conditions. However, trace detection of different kinds of gases with simultaneously high sensitivity and selectivity is challenging. Here, a chemiresistor-type sensor based on 3D sulfonated RGO hydrogel (S-RGOH) is reported, which can detect a variety of important gases with high sensitivity, boosted selectivity, fast response, and good reversibility. The NaHSO 3 functionalized RGOH displays remarkable 118.6 and 58.9 times higher responses to NO 2 and NH 3 , respectively, compared with its unmodified RGOH counterpart. In addition, the S-RGOH sensor is highly responsive to volatile organic compounds. More importantly, the characteristic patterns on the linearly fitted response-temperature curves are employed to distinguish various gases for the first time. The temperature of the sensor is elevated rapidly by an imbedded microheater with little power consumption. The 3D S-RGOH is characterized and the sensing mechanisms are proposed. This work gains new insights into boosting the sensitivity of detecting various gases by combining chemical modification and 3D structural engineering of RGO, and improving the selectivity of gas sensing by employing temperature dependent response characteristics of RGO for different gases.

Fast, sensitive, and selective gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the target analysis of chemical secretions from femoral glands in lizards.

PubMed

Sáiz, Jorge; García-Roa, Roberto; Martín, José; Gómara, Belén

2017-09-08

Chemical signaling is a widespread mode of communication among living organisms that is used to establish social organization, territoriality and/or for mate choice. In lizards, femoral and precloacal glands are important sources of chemical signals. These glands protrude chemical secretions used to mark territories and also, to provide valuable information from the bearer to other individuals. Ecologists have studied these chemical secretions for decades in order to increase the knowledge of chemical communication in lizards. Although several studies have focused on the chemical analysis of these secretions, there is a lack of faster, more sensitive and more selective analytical methodologies for their study. In this work a new GC coupled to tandem triple quadrupole MS (GC-QqQ (MS/MS)) methodology is developed and proposed for the target study of 12 relevant compounds often found in lizard secretions (i.e. 1-hexadecanol, palmitic acid, 1-octadecanol, oleic acid, stearic acid, 1-tetracosanol, squalene, cholesta-3,5-diene, α-tocopherol, cholesterol, ergosterol and campesterol). The method baseline-separated the analytes in less than 7min, with instrumental limits of detection ranging from 0.04 to 6.0ng/mL. It was possible to identify differences in the composition of the samples from the lizards analyzed, which depended on the species, the habitat occupied and the diet of the individuals. Moreover, α-tocopherol has been determined for the first time in a lizard species, which was thought to lack its expression in chemical secretions. Globally, the methodology has been proven to be a valuable alternative to other published methods with important improvements in terms of analysis time, sensitivity, and selectivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma activation and surface characterization on polyethylene membrane separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Yu-Chien; Li, Hsiao-Ling; Huang, Chun

2017-01-01

The surface hydrophilic activation of a polyethylene membrane separator was achieved using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The surface of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator was found to be highly hydrophilic realized by adjusting the plasma power input. The variations in membrane separator chemical structure were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chemical analysis showed newly formed carbonyl-containing groups and high surface concentrations of oxygen-containing species on the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated polymeric separator surface. It also showed that surface hydrophilicity primarily increased from the polar component after atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment. The surface and pore structures of the polyethylene membrane separator were examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a slight alteration in the pore structure. As a result of the incorporation of polar functionalities by atmospheric-pressure plasma activation, the electrolyte uptake and electrochemical impedance of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator improved. The investigational results show that the separator surface can be controlled by atmospheric-pressure plasma surface treatment to tailor the hydrophilicity and enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries.

Two classes of fast-declining Type Ia supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhawan, Suhail; Leibundgut, B.; Spyromilio, J.; Blondin, S.

2017-06-01

We aim to characterise a sample of fast-declining Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) using their bolometric and near-infrared (NIR) properties. Based on these properties, we find that fast-declining SN Ia separate into two categories based on their bolometric and NIR properties. The peak bolometric luminosity (Lmax), the phase of the first maximum relative to the optical, the NIR peak luminosity, and the occurrence of a second maximum in the NIR distinguish a group of very faint SN Ia. Fast-declining supernovae show a large range of peak bolometric luminosities (Lmax differing by up to a factor of 8). All fast-declining SN Ia with Lmax < 0.3× 1043 erg s-1 are spectroscopically classified as 91bg-like and show only a single NIR peak. SNe with Lmax > 0.5× 1043 erg s-1 appear to smoothly connect to normal SN Ia. The total ejecta mass (Mej) values for SNe with enough late time data are ≲1 M⊙, indicating a sub-Chandrasekhar mass progenitor for these SNe.

Chemical compositions, methods of making the chemical compositions, and structures made from the chemical compositions

DOEpatents

Yang, Lei; Cheng, Zhe; Liu, Ze; Liu, Meilin

2015-01-13

Embodiments of the present disclosure include chemical compositions, structures, anodes, cathodes, electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, fuel cells, fuel cell membranes, separation membranes, catalytic membranes, sensors, coatings for electrolytes, electrodes, membranes, and catalysts, and the like, are disclosed.

Facile synthesis of a two-tier hierarchical structured superhydrophobic-superoleophilic melamine sponge for rapid and efficient oil/water separation.

PubMed

Chen, Jiucun; You, Hui; Xu, Liqun; Li, Tianhao; Jiang, Xianquan; Li, Chang Ming

2017-11-15

Oil leakages often cause fatal disasters for environmental pollution but an efficient treatment of the oil spills is still very challenging. Sponge-substrates with superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity have been attracted much attention for oil/water separation. In this study, an inexpensive commercial melamine sponge was chemically modified for the uses of oil spills treatment by oil/water separation. Inspiring from the superhydrophobic property of lotus leaf, pyrrole was polymerized by a simple vapor-phase deposition to encapsulate the raw melamine-formaldehyde (MF) sponge. The as-formed thin polypyrrole walls were utilized as reducing reagent to generate Ag nanoparticles on the capsuled sponge. Accordingly, a superhydrophobic melamine sponge with a two-tier hierarchical structure was achieved after fluorination, and this material was applied to absorb oil from water. The absorption capacity, absorption rate and recyclability were investigated. This superhydrophobic sponge exhibited an efficient and fast oil/water separation performance in complicated environment and could be applied in industrial production because of its low cost and simple fabrication procedure. This study presents a facile strategy for the fabrication of efficient oil sorbents based on a two-tier hierarchical structure, providing a novel means for the upgrading of engineered sorption materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fracture mechanics modeling of popping event during daughter cell separation.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuxuan; Liang, Xudong; Guo, Ming; Cao, Yanping; Cai, Shengqiang

2018-05-10

Most bacteria cells divide by binary fission which is part of a bacteria cell cycle and requires tight regulations and precise coordination. Fast separation of Staphylococcus Aureus (S. Aureus) daughter cells, named as popping event, has been observed in recent experiments. The popping event was proposed to be driven by mechanical crack propagation in the peripheral ring which connected two daughter cells before their separation. It has also been shown that after the fast separation, a small portion of the peripheral ring was left as a hinge. In the article, we develop a fracture mechanics model for the crack growth in the peripheral ring during S. Aureus daughter cell separation. In particular, using finite element analysis, we calculate the energy release rate associated with the crack growth in the peripheral ring, when daughter cells are inflated by a uniform turgor pressure inside. Our results show that with a fixed inflation of daughter cells, the energy release rate depends on the crack length non-monotonically. The energy release rate reaches a maximum value for a crack of an intermediate length. The non-monotonic relationship between the energy release rate and crack length clearly indicates that the crack propagation in the peripheral ring can be unstable. The computed energy release rate as a function of crack length can also be used to explain the existence of a small portion of peripheral ring remained as hinge after the popping event.

A Fast Variant of 1H Spectroscopic U-FLARE Imaging Using Adjusted Chemical Shift Phase Encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebel, Andreas; Dreher, Wolfgang; Leibfritz, Dieter

2000-02-01

So far, fast spectroscopic imaging (SI) using the U-FLARE sequence has provided metabolic maps indirectly via Fourier transformation (FT) along the chemical shift (CS) dimension and subsequent peak integration. However, a large number of CS encoding steps Nω is needed to cover the spectral bandwidth and to achieve sufficient spectral resolution for peak integration even if the number of resonance lines is small compared to Nω and even if only metabolic images are of interest and not the spectra in each voxel. Other reconstruction algorithms require extensive prior knowledge, starting values, and/or model functions. An adjusted CS phase encoding scheme (APE) can be used to overcome these drawbacks. It incorporates prior knowledge only about the resonance frequencies present in the sample. Thus, Nω can be reduced by a factor of 4 for many 1H in vivo studies while no spectra have to be reconstructed, and no additional user interaction, prior knowledge, starting values, or model function are required. Phantom measurements and in vivo experiments on rat brain have been performed at 4.7 T to test the feasibility of the method for proton SI.

Optimal hydrograph separation using a recursive digital filter constrained by chemical mass balance, with application to selected Chesapeake Bay watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raffensperger, Jeff P.; Baker, Anna C.; Blomquist, Joel D.; Hopple, Jessica A.

2017-06-26

Quantitative estimates of base flow are necessary to address questions concerning the vulnerability and response of the Nation’s water supply to natural and human-induced change in environmental conditions. An objective of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Project is to determine how hydrologic systems are affected by watershed characteristics, including land use, land cover, water use, climate, and natural characteristics (geology, soil type, and topography). An important component of any hydrologic system is base flow, generally described as the part of streamflow that is sustained between precipitation events, fed to stream channels by delayed (usually subsurface) pathways, and more specifically as the volumetric discharge of water, estimated at a measurement site or gage at the watershed scale, which represents groundwater that discharges directly or indirectly to stream reaches and is then routed to the measurement point.Hydrograph separation using a recursive digital filter was applied to 225 sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The recursive digital filter was chosen for the following reasons: it is based in part on the assumption that groundwater acts as a linear reservoir, and so has a physical basis; it has only two adjustable parameters (alpha, obtained directly from recession analysis, and beta, the maximum value of the base-flow index that can be modeled by the filter), which can be determined objectively and with the same physical basis of groundwater reservoir linearity, or that can be optimized by applying a chemical-mass-balance constraint. Base-flow estimates from the recursive digital filter were compared with those from five other hydrograph-separation methods with respect to two metrics: the long-term average fraction of streamflow that is base flow, or base-flow index, and the fraction of days where streamflow is entirely base flow. There was generally good correlation between the methods, with some biased

Developmental changes in the activation properties and ultrastructure of fast- and slow-twitch muscles from fetal sheep.

PubMed

West, J M; Barclay, C J; Luff, A R; Walker, D W

1999-04-01

At early stages of muscle development, skeletal muscles contract and relax slowly, regardless of whether they are destined to become fast- or slow-twitch. In this study, we have characterised the activation profiles of developing fast- and slow-twitch muscles from a precocial species, the sheep, to determine if the activation profiles of the muscles are characteristically slow when both the fast- and slow-twitch muscles have slow isometric contraction profiles. Single skinned muscle fibres from the fast-twitch flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and slow-twitch soleus muscles from fetal (gestational ages 70, 90, 120 and 140 days; term 147 days) and neonatal (8 weeks old) sheep were used to determine the isometric force-pCa (pCa = -log10[Ca2+]) and force-pSr relations during development. Fast-twitch mammalian muscles generally have a greatly different sensitivity to Ca2+ and Sr2+ whereas slow-twitch muscles have a similar sensitivity to these divalent cations. At all ages studied, the force-pCa and force-pSr relations of the FDL muscle were widely separated. The mean separation of the mid-point of the curves (pCa50-pSr50) was approximately 1.1. This is typical of adult fast-twitch muscle. The force-pCa and force-pSr curves for soleus muscle were also widely separated at 70 and 90 days gestation (pCa50-pSr50 approximately 0.75); between 90 days and 140 days this separation decreased significantly to approximately 0.2. This leads to a paradoxical situation whereby at early stages of muscle development the fast muscles have contraction dynamics of slow muscles but the slow muscles have activation profiles more characteristic of fast muscles. The time course for development of the FDL and soleus is different, based on sarcomere structure with the soleus muscle developing clearly defined sarcomere structure earlier in gestation than the FDL. At 70 days gestation the FDL muscle had no clearly defined sarcomeres. Force (N cm-2) increased almost linearly between 70 and 140 days

Fast 3D shape screening of large chemical databases through alignment-recycling

PubMed Central

Fontaine, Fabien; Bolton, Evan; Borodina, Yulia; Bryant, Stephen H

2007-01-01

Background Large chemical databases require fast, efficient, and simple ways of looking for similar structures. Although such tasks are now fairly well resolved for graph-based similarity queries, they remain an issue for 3D approaches, particularly for those based on 3D shape overlays. Inspired by a recent technique developed to compare molecular shapes, we designed a hybrid methodology, alignment-recycling, that enables efficient retrieval and alignment of structures with similar 3D shapes. Results Using a dataset of more than one million PubChem compounds of limited size (< 28 heavy atoms) and flexibility (< 6 rotatable bonds), we obtained a set of a few thousand diverse structures covering entirely the 3D shape space of the conformers of the dataset. Transformation matrices gathered from the overlays between these diverse structures and the 3D conformer dataset allowed us to drastically (100-fold) reduce the CPU time required for shape overlay. The alignment-recycling heuristic produces results consistent with de novo alignment calculation, with better than 80% hit list overlap on average. Conclusion Overlay-based 3D methods are computationally demanding when searching large databases. Alignment-recycling reduces the CPU time to perform shape similarity searches by breaking the alignment problem into three steps: selection of diverse shapes to describe the database shape-space; overlay of the database conformers to the diverse shapes; and non-optimized overlay of query and database conformers using common reference shapes. The precomputation, required by the first two steps, is a significant cost of the method; however, once performed, querying is two orders of magnitude faster. Extensions and variations of this methodology, for example, to handle more flexible and larger small-molecules are discussed. PMID:17880744

Non-equilibrium reactive flux: A unified framework for slow and fast reaction kinetics.

PubMed

Bose, Amartya; Makri, Nancy

2017-10-21

The flux formulation of reaction rate theory is recast in terms of the expectation value of the reactive flux with an initial condition that corresponds to a non-equilibrium, factorized reactant density. In the common case of slow reactive processes, the non-equilibrium expression reaches the plateau regime only slightly slower than the equilibrium flux form. When the reactants are described by a single quantum state, as in the case of electron transfer reactions, the factorized reactant density describes the true initial condition of the reactive process. In such cases, the time integral of the non-equilibrium flux expression yields the reactant population as a function of time, allowing characterization of the dynamics in cases where there is no clear separation of time scales and thus a plateau regime cannot be identified. The non-equilibrium flux offers a unified approach to the kinetics of slow and fast chemical reactions and is ideally suited to mixed quantum-classical methods.

Method for the chemical separation of GE-68 from its daughter Ga-68

DOEpatents

Fitzsimmons, Jonathan M.; Atcher, Robert W.

2010-06-01

The present invention is directed to a generator apparatus for separating a daughter gallium-68 radioisotope substantially free of impurities from a parent gernanium-68 radioisotope, including a first resin-containing column containing parent gernanium-68 radioisotope and daughter gallium-68 radioisotope, a source of first eluent connected to said first resin-containing column for separating daughter gallium-68 radioisotope from the first resin-containing column, said first eluent including citrate whereby the separated gallium is in the form of gallium citrate, a mixing space connected to said first resin-containing column for admixing a source of hydrochloric acid with said separated gallium citrate whereby gallium citrate is converted to gallium tetrachloride, a second resin-containing column for retention of gallium-68 tetrachloride, and, a source of second eluent connected to said second resin-containing column for eluting the daughter gallium-68 radioisotope from said second resin-containing column.

Chapter Two – Separations Versus Sustainability: There is No ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Separation operations in chemical processes are generally “uphill” tasks—defying natural tendencies. Historically, such separations have been accomplished by applying generous portions of fossil energy and materials, leaving behind a large environmental footprint. In this chapter, progress in reducing this footprint will be discussed with examples in biofuel production, desalination, and carbon dioxide capture. Industrial separation processes have a significant energy and environmental footprint. Sizeable reductions in energy usage could be achieved by replacing energy-intensive processes like distillation with low-energy separation systems such as membranes, extraction, sorption, or synergistic hybrid systems of low- and high-energy systems.

High-resolution seismic data regularization and wavefield separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Aimin; Stump, Brian; DeShon, Heather

2018-04-01

We present a new algorithm, non-equispaced fast antileakage Fourier transform (NFALFT), for irregularly sampled seismic data regularization. Synthetic tests from 1-D to 5-D show that the algorithm may efficiently remove leaked energy in the frequency wavenumber domain, and its corresponding regularization process is accurate and fast. Taking advantage of the NFALFT algorithm, we suggest a new method (wavefield separation) for the detection of the Earth's inner core shear wave with irregularly distributed seismic arrays or networks. All interfering seismic phases that propagate along the minor arc are removed from the time window around the PKJKP arrival. The NFALFT algorithm is developed for seismic data, but may also be used for other irregularly sampled temporal or spatial data processing.

Inorganic Surface Coating with Fast Wetting-Dewetting Transitions for Liquid Manipulations.

PubMed

Yang, Yajie; Zhang, Liaoliao; Wang, Jue; Wang, Xinwei; Duan, Libing; Wang, Nan; Xiao, Fajun; Xie, Yanbo; Zhao, Jianlin

2018-06-06

Liquid manipulation is a fundamental issue for microfluidics and miniaturized sensors. Fast wetting-state transitions by optical methods have proven being efficient for liquid manipulations by organic surface coatings, however rarely been achieved by using inorganic coatings. Here, we report a fast optical-induced wetting-state transition surface achieved by inorganic coating, enabling tens of second transitions for a wetting-dewetting cycle, shortened from an hour, as typically reported. Here, we demonstrate a gravity-driven microfluidic reactor and switch it to a mixer after a second-step exposure in a minimum of within 80 s of UV exposure. The fast wetting-dewetting transition surfaces enable the fast switchable or erasable smart surfaces for water collection, miniature chemical reaction, or sensing systems by using inorganic surface coatings.

Multispectral UV imaging for fast and non-destructive quality control of chemical and physical tablet attributes.

PubMed

Klukkert, Marten; Wu, Jian X; Rantanen, Jukka; Carstensen, Jens M; Rades, Thomas; Leopold, Claudia S

2016-07-30

Monitoring of tablet quality attributes in direct vicinity of the production process requires analytical techniques that allow fast, non-destructive, and accurate tablet characterization. The overall objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of multispectral UV imaging as a reliable, rapid technique for estimation of the tablet API content and tablet hardness, as well as determination of tablet intactness and the tablet surface density profile. One of the aims was to establish an image analysis approach based on multivariate image analysis and pattern recognition to evaluate the potential of UV imaging for automatized quality control of tablets with respect to their intactness and surface density profile. Various tablets of different composition and different quality regarding their API content, radial tensile strength, intactness, and surface density profile were prepared using an eccentric as well as a rotary tablet press at compression pressures from 20MPa up to 410MPa. It was found, that UV imaging can provide both, relevant information on chemical and physical tablet attributes. The tablet API content and radial tensile strength could be estimated by UV imaging combined with partial least squares analysis. Furthermore, an image analysis routine was developed and successfully applied to the UV images that provided qualitative information on physical tablet surface properties such as intactness and surface density profiles, as well as quantitative information on variations in the surface density. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that UV imaging combined with image analysis is an effective and non-destructive method to determine chemical and physical quality attributes of tablets and is a promising approach for (near) real-time monitoring of the tablet compaction process and formulation optimization purposes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examination of lignocellulosic fibers for chemical, thermal, and separations properties: Addressing thermo-chemical stability issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Carter David

Natural fiber-plastic composites incorporate thermoplastic resins with fibrous plant-based materials, sometimes referred to as biomass. Pine wood mill waste has been the traditional source of natural fibrous feedstock. In anticipation of a waste wood shortage other fibrous biomass materials are being investigated as potential supplements or replacements. Perennial grasses, agricultural wastes, and woody biomass are among the potential source materials. As these feedstocks share the basic chemical building blocks; cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, they are collectively called lignocellulosics. Initial investigation of a number of lignocellulosic materials, applied to fiber-plastic composite processing and material testing, resulted in varied results, particularly response to processing conditions. Less thermally stable lignocellulosic filler materials were physically changed in observable ways: darkened color and odor. The effect of biomass materials' chemical composition on thermal stability was investigated an experiment involving determination of the chemical composition of seven lignocellulosics: corn hull, corn stover, fescue, pine, soy hull, soy stover, and switchgrass. These materials were also evaluated for thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis. The results of these determinations indicated that both chemical composition and pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials can have an effect on their thermal stability. A second study was performed to investigate what effect different pretreatment systems have on hybrid poplar, pine, and switchgrass. These materials were treated with hot water, ethanol, and a 2:1 benzene/ethanol mixture for extraction times of: 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours. This factorial experiment demonstrated that both extraction time and medium have an effect on the weight percent of extractives removed from all three material types. The extracted materials generated in the above study were then subjected to an evaluation of thermal

FAST Center for Environmental Remediation, Fate and Transport of Hazardous Chemicals

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-07-01

Because of the FAST Center project, A&T will compete for funding and will make significant research contributions in environmental science and engineering....include: (1) development of infrastructure and facilities for environmental research at A&T (2) significant research contributions in environmental ... science and engineering, (3) graduation of 25 M.S. graduates in five different disciplines, (4) training of 16 undergraduate assistants, (5) publication

Separation of gamma-ray and neutron events with CsI(Tl) pulse shape analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashida, Y.; Nagata, H.; Koshio, Y.; Nakaya, T.; Wendell, R.

2018-04-01

Fast neutrons are a large background to measurements of gamma-rays emitted from excited nuclei, such that detectors that can efficiently distinguish between the two are essential. In this paper we describe the separation of gamma-rays from neutrons with the pulse shape information of the CsI(Tl) scintillator, using a fast neutron beam and several gamma-ray sources. We find that a figure of merit optimized for this separation takes on large and stable values (nearly 4) between 5 and 10 MeV of electron equivalent deposited energy, the region of most interest to the study of nuclear de-excitation gamma-rays. Accordingly, this work demonstrates the ability of CsI(Tl) scintillators to reject neutron backgrounds to gamma-ray measurements at these energies.

Validation of an ultra-fast UPLC-UV method for the separation of antituberculosis tablets.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dao T-T; Guillarme, Davy; Rudaz, Serge; Veuthey, Jean-Luc

2008-04-01

A simple method using ultra performance LC (UPLC) coupled with UV detection was developed and validated for the determination of antituberculosis drugs in combined dosage form, i. e. isoniazid (ISN), pyrazinamide (PYR) and rifampicin (RIF). Drugs were separated on a short column (2.1 mm x 50 mm) packed with 1.7 mum particles, using an elution gradient procedure. At 30 degrees C, less than 2 min was necessary for the complete separation of the three antituberculosis drugs, while the original USP method was performed in 15 min. Further improvements were obtained with the combination of UPLC and high temperature (up to 90 degrees C), namely HT-UPLC, which allows the application of higher mobile phase flow rates. Therefore, the separation of ISN, PYR and RIF was performed in less than 1 min. After validation (selectivity, trueness, precision and accuracy), both methods (UPLC and HT-UPLC) have proven suitable for the routine quality control analysis of antituberculosis drugs in combined dosage form. Additionally, a large number of samples per day can be analysed due to the short analysis times.

Electrokinetic dispersion in microfluidic separation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molho, Joshua Irving

Numerous efforts have focused on engineering miniaturized chemical analysis devices that are faster, more portable and consume smaller volumes of expensive reagents than their macroscale counterparts. Many of these analysis devices employ electrokinetic effects to transport picoliter volumes of liquids and to separate chemical species from an initially mixed sample volume. In these microfluidic separation systems, dispersion must be minimized to obtain the highest resolution separation possible. This work focuses on modeling, simulation and experimental measurement of two electrokinetic dispersion mechanisms that can reduce the effectiveness of microfluidic separation systems: dispersion resulting from non-uniform wall zeta-potential, and dispersion caused by microchannel turns. When the surface of a microchannel has non-uniform zeta-potential (e.g., if the surface charge varies along the length of the microchannel), an applied electric field creates both electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow. A caged-fluorescence imaging technique was used to visualize the dispersion caused by this electrokinetically induced pressure-driven flow. A simple model for a single channel with an axially varying surface charge is presented and compared to experimental measurements. Microchannel turns have been shown to create dispersion of electrokinetically transported analyte bands. Using a method of moments analysis, a model is developed that quantifies this dispersion and identifies the conditions under which turn dispersion limits the resolution of a microfluidic separation system. Measurements using the caged-fluorescence visualization technique were used to verify this model. New turn geometries are presented and were optimized using both a reduced parameter technique as well as a more generalized, numerical shape optimization approach. These improved turn designs were manufactured using two fabrication techniques and then tested experimentally. The turn optimization approaches

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity.

PubMed

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B; Granda, Jaroslaw M; Cronin, Leroy

2017-06-09

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways.

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B.; Granda, Jaroslaw M.; Cronin, Leroy

2017-06-01

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways.

An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity

PubMed Central

Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B.; Granda, Jaroslaw M.; Cronin, Leroy

2017-01-01

The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways. PMID:28598440

Model reduction for slow–fast stochastic systems with metastable behaviour

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

Bruna, Maria, E-mail: bruna@maths.ox.ac.uk; Computational Science Laboratory, Microsoft Research, Cambridge CB1 2FB; Chapman, S. Jonathan

2014-05-07

The quasi-steady-state approximation (or stochastic averaging principle) is a useful tool in the study of multiscale stochastic systems, giving a practical method by which to reduce the number of degrees of freedom in a model. The method is extended here to slow–fast systems in which the fast variables exhibit metastable behaviour. The key parameter that determines the form of the reduced model is the ratio of the timescale for the switching of the fast variables between metastable states to the timescale for the evolution of the slow variables. The method is illustrated with two examples: one from biochemistry (a fast-species-mediatedmore » chemical switch coupled to a slower varying species), and one from ecology (a predator–prey system). Numerical simulations of each model reduction are compared with those of the full system.« less

Chemical warfare agents.

PubMed

Kuca, Kamil; Pohanka, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Chemical warfare agents are compounds of different chemical structures. Simple molecules such as chlorine as well as complex structures such as ricin belong to this group. Nerve agents, vesicants, incapacitating agents, blood agents, lung-damaging agents, riot-control agents and several toxins are among chemical warfare agents. Although the use of these compounds is strictly prohibited, the possible misuse by terrorist groups is a reality nowadays. Owing to this fact, knowledge of the basic properties of these substances is of a high importance. This chapter briefly introduces the separate groups of chemical warfare agents together with their members and the potential therapy that should be applied in case someone is intoxicated by these agents.

Fast separation of enantiomers by capillary electrophoresis using a combination of two capillaries with different internal diameters.

PubMed

Šebestová, Andrea; Petr, Jan

2017-12-01

The combination of capillaries with different internal diameters was used to accelerate the separation of enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis. Separation of R,S-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-diyl hydrogen phosphate using isopropyl derivative of cyclofructan 6 was studied as a model system. The best separation conditions included 500 mM sodium borate pH 9.5 with 60 mM concentration of the chiral selector. Separation lasted approx. 1.5 min using the combination of 50 and 100 μm id capillaries of 9.7 cm and 22.9 cm, respectively. It allowed approx. 12-fold acceleration in comparison to the traditional long-end separation mainly due to the higher electroosmotic flow generated in the connected capillaries. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sub-1min separation in sequential injection chromatography for determination of synthetic water-soluble dyes in pharmaceutical formulation.

PubMed

Davletbaeva, Polina; Chocholouš, Petr; Bulatov, Andrey; Šatínský, Dalibor; Solich, Petr

2017-09-05

Sequential Injection Chromatography (SIC) evolved from fast and automated non-separation Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA) into chromatographic separation method for multi-element analysis. However, the speed of the measurement (sample throughput) is due to chromatography significantly reduced. In this paper, a sub-1min separation using medium polar cyano monolithic column (5mm×4.6mm) resulted in fast and green separation with sample throughput comparable with non-separation flow methods The separation of three synthetic water-soluble dyes (sunset yellow FCF, carmoisine and green S) was in a gradient elution mode (0.02% ammonium acetate, pH 6.7 - water) with flow rate of 3.0mLmin -1 corresponding with sample throughput of 30h -1 . Spectrophotometric detection wavelengths were set to 480, 516 and 630nm and 10Hz data collection rate. The performance of the separation was described and discussed (peak capacities 3.48-7.67, peak symmetries 1.72-1.84 and resolutions 1.42-1.88). The method was represented by validation parameters: LODs of 0.15-0.35mgL -1 , LOQs of 0.50-1.25mgL -1 , calibration ranges 0.50-150.00mgL -1 (r>0.998) and repeatability at 10.0mgL -1 of RSD≤0.98% (n=6). The method was used for determination of the dyes in "forest berries" colored pharmaceutical cough-cold formulation. The sample matrix - pharmaceuticals and excipients were not interfering with vis determination because of no retention in the separation column and colorless nature. The results proved the concept of fast and green chromatography approach using very short medium polar monolithic column in SIC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using dynamic interferometric synthetic aperature radar (InSAR) to image fast-moving surface waves

DOEpatents

Vincent, Paul

2005-06-28

A new differential technique and system for imaging dynamic (fast moving) surface waves using Dynamic Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is introduced. This differential technique and system can sample the fast-moving surface displacement waves from a plurality of moving platform positions in either a repeat-pass single-antenna or a single-pass mode having a single-antenna dual-phase receiver or having dual physically separate antennas, and reconstruct a plurality of phase differentials from a plurality of platform positions to produce a series of desired interferometric images of the fast moving waves.

Electrostatic Separator for Beneficiation of Lunar Soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Jacqueline; Arens, Ellen; Trigwell, Steve; Captain, James

2010-01-01

A charge separator has been constructed for use in a lunar environment that will allow for separation of minerals from lunar soil. In the present experiments, whole lunar dust as received was used. The approach taken here was that beneficiation of ores into an industrial feedstock grade may be more efficient. Refinement or enrichment of specific minerals in the soil before it is chemically processed may be more desirable as it would reduce the size and energy requirements necessary to produce the virgin material, and it may significantly reduce the process complexity. The principle is that minerals of different composition and work function will charge differently when tribocharged against different materials, and hence be separated in an electric field.

Chemical structure-based predictive model for methanogenic anaerobic biodegradation potential.

PubMed

Meylan, William; Boethling, Robert; Aronson, Dallas; Howard, Philip; Tunkel, Jay

2007-09-01

Many screening-level models exist for predicting aerobic biodegradation potential from chemical structure, but anaerobic biodegradation generally has been ignored by modelers. We used a fragment contribution approach to develop a model for predicting biodegradation potential under methanogenic anaerobic conditions. The new model has 37 fragments (substructures) and classifies a substance as either fast or slow, relative to the potential to be biodegraded in the "serum bottle" anaerobic biodegradation screening test (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guideline 311). The model correctly classified 90, 77, and 91% of the chemicals in the training set (n = 169) and two independent validation sets (n = 35 and 23), respectively. Accuracy of predictions of fast and slow degradation was equal for training-set chemicals, but fast-degradation predictions were less accurate than slow-degradation predictions for the validation sets. Analysis of the signs of the fragment coefficients for this and the other (aerobic) Biowin models suggests that in the context of simple group contribution models, the majority of positive and negative structural influences on ultimate degradation are the same for aerobic and methanogenic anaerobic biodegradation.

Strontium-free rare earth perovskite ferrites with fast oxygen exchange kinetics: Experiment and theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Christian; Bucher, Edith; Windischbacher, Andreas; Boese, A. Daniel; Sitte, Werner

2018-03-01

The Sr-free mixed ionic electronic conducting perovskites La0.8Ca0.2FeO3-δ (LCF82) and Pr0.8Ca0.2FeO3-δ (PCF82) were synthesized via a glycine-nitrate process. Crystal structure, phase purity, and lattice constants were determined by XRD and Rietveld analysis. The oxygen exchange kinetics and the electronic conductivity were obtained from in-situ dc-conductivity relaxation experiments at 600-800 °C and 1×10-3≤pO2/bar≤0.1. Both LCF82 and PCF82 show exceptionally fast chemical surface exchange coefficients and chemical diffusion coefficients of oxygen. The oxygen nonstochiometry of LCF82 and PCF82 was determined by precision thermogravimetry. A point defect model was used to calculate the thermodynamic factors of oxygen and to estimate self-diffusion coefficients and ionic conductivities. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the crystal structure, oxygen vacancy formation as well as oxygen migration energies are in excellent agreement with the experimental values. Due to their favourable properties both LCF82 and PCF82 are of interest for applications in solid oxide fuel cell cathodes, solid oxide electrolyser cell anodes, oxygen separation membranes, catalysts, or electrochemical sensors.

Microbially induced separation of quartz from hematite using sulfate reducing bacteria.

PubMed

Prakasan, M R Sabari; Natarajan, K A

2010-07-01

Cells and metabolic products of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were successfully used to separate quartz from hematite through environmentally benign microbially induced flotation. Bacterial metabolic products such as extracellular proteins and polysaccharides were isolated from both unadapted and mineral-adapted bacterial metabolite and their basic characteristics were studied in order to get insight into the changes brought about on bioreagents during adaptation. Interaction between bacterial cells and metabolites with minerals like hematite and quartz brought about significant surface-chemical changes on both the minerals. Quartz was rendered more hydrophobic, while hematite became more hydrophilic after biotreatment. The predominance of bacterial polysaccharides on interacted hematite and of proteins on quartz was responsible for the above surface-chemical changes, as attested through adsorption studies. Surface-chemical changes were also observed on bacterial cells after adaptation to the above minerals. Selective separation of quartz from hematite was achieved through interaction with quartz-adapted bacterial cells and metabolite. Mineral-specific proteins secreted by quartz-adapted cells were responsible for conferment of hydrophobicity on quartz resulting in enhanced separation from hematite through flotation. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antifouling Cellulose Hybrid Biomembrane for Effective Oil/Water Separation.

PubMed

Kollarigowda, Ravichandran H; Abraham, Sinoj; Montemagno, Carlo D

2017-09-06

Oil/water separation has been of great interest worldwide because of the increasingly serious environmental pollution caused by the abundant discharge of industrial wastewater, oil spill accidents, and odors. Here, we describe simple and economical superhydrophobic hybrid membranes for effective oil/water separation. Eco-friendly, antifouling membranes were fabricated for oil/water separation, waste particle filtration, the blocking of thiol-based odor materials, etc., by using a cellulose membrane (CM) filter. The CM was modified from its original superhydrophilic nature into a superhydrophobic surface via a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer technique. The block copolymer poly{[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl acrylate]-block-myrcene} was synthesized using a "grafting-from" approach on the CM. The surface contact angle that we obtained was >160°, and absorption tests of several organic contaminants (oils and solvents) exhibited superior levels of extractive activity and excellent reusability. These properties rendered this membrane a promising surface for oil/water separation. Interestingly, myrcene blocks thiol (through "-ene-" chemistry) contaminants, thereby bestowing a pleasant odor to polluted water by acting as an antifouling material. We exploited the structural properties of cellulose networks and simple chemical manipulations to fabricate an original material that proved to be effective in separating water from organic and nano/microparticulate contaminants. These characteristics allowed our material to effectively separate water from oily/particulate phases as well as embed antifouling materials for water purification, thus making it an appropriate absorber for chemical processes and environmental protection.

An enhanced fast scanning algorithm for image segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismael, Ahmed Naser; Yusof, Yuhanis binti

2015-12-01

Segmentation is an essential and important process that separates an image into regions that have similar characteristics or features. This will transform the image for a better image analysis and evaluation. An important benefit of segmentation is the identification of region of interest in a particular image. Various algorithms have been proposed for image segmentation and this includes the Fast Scanning algorithm which has been employed on food, sport and medical images. It scans all pixels in the image and cluster each pixel according to the upper and left neighbor pixels. The clustering process in Fast Scanning algorithm is performed by merging pixels with similar neighbor based on an identified threshold. Such an approach will lead to a weak reliability and shape matching of the produced segments. This paper proposes an adaptive threshold function to be used in the clustering process of the Fast Scanning algorithm. This function used the gray'value in the image's pixels and variance Also, the level of the image that is more the threshold are converted into intensity values between 0 and 1, and other values are converted into intensity values zero. The proposed enhanced Fast Scanning algorithm is realized on images of the public and private transportation in Iraq. Evaluation is later made by comparing the produced images of proposed algorithm and the standard Fast Scanning algorithm. The results showed that proposed algorithm is faster in terms the time from standard fast scanning.

Chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT) on human brain at 3 Tesla.

PubMed

Lin, Eugene C; Li, Hua; Zu, Zhongliang; Louie, Elizabeth A; Lankford, Christopher L; Dortch, Richard D; Does, Mark D; Gore, John C; Gochberg, Daniel F

2018-05-25

To test the ability of a novel pulse sequence applied in vivo at 3 Tesla to separate the contributions to the water signal from amide proton transfer (APT) and relayed nuclear Overhauser enhancement (rNOE) from background direct water saturation and semisolid magnetization transfer (MT). The lack of such signal source isolation has confounded conventional chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging. We quantified APT and rNOE signals using a chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT) metric, MTR double . A range of duty cycles and average irradiation powers were applied, and results were compared with conventional CEST analyses using asymmetry (MTR asym ) and extrapolated magnetization transfer (EMR). Our results indicate that MTR double is more specific than MTR asym and, because it requires as few as 3 data points, is more rapid than methods requiring a complete Z-spectrum, such as EMR. In white matter, APT (1.5 ± 0.5%) and rNOE (2.1 ± 0.7%) were quantified by using MTR double with a 30% duty cycle and a 0.5-µT average power. In addition, our results suggest that MTR double is insensitive to B 0 inhomogeneity, further magnifying its speed advantage over CEST metrics that require a separate B 0 measurement. However, MTR double still has nontrivial sensitivity to B 1 inhomogeneities. We demonstrated that MTR double is an alternative metric to evaluate APT and rNOE, which is fast, robust to B 0 inhomogeneity, and easy to process. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Terminal - Tactical Separation Assured Flight Environment (T-TSafe)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verma, Savita Arora; Tang, Huabin; Ballinger, Debbi

2011-01-01

The Tactical Separation Assured Flight Environment (TSAFE) has been previously tested as a conflict detection and resolution tool in the en-route phase of flight. Fast time simulations of a terminal version of this tool called Terminal TSAFE (T-TSAFE) have shown promise over the current conflict detection tools. It has shown to have fewer false alerts (as low as 2 per hour) and better prediction to conflict time than Conflict Alert. The tool will be tested in the simulated terminal area of Los Angeles International Airport, in a Human-in-the-loop experiment to identify controller procedures and information requirements. The simulation will include comparisons of T-TSAFE with NASA's version of Conflict Alert. Also, some other variables such as altitude entry by the controller, which improve T-TSAFE's predictions for conflict detection, will be tested. T-TSAFE integrates features of current conflict detection tools such as Automated Terminal Proximity Alert used to alleviate compression errors in the final approach phase. Based on fast-time simulation analysis, the anticipated benefits of T-TSAFE over Conflict Alert include reduced false/missed alerts and increased time to predicted loss of separation. Other metrics that will be used to evaluate the tool's impact on the controller include controller intervention, workload, and situation awareness.

A narrow open tubular column for high efficiency liquid chromatographic separation.

PubMed

Chen, Huang; Yang, Yu; Qiao, Zhenzhen; Xiang, Piliang; Ren, Jiangtao; Meng, Yunzhu; Zhang, Kaiqi; Juan Lu, Joann; Liu, Shaorong

2018-04-30

We report a great feature of open tubular liquid chromatography when it is run using an extremely narrow (e.g., 2 μm inner diameter) open tubular column: more than 10 million plates per meter can be achieved in less than 10 min and under an elution pressure of ca. 20 bar. The column is coated with octadecylsilane and both isocratic and gradient separations are performed. We reveal a focusing effect that may be used to interpret the efficiency enhancement. We also demonstrate the feasibility of using this technique for separating complex peptide samples. This high-resolution and fast separation technique is promising and can lead to a powerful tool for trace sample analysis.

Method development and application of offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-fast data directed analysis for comprehensive characterization of the saponins from Xueshuantong Injection.

PubMed

Yang, Wenzhi; Zhang, Jingxian; Yao, Changliang; Qiu, Shi; Chen, Ming; Pan, Huiqin; Shi, Xiaojian; Wu, Wanying; Guo, Dean

2016-09-05

Xueshuantong Injection (XSTI), derived from Notoginseng total saponins, is a popular traditional Chinese medicine injection for the treatment of thrombus-resultant diseases. Current knowledge on its therapeutic basis is limited to five major saponins, whereas those minor ones are rarely investigated. We herein develop an offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-fast data directed analysis (offline 2D LC/QTOF-Fast DDA) approach to systematically characterize the saponins contained in XSTI. Key parameters affecting chromatographic separation in 2D LC (including stationary phase, mobile phase, column temperature, and gradient elution program) and the detection by QTOF MS (involving spray voltage, cone voltage, and ramp collision energy) were optimized in sequence. The configured offline 2D LC system showed an orthogonality of 0.84 and a theoretical peak capacity of 8976. Total saponins in XSTI were fractionated into eleven samples by the first-dimensional hydrophilic interaction chromatography, which were further analyzed by reversed-phase UHPLC/QTOF-Fast DDA in negative ion mode. The fragmentation features evidenced from 36 saponin reference standards, high-accuracy MS and Fast-DDA-MS(2) data, elemental composition (C<80, H<120, O<50), double-bond equivalent (DBE 5-15), and searching an in-house library of Panax notoginseng, were simultaneously utilized for structural elucidation. Ultimately, 148 saponins were separated and characterized, and 80 have not been isolated from P. notoginseng. An in-depth depiction of the chemical composition of XSTI was achieved. The results obtained would benefit better understanding of the therapeutic basis and significant promotion on the quality standard of XSTI as well as other homologous products. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fast Neutron Detection using Pixelated CdZnTe Spectrometers

DOE PAGES

Streicher, Michael; Goodman, David; Zhu, Yuefeng; ...

2017-05-29

One important important signature of special nuclear materials (SNM) are fast neutrons. Fast neutrons have a low natural background rate and readily penetrate high atomic number materials which easily shield gamma-ray signatures. Thus, fast neutrons provide a complementary signal to gamma rays for detecting shielded SNM. Scattering kinematics dictate that a large nucleus (such as Cd or Te) will recoil with small kinetic energy after an elastic collision with a fast neutron. Charge carrier recombination and quenching further reduce the recorded energy deposited. Thus, the energy threshold of CdZnTe detectors must be very low in order to sense the smallmore » signals from these recoils. Here, the threshold was reduced to less than 5 keVee to demonstrate that the 5.9 keV x-ray line from 55Fe could be separated from electronic noise. Elastic scattering neutron interactions were observed as small energy depositions (less than 20 keVee) using digitally-sampled pulse waveforms from pixelated CdZnTe detectors. Characteristic gamma-ray lines from inelastic neutron scattering were also observed.« less

Graphene-based solid-phase extraction disk for fast separation and preconcentration of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water samples.

PubMed

Wang, Zonghua; Han, Qiang; Xia, Jianfei; Xia, Linhua; Ding, Mingyu; Tang, Jie

2013-06-01

Graphene has great potentials for the use in sample preparation due to its ultra high specific surface area, superior chemical stability, and excellent thermal stability. In our work, a novel graphene-based SPE disk was developed for separation and preconcentration of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water samples. Based on the strong π-π stacking interaction between the analytes and graphene, the analytes extracted by graphene were eluted by cyclohexane and then determined by GC-MS. Under the optimized conditions, high flow rate (30 mL/min) and sensitivity (0.84-13 ng/L) were achieved. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of real environmental water samples with recoveries ranging from 72.8 to 106.2%. Furthermore, the property of anticlogging and reusability was also improved. This work reveals great potentials of graphene-based SPE disk in environmental analytical. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

DNA integrity determination in marine invertebrates by Fast Micromethod.

PubMed

Jaksić, Zeljko; Batel, Renato

2003-12-10

This study was focused toward the adaptation of the previously developed Fast Micromethod for DNA damage determination to marine invertebrates for the establishment of biomonitoring assessment. The Fast Micromethod detects DNA damage (strand breaks, alkali-labile sites and incomplete excision repair) and determines DNA integrity in cell suspensions or tissue homogenates in single microplates. The procedure is based on the ability of the specific fluorochrome dye PicoGreen to preferentially interact with high integrity DNA molecules, dsDNA, in the presence of ssDNA and proteins in high alkaline medium, thereby allowing direct fluorometric measurements of dsDNA denaturation without sample handling and stepwise DNA separations. The results presented herein describe the influence of the DNA amount and the pH of the denaturation media on slopes of the kinetic denaturation curves and calculated strand scission factors (SSFs). The optimal amount of DNA in Mytilus galloprovincialis gills homogenate was found to be 100 ng ml(-1) and the greatest differences in DNA unwinding kinetics (slopes and SSF values) were reached at pH 11.5. The induction of DNA damage and loss of DNA integrity was measured in native DNA isolated from cotton-spinner Holothuria tubulosa, marine sponge Suberites domuncula cells and mussel M. galloprovincialis gills homogenate. DNA damage and loss of DNA integrity were detected after induction by different doses of (gamma-rays, generated by 137Cs 1800 Ci; 0-500 rad in marine sponge S. domuncula cells up to SSFx(-1) values 0.082 +/- 0.012 for the highest radiation dose). Analysis by chemical xenobiotics based on the in vitro action of bleomycin (bleomycin-Fe(II) complex 0-50 or 0-83 microg ml(-1) (microM)) with native DNA from cotton-spinner H. tubulosa and mussel M. galloprovincialis gills homogenate yielded values of 0.537 +/- 0.072 and 0.130 +/- 0.018, respectively. In vivo experiments with mussel M. galloprovincialis gills homogenate by 4

Characteristics of spondylotic myelopathy on 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo and 2D fast spin echo magnetic resonance imaging: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Abdulhadi, Mike A; Perno, Joseph R; Melhem, Elias R; Nucifora, Paolo G P

2014-01-01

In patients with spinal stenosis, magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine can be improved by using 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences to provide a high-resolution assessment of osseous and ligamentous structures. However, it is not yet clear whether 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences adequately evaluate the spinal cord itself. As a result, they are generally supplemented by additional 2D fast spin echo sequences, adding time to the examination and potential discomfort to the patient. Here we investigate the hypothesis that in patients with spinal stenosis and spondylotic myelopathy, 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences can characterize cord lesions equally well as 2D fast spin echo sequences. We performed a retrospective analysis of 30 adult patients with spondylotic myelopathy who had been examined with both 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences and 2D fast spin echo sequences at the same scanning session. The two sequences were inspected separately for each patient, and visible cord lesions were manually traced. We found no significant differences between 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo and 2D fast spin echo sequences in the mean number, mean area, or mean transverse dimensions of spondylotic cord lesions. Nevertheless, the mean contrast-to-noise ratio of cord lesions was decreased on 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences compared to 2D fast spin echo sequences. These findings suggest that 3D driven-equilibrium fast spin echo sequences do not need supplemental 2D fast spin echo sequences for the diagnosis of spondylotic myelopathy, but they may be less well suited for quantitative signal measurements in the spinal cord.

Chemical, Biological, and Explosive Sensors for Field Measurements

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

Kevin Kyle, Manuel Manard, Stephan Weeks

Special Technologies Laboratory (STL) is developing handheld chemical, biological, and explosive (CBE) detection systems and sensor motes for wireless networked field operations. The CBE sensors are capable of detecting and identifying multiple targeted toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and high-explosive vapor components. The CBE devices are based on differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) coupled with fast gas chromatography (GC) or mass spectrometry. The systems all include the concepts of: 1. Direct air/particulate “smart” sampling 2. Selective, continuous real-time (~1 sec) alert monitoring using DMS 3. Highly selective, rapid dual technology separation/verification analysis The biosensor technology is based on Raman aerosol particle flowmore » cytometry for target detection and identification. Monitoring and identifying trace level chemical vapors directly from ambient air will allow First Responders to quickly adapt situational response strategies and personal protective equipment needs to the specific response scenario being encountered. First Responders require great confidence in the measurements and ability of a given system to detect CBE below threshold levels without interferences. The concept of determining the background matrix in near real-time to allow subsequent automated field-programmable method selection and cueing of high-value assets in a wide range of environs will be presented. This provides CBE information for decisions prior to First Responders entering the response site or sending a portable mobile unit for a remote site survey of the hazards. The focus is on real-time information needed by those responsible for emergency response and national security.« less

THE PREVALENCE AND NUTRITIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

PubMed Central

Butt, Saud; Leon, Janeen B.; David, Carol L.; Chang, Henry; Sidhu, Sanbir; Sehgal, Ashwini R.

2007-01-01

Background Fast food consumption has increased dramatically in the general population over the last 25 years. However, little is known about the prevalence and nutritional implications of fast food consumption among hemodialysis patients. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, we obtained data on fast food consumption and nutrient intake (from four separate 24-hour dietary recalls) and nutritional parameters (from chart abstraction) for 194 randomly selected patients from 44 hemodialysis facilities in northeast Ohio. Results Eighty-one subjects (42%) reported consuming at least one fast food meal or snack in four days. Subjects who consumed more fast food had higher kilocalorie, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium intakes. For example, kilocalorie per kilogram intake per day increased from 18.9 to 26.1 with higher frequencies of fast food consumption (p=.003). Subjects who consumed more fast food also had higher serum phosphorus levels and interdialytic weight gains. Conclusion Fast food is commonly consumed by hemodialysis patients and is associated with a higher intake of kilocalories, carbohydrates, fats, and sodium and adverse changes in phosphorus and fluid balance. Further work is needed to understand the long-term benefits and risks of fast food consumption among hemodialysis patients. PMID:17586425

Fast Atomic-Scale Chemical Imaging of Crystalline Materials and Dynamic Phase Transformations

DOE PAGES

Lu, Ping; Yuan, Ren Liang; Ihlefeld, Jon F.; ...

2016-03-04

Chemical imaging at the atomic-scale provides a useful real-space approach to chemically investigate solid crystal structures, and has been recently demonstrated in aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Atomic-scale chemical imaging by STEM using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) offers easy data interpretation with a one-to-one correspondence between image and structure but has a severe shortcoming due to the poor efficiency of X-ray generation and collection. As a result, it requires a long acquisition time of typical > few 100 seconds, limiting its potential applications. Here we describe the development of an atomic-scale STEM EDS chemical imaging technique that cutsmore » the acquisition time to one or a few seconds, efficiently reducing the acquisition time by more than 100 times. This method was demonstrated using LaAlO 3 (LAO) as a model crystal. Applying this method to the study of phase transformation induced by electron-beam radiation in a layered lithium transition-metal (TM) oxide, i.e., Li[Li 0.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6]O 2 (LNMO), a cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, we obtained a time-series of the atomic-scale chemical imaging, showing the transformation progressing by preferably jumping of Ni atoms from the TM layers into the Li-layers. The new capability offers an opportunity for temporal, atomic-scale chemical mapping of crystal structures for the investigation of materials susceptible to electron irradiation as well as phase transformation and dynamics at the atomic-scale.« less

Method and apparatus for separating material

DOEpatents

Oder, Robin R.; Jamison, Russell E.

2006-10-24

An apparatus for sorting particles composed of a mixture of particles with differing physical and chemical characteristics. The apparatus includes a comminutor, a mechanism for removing particles from the inside of the comminutor which are intermediate in size between the feed to the comminutor and the product of comminution, a mechanism for either discharging particles taken from the comminutor to a reject stream or providing them to a size classification apparatus such as screening, a mechanism for returning the oversize particles to the comminutor or for discharging them to the reject stream, an electric mechanism for separating particles with an electrical force disposed adjacent to a magnet mechanism, a mechanism for providing the particles to the magnet mechanism and the electric mechanism and for providing triboelectric and capacitive charges to the particles, and a mechanism for returning one of the products of electric and magnetic separation to the comminutor while discharging the other to the reject stream. A method for sorting particles composed of a mixture of particles with differing physical and chemical characteristics.

Efficient enumeration of monocyclic chemical graphs with given path frequencies

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The enumeration of chemical graphs (molecular graphs) satisfying given constraints is one of the fundamental problems in chemoinformatics and bioinformatics because it leads to a variety of useful applications including structure determination and development of novel chemical compounds. Results We consider the problem of enumerating chemical graphs with monocyclic structure (a graph structure that contains exactly one cycle) from a given set of feature vectors, where a feature vector represents the frequency of the prescribed paths in a chemical compound to be constructed and the set is specified by a pair of upper and lower feature vectors. To enumerate all tree-like (acyclic) chemical graphs from a given set of feature vectors, Shimizu et al. and Suzuki et al. proposed efficient branch-and-bound algorithms based on a fast tree enumeration algorithm. In this study, we devise a novel method for extending these algorithms to enumeration of chemical graphs with monocyclic structure by designing a fast algorithm for testing uniqueness. The results of computational experiments reveal that the computational efficiency of the new algorithm is as good as those for enumeration of tree-like chemical compounds. Conclusions We succeed in expanding the class of chemical graphs that are able to be enumerated efficiently. PMID:24955135

Split-flow regeneration in absorptive air separation

DOEpatents

Weimer, Robert F.

1987-01-01

A chemical absorptive separation of air in multiple stage of absorption and desorption is performed with partial recycle of absorbent between stages of desorption necessary to match equilibrium conditions in the various stages of absorption. This allows reduced absorbent flow, reduced energy demand and reduced capital costs.

Conventional, Bayesian, and Modified Prony's methods for characterizing fast and slow waves in equine cancellous bone

PubMed Central

Groopman, Amber M.; Katz, Jonathan I.; Holland, Mark R.; Fujita, Fuminori; Matsukawa, Mami; Mizuno, Katsunori; Wear, Keith A.; Miller, James G.

2015-01-01

Conventional, Bayesian, and the modified least-squares Prony's plus curve-fitting (MLSP + CF) methods were applied to data acquired using 1 MHz center frequency, broadband transducers on a single equine cancellous bone specimen that was systematically shortened from 11.8 mm down to 0.5 mm for a total of 24 sample thicknesses. Due to overlapping fast and slow waves, conventional analysis methods were restricted to data from sample thicknesses ranging from 11.8 mm to 6.0 mm. In contrast, Bayesian and MLSP + CF methods successfully separated fast and slow waves and provided reliable estimates of the ultrasonic properties of fast and slow waves for sample thicknesses ranging from 11.8 mm down to 3.5 mm. Comparisons of the three methods were carried out for phase velocity at the center frequency and the slope of the attenuation coefficient for the fast and slow waves. Good agreement among the three methods was also observed for average signal loss at the center frequency. The Bayesian and MLSP + CF approaches were able to separate the fast and slow waves and provide good estimates of the fast and slow wave properties even when the two wave modes overlapped in both time and frequency domains making conventional analysis methods unreliable. PMID:26328678

Quarterly progress report for the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division: July--September 1997

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

Jubin, R.T.

This report summarizes the major activities conducted in the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during the period July--September 1997. The section conducts basic and applied research and development in chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and bioprocessing, with an emphasis on energy-driven technologies and advanced chemical separations for nuclear and waste applications. The report describes the various tasks performed within nine major areas of research: Hot Cell Operations, Process Chemistry and Thermodynamics, Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) Remediation Studies, Chemistry Research, Biotechnology, Separations and Materials Synthesis, Fluid Structure and Properties, Biotechnologymore » Research, and Molecular Studies. The name of a technical contact is included with each task described, and readers are encouraged to contact these individuals if they need additional information.« less

Fast-multivariate optimization of chiral separations in capillary electrophoresis: anticipative strategies.

PubMed

Escuder-Gilabert, L; Martín-Biosca, Y; Sagrado, S; Medina-Hernández, M J

2014-10-10

The design of experiments (DOE) is a good option for rationally limiting the number of experiments required to achieve the enantioresolution (Rs) of a chiral compound in capillary electrophoresis. In some cases, the modeled Rs after DOE analysis can be unsatisfactory, maybe because the range of the explored factors (DOE domain) was not the adequate. In these cases, anticipative strategies can be an alternative to the repetition of the process (e.g. a new DOE), to save time and money. In this work, multiple linear regression (MLR)-steepest ascent and a new anticipative strategy based on a multiple response-partial least squares model (called PLS2-prediction) are examined as post-DOE strategies to anticipate new experimental conditions providing satisfactory Rs values. The new anticipative strategy allows to include the analysis time (At) and uncertainty limits into the decision making process. To demonstrate their efficiency, the chiral separation of hexaconazole and penconazole, as model compounds, is studied using highly sulfated-β-cyclodextrin (HS-β-CD) in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC). Box-Behnken DOE for three factors (background electrolyte pH, separation temperature and HS-β-CD concentration) and two responses (Rs and At) is used. Using commercially available software, the whole modeling and anticipative process is automatic, simple and requires minimal skills from the researcher. Both strategies studied have proven to successfully anticipate Rs values close to the experimental ones for EKC conditions outside the DOE domain for the two model compounds. The results in this work suggest that PLS2-prediction approach could be the strategy of choice to obtain secure anticipations in EKC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Study on chemical constituents from Schisandra chinensis stem].

PubMed

Zheng, Li-shi; Du, Shu-shan; Cai, Qian

2014-10-01

To separate and identify the chemical constituents from the stem of Schisandra chinensis. Various chromatographic techniques were used to separate and purify the chemical constituents from 95% ethanol extraction of the stem of Schisandra chinensis. Their structures were elucidated based on the physico-chemical properties and spectral data. Ten compounds were obtained and elucidated as (+)-deoxyschizandrin (1), γ-schizandrin (2), wuweizisu C (3), gomisin N (4), schizandrin (5), anwuweizic acid (6), (-)-dihydroguaiaretic acid (7), tetradecanoic acid (8), β-sitosterol (9) and daucosterol (10). Compounds 6-8 are obtained from the stem of Schisandra chinensis for the first time.

CHARGE BOTTLE FOR A MASS SEPARATOR

DOEpatents

Davidson, P.H.

1959-07-01

Improved mass separator charge bottles are described for containing a dense charge of a chemical compound of copper, nickel, lead or other useful substance which is to be vaporized, and to the method of utilizing such improvcd charge bottles so that the chemical compound is vaporized from the under surface of the charge and thus permits the non-volatile portion thereof to fall to the bottom of the charge bottle where it does not form an obstacle to further evaporation. The charge bottle comprises a vertically disposed cylindrical portion, an inner re-entrant cylindrical portion extending axially and downwardly into the same from the upper end thereof, and evaporative source material in the form of a chemical compound compacted within the upper annular pontion of the charge bottle formed by the re-entrant cylindrical portion, whereby vapor from the chemical compound will pass outwardly from the charge bottle through an apertured closure.

Simultaneous and selective decarboxylation of L-serine and deamination of L-phenylalanine in an amino acid mixture--a means of separating amino acids for synthesizing biobased chemicals.

PubMed

Teng, Yinglai; Scott, Elinor L; Witte-van Dijk, Susan C M; Sanders, Johan P M

2016-01-25

Amino acids (AAs) obtained from the hydrolysis of biomass-derived proteins are interesting feedstocks for the chemical industry. They can be prepared from the byproduct of biofuel production and agricultural wastes. They are rich in functionalities needed in petrochemicals, providing the opportunity to save energy, reagents, and process steps. However, their separation is required before they can be applied for further applications. Electrodialysis (ED) is a promising separation method, but its efficiency needs to be improved when separating AAs with similar isoelectric points. Thus, specific conversions are required to form product with different charges. Here we studied the enzymatic conversions which can be used as a means to aid the ED separation of neutral AAs. A model mixture containing L-serine, L-phenylalanine and L-methionine was used. The reactions of L-serine decarboxylase and L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase were employed to specifically convert serine and phenylalanine into ethanolamine and trans-cinnamic acid. At the isoelectric point of methionine (pH 5.74), the charge of ethanolamine and trans-cinnamic acid are +1 and -1, therefore facilitating potential separation into three different streams by electrodialysis. Here the enzyme kinetics, specificity, inhibition and the operational stabilities were studied, showing that both enzymes can be applied simultaneously to aid the ED separation of neutral AAs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SEPARATION OF URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM OXIDES

DOEpatents

Benedict, G.E.; Lyon, W.L.

1961-12-01

ABS>A method of separating a mixture of UO/sub 2/ and PuO/sub 2/ is given which comprises immersing the mixture in a fused NaCl-KCl bath, chlorinating with chlorine or phosgene, and preferentially electrolytically or chemically reducing the UO/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ so produced to UO/sub 2/ and filtering it out. (AEC)

Chemical process to separate iron oxides particles in pottery sample for EPR dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, S.; Farias, T. M. B.; Gennari, R. F.; Ferraz, G. M.; Kunzli, R.; Chubaci, J. F. D.

2008-12-01

Ancient potteries usually are made of the local clay material, which contains relatively high concentration of iron. The powdered samples are usually quite black, due to magnetite, and, although they can be used for thermoluminescene (TL) dating, it is easiest to obtain better TL reading when clearest natural or pre-treated sample is used. For electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, the huge signal due to iron spin-spin interaction, promotes an intense interference overlapping any other signal in this range. Sample dating is obtained by dividing the radiation dose, determined by the concentration of paramagnetic species generated by irradiation, by the natural dose so as a consequence, EPR dating cannot be used, since iron signal do not depend on radiation dose. In some cases, the density separation method using hydrated solution of sodium polytungstate [Na 6(H 2W 12O 40)·H 2O] becomes useful. However, the sodium polytungstate is very expensive in Brazil; hence an alternative method for eliminating this interference is proposed. A chemical process to eliminate about 90% of magnetite was developed. A sample of powdered ancient pottery was treated in a mixture (3:1:1) of HCl, HNO 3 and H 2O 2 for 4 h. After that, it was washed several times in distilled water to remove all acid matrixes. The original black sample becomes somewhat clearer. The resulting material was analyzed by plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with the result that the iron content is reduced by a factor of about 9. In EPR measurements a non-treated natural ceramic sample shows a broad spin-spin interaction signal, the chemically treated sample presents a narrow signal in g = 2.00 region, possibly due to a radical of (SiO 3) 3-, mixed with signal of remaining iron [M. Ikeya, New Applications of Electron Spin Resonance, World Scientific, Singapore, 1993, p. 285]. This signal increases in intensity under γ-irradiation. However, still due to iron influence, the additive method yielded too

Temperature-controlled micro-TLC: a versatile green chemistry and fast analytical tool for separation and preliminary screening of steroids fraction from biological and environmental samples.

PubMed

Zarzycki, Paweł K; Slączka, Magdalena M; Zarzycka, Magdalena B; Bartoszuk, Małgorzata A; Włodarczyk, Elżbieta; Baran, Michał J

2011-11-01

This paper is a continuation of our previous research focusing on development of micro-TLC methodology under temperature-controlled conditions. The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple analytical protocols without multi-steps sample pre-purification. One of the advantages of planar chromatography over its column counterpart is that each TLC run can be performed using non-previously used stationary phase. Therefore, it is possible to fractionate or separate complex samples characterized by heavy biological matrix loading. In present studies components of interest, mainly steroids, were isolated from biological samples like fish bile using single pre-treatment steps involving direct organic liquid extraction and/or deproteinization by freeze-drying method. Low-molecular mass compounds with polarity ranging from estetrol to progesterone derived from the environmental samples (lake water, untreated and treated sewage waters) were concentrated using optimized solid-phase extraction (SPE). Specific bands patterns for samples derived from surface water of the Middle Pomerania in northern part of Poland can be easily observed on obtained micro-TLC chromatograms. This approach can be useful as simple and non-expensive complementary method for fast control and screening of treated sewage water discharged by the municipal wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, our experimental results show the potential of micro-TLC as an efficient tool for retention measurements of a wide range of steroids under reversed-phase (RP) chromatographic conditions. These data can be used for further optimalization of SPE or HPLC systems working under RP conditions. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that micro-TLC based analytical approach can be applied as an effective method for the internal standard (IS) substance search. Generally, described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of the

Fast mass spectrometry-based enantiomeric excess determination of proteinogenic amino acids.

PubMed

Fleischer, Heidi; Thurow, Kerstin

2013-03-01

A rapid determination of the enantiomeric excess of proteinogenic amino acids is of great importance in various fields of chemical and biologic research and industries. Owing to their different biologic effects, enantiomers are interesting research subjects in drug development for the design of new and more efficient pharmaceuticals. Usually, the enantiomeric composition of amino acids is determined by conventional analytical methods such as liquid or gas chromatography or capillary electrophoresis. These analytical techniques do not fulfill the requirements of high-throughput screening due to their relative long analysis times. The method presented allows a fast analysis of chiral amino acids without previous time consuming chromatographic separation. The analytical measurements base on parallel kinetic resolution with pseudoenantiomeric mass tagged auxiliaries and were carried out by mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. All 19 chiral proteinogenic amino acids were tested and Pro, Ser, Trp, His, and Glu were selected as model substrates for verification measurements. The enantiomeric excesses of amino acids with non-polar and aliphatic side chains as well as Trp and Phe (aromatic side chains) were determined with maximum deviations of the expected value less than or equal to 10ee%. Ser, Cys, His, Glu, and Asp were determined with deviations lower or equal to 14ee% and the enantiomeric excess of Tyr were calculated with 17ee% deviation. The total screening process is fully automated from the sample pretreatment to the data processing. The method presented enables fast measurement times about 1.38 min per sample and is applicable in the scope of high-throughput screenings.

Slow and fast visual motion channels have independent binocular-rivalry stages.

PubMed Central

van de Grind, W. A.; van Hof, P.; van der Smagt, M. J.; Verstraten, F. A.

2001-01-01

We have previously reported a transparent motion after-effect indicating that the human visual system comprises separate slow and fast motion channels. Here, we report that the presentation of a fast motion in one eye and a slow motion in the other eye does not result in binocular rivalry but in a clear percept of transparent motion. We call this new visual phenomenon 'dichoptic motion transparency' (DMT). So far only the DMT phenomenon and the two motion after-effects (the 'classical' motion after-effect, seen after motion adaptation on a static test pattern, and the dynamic motion after-effect, seen on a dynamic-noise test pattern) appear to isolate the channels completely. The speed ranges of the slow and fast channels overlap strongly and are observer dependent. A model is presented that links after-effect durations of an observer to the probability of rivalry or DMT as a function of dichoptic velocity combinations. Model results support the assumption of two highly independent channels showing only within-channel rivalry, and no rivalry or after-effect interactions between the channels. The finding of two independent motion vision channels, each with a separate rivalry stage and a private line to conscious perception, might be helpful in visualizing or analysing pathways to consciousness. PMID:11270442

Separator Materials Used in Secondary Alkaline Batteries Characterized and Evaluated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

Nickel-cadmium (Ni/Cd) and nickel-hydrogen (Ni/H2) secondary alkaline batteries are vital to aerospace applications. Battery performance and cycle life are significantly affected by the type of separators used in those batteries. A team from NASA Lewis Research Center's Electrochemical Technology Branch developed standardized testing procedures to characterize and evaluate new and existing separator materials to improve performance and cycle life of secondary alkaline batteries. Battery separators must function as good electronic insulators and as efficient electrolyte reservoirs. At present, new types of organic and inorganic separator materials are being developed for Ni/Cd and Ni/H2 batteries. The separator material previously used in the NASA standard Ni/Cd was Pellon 2505, a 100-percent nylon-6 polymer that must be treated with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) to bond the fibers. Because of stricter Environmental Protection Agency regulation of ZnCl2 emissions, the battery community has been searching for new separators to replace Pellon 2505. As of today, two candidate separator materials have been identified; however, neither of the two materials have performed as well as Pellon 2505. The separator test procedures that were devised at Lewis are being implemented to expedite the search for new battery separators. The new test procedures, which are being carried out in the Separator Laboratory at Lewis, have been designed to guarantee accurate evaluations of the properties that are critical for sustaining proper battery operation. These properties include physical and chemical stability, chemical purity, gas permeability, electrolyte retention and distribution, uniformity, porosity, and area resistivity. A manual containing a detailed description of 12 separator test procedures has been drafted and will be used by the battery community to evaluate candidate separator materials for specific applications. These standardized procedures will allow for consistent, uniform

Non-planar chemical preconcentrator

DOEpatents

Manginell, Ronald P [Albuquerque, NM; Adkins, Douglas R [Albuquerque, NM; Sokolowski, Sara S [Albuquerque, NM; Lewis, Patrick R [Albuquerque, NM

2006-10-10

A non-planar chemical preconcentrator comprises a high-surface area, low mass, three-dimensional, flow-through sorption support structure that can be coated or packed with a sorptive material. The sorptive material can collect and concentrate a chemical analyte from a fluid stream and rapidly release it as a very narrow temporal plug for improved separations in a microanalytical system. The non-planar chemical preconcentrator retains most of the thermal and fabrication benefits of a planar preconcentrator, but has improved ruggedness and uptake, while reducing sorptive coating concerns and extending the range of collectible analytes.

Generation of chemical movies: FT-IR spectroscopic imaging of segmented flows.

PubMed

Chan, K L Andrew; Niu, X; deMello, A J; Kazarian, S G

2011-05-01

We have previously demonstrated that FT-IR spectroscopic imaging can be used as a powerful, label-free detection method for studying laminar flows. However, to date, the speed of image acquisition has been too slow for the efficient detection of moving droplets within segmented flow systems. In this paper, we demonstrate the extraction of fast FT-IR images with acquisition times of 50 ms. This approach allows efficient interrogation of segmented flow systems where aqueous droplets move at a speed of 2.5 mm/s. Consecutive FT-IR images separated by 120 ms intervals allow the generation of chemical movies at eight frames per second. The technique has been applied to the study of microfluidic systems containing moving droplets of water in oil and droplets of protein solution in oil. The presented work demonstrates the feasibility of the use of FT-IR imaging to study dynamic systems with subsecond temporal resolution.

Split-flow regeneration in absorptive air separation

DOEpatents

Weimer, R.F.

1987-11-24

A chemical absorptive separation of air in multiple stage of absorption and desorption is performed with partial recycle of absorbent between stages of desorption necessary to match equilibrium conditions in the various stages of absorption. This allows reduced absorbent flow, reduced energy demand and reduced capital costs. 4 figs.

Fast Steering Mirror systems for the U-AVLIS program at LLNL

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

Watson, J.; Avicola, K.; Payne, A.

1994-07-01

We have successfully deployed several fast steering mirror systems in the Uranium Atomic Vapor Isotope Separation (U-AVLIS) facility at LLNL. These systems employ 2 mm to 150 mm optics and piezoelectric actuators to achieve microradian pointing accuracy with disturbance rejection bandwidths to a few hundred hertz.

Chemical preconcentrator with integral thermal flow sensor

DOEpatents

Manginell, Ronald P.; Frye-Mason, Gregory C.

2003-01-01

A chemical preconcentrator with integral thermal flow sensor can be used to accurately measure fluid flow rate in a microanalytical system. The thermal flow sensor can be operated in either constant temperature or constant power mode and variants thereof. The chemical preconcentrator with integral thermal flow sensor can be fabricated with the same MEMS technology as the rest of the microanlaytical system. Because of its low heat capacity, low-loss, and small size, the chemical preconcentrator with integral thermal flow sensor is fast and efficient enough to be used in battery-powered, portable microanalytical systems.

A Mass Spectrometry Study of Isotope Separation in the Laser Plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suen, Timothy Wu

Accurate quantification of isotope ratios is critical for both preventing the development of illicit weapons programs in nuclear safeguards and identifying the source of smuggled material in nuclear forensics. While isotope analysis has traditionally been performed by mass spectrometry, the need for in situ measurements has prompted the development of optical techniques, such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS). These optical measurements rely on laser ablation for direct solid sampling, but several past studies have suggested that the distribution of isotopes in the ablation plume is not uniform. This study seeks to characterize isotope separation in the laser plume through the use of orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A silver foil was ablated with a Nd:YAG at 355 nm at an energy of 50 muJ with a spot size of 71 mum, for a fluence of 1.3 J/cm2 and an irradiance of 250 MW/cm2. Flat-plate repellers were used to sample the plume, and a temporal profile of the ions was obtained by varying the time delay on the high-voltage pulse. A spatial profile along the axis of the plume was generated by changing the position of the sample, which yielded snapshots of the isotopic composition with time. In addition, the reflectron time-of-flight system was used as an energy filter in conjunction with the repellers to sample slices of the laser plasma orthogonal to the plume axis. Mass spectrometry of the plume revealed a fast ion distribution and a slow ion distribution. Measurements taken across the entire plume showed the fast 109Ag ions slightly ahead in both space and time, causing the 107Ag fraction to drop to 0.34 at 3 mus, 4 mm from the sample surface. Although measurements centered on the near side of the plume did not show isotope separation, the slow ions on the far side of the plume included much more 109Ag than 107Ag. In addition to examining the isotope content of the ablation

Continuous production of tritium in an isotope-production reactor with a separate circulation system

DOEpatents

Cawley, W.E.; Omberg, R.P.

1982-08-19

A method is described for producing tritium in a fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid metal. Lithium is allowed to flow through the reactor in separate loops in order to facilitate the production and removal of tritium.

Comparison of clinical semi-quantitative assessment of muscle fat infiltration with quantitative assessment using chemical shift-based water/fat separation in MR studies of the calf of post-menopausal women

PubMed Central

Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C.; Joseph, Gabby B.; Yap, Samuel P.; Baum, Thomas; Krug, Roland; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Objective The goal of this study was to compare the semi-quantitative Goutallier classification for fat infiltration with quantitative fat-fraction derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical shift-based water/fat separation technique. Methods Sixty-two women (age 61±6 years), 27 of whom had diabetes, underwent MRI of the calf using a T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequence and a six-echo spoiled gradient-echo sequence at 3 T. Water/fat images and fat fraction maps were reconstructed using the IDEAL algorithm with T2* correction and a multi-peak model for the fat spectrum. Two radiologists scored fat infiltration on the T1-weighted images using the Goutallier classification in six muscle compartments. Spearman correlations between the Goutallier grades and the fat fraction were calculated; in addition, intra-observer and inter-observer agreement were calculated. Results A significant correlation between the clinical grading and the fat fraction values was found for all muscle compartments (P<0.0001, R values ranging from 0.79 to 0.88). Goutallier grades 0–4 had a fat fraction ranging from 3.5 to 19%. Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement values of 0.83 and 0.81 were calculated for the semi-quantitative grading. Conclusion Semi-quantitative grading of intramuscular fat and quantitative fat fraction were significantly correlated and both techniques had excellent reproducibility. However, the clinical grading was found to overestimate muscle fat. PMID:22411305

Formation of porous crystals via viscoelastic phase separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsurusawa, Hideyo; Russo, John; Leocmach, Mathieu; Tanaka, Hajime

2017-10-01

Viscoelastic phase separation of colloidal suspensions can be interrupted to form gels either by glass transition or by crystallization. With a new confocal microscopy protocol, we follow the entire kinetics of phase separation, from homogeneous phase to different arrested states. For the first time in experiments, our results unveil a novel crystallization pathway to sponge-like porous crystal structures. In the early stages, we show that nucleation requires a structural reorganization of the liquid phase, called stress-driven ageing. Once nucleation starts, we observe that crystallization follows three different routes: direct crystallization of the liquid phase, the Bergeron process, and Ostwald ripening. Nucleation starts inside the reorganized network, but crystals grow past it by direct condensation of the gas phase on their surface, driving liquid evaporation, and producing a network structure different from the original phase separation pattern. We argue that similar crystal-gel states can be formed in monatomic and molecular systems if the liquid phase is slow enough to induce viscoelastic phase separation, but fast enough to prevent immediate vitrification. This provides a novel pathway to form nanoporous crystals of metals and semiconductors without dealloying, which may be important for catalytic, optical, sensing, and filtration applications.

The slow and fast pyrolysis of cherry seed.

PubMed

Duman, Gozde; Okutucu, Cagdas; Ucar, Suat; Stahl, Ralph; Yanik, Jale

2011-01-01

The slow and fast pyrolysis of cherry seeds (CWS) and cherry seeds shells (CSS) was studied in fixed-bed and fluidized bed reactors at different pyrolysis temperatures. The effects of reactor type and temperature on the yields and composition of products were investigated. In the case of fast pyrolysis, the maximum bio-oil yield was found to be about 44 wt% at pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C for both CWS and CSS, whereas the bio yields were of 21 and 15 wt% obtained at 500 °C from slow pyrolysis of CWS and CSS, respectively. Both temperature and reactor type affected the composition of bio-oils. The results showed that bio-oils obtained from slow pyrolysis of CWS and CSS can be used as a fuel for combustion systems in industry and the bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis can be evaluated as a chemical feedstock. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flow method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence

DOEpatents

Warner, Benjamin P [Los Alamos, NM; Havrilla, George J [Los Alamos, NM; Miller, Thomasin C [Bartlesville, OK; Lewis, Cris [Los Alamos, NM; Mahan, Cynthia A [Los Alamos, NM; Wells, Cyndi A [Los Alamos, NM

2009-04-14

Method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence. A method for screening a mixture of potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to at least one target binder involves flow-separating a solution of chemicals and target binders into separated components, exposing them to an x-ray excitation beam, detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from the components, and determining from the signals whether or not a binding event between a chemical and target binder has occurred.

Flow method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence

DOEpatents

Warner, Benjamin P [Los Alamos, NM; Havrilla, George J [Los Alamos, NM; Miller, Thomasin C [Bartlesville, OK; Lewis, Cris [Los Alamos, NM; Mahan, Cynthia A [Los Alamos, NM; Wells, Cyndi A [Los Alamos, NM

2011-04-26

Method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence. A method for screening a mixture of potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to at least one target binder involves flow separating a solution of chemicals and target binders into separated components, exposing them to an x-ray excitation beam, detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from the components, and determining from the signals whether or not a binding event between a chemical and target binder has occurred.

Neighborhood fast food availability and fast food consumption.

PubMed

Oexle, Nathalie; Barnes, Timothy L; Blake, Christine E; Bell, Bethany A; Liese, Angela D

2015-09-01

Recent nutritional and public health research has focused on how the availability of various types of food in a person's immediate area or neighborhood influences his or her food choices and eating habits. It has been theorized that people living in areas with a wealth of unhealthy fast-food options may show higher levels of fast-food consumption, a factor that often coincides with being overweight or obese. However, measuring food availability in a particular area is difficult to achieve consistently: there may be differences in the strict physical locations of food options as compared to how individuals perceive their personal food availability, and various studies may use either one or both of these measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between weekly fast-food consumption and both a person's perceived availability of fast-food and an objective measure of fast-food presence - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - within that person's neighborhood. A randomly selected population-based sample of eight counties in South Carolina was used to conduct a cross-sectional telephone survey assessing self-report fast-food consumption and perceived availability of fast food. GIS was used to determine the actual number of fast-food outlets within each participant's neighborhood. Using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we found that neither perceived availability nor GIS-based presence of fast-food was significantly associated with weekly fast-food consumption. Our findings indicate that availability might not be the dominant factor influencing fast-food consumption. We recommend using subjective availability measures and considering individual characteristics that could influence both perceived availability of fast food and its impact on fast-food consumption. If replicated, our findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing fast-food consumption by limiting neighborhood fast-food availability might not be completely effective

Metal-organic frameworks for the removal of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents.

PubMed

Bobbitt, N Scott; Mendonca, Matthew L; Howarth, Ashlee J; Islamoglu, Timur; Hupp, Joseph T; Farha, Omar K; Snurr, Randall Q

2017-06-06

Owing to the vast diversity of linkers, nodes, and topologies, metal-organic frameworks can be tailored for specific tasks, such as chemical separations or catalysis. Accordingly, these materials have attracted significant interest for capture and/or detoxification of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents. In this paper, we review recent experimental and computational work pertaining to the capture of several industrially-relevant toxic chemicals, including NH 3 , SO 2 , NO 2 , H 2 S, and some volatile organic compounds, with particular emphasis on the challenging issue of designing materials that selectively adsorb these chemicals in the presence of water. We also examine recent research on the capture and catalytic degradation of chemical warfare agents such as sarin and sulfur mustard using metal-organic frameworks.

Cherenkov and scintillation light separation on the TheiaR &D experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caravaca, Javier; Land, Benjamin

2016-03-01

Identifying by separate the scintillation and Cherenkov light produced in a scintillation medium enables outstanding capabilities for future particle detectors, being the most relevant: allowing particle directionality information in a low energy threshold detector and improved particle identification. The TheiaR &D experiment uses an array of small and fast photomultipliers (PMTs) and state-of-the-art electronics to demonstrate the reconstruction of a Cherenkov ring in a scintillation medium, based on the number of produced photoelectrons and the timing information. A charged particle ionizing a scintillation medium produces a prompt Cherenkov cone and late isotropic scintillation light, typically delayed by <1ns. The fast response of our PMTs and DAQ provides a precision well below the ns level, making possible the time separation. Furthermore, the usage of the new developed water-based liquid scintillators (WBLS) provides a medium with a tunable Cherenkov/Scintillation light yield ratio, enhancing the visibility of the dimer Cherenkov light in presence of the scintillation light. Description of the experiment, details of the analysis and preliminary results of the first months of running will be discussed.

Estimating representative background PM2.5 concentration in heavily polluted areas using baseline separation technique and chemical mass balance model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Shuang; Yang, Wen; Zhang, Hui; Sun, Yanling; Mao, Jian; Ma, Zhenxing; Cong, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Xian; Tian, Shasha; Azzi, Merched; Chen, Li; Bai, Zhipeng

2018-02-01

The determination of background concentration of PM2.5 is important to understand the contribution of local emission sources to total PM2.5 concentration. The purpose of this study was to exam the performance of baseline separation techniques to estimate PM2.5 background concentration. Five separation methods, which included recursive digital filters (Lyne-Hollick, one-parameter algorithm, and Boughton two-parameter algorithm), sliding interval and smoothed minima, were applied to one-year PM2.5 time-series data in two heavily polluted cities, Tianjin and Jinan. To obtain the proper filter parameters and recession constants for the separation techniques, we conducted regression analysis at a background site during the emission reduction period enforced by the Government for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing. Background concentrations in Tianjin and Jinan were then estimated by applying the determined filter parameters and recession constants. The chemical mass balance (CMB) model was also applied to ascertain the effectiveness of the new approach. Our results showed that the contribution of background PM concentration to ambient pollution was at a comparable level to the contribution obtained from the previous study. The best performance was achieved using the Boughton two-parameter algorithm. The background concentrations were estimated at (27 ± 2) μg/m3 for the whole year, (34 ± 4) μg/m3 for the heating period (winter), (21 ± 2) μg/m3 for the non-heating period (summer), and (25 ± 2) μg/m3 for the sandstorm period in Tianjin. The corresponding values in Jinan were (30 ± 3) μg/m3, (40 ± 4) μg/m3, (24 ± 5) μg/m3, and (26 ± 2) μg/m3, respectively. The study revealed that these baseline separation techniques are valid for estimating levels of PM2.5 air pollution, and that our proposed method has great potential for estimating the background level of other air pollutants.

Ion mobility spectrometer using frequency-domain separation

DOEpatents

Martin, S.J.; Butler, M.A.; Frye, G.C.; Schubert, W.K.

1998-08-04

An apparatus and method are provided for separating and analyzing chemical species in an ion mobility spectrometer using a frequency-domain technique wherein the ions generated from the chemical species are selectively transported through an ion flow channel having a moving electrical potential therein. The moving electrical potential allows the ions to be selected according to ion mobility, with certain of the ions being transported to an ion detector and other of the ions being effectively discriminated against. The apparatus and method have applications for sensitive chemical detection and analysis for monitoring of exhaust gases, hazardous waste sites, industrial processes, aerospace systems, non-proliferation, and treaty verification. The apparatus can be formed as a microelectromechanical device (i.e. a micromachine). 6 figs.

Ion mobility spectrometer using frequency-domain separation

DOEpatents

Martin, Stephen J.; Butler, Michael A.; Frye, Gregory C.; Schubert, W. Kent

1998-01-01

An apparatus and method is provided for separating and analyzing chemical species in an ion mobility spectrometer using a frequency-domain technique wherein the ions generated from the chemical species are selectively transported through an ion flow channel having a moving electrical potential therein. The moving electrical potential allows the ions to be selected according to ion mobility, with certain of the ions being transported to an ion detector and other of the ions being effectively discriminated against. The apparatus and method have applications for sensitive chemical detection and analysis for monitoring of exhaust gases, hazardous waste sites, industrial processes, aerospace systems, non-proliferation, and treaty verification. The apparatus can be formed as a microelectromechanical device (i.e. a micromachine).

Ramadan fasting and pregnancy: implications for fetal development in summer season.

PubMed

Sakar, Mehmet Nafi; Gultekin, Huseyin; Demir, Bulent; Bakir, Vuslat Lale; Balsak, Deniz; Vuruskan, Erkut; Acar, Hicran; Yucel, Oguz; Yayla, Murat

2015-05-01

In the Islamic religion, Ramadan is a month in the year that is passed by fasting. Healthy adult individuals are prohibited to eat, drink, and smoke from sunrise to sunset. In the present study, our aim was to assess the relation of Ramadan fasting with fetal development and maternal-fetal Doppler indices in pregnant women. This is a prospective case-control study carried out in the month of Ramadan in 2013 (9 July-7 August). One hundred and six pregnant women at the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were enrolled into the study. The sample size of the fasting group was 83 and the non-fasting group sample size was also 83. Fetal biometric measurements, such as biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, estimated fetal weight, amniotic fluid index, and Doppler indices of both uterine and umbilical arteries were evaluated by gray scala and color Doppler ultrasound at the beginning and end of Ramadan. At the end of the Ramadan, increase in biparietal diameter, head circumference, and femur length showed a statistically significant difference from initial measurements (P<0.05). When fasting and non-fasting groups were compared separately, an increase in amniotic fluid index was statistically significant in the non-fasting group (P<0.05). We demonstrated some adverse effects of Ramadan fasting on fetal development. In the Islamic religion, pregnant individuals have the privilege of not fasting; therefore, they should consider postponing fasting to the postpartum period, especially in the summer season. If they are willing to do so, an appropriate nutritional program should be recommended.

Development of Inspection and Repair Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors Akihiko NISHIMURA *1 , Takahisa SHOBU, Kiyoshi OKA, Toshihiko YAMAGUCHI, Yukihiro SHIMADA...fast breeder reactors (FBRs). It comprises a laser processing head combined with an eddy current testing unit. Ultrashort laser pulse ablation is used...be applied in the main- tenance of large structures such as nuclear reactors and chemical factories [1]. Internal access to a blanket cooling pipe

Separation of organic azeotropic mixtures by pervaporation

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

Baker, R.W.

1991-12-01

Distillation is a commonly used separation technique in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. However, there are a number of potential separations involving azetropic and close-boiling organic mixtures that cannot be separated efficiently by distillation. Pervaporation is a membrane-based process that uses selective permeation through membranes to separate liquid mixtures. Because the separation process is not affected by the relative volatility of the mixture components being separated, pervaporation can be used to separate azetropes and close-boiling mixtures. Our results showed that pervaporation membranes can be used to separate azeotropic mixtures efficiently, a result that is not achievable with simplemore » distillation. The membranes were 5--10 times more permeable to one of the components of the mixture, concentrating it in the permeate stream. For example, the membrane was 10 times more permeable to ethanol than methyl ethyl ketone, producing 60% ethanol permeate from an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone containing 18% ethanol. For the ethyl acetate/water mixture, the membranes showed a very high selectivity to water (> 300) and the permeate was 50--100 times enriched in water relative to the feed. The membranes had permeate fluxes on the order of 0.1--1 kg/m{sup 2}{center dot}h in the operating range of 55--70{degrees}C. Higher fluxes were obtained by increasing the operating temperature.« less

Least-rattling feedback from strong time-scale separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chvykov, Pavel; England, Jeremy

2018-03-01

In most interacting many-body systems associated with some "emergent phenomena," we can identify subgroups of degrees of freedom that relax on dramatically different time scales. Time-scale separation of this kind is particularly helpful in nonequilibrium systems where only the fast variables are subjected to external driving; in such a case, it may be shown through elimination of fast variables that the slow coordinates effectively experience a thermal bath of spatially varying temperature. In this paper, we investigate how such a temperature landscape arises according to how the slow variables affect the character of the driven quasisteady state reached by the fast variables. Brownian motion in the presence of spatial temperature gradients is known to lead to the accumulation of probability density in low-temperature regions. Here, we focus on the implications of attraction to low effective temperature for the long-term evolution of slow variables. After quantitatively deriving the temperature landscape for a general class of overdamped systems using a path-integral technique, we then illustrate in a simple dynamical system how the attraction to low effective temperature has a fine-tuning effect on the slow variable, selecting configurations that bring about exceptionally low force fluctuation in the fast-variable steady state. We furthermore demonstrate that a particularly strong effect of this kind can take place when the slow variable is tuned to bring about orderly, integrable motion in the fast dynamics that avoids thermalizing energy absorbed from the drive. We thus point to a potentially general feedback mechanism in multi-time-scale active systems, that leads to the exploration of slow variable space, as if in search of fine tuning for a "least-rattling" response in the fast coordinates.

Fast separation of two trapped ions (Open Access, Publisher’s Version)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

of quantum states and separation of ions in a dual rf ion trapQuantum Inf. Comput . 2 257 [10] KaufmannH, Ruster T, SchmiegelowCT, Schmidt-Kaler F...Ruschhaupt et al. Shortcuts to adiabaticity for an ion in a rotating radially-tight trap M Palmero, Shuo Wang, D Guéry-Odelin et al. Optimal shortcuts for...Kiely, J P L McGuinness, J G Muga et al. Quantum simulations with cold trapped ions Michael Johanning, Andrés F Varón and Christof Wunderlich Quantum

Conceptual design report for the project to install leak detection in FAST-FT-534/548/549

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

Galloway, K.J.

1992-07-01

This report provides conceptual designs and design recommendations for installing secondary containment and leak detection systems for three sumps at the Fluorinel and Storage Facility (FAST), CPP-666. The FAST facility is located at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The three sumps receive various materials from the FAST water treatment process. This project involves sump upgrades to meet appropriate environmental requirements. The steps include: providing sump modifications or designs for the installation of leak chases and/or leakage accumulation, coating the sump concrete with a chemical resistant sealant (except for sump VES-FT-534 which ismore » already lined with stainless steel) to act as secondary containment, lining the sumps with a primary containment system, and providing a means to detect and remove primary containment leakage that may occur.« less

Application of flotation for the separation of metal-loaded zeolites.

PubMed

Matis, Kostas A; Zouboulis, Anastasios I; Gallios, George P; Erwe, Torsten; Blöcher, Christoph

2004-04-01

Several industrial wastewater streams may contain heavy metal ions, which must be effectively removed, before the discharge or reuse of treated waters could take place. Different bonding materials, presenting selectivity and fast reaction kinetics for the removal of metals, have been examined for this purpose. The objective of the present paper was to investigate the application of dispersed-air flotation for the separation of metal-loaded sorbents. Two similar zeolite samples were applied as effective bonding agents for the removal of zinc, a toxic metal commonly found in many industrial wastewaters. This combined process, termed sorptive flotation, involves the preliminary scavenging of metal ions, by using the appropriate sorbent particles (usually present as ultrafine particulates), followed by flotation for the effective separation of them. The obtained results were very promising, as both metal and sorbent were effectively removed/separated from the dispersion.

Separation of fatty acid methyl esters by GC-online hydrogenation × GC.

PubMed

Delmonte, Pierluigi; Fardin-Kia, Ali Reza; Rader, Jeanne I

2013-02-05

The separation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) provided by a 200 m × 0.25 mm SLB-IL111 capillary column is enhanced by adding a second dimension of separation ((2)D) in a GC × GC design. Rather than employing two GC columns of different polarities or using different elution temperatures, the separation in the two-dimensional space is achieved by altering the chemical structure of selected analytes between the two dimensions of separation. A capillary tube coated with palladium is added between the first dimension of separation ((1)D) column and the cryogenic modulator, providing the reduction of unsaturated FAMEs to their fully saturated forms. The (2)D separation is achieved using a 2.5 m × 0.10 mm SLB-IL111 capillary column and separates FAMEs based solely on their carbon skeleton. The two-dimensional separation can be easily interpreted based on the principle that all the saturated FAMEs lie on a straight diagonal line bisecting the separation plane, while the FAMEs with the same carbon skeleton but differing in the number, geometric configuration or position of double bonds lie on lines parallel to the (1)D time axis. This technique allows the separation of trans fatty acids (FAs) and polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) in a single experiment and eliminates the overlap between PUFAs with different chain lengths. To our knowledge, this the first example of GC × GC in which a chemical change is instituted between the two dimensions to alter the relative retentions of components and identify unsaturated FAMEs.

Systematic chemical profiling of Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa' by ultra-fast liquid chromatography/diode-array detector/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Li, Pan-lin; Liu, Meng-hua; Hu, Jie-hui; Su, Wei-wei

2014-03-01

Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa', as the original plant of the traditional Chinese medicine "Huajuhong", has been used as antitussive and expectorant in clinic for thousands of years. The fruit epicarp and whole fruit of this plant were both literarily recorded and commonly used. In the present study, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS/MS) based chemical profiling method was developed for rapid holistic quality evaluation of C. grandis 'Tomentosa', which laid basis for chemical comparison of two medicinal parts. As a result, forty-eight constituents, mainly belonging to flavonoids and coumarins, were unambiguously identified by comparison with reference standards and/or tentatively characterized by elucidating UV spectra, quasi-molecular ions and fragment ions referring to information available in literature. Both of the epicarp and whole fruit samples were rich in flavonoids and coumarins, but major flavonoids contents in whole fruit were significantly higher than in epicarp (P<0.5). The proposed method could be useful in quality control and standardization of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' raw materials and its products. Results obtained in this study will provide a basis for quality assessment and further study in vivo. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Separating disk chemical substructures with cluster models. Evidence of a separate evolution in the metal-poor thin disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas-Arriagada, A.; Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Schultheis, M.; Guiglion, G.; Mikolaitis, Š.; Kordopatis, G.; Hill, V.; Gilmore, G.; Randich, S.; Alfaro, E. J.; Bensby, T.; Koposov, S. E.; Costado, M. T.; Franciosini, E.; Hourihane, A.; Jofré, P.; Lardo, C.; Lewis, J.; Lind, K.; Magrini, L.; Monaco, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Sacco, G. G.; Worley, C. C.; Zaggia, S.; Chiappini, C.

2016-02-01

Context. Recent spectroscopic surveys have begun to explore the Galactic disk system on the basis of large data samples, with spatial distributions sampling regions well outside the solar neighborhood. In this way, they provide valuable information for testing spatial and temporal variations of disk structure kinematics and chemical evolution. Aims: The main purposes of this study are to demonstrate the usefulness of a rigorous mathematical approach to separate substructures of a stellar sample in the abundance-metallicity plane, and provide new evidence with which to characterize the nature of the metal-poor end of the thin disk sequence. Methods: We used a Gaussian mixture model algorithm to separate in the [Mg/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane a clean disk star subsample (essentially at RGC< 10 kpc) from the Gaia-ESO survey (GES) internal data release 2 (iDR2). We aim at decomposing it into data groups highlighting number density and/or slope variations in the abundance-metallicity plane. An independent sample of disk red clump stars from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) was used to cross-check the identified features. Results: We find that the sample is separated into five groups associated with major Galactic components; the metal-rich end of the halo, the thick disk, and three subgroups for the thin disk sequence. This is confirmed with the sample of red clump stars from APOGEE. The three thin disk groups served to explore this sequence in more detail. The two metal-intermediate and metal-rich groups of the thin disk decomposition ([Fe/H] > -0.25 dex) highlight a change in the slope at solar metallicity. This holds true at different radial regions of the Milky Way. The distribution of Galactocentric radial distances of the metal-poor part of the thin disk ([Fe/H] < -0.25 dex) is shifted to larger distances than those of the more metal-rich parts. Moreover, the metal-poor part of the thin disk presents indications of a scale height

Chemical Kinetics Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 17 NIST Chemical Kinetics Database (Web, free access)   The NIST Chemical Kinetics Database includes essentially all reported kinetics results for thermal gas-phase chemical reactions. The database is designed to be searched for kinetics data based on the specific reactants involved, for reactions resulting in specified products, for all the reactions of a particular species, or for various combinations of these. In addition, the bibliography can be searched by author name or combination of names. The database contains in excess of 38,000 separate reaction records for over 11,700 distinct reactant pairs. These data have been abstracted from over 12,000 papers with literature coverage through early 2000.

The Fast-Casual Conundrum: Fast-Casual Restaurant Entrées Are Higher in Calories than Fast Food.

PubMed

Schoffman, Danielle E; Davidson, Charis R; Hales, Sarah B; Crimarco, Anthony E; Dahl, Alicia A; Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M

2016-10-01

Frequently eating fast food has been associated with consuming a diet high in calories, and there is a public perception that fast-casual restaurants (eg, Chipotle) are healthier than traditional fast food (eg, McDonald's). However, research has not examined whether fast-food entrées and fast-casual entrées differ in calorie content. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the caloric content of entrées at fast-food restaurants differed from that found at fast-casual restaurants. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. Calorie information from 2014 for lunch and dinner entrées for fast-food and fast-casual restaurants was downloaded from the MenuStat database. Mean calories per entrée between fast-food restaurants and fast-casual restaurants and the proportion of restaurant entrées that fell into different calorie ranges were assessed. A t test was conducted to test the hypothesis that there was no difference between the average calories per entrée at fast-food and fast-casual restaurants. To examine the difference in distribution of entrées in different calorie ranges between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, χ(2) tests were used. There were 34 fast-food and 28 fast-casual restaurants included in the analysis (n=3,193 entrées). Fast-casual entrées had significantly more calories per entrée (760±301 kcal) than fast-food entrées (561±268; P<0.0001). A greater proportion of fast-casual entrées compared with fast-food entrées exceeded the median of 640 kcal per entrée (P<0.0001). Although fast-casual entrées contained more calories than fast-food entrées in the study sample, future studies should compare actual purchasing patterns from these restaurants to determine whether the energy content or nutrient density of full meals (ie, entrées with sides and drinks) differs between fast-casual restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Calorie-conscious consumers should consider the calorie content of entrée items

The potential of organic (electrospray- and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation) mass spectrometric techniques coupled to liquid-phase separation for speciation analysis.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Erwin

2003-06-06

The use of mass spectrometry based on atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques (atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation, APCI, and electrospray ionisation, ESI) for speciation analysis is reviewed with emphasis on the literature published in and after 1999. This report accounts for the increasing interest that atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques, and in particular ESI, have found in the past years for qualitative and quantitative speciation analysis. In contrast to element-selective detectors, organic mass spectrometric techniques provide information on the intact metal species which can be used for the identification of unknown species (particularly with MS-MS detection) or the confirmation of the actual presence of species in a given sample. Due to the complexity of real samples, it is inevitable in all but the simplest cases to couple atmospheric pressure MS detection to a separation technique. Separation in the liquid phase (capillary electrophoresis or liquid chromatography in reversed phase, ion chromatographic or size-exclusion mode) is particularly suitable since the available techniques cover a very wide range of analyte polarities and molecular mass. Moreover, derivatisation can normally be avoided in liquid-phase separation. Particularly in complex environmental or biological samples, separation in one dimension is not sufficient for obtaining adequate resolution for all relevant species. In this case, multi-dimensional separation, based on orthogonal separation techniques, has proven successful. ESI-MS is also often used in parallel with inductively coupled plasma MS detection. This review is structured in two parts. In the first, the fundamentals of atmospheric pressure ionisation techniques are briefly reviewed. The second part of the review discusses recent applications including redox species, use of ESI-MS for structural elucidation of metal complexes, characterisation and quantification of small organometallic species with relevance to

Exosome separation using microfluidic systems: size-based, immunoaffinity-based and dynamic methodologies.

PubMed

Yang, Fang; Liao, Xiangzhi; Tian, Yuan; Li, Guiying

2017-04-01

Exosomes, nanovesicles secreted by most types of cells, exist in virtually all bodily fluids. Their rich nucleic acid and protein content make them potentially valuable biomarkers for noninvasive molecular diagnostics. They also show promise, after further development, to serve as a drug delivery system. Unfortunately, existing exosome separation technologies, such as ultracentrifugation and methods incorporating magnetic beads, are time-consuming, laborious and separate only exosomes of low purity. Thus, a more effective separation method is highly desirable. Microfluidic platforms are ideal tools for exosome separation, since they enable fast, cost-efficient, portable and precise processing of nanoparticles and small volumes of liquid samples. Recently, several microfluidic-based exosome separation technologies have been studied. In this article, the advantages of the most recent technologies, as well as their limitations, challenges and potential uses in novel microfluidic exosome separation and collection applications is reviewed. This review outlines the uses of new powerful microfluidic exosome detection tools for biologists and clinicians, as well as exosome separation tools for microfluidic engineers. Current challenges of exosome separation methodologies are also described, in order to highlight areas for future research and development. Copyright © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An improved method for fast and selective separation of carotenoids by UPLC-MS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Carotenoids are a large class of compounds that are biosynthesized by condensation of isoprene units in plants, fungi, bacteria, and some animals. They are characteristically highly conjugated through double bonds, which lead to many isomers as well susceptibility to oxidation and other chemical mod...

Low-parachor solvents extraction and thermostated micro-thin-layer chromatography separation for fast screening and classification of spirulina from pharmaceutical formulations and food samples.

PubMed

Zarzycki, Paweł K; Zarzycka, Magdalena B; Clifton, Vicki L; Adamski, Jerzy; Głód, Bronisław K

2011-08-19

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the separation and detection capability of eco-friendly micro-TLC technique for the classification of spirulina and selected herbs from pharmaceutical and food products. Target compounds were extracted using relatively low-parachor liquids. A number of the spirulina samples which originated from pharmaceutical formulations and food products, were isolated using a simple one step extraction with small volume of methanol, acetone or tetrahydrofuran. Herb samples rich in chlorophyll dyes were analyzed as reference materials. Quantitative data derived from micro-plates under visible light conditions and after iodine staining were explored using chemometrics tools including cluster analysis and principal components analysis. Using this method we could easily distinguish genuine spirulina and non-spirulina samples as well as fresh from expired commercial products and furthermore, we could identify some biodegradation peaks appearing on micro-TLC profiles. This methodology can be applied as a fast screening or fingerprinting tool for the classification of genuine spirulina and herb samples and in particular may be used commercially for the rapid quality control screening of products. Furthermore, this approach allows low-cost fractionation of target substances including cyanobacteria pigments in raw biological or environmental samples for preliminary chemotaxonomic investigations. Due to the low consumption of the mobile phase (usually less than 1 mL per run), this method can be considered as environmentally friendly analytical tool, which may be an alternative for fingerprinting protocols based on HPLC machines and simple separation systems involving planar micro-fluidic or micro-chip devices. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separation of nuclear isomers for cancer therapeutic radionuclides based on nuclear decay after-effects.

PubMed

Bhardwaj, R; van der Meer, A; Das, S K; de Bruin, M; Gascon, J; Wolterbeek, H T; Denkova, A G; Serra-Crespo, P

2017-03-13

177 Lu has sprung as a promising radionuclide for targeted therapy. The low soft tissue penetration of its β - emission results in very efficient energy deposition in small-size tumours. Because of this, 177 Lu is used in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours and is also clinically approved for prostate cancer therapy. In this work, we report a separation method that achieves the challenging separation of the physically and chemically identical nuclear isomers, 177m Lu and 177 Lu. The separation method combines the nuclear after-effects of the nuclear decay, the use of a very stable chemical complex and a chromatographic separation. Based on this separation concept, a new type of radionuclide generator has been devised, in which the parent and the daughter radionuclides are the same elements. The 177m Lu/ 177 Lu radionuclide generator provides a new production route for the therapeutic radionuclide 177 Lu and can bring significant growth in the research and development of 177 Lu based pharmaceuticals.

Reduced linear noise approximation for biochemical reaction networks with time-scale separation: The stochastic tQSSA+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herath, Narmada; Del Vecchio, Domitilla

2018-03-01

Biochemical reaction networks often involve reactions that take place on different time scales, giving rise to "slow" and "fast" system variables. This property is widely used in the analysis of systems to obtain dynamical models with reduced dimensions. In this paper, we consider stochastic dynamics of biochemical reaction networks modeled using the Linear Noise Approximation (LNA). Under time-scale separation conditions, we obtain a reduced-order LNA that approximates both the slow and fast variables in the system. We mathematically prove that the first and second moments of this reduced-order model converge to those of the full system as the time-scale separation becomes large. These mathematical results, in particular, provide a rigorous justification to the accuracy of LNA models derived using the stochastic total quasi-steady state approximation (tQSSA). Since, in contrast to the stochastic tQSSA, our reduced-order model also provides approximations for the fast variable stochastic properties, we term our method the "stochastic tQSSA+". Finally, we demonstrate the application of our approach on two biochemical network motifs found in gene-regulatory and signal transduction networks.

Electron beam induced strong organic/inorganic grafting for thermally stable lithium-ion battery separators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Yunah; Kim, Jin Il; Moon, Jungjin; Jeong, Jongyeob; Park, Jong Hyeok

2018-06-01

A tailored interface between organic and inorganic materials is of great importance to maximize the synergistic effects from hybridization. Polyethylene separators over-coated with inorganic thin films are the state-of-the art technology for preparing various secondary batteries with high safety. Unfortunately, the organic/inorganic hybrid separators have the drawback of a non-ideal interface, thus causing poor thermal/dimensional stability. Here, we report a straightforward method to resolve the drawback of the non-ideal interface between vapor deposited SiO2 and polyethylene separators, to produce a highly stable lithium-ion battery separator through strong chemical linking generated by direct electron beam irradiation. The simple treatment with an electron beam with an optimized dose generates thermally stable polymer separators, which may enhance battery safety under high-temperature conditions. Additionally, the newly formed Si-O-C or Si-CH3 chemical bonding enhances electrolyte-separator compatibility and thus may provide a better environment for ionic transport between the cathode and anode, thereby leading to better charge/discharge behaviors.

Structural analysis of pyrolytic lignins isolated from switchgrass fast pyrolysis oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Structural characterization of lignin extracted from the bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is reported. This new information is important to understanding the utility of lignin as a chemical feedstock in a pyrolysis based biorefinery. Pyrolysis induces a variety of...

Recent highlights in electro-driven separations- selected applications of alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electro-chromatography.

PubMed

Guihen, Elizabeth

2017-09-01

To date, alkylthiol gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used in electro-chromatographic separation techniques as a viable alternative to traditional stationary phases. This is mainly due to their stability, chemical inertness, ease of functionality, increased phase ratio, ability to form self-assembled monolayers. They also yield versatile stationary phases with highly specific targeted functionalities. At the nanoscale region, the chemical and physical properties of a molecule display different attributes to that of the parent molecules or material, hence these features can be harnessed in electro-driven chromatographic separations. Application areas illustrating the use of AuNPs in separation science continue to grow and expand to cover many different kinds of analysis. The last decade has witnessed a successful trend in miniaturisation of chemical separation systems toward the micro and nanoscale ranges. Nanoparticle-based stationary phases fit well with performing chemical separations on microfluidic and capillary platforms. In this review the theory of the use of alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in electro-chromatographic driven separation methods will be discussed. This will be followed by details of recent and selected applications showing alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in capillary electrophoretic and open-tubular electro-chromatographic separations. This review will focus solely on alkylthiol based gold nanoparticles, therefore other kinds of chemical moieties bonded to gold nanoparticles are outside the scope of this review. Finally the future outlook of this exciting technology will be outlined in some detail in the final section. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gravity packaging final waste recovery based on gravity separation and chemical imaging control.

PubMed

Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Serranti, Silvia; Potenza, Fabio; Luciani, Valentina; Di Maio, Francesco

2017-02-01

Plastic polymers are characterized by a high calorific value. Post-consumer plastic waste can be thus considered, in many cases, as a typical secondary solid fuels according to the European Commission directive on End of Waste (EoW). In Europe the practice of incineration is considered one of the solutions for waste disposal waste, for energy recovery and, as a consequence, for the reduction of waste sent to landfill. A full characterization of these products represents the first step to profitably and correctly utilize them. Several techniques have been investigated in this paper in order to separate and characterize post-consumer plastic packaging waste fulfilling the previous goals, that is: gravity separation (i.e. Reflux Classifier), FT-IR spectroscopy, NIR HyperSpectralImaging (HSI) based techniques and calorimetric test. The study demonstrated as the proposed separation technique and the HyperSpectral NIR Imaging approach allow to separate and recognize the different polymers (i.e. PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC), PolyStyrene (PS), PolyEthylene (PE), PoliEtilene Tereftalato (PET), PolyPropylene (PP)) in order to maximize the removal of the PVC fraction from plastic waste and to perform the full quality control of the resulting products, can be profitably utilized to set up analytical/control strategies finalized to obtain a low content of PVC in the final Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), thus enhancing SRF quality, increasing its value and reducing the "final waste". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel fast ion chromatographic method for the analysis of fluoride in Antarctic snow and ice.

PubMed

Severi, Mirko; Becagli, Silvia; Frosini, Daniele; Marconi, Miriam; Traversi, Rita; Udisti, Roberto

2014-01-01

Ice cores are widely used to reconstruct past changes of the climate system. For instance, the ice core record of numerous water-soluble and insoluble chemical species that are trapped in snow and ice offer the possibility to investigate past changes of various key compounds present in the atmosphere (i.e., aerosol, reactive gases). We developed a new method for the quantitative determination of fluoride in ice cores at sub-μg L(-1) levels by coupling a flow injection analysis technique with a fast ion chromatography separation based on the "heart cut" column switching technology. Sensitivity, linear range (up to 60 μg L(-1)), reproducibility, and detection limit (0.02 μg L(-1)) were evaluated for the new method. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of fluoride at trace levels in more than 450 recent snow samples collected during the 1998-1999 International Trans-Antarctica Scientific Expedition traverse in East Antarctica at sites located between 170 and 850 km from the coastline.

Attomole quantitation of protein separations with accelerator mass spectrometry

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

Vogel, J S; Grant, P G; Buccholz, B A

2000-12-15

Quantification of specific proteins depends on separation by chromatography or electrophoresis followed by chemical detection schemes such as staining and fluorophore adhesion. Chemical exchange of short-lived isotopes, particularly sulfur, is also prevalent despite the inconveniences of counting radioactivity. Physical methods based on isotopic and elemental analyses offer highly sensitive protein quantitation that has linear response over wide dynamic ranges and is independent of protein conformation. Accelerator mass spectrometry quantifies long-lived isotopes such as 14C to sub-attomole sensitivity. We quantified protein interactions with small molecules such as toxins, vitamins, and natural biochemicals at precisions of 1-5% . Micro-proton-induced-xray-emission quantifies elemental abundancesmore » in separated metalloprotein samples to nanogram amounts and is capable of quantifying phosphorylated loci in gels. Accelerator-based quantitation is a possible tool for quantifying the genome translation into proteome.« less

Physico-chemical separation process of nanoparticles in cosmetic formulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retamal Marín, R. R.; Babick, F.; Stintz, M.

2017-06-01

Understanding the world of nanoparticles, especially their interactions with the environment, begins with their correct detection and successive quantification. To achieve this purpose, one needs to perform correctly developed standard operating procedures (SOPs). Furthermore, the study of nanoparticles frequently requires their characterisation in complex media (e.g. in cosmetic formulations). In this study, a set of sample preparation procedures for the detection and extraction of NMs in emulsion-based formulations is proposed and their performance for model and real-life products is discussed. A separation or extraction of lipid phases is achieved by means of organic solvents. The polarity of the lipid phases is decisive for selecting an optimum solvent. The use of the Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP) may clearly support this decision.

Fast-neutron solid-state dosimeter

DOEpatents

Kecker, K.H.; Haywood, F.F.; Perdue, P.T.; Thorngate, J.H.

1975-07-22

This patent relates to an improved fast-neutron solid-state dosimeter that does not require separation of materials before it can be read out, that utilizes materials that do not melt or otherwise degrade at about 300$sup 0$C readout temperature, that provides a more efficient dosimeter, and that can be reused. The dosimeters are fabricated by intimately mixing a TL material, such as CaSO$sub 4$:Dy, with a powdered polyphenyl, such as p-sexiphenyl, and hot- pressing the mixture to form pellets, followed by out-gassing in a vacuum furnace at 150$sup 0$C prior to first use dosimeters. (auth)

Magnetically Enhanced Solid-Liquid Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, C. M.; Keller, K.; Fuchs, B.

2005-07-01

DuPont is developing an entirely new method of solid-liquid filtration involving the use of magnetic fields and magnetic field gradients. The new hybrid process, entitled Magnetically Enhanced Solid-Liquid Separation (MESLS), is designed to improve the de-watering kinetics and reduce the residual moisture content of solid particulates mechanically separated from liquid slurries. Gravitation, pressure, temperature, centrifugation, and fluid dynamics have dictated traditional solid-liquid separation for the past 50 years. The introduction of an external field (i.e. the magnetic field) offers the promise to manipulate particle behavior in an entirely new manner, which leads to increased process efficiency. Traditional solid-liquid separation typically consists of two primary steps. The first is a mechanical step in which the solid particulate is separated from the liquid using e.g. gas pressure through a filter membrane, centrifugation, etc. The second step is a thermal drying process, which is required due to imperfect mechanical separation. The thermal drying process is over 100-200 times less energy efficient than the mechanical step. Since enormous volumes of materials are processed each year, more efficient mechanical solid-liquid separations can be leveraged into dramatic reductions in overall energy consumption by reducing downstream drying requirements have a tremendous impact on energy consumption. Using DuPont's MESLS process, initial test results showed four very important effects of the magnetic field on the solid-liquid filtration process: 1) reduction of the time to reach gas breakthrough, 2) less loss of solid into the filtrate, 3) reduction of the (solids) residual moisture content, and 4) acceleration of the de-watering kinetics. These test results and their potential impact on future commercial solid-liquid filtration is discussed. New applications can be found in mining, chemical and bioprocesses.

Highly Repeatable and Recoverable Phototransistors Based on Multifunctional Channels of Photoactive CdS, Fast Charge Transporting ZnO, and Chemically Durable Al2O3 Layers.

PubMed

Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Kang, Won Jun; Kim, Ye Kyun; Yun, Myeong Gu; Cho, Hyung Koun

2016-06-22

Highly repeatable and recoverable phototransistors were explored using a "multifunctional channels" structure with multistacked chalcogenide and oxide semiconductors. These devices were made of (i) photoactive CdS (with a visible band gap), (ii) fast charge transporting ZnO (with a high field-effect mobility), and (iii) a protection layer of Al2O3 (with high chemical durability). The CdS TFT without the Al2O3 protection layer did not show a transfer curve due to the chemical damage that occurred on the ZnO layer during the chemical bath deposition (CBD) process used for CdS deposition. Alternatively, compared to CdS phototransistors with long recovery time and high hysteresis (ΔVth = 19.5 V), our "multi-functional channels" phototransistors showed an extremely low hysteresis loop (ΔVth = 0.5V) and superior photosensitivity with repeatable high photoresponsivity (52.9 A/W at 400 nm). These improvements are likely caused by the physical isolation of the sensing region and charge transport region by the insertion of the ultrathin Al2O3 layer. This approach successfully addresses some of the existing problems in CdS phototransistors, such as the high gate-interface trap site density and high absorption of molecular oxygen, which originate from the polycrystalline CdS.

Novel Nanofiber-based Membrane Separators for Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanilmaz, Meltem

Lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in electronic devices including mobile phones, laptop computers, and cameras due to their high specific energy, high energy density, long cycling lifetime, and low self-discharge rate. Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries are finding new applications in electric/hybrid vehicles and energy storage for smart grids. To be used in these new applications, novel battery components are needed so that lithiumion batteries with higher cell performance, better safety, and lower cost can be developed. A separator is an important component to obtain safe batteries and its primary function is to prevent electronic contact between electrodes while regulating cell kinetics and ionic flow. Currently, microporous membranes are the most commonly used separator type and they have good mechanical properties and chemical stability. However, their wettability and thermal stabilities are not sufficient for applications that require high operating temperature and high performance. Due to the superior properties such as large specific surface area, small pore size and high porosity, electrospun nanofiber membranes can be good separator candidate for highperformance lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we focus our research on fabricating nanofiber-based membranes to design new high-performance separators with good thermal stability, as well as superior electrochemical performance compared to microporous polyolefin membranes. To combine the good mechanical strength of PP nonwovens with the excellent electrochemical properties of SiO2/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite nanofibers, SiO 2/PVDF composite nanofiber-coated PP nonwoven membranes were prepared. It was found that the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles played an important role in improving the overall performance of these nanofiber-coated nonwoven membranes. Although ceramic/polymer composites can be prepared by encapsulating ceramic particles directly into polymer nanofibers, the performance

Emotion Separation Is Completed Early and It Depends on Visual Field Presentation

PubMed Central

Liu, Lichan; Ioannides, Andreas A.

2010-01-01

It is now apparent that the visual system reacts to stimuli very fast, with many brain areas activated within 100 ms. It is, however, unclear how much detail is extracted about stimulus properties in the early stages of visual processing. Here, using magnetoencephalography we show that the visual system separates different facial expressions of emotion well within 100 ms after image onset, and that this separation is processed differently depending on where in the visual field the stimulus is presented. Seven right-handed males participated in a face affect recognition experiment in which they viewed happy, fearful and neutral faces. Blocks of images were shown either at the center or in one of the four quadrants of the visual field. For centrally presented faces, the emotions were separated fast, first in the right superior temporal sulcus (STS; 35–48 ms), followed by the right amygdala (57–64 ms) and medial pre-frontal cortex (83–96 ms). For faces presented in the periphery, the emotions were separated first in the ipsilateral amygdala and contralateral STS. We conclude that amygdala and STS likely play a different role in early visual processing, recruiting distinct neural networks for action: the amygdala alerts sub-cortical centers for appropriate autonomic system response for fight or flight decisions, while the STS facilitates more cognitive appraisal of situations and links appropriate cortical sites together. It is then likely that different problems may arise when either network fails to initiate or function properly. PMID:20339549

The Charging Events in Contact-Separation Electrification.

PubMed

Musa, Umar G; Cezan, S Doruk; Baytekin, Bilge; Baytekin, H Tarik

2018-02-06

Contact electrification (CE)-charging of surfaces that are contacted and separated, is a common phenomenon, however it is not completely understood yet. Recent studies using surface imaging techniques and chemical analysis revealed a 'spatial' bipolar distribution of charges at the nano dimension, which made a paradigm shift in the field. However, such analyses can only provide information about the charges that remained on the surface after the separation, providing limited information about the actual course of the CE event. Tapping common polymers and metal surfaces to each other and detecting the electrical potential produced on these surfaces 'in-situ' in individual events of contact and separation, we show that, charges are generated and transferred between the surfaces in both events; the measured potential is bipolar in contact and unipolar in separation. We show, the 'contact-charges' on the surfaces are indeed the net charges that results after the separation process, and a large contribution to tribocharge harvesting comes, in fact, from the electrostatic induction resulting from the generated CE charges. Our results refine the mechanism of CE providing information for rethinking the conventional ranking of materials' charging abilities, charge harvesting, and charge prevention.

Femtosecond laser ablated durable superhydrophobic PTFE films with micro-through-holes for oil/water separation: Separating oil from water and corrosive solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yong, Jiale; Fang, Yao; Chen, Feng; Huo, Jinglan; Yang, Qing; Bian, Hao; Du, Guangqing; Hou, Xun

2016-12-01

Separating the mixture of water and oil by the superhydrophobic porous materials has attracted increasing research interests; however, the surface microstructures and chemical composition of those materials are easily destroyed in a harsh environment, resulting in materials losing the superhydrophobicity as well as the oil/water separation function. In this paper, a kind of rough microstructures was formed on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sheet by femtosecond laser treatment. The rough surfaces showed durable superhydrophobicity and ultralow water adhesion even after storing in various harsh environment for a long time, including strong acid, strong alkali, and high temperature. A micro-through-holes array was further generated on the rough superhydrophobic PTFE film by a subsequent mechanical drilling process. The resultant sample was successfully applied in the field of oil/water separation due to the inverse superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The designed separation system is also very efficient to separate the mixtures of oil and corrosive acid/alkali solutions, exhibiting the strong potential for practical application.

Unique battery with an active membrane separator having uniform physico-chemically functionalized ion channels and a method making the same

DOEpatents

Gerald, II, Rex E.; Ruscic, Katarina J [Chicago, IL; Sears, Devin N [Spruce Grove, CA; Smith, Luis J [Natick, MA; Klingler, Robert J [Glenview, IL; Rathke, Jerome W [Homer Glen, IL

2012-02-21

The invention relates to a unique battery having an active, porous membrane and method of making the same. More specifically the invention relates to a sealed battery system having a porous, metal oxide membrane with uniform, physicochemically functionalized ion channels capable of adjustable ionic interaction. The physicochemically-active porous membrane purports dual functions: an electronic insulator (separator) and a unidirectional ion-transporter (electrolyte). The electrochemical cell membrane is activated for the transport of ions by contiguous ion coordination sites on the interior two-dimensional surfaces of the trans-membrane unidirectional pores. The membrane material is designed to have physicochemical interaction with ions. Control of the extent of the interactions between the ions and the interior pore walls of the membrane and other materials, chemicals, or structures contained within the pores provides adjustability of the ionic conductivity of the membrane.

Genuine Onion: Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

Genuine onion : Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication Paul Syverson U.S. Naval Research Laboratory paul.syverson@nrl.navy.mil...access to Internet websites. Tor is also used to access sites on the . onion virtual domain. The focus of . onion use and discussion has traditionally... onion system can be used to provide an entirely separate benefit: basic website authentication. We also argue that not only can onionsites provide

Fast, comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography

PubMed Central

Stoll, Dwight R.; Li, Xiaoping; Wang, Xiaoli; Carr, Peter W.; Porter, Sarah E. G.; Rutan, Sarah C.

2011-01-01

The absolute need to improve the separating power of liquid chromatography, especially for multi-constituent biological samples, is becoming increasingly evident. In response, over the past few years, there has been a great deal of interest in the development of two dimension liquid chromatography (2DLC). Just as 1DLC is preferred to 1DGC based on its compatibility with biological materials we believe that ultimately 2DLC will be preferred to the much more highly developed 2DGC for such samples. The huge advantage of 2D chromatographic techniques over 1D methods is inherent in the tremendous potential increase in peak capacity (resolving power). This is especially true of comprehensive 2D chromatography wherein it is possible, under ideal conditions, to obtain a total peak capacity equal to the product of the peak capacities of the first and second dimension separations. However, the very long timescale (typically several hours to tens of hours) of comprehensive 2DLC is clearly its chief drawback. Recent advances in the use of higher temperatures to speed up isocratic and gradient elution liquid chromatography have been used to decrease the time needed to do the second dimension LC separation of 2DLC to about 20 seconds for a full gradient elution run. Thus fast, high temperature LC is becoming a very promising technique. Peak capacities of over 2000 and rates of peak capacity production of nearly 1 peak/s have been achieved. In consequence, many real samples showing more than 200 peaks with signal to noise ratios of better than 10:1 have been run in total times of under 30 minutes. This report is not intended to be a comprehensive review of 2DLC, but is deliberately focused on the issues involved in doing fast 2DLC by means of elevating the column temperature; however, many issues of broader applicability will be discussed. PMID:17888443

De-pulping and Seed Separation from Tumba ( Citrullus colocynthis) Fruit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mudgal, Vishvambhar Dayal

2017-09-01

Tumba ( Citrullus colocynthis) contains spongy pulp in which seeds are embedded unevenly. Seeds contain about 26% fats and 13% protein. The process of seed separation is highly time consuming and labour intensive. Two weeks are required to separate its seeds with traditional methods. The developed prototype, for separating tumba seeds, mainly consists of chopper, de-pulping screw, barrel assembly and seed separation unit. The de-pulping screw and barrel assembly was divided in two sections i.e. conveying (feeding zone) and compression sections (de-pulping zone). The performance of developed machine was evaluated at different screw speed in the range of 40-100 rpm. Maximum pulp removal efficiency of 78.1% was achieved with screw speed of 60 rpm. Seed separation from the pulp was carried out by adding different chemicals. Use of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide produced seed separation up to 99%.

Fast separation of triterpenoid saponins using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Huang, Yang; Zhang, Tingting; Zhou, Haibo; Feng, Ying; Fan, Chunlin; Chen, Weijia; Crommen, Jacques; Jiang, Zhengjin

2016-03-20

Triterpenoid saponins (TSs) are the most important components of some traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and have exhibited valuable pharmacological properties. In this study, a rapid and efficient method was developed for the separation of kudinosides, stauntosides and ginsenosides using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry (SFC-MS). The separation conditions for the selected TSs were carefully optimized after the initial screening of eight stationary phases. The best compromise for all compounds in terms of chromatographic performance and MS sensitivity was obtained when water (5-10%) and formic acid (0.05%) were added to the supercritical carbon dioxide/MeOH mobile phase. Beside the composition of the mobile phase, the nature of the make-up solvent for interfacing SFC with MS was also evaluated. Compared to reversed phase liquid chromatography, the SFC approach showed higher resolution and shorter running time. The developed SFC-MS methods were successfully applied to the separation and identification of TSs present in Ilex latifolia Thunb., Panax quinquefolius L. and Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. These results suggest that this SFC-MS approach could be employed as a useful tool for the quality assessment of natural products containing TSs as active components. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, properties, and application in peptide chemistry of a magnetically separable and reusable biocatalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liria, Cleber W.; Ungaro, Vitor A.; Fernandes, Raphaella M.; Costa, Natália J. S.; Marana, Sandro R.; Rossi, Liane M.; Machini, M. Teresa

2014-11-01

Enzyme-catalyzed chemical processes are selective, very productive, and generate little waste. Nevertheless, they may be optimized using enzymes bound to solid supports, which are particularly important for protease-mediated reactions since proteases undergo fast autolysis in solution. Magnetic nanoparticles are suitable supports for this purpose owing to their high specific surface area and to be easily separated from reaction media. Here we describe the immobilization of bovine α-chymotrypsin (αCT) on silica-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@silica) and the characterization of the enzyme-nanoparticle hybrid (Fe3O4@silica-αCT) in terms of protein content, properties, recovery from reaction media, application, and reuse in enzyme-catalyzed peptide synthesis. The results revealed that (i) full acid hydrolysis of the immobilized protease followed by amino acid analysis of the hydrolyzate is a reliable method to determine immobilization yield; (ii) despite showing lower amidase activity and a lower K cat/ K m value for a specific substrate than free αCT, the immobilized enzyme is chemically and thermally more stable, magnetically recoverable from reaction media, and can be consecutively reused for ten cycles to catalyze the amide bond hydrolysis and ester hydrolysis of the protected dipeptide Z-Ala-Phe-OMe. Altogether, these properties indicate the potential of Fe3O4@silica-αCT to act as an efficient, suitably stable, and reusable catalyst in amino acid, peptide, and protein chemistry as well as in proteomic studies.

Development and application of a continuous fast microwave pyrolysis system for sewage sludge utilization.

PubMed

Zhou, Junwen; Liu, Shiyu; Zhou, Nan; Fan, Liangliang; Zhang, Yaning; Peng, Peng; Anderson, Erik; Ding, Kuan; Wang, Yunpu; Liu, Yuhuan; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

2018-05-01

A continuous fast microwave-assisted pyrolysis system was designed, fabricated, and tested with sewage sludge. The system is equipped with continuous biomass feeding, mixing of biomass and microwave absorbent, and separated catalyst upgrading. The effect of the sludge pyrolysis temperature (450, 500, 550, and 600 °C) on the products yield, distribution and potentially energy recovery were investigated. The physical, chemical, and energetic properties of the raw sewage sludge and bio-oil, char and gas products obtained were analyzed using elemental analyzer, GC-MS, Micro-GC, SEM and ICP-OES. While the maximum bio-oil yield of 41.39 wt% was obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C, the optimal pyrolysis temperature for maximum overall energy recovery was 500 °C. The absence of carrier gas in the process may be responsible for the high HHV of gas products. This work could provide technical support for microwave-assisted system scale-up and sewage sludge utilization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrahigh pressure fast size exclusion chromatography for top-down proteomics.

PubMed

Chen, Xin; Ge, Ying

2013-09-01

Top-down MS-based proteomics has gained a solid growth over the past few years but still faces significant challenges in the LC separation of intact proteins. In top-down proteomics, it is essential to separate the high mass proteins from the low mass species due to the exponential decay in S/N as a function of increasing molecular mass. SEC is a favored LC method for size-based separation of proteins but suffers from notoriously low resolution and detrimental dilution. Herein, we reported the use of ultrahigh pressure (UHP) SEC for rapid and high-resolution separation of intact proteins for top-down proteomics. Fast separation of intact proteins (6-669 kDa) was achieved in < 7 min with high resolution and high efficiency. More importantly, we have shown that this UHP-SEC provides high-resolution separation of intact proteins using a MS-friendly volatile solvent system, allowing the direct top-down MS analysis of SEC-eluted proteins without an additional desalting step. Taken together, we have demonstrated that UHP-SEC is an attractive LC strategy for the size separation of proteins with great potential for top-down proteomics. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

FastICA peel-off for ECG interference removal from surface EMG.

PubMed

Chen, Maoqi; Zhang, Xu; Chen, Xiang; Zhu, Mingxing; Li, Guanglin; Zhou, Ping

2016-06-13

Multi-channel recording of surface electromyographyic (EMG) signals is very likely to be contaminated by electrocardiographic (ECG) interference, specifically when the surface electrode is placed on muscles close to the heart. A novel fast independent component analysis (FastICA) based peel-off method is presented to remove ECG interference contaminating multi-channel surface EMG signals. Although demonstrating spatial variability in waveform shape, the ECG interference in different channels shares the same firing instants. Utilizing the firing information estimated from FastICA, ECG interference can be separated from surface EMG by a "peel off" processing. The performance of the method was quantified with synthetic signals by combining a series of experimentally recorded "clean" surface EMG and "pure" ECG interference. It was demonstrated that the new method can remove ECG interference efficiently with little distortion to surface EMG amplitude and frequency. The proposed method was also validated using experimental surface EMG signals contaminated by ECG interference. The proposed FastICA peel-off method can be used as a new and practical solution to eliminating ECG interference from multichannel EMG recordings.

Integral Fast Reactor fuel pin processor

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

Levinskas, D.

1993-01-01

This report discusses the pin processor which receives metal alloy pins cast from recycled Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel and prepares them for assembly into new IFR fuel elements. Either full length as-cast or precut pins are fed to the machine from a magazine, cut if necessary, and measured for length, weight, diameter and deviation from straightness. Accepted pins are loaded into cladding jackets located in a magazine, while rejects and cutting scraps are separated into trays. The magazines, trays, and the individual modules that perform the different machine functions are assembled and removed using remote manipulators and master-slaves.

Integral Fast Reactor fuel pin processor

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

Levinskas, D.

1993-03-01

This report discusses the pin processor which receives metal alloy pins cast from recycled Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel and prepares them for assembly into new IFR fuel elements. Either full length as-cast or precut pins are fed to the machine from a magazine, cut if necessary, and measured for length, weight, diameter and deviation from straightness. Accepted pins are loaded into cladding jackets located in a magazine, while rejects and cutting scraps are separated into trays. The magazines, trays, and the individual modules that perform the different machine functions are assembled and removed using remote manipulators and master-slaves.

Magnetic separation of carbon-encapsulated Fe nanoparticles from thermally-treated wood char

Treesearch

Sung Phil Mun; Zhiyong Cai; Jilei Zhang

2013-01-01

Wood char,a by-product from the fast-pyrolysis process of southern yellow pine wood for bio-oil production, was carbonized with Fenano particles (FeNPs) as a catalyst to prepare carbon-encapsulated Fe nanoparticles. A magnetic separation method was tested to isolate carbon-encapsulated Fe nano particles from the carbonized char. X-ray diffraction pattern clearly shows...

Down-regulation of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase during fasting requires that a gene, separate from the lipase gene, is switched on.

PubMed

Bergö, Martin; Wu, Gengshu; Ruge, Toralph; Olivecrona, Thomas

2002-04-05

During short term fasting, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in rat adipose tissue is rapidly down-regulated. This down-regulation occurs on a posttranslational level; it is not accompanied by changes in LPL mRNA or protein levels. The LPL activity can be restored within 4 h by refeeding. Previously, we showed that during fasting there is a shift in the distribution of lipase protein toward an inactive form with low heparin affinity. To study the nature of the regulatory mechanism, we determined the in vivo turnover of LPL activity, protein mass, and mRNA in rat adipose tissue. When protein synthesis was inhibited with cycloheximide, LPL activity and protein mass decreased rapidly and in parallel with half-lives of around 2 h, and the effect of refeeding was blocked. This indicates that maintaining high levels of LPL activity requires continuous synthesis of new enzyme protein. When transcription was inhibited by actinomycin, LPL mRNA decreased with half-lives of 13.3 and 16.8 h in the fed and fasted states, respectively, demonstrating slow turnover of the LPL transcript. Surprisingly, when actinomycin was given to fed rats, LPL activity was not down-regulated during fasting, indicating that actinomycin interferes with the transcription of a gene that blocks the activation of newly synthesized LPL protein. When actinomycin was given to fasted rats, LPL activity increased 4-fold within 6 h, even in the absence of refeeding. The same effect was seen with alpha-amanitin, another inhibitor of transcription. The response to actinomycin was much less pronounced in aging rats, which are obese and insulin-resistant. These data suggest a default state where LPL protein is synthesized on a relatively stable mRNA and is processed into its active form. During fasting, a gene is switched on whose product prevents the enzyme from becoming active even though synthesis of LPL protein continues unabated.

Chemically induced phospholipid translocation across biological membranes.

PubMed

Gurtovenko, Andrey A; Onike, Olajide I; Anwar, Jamshed

2008-09-02

Chemical means of manipulating the distribution of lipids across biological membranes is of considerable interest for many biomedical applications as a characteristic lipid distribution is vital for numerous cellular functions. Here we employ atomic-scale molecular simulations to shed light on the ability of certain amphiphilic compounds to promote lipid translocation (flip-flops) across membranes. We show that chemically induced lipid flip-flops are most likely pore-mediated: the actual flip-flop event is a very fast process (time scales of tens of nanoseconds) once a transient water defect has been induced by the amphiphilic chemical (dimethylsulfoxide in this instance). Our findings are consistent with available experimental observations and further emphasize the importance of transient membrane defects for chemical control of lipid distribution across cell membranes.

Outdoor ultrafine particle concentrations in front of fast food restaurants.

PubMed

Vert, Cristina; Meliefste, Kees; Hoek, Gerard

2016-01-01

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) have been associated with negative effects on human health. Emissions from motor vehicles are the principal source of UFPs in urban air. A study in Vancouver suggested that UFP concentrations were related to density of fast food restaurants near the monitoring sites. A previous monitoring campaign could not separate the contribution of restaurants from road traffic. The main goal of this study has been the quantification of fast food restaurants' contribution to outdoor UFP concentrations. A portable particle number counter (DiscMini) has been used to carry out mobile monitoring in a largely pedestrianized area in the city center of Utrecht. A fixed route passing 17 fast food restaurants was followed on 8 days. UFP concentrations in front of the restaurants were 1.61 times higher than in a nearby square without any local sources used as control area and 1.22 times higher compared with all measurements conducted in between the restaurants. Adjustment for other sources such as passing mopeds, smokers or candles did not explain the increase. In conclusion, fast food restaurants result in significant increases in outdoor UFP concentrations in front of the restaurant.

Summaries of FY 1980 research in the chemical sciences

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

None

1980-09-01

Brief summaries are given of research programs being pursued by DOE laboratories and offsite facilities in the fields of photochemical and radiation sciences, chemical physics, atomic physics, chemical energy, separations, analysis, and chemical engineering sciences. No actual data is given. Indexes of topics, offsite institutions, and investigators are included. (DLC)

Partitioning the variability of fasting plasma glucose levels in pedigrees. Genetic and environmental factors.

PubMed

Boehnke, M; Moll, P P; Kottke, B A; Weidman, W H

1987-04-01

Fasting plasma glucose measurements made in 1972-1977 on normoglycemic individuals in three-generation Caucasian pedigrees from Rochester, Minnesota were analyzed. The authors determined the contributions of polygenic loci and environmental factors to fasting plasma glucose variability in these pedigrees. To that end, fasting plasma glucose measurements were normalized by an inverse normal scores transformation and then regressed separately for males and females on measured concomitants including age, body mass index (weight/height2), season of measurement, sex hormone use, and diuretic use. The authors found that 27.7% of the variability in normalized fasting plasma glucose in these pedigrees is explained by these measured concomitants. Subsequent variance components analysis suggested that unmeasured polygenic loci and unmeasured shared environmental factors together account for at least an additional 36.7% of the variability in normalized fasting plasma glucose, with genes alone accounting for at least 27.3%. These results are consistent with the known familiality of diabetes, for which fasting plasma glucose level is an important predictor. Further, these familial factors provide an explanation for at least half the variability in normalized fasting plasma glucose which remains after regression on known concomitants.

APSTNG: neutron interrogation for detection of explosives, drugs, and nuclear and chemical warfare materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, Edgar A.; Peters, Charles W.

1993-02-01

A recently developed neutron diagnostic probe system has the potential to satisfy a significant number of van-mobile and fixed-portal requirements for nondestructive detection, including monitoring of contraband explosives, drugs, and weapon materials, and treaty verification of sealed munitions. The probe is based on a unique associated-particle sealed-tube neutron generator (APSTNG) that interrogates the object of interest with a low-intensity beam of 14- MeV neutrons generated from the deuterium-tritium reaction and that detects the alpha-particle associated with each neutron. Gamma-ray spectra of resulting neutron reactions identify nuclides associated with all major chemicals in explosives, drugs, and chemical warfare agents, as well as many pollutants and fissile and fertile special nuclear material. Flight times determined from detection times of the gamma-rays and alpha-particles yield a separate coarse tomographic image of each identified nuclide. The APSTNG also forms the basis for a compact fast-neutron transmission imaging system that can be used along with or instead of the emission imaging system. Proof-of-concept experiments have been performed under laboratory conditions for simulated nuclear and chemical warfare munitions and for explosives and drugs. The small and relatively inexpensive APSTNG exhibits high reliability and can be quickly replaced. Surveillance systems based on APSTNG technology can avoid the large physical size, high capital and operating expenses, and reliability problems associated with complex accelerators.

Progress in Ion Transport Membranes for Gas Separation Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Arun C.; Stiegel, Gary J.; Armstrong, Phillip A.; Halper, Barry J.; (Ted) Foster, E. P.

This chapter describes the evolution and advances of ion transport membranes for gas separation applications, especially separation of oxygen from air. In partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE), Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Air Products) successfully developed a novel class of mixed ion-electron conducting materials and membrane architecture. These novel materials are referred to as ion transport membranes (ITM). Generically, ITMs consist of modified perovskite and brownmillerite oxide solid electrolytes and provide high oxygen anion and electron conduction typically at high temperatures driven by an oxygen potential gradient without the need for external power. The partial pressure ratio across the ITM layer creates the driving force for oxygen separation.

Chapter Two – Separations Versus Sustainability: There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

EPA Science Inventory

Separation operations in chemical processes are generally “uphill” tasks—defying natural tendencies. Historically, such separations have been accomplished by applying generous portions of fossil energy and materials, leaving behind a large environmental footprint. In this chapter...

Porous Structure Design of Polymeric Membranes for Gas Separation

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Jinshui; Schott, Jennifer Ann; Mahurin, Shannon Mark; ...

2017-04-04

High-performance polymeric membranes for gas separation are of interest for molecular-level separations in industrial-scale chemical, energy and environmental processes. To overcome the inherent trade-off relationship between permeability and selectivity, the creation of permanent microporosity in polymeric matrices is highly desirable because the porous structures can provide a high fractional free volume to facilitate gas transport through the dense layer. In this feature article, recent developments in the formation of porous polymeric membranes and potential strategies for pore structure design are reviewed.

Fast generation of three-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state based on the Lewis-Riesenfeld invariants in coupled cavities.

PubMed

Huang, Xiao-Bin; Chen, Ye-Hong; Wang, Zhe

2016-05-24

In this paper, we propose an efficient scheme to fast generate three-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state by constructing shortcuts to adiabatic passage (STAP) based on the "Lewis-Riesenfeld (LR) invariants" in spatially separated cavities connected by optical fibers. Numerical simulations illustrate that the scheme is not only fast, but robust against the decoherence caused by atomic spontaneous emission, cavity losses and the fiber photon leakages. This might be useful to realize fast and noise-resistant quantum information processing for multi-qubit systems.

Nanoscale plasma chemistry enables fast, size-selective nanotube nucleation.

PubMed

Ostrikov, Kostya Ken; Mehdipour, Hamid

2012-03-07

The possibility of fast, narrow-size/chirality nucleation of thin single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at low, device-tolerant process temperatures in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is demonstrated using multiphase, multiscale numerical experiments. These effects are due to the unique nanoscale reactive plasma chemistry (NRPC) on the surfaces and within Au catalyst nanoparticles. The computed three-dimensional process parameter maps link the nanotube incubation times and the relative differences between the incubation times of SWCNTs of different sizes/chiralities to the main plasma- and precursor gas-specific parameters and explain recent experimental observations. It is shown that the unique NRPC leads not only to much faster nucleation of thin nanotubes at much lower process temperatures, but also to better selectivity between the incubation times of SWCNTs with different sizes and chiralities, compared to thermal CVD. These results are used to propose a time-programmed kinetic approach based on fast-responding plasmas which control the size-selective, narrow-chirality nucleation and growth of thin SWCNTs. This approach is generic and can be used for other nanostructure and materials systems. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Chemical exchange rotation transfer imaging of intermediate-exchanging amines at 2 ppm.

PubMed

Zu, Zhongliang; Louie, Elizabeth A; Lin, Eugene C; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Does, Mark D; Gore, John C; Gochberg, Daniel F

2017-10-01

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging of amine protons exchanging at intermediate rates and whose chemical shift is around 2 ppm may provide a means of mapping creatine. However, the quantification of this effect may be compromised by the influence of overlapping CEST signals from fast-exchanging amines and hydroxyls. We aimed to investigate the exchange rate filtering effect of a variation of CEST, named chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT), as a means of isolating creatine contributions at around 2 ppm from other overlapping signals. Simulations were performed to study the filtering effects of CERT for the selection of transfer effects from protons of specific exchange rates. Control samples containing the main metabolites in brain, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and egg white albumen (EWA) at their physiological concentrations and pH were used to study the ability of CERT to isolate molecules with amines at 2 ppm that exchange at intermediate rates, and corresponding methods were used for in vivo rat brain imaging. Simulations showed that exchange rate filtering can be combined with conventional filtering based on chemical shift. Studies on samples showed that signal contributions from creatine can be separated from those of other metabolites using this combined filter, but contributions from protein amines may still be significant. This exchange filtering can also be used for in vivo imaging. CERT provides more specific quantification of amines at 2 ppm that exchange at intermediate rates compared with conventional CEST imaging. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Response measurement of single-crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond radiation detector for intense X-rays aiming at neutron bang-time and neutron burn-history measurement on an inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition.

PubMed

Shimaoka, T; Kaneko, J H; Arikawa, Y; Isobe, M; Sato, Y; Tsubota, M; Nagai, T; Kojima, S; Abe, Y; Sakata, S; Fujioka, S; Nakai, M; Shiraga, H; Azechi, H; Chayahara, A; Umezawa, H; Shikata, S

2015-05-01

A neutron bang time and burn history monitor in inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition are necessary for plasma diagnostics. In the FIREX project, however, no detector attained those capabilities because high-intensity X-rays accompanied fast electrons used for plasma heating. To solve this problem, single-crystal CVD diamond was grown and fabricated into a radiation detector. The detector, which had excellent charge transportation property, was tested to obtain a response function for intense X-rays. The applicability for neutron bang time and burn history monitor was verified experimentally. Charge collection efficiency of 99.5% ± 0.8% and 97.1% ± 1.4% for holes and electrons were obtained using 5.486 MeV alpha particles. The drift velocity at electric field which saturates charge collection efficiency was 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10(7) cm/s and 1.0 ± 0.3 × 10(7) cm/s for holes and electrons. Fast response of several ns pulse width for intense X-ray was obtained at the GEKKO XII experiment, which is sufficiently fast for ToF measurements to obtain a neutron signal separately from X-rays. Based on these results, we confirmed that the single-crystal CVD diamond detector obtained neutron signal with good S/N under ion temperature 0.5-1 keV and neutron yield of more than 10(9) neutrons/shot.

Automated Clean Chemistry for Bulk Analysis of Environmental Swipe Samples - FY17 Year End Report

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

Ticknor, Brian W.; Metzger, Shalina C.; McBay, Eddy H.

Sample preparation methods for mass spectrometry are being automated using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment to shorten lengthy and costly manual chemical purification procedures. This development addresses a serious need in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Network of Analytical Laboratories (IAEA NWAL) to increase efficiency in the Bulk Analysis of Environmental Samples for Safeguards program with a method that allows unattended, overnight operation. In collaboration with Elemental Scientific Inc., the prepFAST-MC2 was designed based on COTS equipment. It was modified for uranium/plutonium separations using renewable columns packed with Eichrom TEVA and UTEVA resins, with a chemical separation method based on the Oakmore » Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) NWAL chemical procedure. The newly designed prepFAST-SR has had several upgrades compared with the original prepFAST-MC2. Both systems are currently installed in the Ultra-Trace Forensics Science Center at ORNL.« less

Ultra-fast ipsilateral DPOAE adaptation not modulated by attention?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalhoff, Ernst; Zelle, Dennis; Gummer, Anthony W.

2018-05-01

Efferent stimulation of outer hair cells is supposed to attenuate cochlear amplification of sound waves and is accompanied by reduced DPOAE amplitudes. Recently, a method using two subsequent f2 pulses during presentation of a longer f1 pulse was introduced to measure fast ipsilateral adaptation effects on separated DPOAE components. Compensating primary-tone onsets for their latencies at the f2-tonotopic place, the average adaptation measured in four normal-hearing subjects was 5.0 dB with a time constant below 5 ms. In the present study, two experiments were performed to determine the origin of this ultra-fast ipsilateral adaptation effect. The first experiment measured ultra-fast ipsilateral adaptation using a two-pulse paradigm at three frequencies in the four subjects, while controlling for visual attention of the subjects. The other experiment also controlled for visual attention, but utilized a sequence of f2 short pulses in the presence of a continuous f1 tone to sample ipsilateral adaptation effects with longer time constants in eight subjects. In the first experiment, no significant change in the ultra-fast adaptation between non-directed attention and visual attention could be detected. In contrast, the second experiment revealed significant changes in the magnitude of the slower ipsilateral adaptation in the visual-attention condition. In conclusion, the lack of an attentional influence indicates that the ultra-fast ipsilateral DPOAE adaptation is not solely mediated by the medial olivocochlear reflex.

Ultra-fast HPM detectors improve NAD(P)H FLIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Wolfgang; Wetzker, Cornelia; Benda, Aleš

2018-02-01

Metabolic imaging by NAD(P)H FLIM requires the decay functions in the individual pixels to be resolved into the decay components of bound and unbound NAD(P)H. Metabolic information is contained in the lifetime and relative amplitudes of the components. The separation of the decay components and the accuracy of the amplitudes and lifetimes improves substantially by using ultra-fast HPM-100-06 and HPM-100-07 hybrid detectors. The IRF width in combination with the Becker & Hickl SPC-150N and SPC-150NX TCSPC modules is less than 20 ps. An IRF this fast does not interfere with the fluorescence decay. The usual deconvolution process in the data analysis then virtually becomes a simple curve fitting, and the parameters of the NAD(P)H decay components are obtained at unprecedented accuracy.

Membrane separation systems---A research and development needs assessment

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

Baker, R.W.; Cussler, E.L.; Eykamp, W.

1990-04-01

Industrial separation processes consume a significant portion of the energy used in the United States. A 1986 survey by the Office of Industrial Programs estimated that about 4.2 quads of energy are expended annually on distillation, drying and evaporation operations. This survey also concluded that over 0.8 quads of energy could be saved in the chemical, petroleum and food industries alone if these industries adopted membrane separation systems more widely. Membrane separation systems offer significant advantages over existing separation processes. In addition to consuming less energy than conventional processes, membrane systems are compact and modular, enabling easy retrofit to existingmore » industrial processes. The present study was commissioned by the Department of Energy, Office of Program Analysis, to identify and prioritize membrane research needs in light of DOE's mission. Each report will be individually cataloged.« less

Microparticle Separation by Cyclonic Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karback, Keegan; Leith, Alexander

2017-11-01

The ability to separate particles based on their size has wide ranging applications from the industrial to the medical. Currently, cyclonic separators are primarily used in agriculture and manufacturing to syphon out contaminates or products from an air supply. This has led us to believe that cyclonic separation has more applications than the agricultural and industrial. Using the OpenFoam computational package, we were able to determine the flow parameters of a vortex in a cyclonic separator in order to segregate dust particles to a cutoff size of tens of nanometers. To test the model, we constructed an experiment to separate a test dust of various sized particles. We filled a chamber with Arizona test dust and utilized an acoustic suspension technique to segregate particles finer than a coarse cutoff size and introduce them into the cyclonic separation apparatus where they were further separated via a vortex following our computational model. The size of the particles separated from this experiment will be used to further refine our model. Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado University of Denver, Dr. Randall Tagg, Dr. Richard Krantz.

Whisker Contact Detection of Rodents Based on Slow and Fast Mechanical Inputs

PubMed Central

Claverie, Laure N.; Boubenec, Yves; Debrégeas, Georges; Prevost, Alexis M.; Wandersman, Elie

2017-01-01

Rodents use their whiskers to locate nearby objects with an extreme precision. To perform such tasks, they need to detect whisker/object contacts with a high temporal accuracy. This contact detection is conveyed by classes of mechanoreceptors whose neural activity is sensitive to either slow or fast time varying mechanical stresses acting at the base of the whiskers. We developed a biomimetic approach to separate and characterize slow quasi-static and fast vibrational stress signals acting on a whisker base in realistic exploratory phases, using experiments on both real and artificial whiskers. Both slow and fast mechanical inputs are successfully captured using a mechanical model of the whisker. We present and discuss consequences of the whisking process in purely mechanical terms and hypothesize that free whisking in air sets a mechanical threshold for contact detection. The time resolution and robustness of the contact detection strategies based on either slow or fast stress signals are determined. Contact detection based on the vibrational signal is faster and more robust to exploratory conditions than the slow quasi-static component, although both slow/fast components allow localizing the object. PMID:28119582

DIELECTROPHORESIS-BASED MICROFLUIDIC SEPARATION AND DETECTION SYSTEMS

PubMed Central

Yang, Jun; Vykoukal, Jody; Noshari, Jamileh; Becker, Frederick; Gascoyne, Peter; Krulevitch, Peter; Fuller, Chris; Ackler, Harold; Hamilton, Julie; Boser, Bernhard; Eldredge, Adam; Hitchens, Duncan; Andrews, Craig

2009-01-01

Diagnosis and treatment of human diseases frequently requires isolation and detection of certain cell types from a complex mixture. Compared with traditional separation and detection techniques, microfluidic approaches promise to yield easy-to-use diagnostic instruments tolerant of a wide range of operating environments and capable of accomplishing automated analyses. These approaches will enable diagnostic advances to be disseminated from sophisticated clinical laboratories to the point-of-care. Applications will include the separation and differential analysis of blood cell subpopulations for host-based detection of blood cell changes caused by disease, infection, or exposure to toxins, and the separation and analysis of surface-sensitized, custom dielectric beads for chemical, biological, and biomolecular targets. Here we report a new particle separation and analysis microsystem that uses dielectrophoretic field-flow fractionation (DEP-FFF). The system consists of a microfluidic chip with integrated sample injector, a DEP-FFF separator, and an AC impedance sensor. We show the design of a miniaturized impedance sensor integrated circuit (IC) with improved sensitivity, a new packaging approach for micro-flumes that features a slide-together compression package and novel microfluidic interconnects, and the design, control, integration and packaging of a fieldable prototype. Illustrative applications will be shown, including the separation of different sized beads and different cell types, blood cell differential analysis, and impedance sensing results for beads, spores and cells. PMID:22025905

Fast Model Generalized Pseudopotential Theory Interatomic Potential Routine

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

2015-03-18

MGPT is an unclassified source code for the fast evaluation and application of quantum-based MGPT interatomic potentials for mrtals. The present version of MGPT has been developed entirely at LLNL, but is specifically designed for implementation in the open-source molecular0dynamics code LAMMPS maintained by Sandia National Laboratories. Using MGPT in LAMMPS, with separate input potential data, one can perform large-scale atomistic simulations of the structural, thermodynamic, defeat and mechanical properties of transition metals with quantum-mechanical realism.

Fast liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry for the analysis of metabolites and proteins in human body fluids.

PubMed

Kortz, Linda; Helmschrodt, Christin; Ceglarek, Uta

2011-03-01

In the last decade various analytical strategies have been established to enhance separation speed and efficiency in high performance liquid chromatography applications. Chromatographic supports based on monolithic material, small porous particles, and porous layer beads have been developed and commercialized to improve throughput and separation efficiency. This paper provides an overview of current developments in fast chromatography combined with mass spectrometry for the analysis of metabolites and proteins in clinical applications. Advances and limitations of fast chromatography for the combination with mass spectrometry are discussed. Practical aspects of, recent developments in, and the present status of high-throughput analysis of human body fluids for therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, clinical metabolomics, and proteomics are presented.

Cryogenic molecular separation system for radioactive (11)C ion acceleration.

PubMed

Katagiri, K; Noda, A; Suzuki, K; Nagatsu, K; Boytsov, A Yu; Donets, D E; Donets, E D; Donets, E E; Ramzdorf, A Yu; Nakao, M; Hojo, S; Wakui, T; Noda, K

2015-12-01

A (11)C molecular production/separation system (CMPS) has been developed as part of an isotope separation on line system for simultaneous positron emission tomography imaging and heavy-ion cancer therapy using radioactive (11)C ion beams. In the ISOL system, (11)CH4 molecules will be produced by proton irradiation and separated from residual air impurities and impurities produced during the irradiation. The CMPS includes two cryogenic traps to separate specific molecules selectively from impurities by using vapor pressure differences among the molecular species. To investigate the fundamental performance of the CMPS, we performed separation experiments with non-radioactive (12)CH4 gases, which can simulate the chemical characteristics of (11)CH4 gases. We investigated the separation of CH4 molecules from impurities, which will be present as residual gases and are expected to be difficult to separate because the vapor pressure of air molecules is close to that of CH4. We determined the collection/separation efficiencies of the CMPS for various amounts of air impurities and found desirable operating conditions for the CMPS to be used as a molecular separation device in our ISOL system.

Electro-kinetic Separation of Rare Earth Elements Using a Redox-Active Ligand.

PubMed

Fang, Huayi; Cole, Bren E; Qiao, Yusen; Bogart, Justin A; Cheisson, Thibault; Manor, Brian C; Carroll, Patrick J; Schelter, Eric J

2017-10-16

Purification of rare earth elements is challenging due to their chemical similarities. All of the deployed separation methods rely on thermodynamic properties, such as distribution equilibria in solvent extraction. Rare-earth-metal separations based on kinetic differences have not been examined. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach for rare-earth-element separations by exploiting differences in the oxidation rates within a series of rare earth compounds containing the redox-active ligand [{2-(tBuN(O))C 6 H 4 CH 2 } 3 N] 3- . Using this method, a single-step separation factor up to 261 was obtained for the separation of a 50:50 yttrium-lutetium mixture. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Recent progress of chiral stationary phases for separation of enantiomers in gas chromatography.

PubMed

Xie, Sheng-Ming; Yuan, Li-Ming

2017-01-01

Chromatography techniques based on chiral stationary phases are widely used for the separation of enantiomers. In particular, gas chromatography has developed rapidly in recent years due to its merits such as fast analysis speed, lower consumption of stationary phases and analytes, higher column efficiency, making it a better choice for chiral separation in diverse industries. This article summarizes recent progress of novel chiral stationary phases based on cyclofructan derivatives and chiral porous materials including chiral metal-organic frameworks, chiral porous organic frameworks, chiral inorganic mesoporous materials, and chiral porous organic cages in gas chromatography, covering original research papers published since 2010. The chiral recognition properties and mechanisms of separation toward enantiomers are also introduced. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ordering-separation phase transitions in a Co3V alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustinovshchikov, Yu. I.

2017-01-01

The microstructure of the Co3V alloy formed by heat treatment at various temperatures is studied by transmission electron microscopy. Two ordering-separation phase transitions are revealed at temperatures of 400-450 and 800°C. At the high-temperature phase separation, the microstructure consists of bcc vanadium particles and an fcc solid solution; at the low-temperature phase separation, the microstructure is cellular. In the ordering range, the microstructure consists of chemical compound Co3V particles chaotically arranged in the solid solution. The structure of the Co3V alloy is shown not to correspond to the structures indicated in the Co-V phase diagram at any temperatures.

Enhancing separation in short-capillary electrophoresis via pressure-driven backflow.

PubMed

Tian, Miaomiao; Wang, Yujia; Mohamed, Amara Camara; Guo, Liping; Yang, Li

2015-07-01

We present a novel easy-to-operate and efficient method to improve the separation efficiency in short-capillary electrophoresis by introducing steady backflow to counterbalance electro-osmotic flow without the use of any external pressure. The backflow was easily generated by tapering the capillary end, which was achieved by heating a straight capillary and stretching it with a constant force. We investigated the net fluidic transport rate under different tip lengths and separation voltages. Good run-to-run repeatability and capillary-to-capillary reproducibility of the present method were obtained with RSD less than 1.5%, indicating the stability of the fluid transport rate in the tapered capillary, which ensures the quantification and repeatability of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) analysis. Enhanced separation of the tapered short capillary electrophoresis was demonstrated by CZE analyzing amino acids and positional isomers. Baseline separations were achieved in less than 60 s using a tapered capillary with the effective length of 5 cm, while no separation was achieved using a normal capillary without a tapered tip. The present study provides a promising method to use pressure-driven backflow to enhance separation efficiency in short-capillary electrophoresis, which would be of potential value in a wide application for fast analysis of complex samples. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-speed separation and characterization of major constituents in Radix Paeoniae Rubra by fast high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, E-Hu; Qi, Lian-Wen; Li, Bin; Peng, Yong-Bo; Li, Ping; Li, Chang-Yin; Cao, Jun

2009-01-01

A fast high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method coupled with diode-array detection (DAD) and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOFMS) has been developed for rapid separation and sensitive identification of major constituents in Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR). The total analysis time on a short column packed with 1.8-microm porous particles was about 20 min without a loss in resolution, six times faster than the performance of a conventional column analysis (115 min). The MS fragmentation behavior and structural characterization of major compounds in RPR were investigated here for the first time. The targets were rapidly screened from RPR matrix using a narrow mass window of 0.01 Da to restructure extracted ion chromatograms. Accurate mass measurements (less than 5 ppm error) for both the deprotonated molecule and characteristic fragment ions represent reliable identification criteria for these compounds in complex matrices with similar if not even better performance compared with tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 26 components were screened and identified in RPR including 11 monoterpene glycosides, 11 galloyl glucoses and 4 other phenolic compounds. From the point of time savings, resolving power, accurate mass measurement capability and full spectral sensitivity, the established fast HPLC/DAD/TOFMS method turns out to be a highly useful technique to identify constituents in complex herbal medicines. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Crystallization and Microphase Separation in Chiral Block Copolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Rong-Ming

2012-02-01

Block copolymers composed of chiral entities, denoted as chiral block copolymers (BCP*s), were designed to fabricate helical architectures from self-assembly. A helical phase (denoted H*) was discovered in the self-assembly of poly(styrene)-b-poly(L-lactide) (PS-PLLA) BCPs*. To examine the phase behavior of the PS-PLLA, self-assembled superstructures resulting from the competition between crystallization and microphase separation of the PS-PLLA in solution were examined. A kinetically controlled process by changing non-solvent addition rate was utilized to control the BCP* self-assembly. Single-crystal lozenge lamellae were obtained by the slow self-assembly (i.e., slow non-solvent addition rate) of PS-PLLA whereas amorphous helical ribbon superstructures were obtained from the fast self-assembly (i.e., fast non-solvent addition rate). As a result, the formation of helical architectures from the self-assembly of the PS-PLLA reflects the impact of chirality on microphase separation, but the chiral effect might be overwhelmed by crystallization. Consequently, various crystalline PS-PLLA nanostructures in bulk were obtained by controlling the crystallization temperature of PLLA (Tc,PLLA) at which crystalline helices and crystalline cylinders occur while Tc,PLLA=x Tg,PS, respectively. Anisotropic arrangement of the PLLA crystallites grown within the microdomains was identified. The formation of this exclusive crystalline growth is attributed to the spatial confinement effect for crystallization. While Tc,PLLA=x Tg,PS, the preferential growth may modulate the curvature of microdomains by shifting the molecular chains to access the fast path for crystalline growth due to the increase in chain mobility. As a result, a spring-like behavior of the helical nanostructure

Fast changes in chemical composition and size distribution of fine particles during the near-field transport of industrial plumes.

PubMed

Marris, Hélène; Deboudt, Karine; Augustin, Patrick; Flament, Pascal; Blond, François; Fiani, Emmanuel; Fourmentin, Marc; Delbarre, Hervé

2012-06-15

Aerosol sampling was performed inside the chimneys and in the close environment of a FeMn alloys manufacturing plant. The number size distributions show a higher abundance of ultrafine aerosols (10-100 nm) inside the plume than upwind of the plant, indicating the emissions of nanoparticles by the industrial process. Individual analysis of particles collected inside the plume shows a high proportion of metal bearing particles (Mn-/Fe-) consisting essentially of internally mixed aluminosilicate and metallic compounds. These particles evolve rapidly (in a few minutes) after emission by adsorption of VOC gas and sulfuric acid emitted by the plant but also by agglomeration with pre-existing particles. At the moment, municipalities require a monitoring of industrial emissions inside the chimneys from manufacturers. However those measures are insufficient to report such rapid changes in chemical composition and thus to evaluate the real impact of industrial plumes in the close environment of plants (when those particles leave the industrial site). Consequently, environmental authorities will have to consider such fast evolutions and then to adapt future regulations on air pollution sources. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separations by supported liquid membrane cascades

DOEpatents

Danesi, P.R.

1983-09-01

The invention describes a new separation technique which leads to multi-stage operations by the use of a series (a cascade) of alternated carrier-containing supported-liquid cation exchanger extractant and a liquid anion exchanger extractant (or a neutral extractant) as carrier. The membranes are spaced between alternated aqueous electrolytic solutions of different composition which alternatively provide positively charged extractable species and negatively charged (or zero charged) extractable species, of the chemical species to be separated. The alternated aqueous electrolytic solutions in addition to providing the driving force to the process, simultaneously function as a stripping solution from one type of membrane and as an extraction-promoting solution for the other type of membrane. The aqueous electrolytic solution and the supported liquid membranes are arranged to provide a continuous process.

Improvement of Nannochloropsis oceanica growth performance through chemical mutation and characterization of fast growth physiology by transcriptome profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Sijie; Guo, Li; Lin, Genmei; Zhang, Zhongyi; Ding, Haiyan; Wang, Yamei; Yang, Guanpin

2017-07-01

Nannochloropsis oceanica promises to be an industrial-level producer of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this study, the fastest and slowest growing N. oceanica mutants were selected through N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine mutation, and two mutant strains and the wild type (WT) subjected to transcriptome profiling. It was found that the OD680 reads at stationary growth phase of both WT and its mutants were proportional to their cell density, thus indicating their division rate and growth speed during culture. This chemical mutation was effective for improving growth performance, and the fast strain divided faster by upregulating the expression of genes functioning in the cell cycle and downregulating genes involved in synthesis of amino acids, fatty acids, and sugars as well as the construction of ribosome and photosynthetic machinery. However, the relationship among the effected genes responsible for cell cycle, metabolism of fatty and amino acids, and construction of ribosome and photosynthetic machinery remained unclear. Further genetic studies are required for clarifying the genetic/metabolic networks underpinning the growth performance of N. oceanica. These findings demonstrated that this mutation strategy was effective for improving the growth performance of this species and explored a means of microalgal genetic improvement, particularly in species possessing a monoploid nucleus and asexual reproduction.

Chemical reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularz, Edward J.; Sockol, Peter M.

1987-01-01

Future aerospace propulsion concepts involve the combination of liquid or gaseous fuels in a highly turbulent internal air stream. Accurate predictive computer codes which can simulate the fluid mechanics, chemistry, and turbulence combustion interaction of these chemical reacting flows will be a new tool that is needed in the design of these future propulsion concepts. Experimental and code development research is being performed at Lewis to better understand chemical reacting flows with the long term goal of establishing these reliable computer codes. The approach to understanding chemical reacting flows is to look at separate simple parts of this complex phenomena as well as to study the full turbulent reacting flow process. As a result research on the fluid mechanics associated with chemical reacting flows was initiated. The chemistry of fuel-air combustion is also being studied. Finally, the phenomena of turbulence-combustion interaction is being investigated. This presentation will highlight research, both experimental and analytical, in each of these three major areas.

Chemical reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularz, Edward J.; Sockol, Peter M.

1990-01-01

Future aerospace propulsion concepts involve the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels in a highly turbulent internal airstream. Accurate predictive computer codes which can simulate the fluid mechanics, chemistry, and turbulence-combustion interaction of these chemical reacting flows will be a new tool that is needed in the design of these future propulsion concepts. Experimental and code development research is being performed at LeRC to better understand chemical reacting flows with the long-term goal of establishing these reliable computer codes. Our approach to understand chemical reacting flows is to look at separate, more simple parts of this complex phenomenon as well as to study the full turbulent reacting flow process. As a result, we are engaged in research on the fluid mechanics associated with chemical reacting flows. We are also studying the chemistry of fuel-air combustion. Finally, we are investigating the phenomenon of turbulence-combustion interaction. Research, both experimental and analytical, is highlighted in each of these three major areas.

Auto shredder residue recycling: Mechanical separation and pyrolysis.

PubMed

Santini, Alessandro; Passarini, Fabrizio; Vassura, Ivano; Serrano, David; Dufour, Javier; Morselli, Luciano

2012-05-01

Directive 2000/53/EC sets a goal of 85% material recycling from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) by the end of 2015. The current ELV recycling rate is around 80%, while the remaining waste is called automotive shredder residue (ASR), or car fluff. In Europe, this is mainly landfilled because it is extremely heterogeneous and often polluted with car fluids. Despite technical difficulties, in the coming years it will be necessary to recover materials from car fluff in order to meet the ELV Directive requirement. This study deals with ASR pretreatment and pyrolysis, and aims to determine whether the ELV material recycling target may be achieved by car fluff mechanical separation followed by pyrolysis with a bench scale reactor. Results show that flotation followed by pyrolysis of the light, organic fraction may be a suitable ASR recycling technique if the oil can be further refined and used as a chemical. Moreover, metals are liberated during thermal cracking and can be easily separated from the pyrolysis char, amounting to roughly 5% in mass. Lastly, pyrolysis can be a good starting point from a "waste-to-chemicals" perspective, but further research should be done with a focus on oil and gas refining, in order both to make products suitable for the chemical industry and to render the whole recycling process economically feasible. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Chemical Constituents from Melissa officinalis Leaves].

PubMed

Ji, Zi-yang; Yang, Yan-xia; Zhuang, Fang-fang; Yan, Fu-lin; Wang, Chang-hong

2015-03-01

To investigate the chemical constituents of Melissa officinalis leaves. The chemical constituents were separated by silica gel column chromatography and their structures were determined by spectroscopic experiments. 13 compounds were isolated and identified as protocatechuyl aldehyde(1), serratagenic acid(2), vanillin(3), 2α,3β-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid(4), ursolic acid(5), oleanolic acid(6), daucosterol(7),2α,3β,23,29-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid-29-O-β-D-gluco- pyranoside(8), luteolin(9) rosmarinic acid(10), luteolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (11), β-stitosterol(12) and palmitic acid(13). Compounds 1 ~ 8 are separated from this plant for the first time and compounds 1-4 and 8 are isolated from this genus for the first time.

Monitoring/Verification using DMS: TATP Example

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

Stephan Weeks, Kevin Kyle, Manuel Manard

Field-rugged and field-programmable differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) networks provide highly selective, universal monitoring of vapors and aerosols at detectable levels from persons or areas involved with illicit chemical/biological/explosives (CBE) production. CBE sensor motes used in conjunction with automated fast gas chromatography with DMS detection (GC/DMS) verification instrumentation integrated into situational operations-management systems can be readily deployed and optimized for changing application scenarios. The feasibility of developing selective DMS motes for a “smart dust” sampling approach with guided, highly selective, fast GC/DMS verification analysis is a compelling approach to minimize or prevent the illegal use of explosives or chemical and biologicalmore » materials. DMS is currently one of the foremost emerging technologies for field separation and detection of gas-phase chemical species. This is due to trace-level detection limits, high selectivity, and small size. Fast GC is the leading field analytical method for gas phase separation of chemical species in complex mixtures. Low-thermal-mass GC columns have led to compact, low-power field systems capable of complete analyses in 15–300 seconds. A collaborative effort optimized a handheld, fast GC/DMS, equipped with a non-rad ionization source, for peroxide-based explosive measurements.« less

Characterization of the transcriptome of fast and slow muscle myotomal fibres in the pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus).

PubMed

Mareco, Edson A; Garcia de la Serrana, Daniel; Johnston, Ian A; Dal-Pai-Silva, Maeli

2015-03-14

The Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) is a member of the Characiform family native to the Prata Basin (South America) and a target for the aquaculture industry. A limitation for the development of a selective breeding program for this species is a lack of available genetic information. The primary objectives of the present study were 1) to increase the genetic resources available for the species, 2) to exploit the anatomical separation of myotomal fibres types to compare the transcriptomes of slow and fast muscle phenotypes and 3) to systematically investigate the expression of Ubiquitin Specific Protease (USP) family members in fast and slow muscle in response to fasting and refeeding. We generated 0.6 Tb of pair-end reads from slow and fast skeletal muscle libraries. Over 665 million reads were assembled into 504,065 contigs with an average length of 1,334 bp and N50 = 2,772 bp. We successfully annotated nearly 47% of the transcriptome and identified around 15,000 unique genes and over 8000 complete coding sequences. 319 KEGG metabolic pathways were also annotated and 380 putative microsatellites were identified. 956 and 604 genes were differentially expressed between slow and fast skeletal muscle, respectively. 442 paralogues pairs arising from the teleost-specific whole genome duplication were identified, with the majority showing different expression patterns between fibres types (301 in slow and 245 in fast skeletal muscle). 45 members of the USP family were identified in the transcriptome. Transcript levels were quantified by qPCR in a separate fasting and refeeding experiment. USP genes in fast muscle showed a similar transient increase in expression with fasting as the better characterized E3 ubiquitin ligases. We have generated a 53-fold coverage transcriptome for fast and slow myotomal muscle in the pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) significantly increasing the genetic resources available for this important aquaculture species. We describe significant

Two-Dimensional-Material Membranes: A New Family of High-Performance Separation Membranes.

PubMed

Liu, Gongping; Jin, Wanqin; Xu, Nanping

2016-10-17

Two-dimensional (2D) materials of atomic thickness have emerged as nano-building blocks to develop high-performance separation membranes that feature unique nanopores and/or nanochannels. These 2D-material membranes exhibit extraordinary permeation properties, opening a new avenue to ultra-fast and highly selective membranes for water and gas separation. Summarized in this Minireview are the latest ground-breaking studies in 2D-material membranes as nanosheet and laminar membranes, with a focus on starting materials, nanostructures, and transport properties. Challenges and future directions of 2D-material membranes for wide implementation are discussed briefly. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of a Plutonium Ceramic Target for the MASHA Separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaughnessy, D. A.; Moody, K. J.; Kenneally, J. M.; Wild, J. F.; Stoyer, M. A.; Lougheed, R. W.; Yeremin, A. V.; Oganessian, Yu. Ts.

2004-04-01

We are participating in the development of the target for the MASHA (Mass Analyzer of Super Heavy Atoms) on-line mass separator in Dubna. Along with recent upgrades of the U400 cyclotron, MASHA will provide for at least a ten-fold increase in the production- and-detection rate for element 114 atoms, and will allow us to measure their atomic masses precisely. The MASHA separator will employ a thick Pu ceramic target capa- ble of tolerating temperatures in the vicinity of 2000 C without vaporizing the actinide compound. Reaction products will diffuse out of the target and will drift to an ECR ion source after which they will be transported through the separator and will impinge on a position-sensitive focal-plane detector array. Furthermore, operation of the MASHA hot target/ion source combination will provide chemical volatility information that will support our assignment of an atomic number of 114 to these nuclei. Taken together, these experiments on MASHA will allow us to make measurements that will cement our identification of element 114 and provide for future experiments in which the chemical properties of the heaviest elements are studied.

Tortuous path chemical preconcentrator

DOEpatents

Manginell, Ronald P.; Lewis, Patrick R.; Adkins, Douglas R.; Wheeler, David R.; Simonson, Robert J.

2010-09-21

A non-planar, tortuous path chemical preconcentrator has a high internal surface area having a heatable sorptive coating that can be used to selectively collect and concentrate one or more chemical species of interest from a fluid stream that can be rapidly released as a concentrated plug into an analytical or microanalytical chain for separation and detection. The non-planar chemical preconcentrator comprises a sorptive support structure having a tortuous flow path. The tortuosity provides repeated twists, turns, and bends to the flow, thereby increasing the interfacial contact between sample fluid stream and the sorptive material. The tortuous path also provides more opportunities for desorption and readsorption of volatile species. Further, the thermal efficiency of the tortuous path chemical preconcentrator is comparable or superior to the prior non-planar chemical preconcentrator. Finally, the tortuosity can be varied in different directions to optimize flow rates during the adsorption and desorption phases of operation of the preconcentrator.

Advancing the scientific basis of trivalent actinide-lanthanide separations

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

Nash, K.L.

For advanced fuel cycles designed to support transmutation of transplutonium actinides, several options have been demonstrated for process-scale aqueous separations for U, Np, Pu management and for partitioning of trivalent actinides and fission product lanthanides away from other fission products. The more difficult mutual separation of Am/Cm from La-Tb remains the subject of considerable fundamental and applied research. The chemical separations literature teaches that the most productive alternatives to pursue are those based on ligand donor atoms less electronegative than O, specifically N- and S-containing complexants and chloride ion (Cl{sup -}). These 'soft-donor' atoms have exhibited usable selectivity in theirmore » bonding interactions with trivalent actinides relative to lanthanides. In this report, selected features of soft donor reagent design, characterization and application development will be discussed. The roles of thiocyanate, aminopoly-carboxylic acids and lactate in separation processes are detailed. (authors)« less

Wireless Chemical Sensing Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A wireless chemical sensor includes an electrical conductor and a material separated therefrom by an electric insulator. The electrical conductor is an unconnected open-circuit shaped for storage of an electric field and a magnetic field. In the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, the first electrical conductor resonates to generate harmonic electric and magnetic field responses. The material is positioned at a location lying within at least one of the electric and magnetic field responses so-generated. The material changes in electrical conductivity in the presence of a chemical-of-interest.

21 CFR 1309.22 - Separate registration for independent activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Separate registration for independent activities. 1309.22 Section 1309.22 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE... that the person is not registered to import. (d) A person registered to manufacture any List I chemical...

Flotation of algae for water reuse and biomass production: role of zeta potential and surfactant to separate algal particles.

PubMed

Kwak, Dong-Heui; Kim, Mi-Sug

2015-01-01

The effect of chemical coagulation and biological auto-flocculation relative to zeta potential was examined to compare flotation and sedimentation separation processes for algae harvesting. Experiments revealed that microalgae separation is related to auto-flocculation of Anabaena spp. and requires chemical coagulation for the whole period of microalgae cultivation. In addition, microalgae separation characteristics which are associated with surfactants demonstrated optimal microalgae cultivation time and separation efficiency of dissolved CO2 flotation (DCF) as an alternative to dissolved air flotation (DAF). Microalgae were significantly separated in response to anionic surfactant rather than cationic surfactant as a function of bubble size and zeta potential. DAF and DCF both showed slightly efficient flotation; however, application of anionic surfactant was required when using DCF.

Reversing flow development in a separating turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Leonardo; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Bonacci, Andrew

2016-11-01

Fast swimming sharks have micro-structures on their skin consisting of bristling scales. These scales are hypothesized to bristle in response to backflow generated from the separated turbulent boundary layer (TBL) in regions of adverse pressure gradient (APG) on the shark body. Vortices are trapped in the cavities between the scales, which induce momentum exchange between the higher momentum fluid in the outer flow and that in the separated region. This momentum exchange causes reattachment of the separated TBL, causing the scales to return to the unbristled location, and the cycle continues. The rows of scales have widths that are comparable to the spanwise length scale of the intermittent backflow patches that appear in the region of incipient detachment of TBLs. In this experimental investigation, correlations between the shark scale's width and the spanwise size of the low backflow streaks are examined, as well as details of the incipient detachment region. The experiments are conducted in a water tunnel facility and the flow field is measured using PIV. Turbulent boundary layers are subjected to an APG via a rotating cylinder. Separated TBLs are investigated on a flat plate. The authors would like to greatfully acknowledge the Army Research Office for funding this project.

The fast multipole method and point dipole moment polarizable force fields.

PubMed

Coles, Jonathan P; Masella, Michel

2015-01-14

We present an implementation of the fast multipole method for computing Coulombic electrostatic and polarization forces from polarizable force-fields based on induced point dipole moments. We demonstrate the expected O(N) scaling of that approach by performing single energy point calculations on hexamer protein subunits of the mature HIV-1 capsid. We also show the long time energy conservation in molecular dynamics at the nanosecond scale by performing simulations of a protein complex embedded in a coarse-grained solvent using a standard integrator and a multiple time step integrator. Our tests show the applicability of fast multipole method combined with state-of-the-art chemical models in molecular dynamical systems.

Development of a fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of endocrine-disrupting compounds in waters.

PubMed

Di Carro, Marina; Scapolla, Carlo; Liscio, Camilla; Magi, Emanuele

2010-09-01

A fast liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) method was developed to study five endocrine-disrupting compounds (4-n-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, estrone, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol) in water. Different columns were tested; the chromatographic separation of the analytes was optimized on a Pinnacle DB biphenylic column with a water-acetonitrile gradient elution, which allowed the separation of the selected endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in less than 6 min. Quantitative analysis was performed in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode; two transitions were chosen for each compound, using the most abundant for quantitation. Calibration curves using bisphenol A-d (16) as internal standard were drawn, showing good correlation coefficients (0.9993-0.9998). All figures of merit of the method were satisfactory; limits of detection were in the low pg range for all analytes. The method was then applied to the determination of the analytes in real water samples: to this aim, polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were deployed in the influent and in the effluent of a drinking water treatment plant in Liguria (Italy). The EDC level was rather low in the influent and negligible in the outlet, reflecting the expected function of the treatment plant.

[Fast separation and analysis of water-soluble vitamins in spinach by capillary electrophoresis with high voltage].

PubMed

Hu, Xiaoqin; You, Huiyan

2009-11-01

In capillary electrophoresis, 0-40 kV (even higher) voltage can be reached by a connecting double-model high voltage power supply. In the article, water-soluble vitamins, VB1, VB2, VB6, VC, calcium D-pantothenate, D-biotin, nicotinic acid and folic acid in vegetable, were separated by using the high voltage power supply under the condition of electrolyte water solution as running buffer. The separation conditions, such as voltage, the concentration of buffer and pH value etc. , were optimized during the experiments. The results showed that eight water-soluble vitamins could be baseline separated in 2.2 min at 40 kV applied voltage, 25 mmol/L sodium tetraborate buffer solution (pH 8.8). The water-soluble vitamins in spinach were quantified and the results were satisfied. The linear correlation coefficients of the water-soluble vitamins ranged from 0.9981 to 0.9999. The detection limits ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 mg/L. The average recoveries ranged from 88.0% to 100.6% with the relative standard deviations (RSD) range of 1.15%-4.13% for the spinach samples.

Preparation and characterization of chemically functionalized silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles as a DNA separator.

PubMed

Kang, Kiho; Choi, Jinsub; Nam, Joong Hee; Lee, Sang Cheon; Kim, Kyung Ja; Lee, Sang-Won; Chang, Jeong Ho

2009-01-15

The work describes a simple and convenient process for highly efficient and direct DNA separation with functionalized silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles were prepared uniformly, and the silica coating thickness could be easily controlled in a range from 10 to 50 nm by changing the concentration of silica precursor (TEOS) including controlled magnetic strength and particle size. A change in the surface modification on the nanoparticles was introduced by aminosilanization to enhance the selective DNA separation resulting from electrostatic interaction. The efficiency of the DNA separation was explored via the function of the amino-group numbers, particle size, the amount of the nanoparticles used, and the concentration of NaCl salt. The DNA adsorption yields were high in terms of the amount of triamino-functionalized nanoparticles used, and the average particle size was 25 nm. The adsorption efficiency of aminofunctionalized nanoparticles was the 4-5 times (80-100%) higher compared to silica-coated nanoparticles only (10-20%). DNA desorption efficiency showed an optimum level of over 0.7 M of the NaCl concentration. To elucidate the agglomeration of nanoparticles after electrostatic DNA binding, the Guinier plots were calculated from small-angle X-ray diffractions in a comparison of the results of energy diffraction TEM and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Additionally, the direct separation of human genomic DNA was achieved from human saliva and whole blood with high efficiency.

Novel Fission-Product Separation based on Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids

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

Rogers, Robin D.

2004-12-31

U.S. DOE's underground storage tanks at Hanford, SRS, and INEEL contain liquid wastes with high concentrations of radioactive cesium-137 and strontium-90. Because the primary chemical components of alkaline supernatants are sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, the majority of this could be disposed of as low level waste if radioactive cesium-137 and strontium- 90 could be selectively removed. The underlying goal of this project was to investigate the application of ionic liquids as novel solvents for new solvent extraction processes for separation of cesium-137 and strontium-90 from tank wastes. Ionic liquids are a distinct sub-set of liquids, comprising only of cationsmore » and anions they are proving to be increasingly interesting fluids for application in systems from electrochemistry to energetic materials, and are also rapidly establishing their promise as viable media for synthesis and separations operations. Properties including low melting points, electrochemical conductivity, wide liquid ranges, lack of vapor-pressure, and chemical tunability have encouraged researchers to explore the uses of ILs in place of volatile organic solvents. The most promising current developments arise from control of the unique combinations of chemical and physical properties characteristic of ionic liquids.« less

Fast CNOT gate between two spatially separated atoms via shortcuts to adiabatic passage.

PubMed

Liang, Yan; Song, Chong; Ji, Xin; Zhang, Shou

2015-09-07

Quantum logic gate is indispensable to quantum computation. One of the important qubit operations is the quantum controlled-not (CNOT) gate that performs a NOT operation on a target qubit depending on the state of the control qubit. In this paper we present a scheme to realize the quantum CNOT gate between two spatially separated atoms via shortcuts to adiabatic passage. The influence of various decoherence processes on the fidelity is discussed. The strict numerical simulation results show that the fidelity for the CNOT gate is relatively high.

Conventional and Advanced Separations in Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics: Methodologies and Applications

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

Heyman, Heino M.; Zhang, Xing; Tang, Keqi

2016-02-16

Metabolomics is the quantitative analysis of all metabolites in a given sample. Due to the chemical complexity of the metabolome, optimal separations are required for comprehensive identification and quantification of sample constituents. This chapter provides an overview of both conventional and advanced separations methods in practice for reducing the complexity of metabolite extracts delivered to the mass spectrometer detector, and covers gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) as both uni-dimensional and as multi-dimensional approaches.

NASA AVOSS Fast-Time Wake Prediction Models: User's Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, Nash'at N.; VanValkenburg, Randal L.; Pruis, Matthew

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing and testing fast-time wake transport and decay models to safely enhance the capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS). The fast-time wake models are empirical algorithms used for real-time predictions of wake transport and decay based on aircraft parameters and ambient weather conditions. The aircraft dependent parameters include the initial vortex descent velocity and the vortex pair separation distance. The atmospheric initial conditions include vertical profiles of temperature or potential temperature, eddy dissipation rate, and crosswind. The current distribution includes the latest versions of the APA (3.4) and the TDP (2.1) models. This User's Guide provides detailed information on the model inputs, file formats, and the model output. An example of a model run and a brief description of the Memphis 1995 Wake Vortex Dataset is also provided.

Molecular separation method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Villa-Aleman, Eliel

1996-01-01

A method and apparatus for separating a gaseous mixture of chemically identical but physically different molecules based on their polarities. The gaseous mixture of molecules is introduced in discrete quantities into the proximal end of a porous glass molecular. The molecular sieve is exposed to microwaves to excite the molecules to a higher energy state from a lower energy state, those having a higher dipole moment being excited more than those with a lower energy state. The temperature of the sieve kept cold by a flow of liquid nitrogen through a cooling jacket so that the heat generated by the molecules colliding with the material is transferred away from the material. The molecules thus alternate between a higher energy state and a lower one, with the portion of molecules having the higher dipole moment favored over the others. The former portion can then be extracted separately from the distal end of the molecular sieve.

Molecular separation method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Villa-Aleman, E.

1996-04-09

A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a gaseous mixture of chemically identical but physically different molecules based on their polarities. The gaseous mixture of molecules is introduced in discrete quantities into the proximal end of a porous glass molecular sieve. The molecular sieve is exposed to microwaves to excite the molecules to a higher energy state from a lower energy state, those having a higher dipole moment being excited more than those with a lower energy state. The temperature of the sieve kept cold by a flow of liquid nitrogen through a cooling jacket so that the heat generated by the molecules colliding with the material is transferred away from the material. The molecules thus alternate between a higher energy state and a lower one, with the portion of molecules having the higher dipole moment favored over the others. The former portion can then be extracted separately from the distal end of the molecular sieve. 2 figs.

Response measurement of single-crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond radiation detector for intense X-rays aiming at neutron bang-time and neutron burn-history measurement on an inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition

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

Shimaoka, T., E-mail: t.shimaoka@eng.hokudai.ac.jp; Kaneko, J. H.; Tsubota, M.

A neutron bang time and burn history monitor in inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition are necessary for plasma diagnostics. In the FIREX project, however, no detector attained those capabilities because high-intensity X-rays accompanied fast electrons used for plasma heating. To solve this problem, single-crystal CVD diamond was grown and fabricated into a radiation detector. The detector, which had excellent charge transportation property, was tested to obtain a response function for intense X-rays. The applicability for neutron bang time and burn history monitor was verified experimentally. Charge collection efficiency of 99.5% ± 0.8% and 97.1% ± 1.4% for holes andmore » electrons were obtained using 5.486 MeV alpha particles. The drift velocity at electric field which saturates charge collection efficiency was 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10{sup 7} cm/s and 1.0 ± 0.3 × 10{sup 7} cm/s for holes and electrons. Fast response of several ns pulse width for intense X-ray was obtained at the GEKKO XII experiment, which is sufficiently fast for ToF measurements to obtain a neutron signal separately from X-rays. Based on these results, we confirmed that the single-crystal CVD diamond detector obtained neutron signal with good S/N under ion temperature 0.5–1 keV and neutron yield of more than 10{sup 9} neutrons/shot.« less

Texas A&M vortex type phase separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, Frederick

2000-01-01

Phase separation is required for regenerative biological and chemical process systems as well as thermal transport and rejection systems. Liquid and gas management requirements for future spacecraft will demand small, passive systems able to operate over wide ranges of inlet qualities. Conservation and recycling of air and water is a necessary part of the construction and operation of the International Space Station as well as future long duration space missions. Space systems are sensitive to volume, mass, and power. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to recycle wastewater with minimal power consumption. Regenerative life support systems currently being investigated require phase separation to separate the liquid from the gas produced. The microgravity phase separator designed and fabricated at Texas A&M University relies on centripetal driven buoyancy forces to form a gas-liquid vortex within a fixed, right-circular cylinder. Two-phase flow is injected tangentially along the inner wall of this cylinder producing a radial acceleration gradient. The gradient produced from the intrinsic momentum of the injected mixture results in a rotating flow that drives the buoyancy process by the production of a hydrostatic pressure gradient. Texas A&M has flown several KC-135 flights with separator. These flights have included scaling studies, stability and transient investigations, and tests for inventory instrumentation. Among the hardware tested have been passive devices for separating mixed vapor/liquid streams into single-phase streams of vapor only and liquid only. .

Application of chemical, biological and membrane separation processes in textile industry with recourse to zero effluent discharge--a case study.

PubMed

Nandy, T; Dhodapkar, R S; Pophali, G R; Kaul, S N; Devotta, S

2005-09-01

Environmental concerns associated with textile processing had placed the textile sector in a Southern State of India under serious threat of survival. The textile industries were closed under the orders of the Statutory Board for reason of inadequate compliance to environmental discharge norms of the State for the protection of the drinking water source of the State capital. In compliance with the direction of the Board for zero effluent discharge, advanced treatment process have been implemented for recovery of boiler feed quality water with recourse to effluent recycling/reuse. The paper describes to a case study on the adequacy assessment of the full scale effluent treatment plant comprising chemical, biological and filtration processes in a small scale textile industry. In addition, implementation of measures for discernable improvement in the performance of the existing units through effective operation & maintenance, and application of membrane separation processes leading to zero effluent discharge is also highlighted.

Optimal and fast E/B separation with a dual messenger field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodi Ramanah, Doogesh; Lavaux, Guilhem; Wandelt, Benjamin D.

2018-05-01

We adapt our recently proposed dual messenger algorithm for spin field reconstruction and showcase its efficiency and effectiveness in Wiener filtering polarized cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps. Unlike conventional preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solvers, our preconditioner-free technique can deal with high-resolution joint temperature and polarization maps with inhomogeneous noise distributions and arbitrary mask geometries with relative ease. Various convergence diagnostics illustrate the high quality of the dual messenger reconstruction. In contrast, the PCG implementation fails to converge to a reasonable solution for the specific problem considered. The implementation of the dual messenger method is straightforward and guarantees numerical stability and convergence. We show how the algorithm can be modified to generate fluctuation maps, which, combined with the Wiener filter solution, yield unbiased constrained signal realizations, consistent with observed data. This algorithm presents a pathway to exact global analyses of high-resolution and high-sensitivity CMB data for a statistically optimal separation of E and B modes. It is therefore relevant for current and next-generation CMB experiments, in the quest for the elusive primordial B-mode signal.

Integration of carboxyl modified magnetic particles and aqueous two-phase extraction for selective separation of proteins.

PubMed

Gai, Qingqing; Qu, Feng; Zhang, Tao; Zhang, Yukui

2011-07-15

Both of the magnetic particle adsorption and aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) were simple, fast and low-cost method for protein separation. Selective proteins adsorption by carboxyl modified magnetic particles was investigated according to protein isoelectric point, solution pH and ionic strength. Aqueous two-phase system of PEG/sulphate exhibited selective separation and extraction for proteins before and after magnetic adsorption. The two combination ways, magnetic adsorption followed by ATPE and ATPE followed by magnetic adsorption, for the separation of proteins mixture of lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, trypsin, cytochrome C and myloglobin were discussed and compared. The way of magnetic adsorption followed by ATPE was also applied to human serum separation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-fluidic partitioning between polymeric sheets for chemical amplification and processing

DOEpatents

Anderson, Brian L.

2017-01-24

A system for fluid partitioning for chemical amplification or other chemical processing or separations of a sample, comprising a first dispenser of a first polymeric sheet, wherein the first polymeric sheet contains chambers; a second dispenser of a second polymeric sheet wherein the first dispenser and the second dispenser are positioned so that the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet become parallel; a dispenser of the fluid positioned to dispense the fluid between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet; and a seal unit that seals the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet together thereby sealing the sample between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet and partitioning the fluid for chemical amplification or other chemical processing or separations.

Micro-fluidic partitioning between polymeric sheets for chemical amplification and processing

DOEpatents

Anderson, Brian L.

2015-05-26

A system for fluid partitioning for chemical amplification or other chemical processing or separations of a sample, comprising a first dispenser of a first polymeric sheet, wherein the first polymeric sheet contains chambers; a second dispenser of a second polymeric sheet wherein the first dispenser and the second dispenser are positioned so that the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet become parallel; a dispenser of the fluid positioned to dispense the fluid between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet; and a seal unit that seals the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet together thereby sealing the sample between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet and partitioning the fluid for chemical amplification or other chemical processing or separations.

Evaluation of injection methods for fast, high peak capacity separations with low thermal mass gas chromatography.

PubMed

Fitz, Brian D; Mannion, Brandyn C; To, Khang; Hoac, Trinh; Synovec, Robert E

2015-05-01

Low thermal mass gas chromatography (LTM-GC) was evaluated for rapid, high peak capacity separations with three injection methods: liquid, headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), and direct vapor. An Agilent LTM equipped with a short microbore capillary column was operated at a column heating rate of 250 °C/min to produce a 60s separation. Two sets of experiments were conducted in parallel to characterize the instrumental platform. First, the three injection methods were performed in conjunction with in-house built high-speed cryo-focusing injection (HSCFI) to cryogenically trap and re-inject the analytes onto the LTM-GC column in a narrower band. Next, the three injection methods were performed natively with LTM-GC. Using HSCFI, the peak capacity of a separation of 50 nl of a 73 component liquid test mixture was 270, which was 23% higher than without HSCFI. Similar peak capacity gains were obtained when using the HSCFI with HS-SPME (25%), and even greater with vapor injection (56%). For the 100 μl vapor sample injected without HSCFI, the preconcentration factor, defined as the ratio of the maximum concentration of the detected analyte peak relative to the analyte concentration injected with the syringe, was determined to be 11 for the earliest eluting peak (most volatile analyte). In contrast, the preconcentration factor for the earliest eluting peak using HSCFI was 103. Therefore, LTM-GC is demonstrated to natively provide in situ analyte trapping, although not to as great an extent as with HSCFI. We also report the use of LTM-GC applied with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) detection for rapid, high peak capacity separations from SPME sampled banana peel headspace. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorinated Compounds in US Fast Food Packaging | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are highly persistent synthetic chemicals, some of which have been associated with cancer, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, and other health effects. PFASs in grease-resistant food packaging can leach into food and increase dietary exposure. We collected ∼400 samples of food contact papers, paperboard containers, and beverage containers from fast food restaurants throughout the United States and measured total fluorine using particle-induced γ-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy. PIGE can rapidly and inexpensively measure total fluorine in solid-phase samples. We found that 46% of food contact papers and 20% of paperboard samples contained detectable fluorine (>16 nmol/cm2). Liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of a subset of 20 samples found perfluorocarboxylates, perfluorosulfonates, and other known PFASs and/or unidentified polyfluorinated compounds (based on nontargeted analysis). The total peak area for PFASs was higher in 70% of samples (10 of 14) with a total fluorine level of >200 nmol/cm2 compared to six samples with a total fluorine level of <16 nmol/cm2. Samples with high total fluorine levels but low levels of measured PFASs may contain volatile PFASs, PFAS polymers, newer replacement PFASs, or other fluorinated compounds. The prevalence of fluorinated chemicals in fast food packaging demonstrates their potentially significant contribution to dietary PFAS exposure and envi

Very high pressure liquid chromatography using core-shell particles: quantitative analysis of fast gradient separations without post-run times.

PubMed

Stankovich, Joseph J; Gritti, Fabrice; Stevenson, Paul G; Beaver, Lois A; Guiochon, Georges

2014-01-17

Five methods for controlling the mobile phase flow rate for gradient elution analyses using very high pressure liquid chromatography (VHPLC) were tested to determine thermal stability of the column during rapid gradient separations. To obtain rapid separations, instruments are operated at high flow rates and high inlet pressure leading to uneven thermal effects across columns and additional time needed to restore thermal equilibrium between successive analyses. The purpose of this study is to investigate means to minimize thermal instability and obtain reliable results by measuring the reproducibility of the results of six replicate gradient separations of a nine component RPLC standard mixture under various experimental conditions with no post-run times. Gradient separations under different conditions were performed: constant flow rates, two sets of constant pressure operation, programmed flow constant pressure operation, and conditions which theoretically should yield a constant net heat loss at the column's wall. The results show that using constant flow rates, programmed flow constant pressures, and constant heat loss at the column's wall all provide reproducible separations. However, performing separations using a high constant pressure with programmed flow reduces the analysis time by 16% compared to constant flow rate methods. For the constant flow rate, programmed flow constant pressure, and constant wall heat experiments no equilibration time (post-run time) was required to obtain highly reproducible data. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of clinical semi-quantitative assessment of muscle fat infiltration with quantitative assessment using chemical shift-based water/fat separation in MR studies of the calf of post-menopausal women.

PubMed

Alizai, Hamza; Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C; Joseph, Gabby B; Yap, Samuel P; Baum, Thomas; Krug, Roland; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M

2012-07-01

The goal of this study was to compare the semi-quantitative Goutallier classification for fat infiltration with quantitative fat-fraction derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical shift-based water/fat separation technique. Sixty-two women (age 61 ± 6 years), 27 of whom had diabetes, underwent MRI of the calf using a T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequence and a six-echo spoiled gradient-echo sequence at 3 T. Water/fat images and fat fraction maps were reconstructed using the IDEAL algorithm with T2* correction and a multi-peak model for the fat spectrum. Two radiologists scored fat infiltration on the T1-weighted images using the Goutallier classification in six muscle compartments. Spearman correlations between the Goutallier grades and the fat fraction were calculated; in addition, intra-observer and inter-observer agreement were calculated. A significant correlation between the clinical grading and the fat fraction values was found for all muscle compartments (P < 0.0001, R values ranging from 0.79 to 0.88). Goutallier grades 0-4 had a fat fraction ranging from 3.5 to 19%. Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement values of 0.83 and 0.81 were calculated for the semi-quantitative grading. Semi-quantitative grading of intramuscular fat and quantitative fat fraction were significantly correlated and both techniques had excellent reproducibility. However, the clinical grading was found to overestimate muscle fat. Fat infiltration of muscle commonly occurs in many metabolic and neuromuscular diseases. • Image-based semi-quantitative classifications for assessing fat infiltration are not well validated. • Quantitative MRI techniques provide an accurate assessment of muscle fat.

Fast Atomic-Scale Chemical Imaging of Crystalline Materials and Dynamic Phase Transformations.

PubMed

Lu, Ping; Yuan, Ren Liang; Ihlefeld, Jon F; Spoerke, Erik David; Pan, Wei; Zuo, Jian Min

2016-04-13

Atomic-scale phenomena fundamentally influence materials form and function that makes the ability to locally probe and study these processes critical to advancing our understanding and development of materials. Atomic-scale chemical imaging by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is a powerful approach to investigate solid crystal structures. Inefficient X-ray emission and collection, however, require long acquisition times (typically hundreds of seconds), making the technique incompatible with electron-beam sensitive materials and study of dynamic material phenomena. Here we describe an atomic-scale STEM-EDS chemical imaging technique that decreases the acquisition time to as little as one second, a reduction of more than 100 times. We demonstrate this new approach using LaAlO3 single crystal and study dynamic phase transformation in beam-sensitive Li[Li0.2Ni0.2Mn0.6]O2 (LNMO) lithium ion battery cathode material. By capturing a series of time-lapsed chemical maps, we show for the first time clear atomic-scale evidence of preferred Ni-mobility in LNMO transformation, revealing new kinetic mechanisms. These examples highlight the potential of this approach toward temporal, atomic-scale mapping of crystal structure and chemistry for investigating dynamic material phenomena.

Recent advances in monolithic columns for protein and peptide separation by capillary liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Liang, Yu; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2013-03-01

Capillary liquid chromatography (cLC) has great potential for protein and peptide separation, with advantages of high efficiency, high resolution, low sample consumption, and high sensitivity when coupled with mass spectrometry. In recent years, monoliths have been widely used as the stationary phases for capillary columns, owing to easy preparation, high permeability, fast mass transfer, and low backpressure. This review summarizes recent advances (2007-2012) in monolithic columns for protein and peptide separation by cLC. After a brief introduction on the preparation of monolithic capillary columns, the emphasis of this review is focused on the recent application of such columns for protein and peptide separation by cLC. Furthermore, the challenges and potential hot points of monolithic capillary columns in the future are discussed.

Fusion Power—A Chemical Engineering View of the Integrated Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manganaro, James L.

2003-03-01

The purpose of this article was to achieve the beginning of an understanding of the integrated fusion enterprise from raw materials through power generation to decommissioning and waste disposal. The particular view point is that of a technically trained person who is only casually acquainted with the field. Emphasis is given to the chemical engineering aspects of controlled fusion power. It is concluded that there are indeed many areas in which the discipline of chemical engineering may contribute to the fusion effort. These areas include separation technology by physical and chemical means, heat and mass transfer in a packed bed blanket, tritium removal from molten coolants, distillation technology for isotope separation, and preparation of deuterium and lithium feed materials.

Method and apparatus for automated processing and aliquoting of whole blood samples for analysis in a centrifugal fast analyzer

DOEpatents

Burtis, C.A.; Johnson, W.F.; Walker, W.A.

1985-08-05

A rotor and disc assembly for use in a centrifugal fast analyzer. The assembly is designed to process multiple samples of whole blood followed by aliquoting of the resultant serum into precisely measured samples for subsequent chemical analysis. The assembly requires minimal operator involvement with no mechanical pipetting. The system comprises: (1) a whole blood sample disc; (2) a serum sample disc; (3) a sample preparation rotor; and (4) an analytical rotor. The blood sample disc and serum sample disc are designed with a plurality of precision bore capillary tubes arranged in a spoked array. Samples of blood are loaded into the blood sample disc by capillary action and centrifugally discharged into cavities of the sample preparation rotor where separation of serum and solids is accomplished. The serum is loaded into the capillaries of the serum sample disc by capillary action and subsequently centrifugally expelled into cuvettes of the analyticaly rotor for conventional methods. 5 figs.

Method and apparatus for automated processing and aliquoting of whole blood samples for analysis in a centrifugal fast analyzer

DOEpatents

Burtis, Carl A.; Johnson, Wayne F.; Walker, William A.

1988-01-01

A rotor and disc assembly for use in a centrifugal fast analyzer. The assembly is designed to process multiple samples of whole blood followed by aliquoting of the resultant serum into precisely measured samples for subsequent chemical analysis. The assembly requires minimal operator involvement with no mechanical pipetting. The system comprises (1) a whole blood sample disc, (2) a serum sample disc, (3) a sample preparation rotor, and (4) an analytical rotor. The blood sample disc and serum sample disc are designed with a plurality of precision bore capillary tubes arranged in a spoked array. Samples of blood are loaded into the blood sample disc in capillary tubes filled by capillary action and centrifugally discharged into cavities of the sample preparation rotor where separation of serum and solids is accomplished. The serum is loaded into the capillaries of the serum sample disc by capillary action and subsequently centrifugally expelled into cuvettes of the analytical rotor for analysis by conventional methods.

The use of extrapolation concepts to augment the Frequency Separation Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexiou, Spiros

2015-03-01

The Frequency Separation Technique (FST) is a general method formulated to improve the speed and/or accuracy of lineshape calculations, including strong overlapping collisions, as is the case for ion dynamics. It should be most useful when combined with ultrafast methods, that, however have significant difficulties when the impact regime is approached. These difficulties are addressed by the Frequency Separation Technique, in which the impact limit is correctly recovered. The present work examines the possibility of combining the Frequency Separation Technique with the addition of extrapolation to improve results and minimize errors resulting from the neglect of fast-slow coupling and thus obtain the exact result with a minimum of extra effort. To this end the adequacy of one such ultrafast method, the Frequency Fluctuation Method (FFM) for treating the nonimpact part is examined. It is found that although the FFM is unable to reproduce the nonimpact profile correctly, its coupling with the FST correctly reproduces the total profile.

Preparation of imprinted cryogel cartridge for chiral separation of l-phenylalanine.

PubMed

Akgönüllü, Semra; Yavuz, Handan; Denizli, Adil

2017-06-01

l-Phe-imprinted cryogel cartridge was prepared for the chiral separation of l-Phe. N-Methacryloyl l-phenylalanine (MAPA) was used as a functional monomer for complexing with l-Phe. The selectivity of the membranes was investigated by using d-Phe, l-Trp, and d-Trp as competitor molecules. The PHEMAPA-l-Trp membranes were 6.4, 4.3, and 5.5 times more selective for l-Phe than d-Phe, l-Trp, and d-Trp, respectively. The PHEMAPA-l-Phe cryogel cartridge was incorporated into the fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) equipment and was able to separate D,l-Phe racemic mixture efficiently. The PHEMAPA-l-Phe membranes were shown to be reusable many times without significant loss of the adsorption capacity.

Receptivity to Television Fast-Food Restaurant Marketing and Obesity Among U.S. Youth

PubMed Central

McClure, Auden C.; Tanski, Susanne E.; Gilbert-Diamond, Diane; Adachi-Mejia, Anna M.; Li, Zhigang; Li, Zhongze; Sargent, James D.

2013-01-01

Background Advertisement of fast food on TV may contribute to youth obesity. Purpose The goal of the study was to use cued recall to determine whether TV fast-food advertising is associated with youth obesity. Methods A national sample of 2541 U.S. youth, aged 15–23 years, were surveyed in 2010–2011; data were analyzed in 2012. Respondents viewed a random subset of 20 advertisement frames (with brand names removed) selected from national TV fast-food restaurant advertisements (n=535) aired in the previous year. Respondents were asked if they had seen the advertisement, if they liked it, and if they could name the brand. A TV fast-food advertising receptivity score (a measure of exposure and response) was assigned; a 1-point increase was equivalent to affirmative responses to all three queries for two separate advertisements. Adjusted odds of obesity (based on self-reported height and weight), given higher TV fast-food advertising receptivity, are reported. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity, weighted to the U.S. population, was 20% and 16%, respectively. Obesity, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, fast-food restaurant visit frequency, weekday TV time, and TV alcohol advertising receptivity were associated with higher TV fast-food advertising receptivity (median=3.3 [interquartile range: 2.2–4.2]). Only household income, TV time, and TV fast-food advertising receptivity retained multivariate associations with obesity. For every 1-point increase in TV fast-food advertising receptivity score, the odds of obesity increased by 19% (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.01, 1.40). There was no association between receptivity to televised alcohol advertisements or fast-food restaurant visit frequency and obesity. Conclusions Using a cued-recall assessment, TV fast-food advertising receptivity was found to be associated with youth obesity. PMID:24139768

Receptivity to television fast-food restaurant marketing and obesity among U.S. youth.

PubMed

McClure, Auden C; Tanski, Susanne E; Gilbert-Diamond, Diane; Adachi-Mejia, Anna M; Li, Zhigang; Li, Zhongze; Sargent, James D

2013-11-01

Advertisement of fast food on TV may contribute to youth obesity. The goal of the study was to use cued recall to determine whether TV fast-food advertising is associated with youth obesity. A national sample of 2541 U.S. youth, aged 15-23 years, were surveyed in 2010-2011; data were analyzed in 2012. Respondents viewed a random subset of 20 advertisement frames (with brand names removed) selected from national TV fast-food restaurant advertisements (n=535) aired in the previous year. Respondents were asked if they had seen the advertisement, if they liked it, and if they could name the brand. A TV fast-food advertising receptivity score (a measure of exposure and response) was assigned; a 1-point increase was equivalent to affirmative responses to all three queries for two separate advertisements. Adjusted odds of obesity (based on self-reported height and weight), given higher TV fast-food advertising receptivity, are reported. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, weighted to the U.S. population, was 20% and 16%, respectively. Obesity, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, fast-food restaurant visit frequency, weekday TV time, and TV alcohol advertising receptivity were associated with higher TV fast-food advertising receptivity (median=3.3 [interquartile range: 2.2-4.2]). Only household income, TV time, and TV fast-food advertising receptivity retained multivariate associations with obesity. For every 1-point increase in TV fast-food advertising receptivity score, the odds of obesity increased by 19% (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.01, 1.40). There was no association between receptivity to televised alcohol advertisements or fast-food restaurant visit frequency and obesity. Using a cued-recall assessment, TV fast-food advertising receptivity was found to be associated with youth obesity. © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Chemomic and chemometric approach based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry to reveal the difference in the chemical composition between Da-Cheng-Qi decoction and its three constitutional herbal medicines.

PubMed

Wang, Mengru; Li, Yuanyuan; Huang, Yin; Tian, Yuan; Xu, Fengguo; Zhang, Zunjian

2014-05-01

Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQT) is a traditional purgative Chinese decoction with a history of 2000 years. To study the effect of interactions between the ingredients on the overall chemical composition of DCQT, a chemomic and chemometric approach based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed and validated. After mixing and decocting all four ingredients to make the DCQT, the concentrations of some chemicals are significantly different from those in single herb decoction and 24 of them were identified and tentatively characterized by comparing their data with those of standard compounds or literature data. No new chemicals were formed during mixing and decoction. Our findings indicated that there are interactions between these natural medicines during the mixing and preparation process. The 24 identified chemicals could be used as chemical markers for optimizing prescription and evaluation of consistent quality, and the strategy in the present study could be applied for other multiherb formulae. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Liquid-liquid phase separation in aerosol particles: Imaging at the Nanometer Scale

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

O'Brien, Rachel; Wang, Bingbing; Kelly, Stephen T.

2015-04-21

Atmospheric aerosols can undergo phase transitions including liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) while responding to changes in the ambient relative humidity (RH). Here, we report results of chemical imaging experiments using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) to investigate the LLPS of micron sized particles undergoing a full hydration-dehydration cycle. Internally mixed particles composed of ammonium sulfate (AS) and either: limonene secondary organic carbon (LSOC), a, 4-dihydroxy-3-methoxybenzeneaceticacid (HMMA), or polyethylene glycol (PEG-400) were studied. Events of LLPS with apparent core-shell particle morphology were observed for all samples with both techniques. Chemical imaging with STXM showed thatmore » both LSOC/AS and HMMA/AS particles were never homogeneously mixed for all measured RH’s above the deliquescence point and that the majority of the organic component was located in the shell. The shell composition was estimated as 65:35 organic: inorganic in LSOC/AS and as 50:50 organic: inorganic for HMMA/AS. PEG-400/AS particles showed fully homogeneous mixtures at high RH and phase separated below 89-92% RH with an estimated 50:50% organic to inorganic mix in the shell. These two chemical imaging techniques are well suited for in-situ analysis of the hygroscopic behavior, phase separation, and surface composition of collected ambient aerosol particles.« less

Carbon-Nanotube-Based Chemical Gas Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Arunpama B.

2010-01-01

Conventional thermal conductivity gauges (e.g. Pirani gauges) lend themselves to applications such as leak detectors, or in gas chromatographs for identifying various gas species. However, these conventional gauges are physically large, operate at high power, and have a slow response time. A single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWNT)-based chemical sensing gauge relies on differences in thermal conductance of the respective gases surrounding the CNT as it is voltage-biased, as a means for chemical identification. Such a sensor provides benefits of significantly reduced size and compactness, fast response time, low-power operation, and inexpensive manufacturing since it can be batch-fabricated using Si integrated-circuit (IC) process technology.

Industrial Membrane Filtration and Short-bed Fractal Separation Systems for Separating Monomers from Heterogeneous Plant Material

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

Kearney, M; Kochergin, V; Hess, R

2005-03-31

Large-scale displacement of petroleum will come from low-cost cellulosic feedstocks such as straw and corn stover crop residues. This project has taken a step toward making this projection a reality by reducing capital and energy costs, the two largest cost factors associated with converting cellulosic biomass to chemicals and fuels. The technology exists for using acid or enzyme hydrolysis processes to convert biomass feedstock (i.e., waste cellulose such as straw, corn stover, and wood) into their base monomeric sugar building blocks, which can, in turn, be processed into chemicals and fuels using a number of innovative fermentation technologies. However, whilemore » these processes are technically possible, practical and economic barriers make these processes only marginally feasible or not feasible at all. These barriers are due in part to the complexity and large fixed and recurring capital costs of unit operations including filtration, chromatographic separation, and ion exchange. This project was designed to help remove these barriers by developing and implementing new purification and separation technologies that will reduce the capital costs of the purification and chromatographic separation units by 50% to 70%. The technologies fundamental to these improvements are: (a) highly efficient clarification and purification systems that use screening and membrane filtration to eliminate suspended solids and colloidal material from feed streams and (b) fractal technology based chromatographic separation and ion exchange systems that can substitute for conventional systems but at much smaller size and cost. A non-hazardous ''raw sugar beet juice'' stream (75 to 100 gal/min) was used for prototype testing of these technologies. This raw beet juice stream from the Amalgamated Sugar LLC plant in Twin Falls, Idaho contained abrasive materials and membrane foulants. Its characteristics were representative of an industrial-scale heterogeneous plant extract

Pattern separation in the hippocampus: distinct circuits under different conditions.

PubMed

Kassab, Randa; Alexandre, Frédéric

2018-04-11

Pattern separation is a fundamental hippocampal process thought to be critical for distinguishing similar episodic memories, and has long been recognized as a natural function of the dentate gyrus (DG), supporting autoassociative learning in CA3. Understanding how neural circuits within the DG-CA3 network mediate this process has received much interest, yet the exact mechanisms behind remain elusive. Here, we argue for the case that sparse coding is necessary but not sufficient to ensure efficient separation and, alternatively, propose a possible interaction of distinct circuits which, nevertheless, act in synergy to produce a unitary function of pattern separation. The proposed circuits involve different functional granule-cell populations, a primary population mediates sparsification and provides recurrent excitation to the other populations which are related to additional pattern separation mechanisms with higher degrees of robustness against interference in CA3. A variety of top-down and bottom-up factors, such as motivation, emotion, and pattern similarity, control the selection of circuitry depending on circumstances. According to this framework, a computational model is implemented and tested against model variants in a series of numerical simulations and biological experiments. The results demonstrate that the model combines fast learning, robust pattern separation and high storage capacity. It also accounts for the controversy around the involvement of the DG during memory recall, explains other puzzling findings, and makes predictions that can inform future investigations.

Fast time-resolved aerosol collector: proof of concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, X.-Y.; Cowin, J. P.; Iedema, M. J.; Ali, H.

2010-10-01

Atmospheric particles can be collected in the field on substrates for subsequent laboratory analysis via chemically sensitive single particle methods such as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis. With moving substrates time resolution of seconds to minutes can be achieved. In this paper, we demonstrate how to increase the time resolution when collecting particles on a substrate to a few milliseconds to provide real-time information. Our fast time-resolved aerosol collector ("Fast-TRAC") microscopically observes the particle collection on a substrate and records an on-line video. Particle arrivals are resolved to within a single frame (4-17 ms in this setup), and the spatial locations are matched to the subsequent single particle analysis. This approach also provides in-situ information on particle size and number concentration. Applications are expected in airborne studies of cloud microstructure, pollution plumes, and surface long-term monitoring.

Fast time-resolved aerosol collector: proof of concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, X.-Y.; Cowin, J. P.; Iedema, M. J.; Ali, H.

2010-06-01

Atmospheric particles can be collected in the field on substrates for subsequent laboratory analysis via chemically sensitive single particle methods such as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis. With moving substrates time resolution of seconds to minutes can be achieved. In this paper, we demonstrate how to increase the time resolution when collecting particles on a substrate to a few milliseconds to provide real-time information. Our fast time-resolved aerosol collector ("Fast-TRAC") microscopically observes the particle collection on a substrate and records an on-line video. Particle arrivals are resolved to within a single frame (4-17 ms in this setup), and the spatial locations are matched to the subsequent single particle analysis. This approach also provides in-situ information on particle size and number concentration. Applications are expected in airborne studies of cloud microstructure, pollution plumes, and surface long-term monitoring.

Neighborhood fast food restaurants and fast food consumption: A national study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Recent studies suggest that neighborhood fast food restaurant availability is related to greater obesity, yet few studies have investigated whether neighborhood fast food restaurant availability promotes fast food consumption. Our aim was to estimate the effect of neighborhood fast food availability on frequency of fast food consumption in a national sample of young adults, a population at high risk for obesity. Methods We used national data from U.S. young adults enrolled in wave III (2001-02; ages 18-28) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 13,150). Urbanicity-stratified multivariate negative binomial regression models were used to examine cross-sectional associations between neighborhood fast food availability and individual-level self-reported fast food consumption frequency, controlling for individual and neighborhood characteristics. Results In adjusted analysis, fast food availability was not associated with weekly frequency of fast food consumption in non-urban or low- or high-density urban areas. Conclusions Policies aiming to reduce neighborhood availability as a means to reduce fast food consumption among young adults may be unsuccessful. Consideration of fast food outlets near school or workplace locations, factors specific to more or less urban settings, and the role of individual lifestyle attitudes and preferences are needed in future research. PMID:21740571

Probing Photoinduced Structural Phase Transitions by Fast or Ultra-Fast Time-Resolved X-Ray Diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cailleau, Hervé Collet, Eric; Buron-Le Cointe, Marylise; Lemée-Cailleau, Marie-Hélène Koshihara, Shin-Ya

A new frontier in the field of structural science is the emergence of the fast and ultra-fast X-ray science. Recent developments in time-resolved X-ray diffraction promise direct access to the dynamics of electronic, atomic and molecular motions in condensed matter triggered by a pulsed laser irradiation, i.e. to record "molecular movies" during the transformation of matter initiated by light pulse. These laser pump and X-ray probe techniques now provide an outstanding opportunity for the direct observation of a photoinduced structural phase transition as it takes place. The use of X-ray short-pulse of about 100ps around third-generation synchrotron sources allows structural investigations of fast photoinduced processes. Other new X-ray sources, such as laser-produced plasma ones, generate ultra-short pulses down to 100 fs. This opens the way to femtosecond X-ray crystallography, but with rather low X-ray intensities and more limited experimental possibilities at present. However this new ultra-fast science rapidly progresses around these sources and new large-scale projects exist. It is the aim of this contribution to overview the state of art and the perspectives of fast and ultra-fast X-ray scattering techniques to study photoinduced phase transitions (here, the word ultra-fast is used for sub-picosecond time resolution). In particular we would like to largely present the contribution of crystallographic methods in comparison with optical methods, such as pump-probe reflectivity measurements, the reader being not necessary familiar with X-ray scattering. Thus we want to present which type of physical information can be obtained from the positions of the Bragg peaks, their intensity and their shape, as well as from the diffuse scattering beyond Bragg peaks. An important physical feature is to take into consideration the difference in nature between a photoinduced phase transition and conventional homogeneous photoinduced chemical or biochemical processes where

Fasting time and vitamin B12 levels in a community-based population.

PubMed

Orton, Dennis J; Naugler, Christopher; Sadrzadeh, S M Hossein

2016-07-01

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin (Cbl), is an essential vitamin that manifests with numerous severe but non-specific symptoms in cases of deficiency. Assessing Cbl status often requires fasting, although this requirement is not standard between institutions. This study evaluated the impact of fasting on Cbl levels in a large community-based cohort in an effort to promote standardization of Cbl testing between sites. Laboratory data for Cbl, fasting time, patient age and sex were obtained from laboratory information service from Calgary Laboratory Services (CLS) for the period of April 2011 to June 2015. CLS is the sole supplier of laboratory services in the Southern Alberta region in Canada (population, approximately 1.4 million). To investigate potential sex-specific effects of fasting on Cbl levels, males and females were analyzed separately using linear regression models. A total of 346,957 individual patient results (196,849 females, 146,085 males) were obtained. The mean plasma Cbl level was 386.5 (±195.6) pmol/L and 412.0 (±220.8) pmol/L for males and females, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed fasting had no significant association with Cbl levels in females; however a statistically significant decrease of 0.9pmol/L/hour fasting (p<0.001) was noted in males. The broad population variance in Cbl suggests the slight gender-specific differences noted in this study are insignificant. Despite this, fasting has the potential to contribute to higher rates of Cbl deficiency in men. Together, these data suggest fasting should be excluded as a requirement for evaluating plasma Cbl. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.