Sample records for surface processes involving
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Standard Reference Specimens in Quality Control of Engineering Surfaces
Song, J. F.; Vorburger, T. V.
1991-01-01
In the quality control of engineering surfaces, we aim to understand and maintain a good relationship between the manufacturing process and surface function. This is achieved by controlling the surface texture. The control process involves: 1) learning the functional parameters and their control values through controlled experiments or through a long history of production and use; 2) maintaining high accuracy and reproducibility with measurements not only of roughness calibration specimens but also of real engineering parts. In this paper, the characteristics, utilizations, and limitations of different classes of precision roughness calibration specimens are described. A measuring procedure of engineering surfaces, based on the calibration procedure of roughness specimens at NIST, is proposed. This procedure involves utilization of check specimens with waveform, wavelength, and other roughness parameters similar to functioning engineering surfaces. These check specimens would be certified under standardized reference measuring conditions, or by a reference instrument, and could be used for overall checking of the measuring procedure and for maintaining accuracy and agreement in engineering surface measurement. The concept of “surface texture design” is also suggested, which involves designing the engineering surface texture, the manufacturing process, and the quality control procedure to meet the optimal functional needs. PMID:28184115
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DOT National Transportation Integrated Search
1998-09-16
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act requires a proactive : public involvement process that provides complete information, timely public : notice, full public access to key decisions, and supports early and continuing : involvement of...
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Atomic Oxygen Treatment as a Method of Recovering Smoke Damaged Paintings. Revised
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rutledge, Sharon K.; Banks, Bruce A.; Forkapa, Mark; Stueber, Thomas; Sechkar, Edward; Malinowski, Kevin
1999-01-01
A noncontact technique is described that uses atomic oxygen, generated under low pressure in the presence of nitrogen, to remove soot and charred varnish from the surface of a painting. The process, which involves surface oxidation, permits control of the amount of surface material removed. The effectiveness of the process was evaluated by reflectance measurements from selected areas made during the removal of soot from acrylic gesso, ink on paper, and varnished oil paint substrates. For the latter substrate, treatment also involved the removal of damaged varnish and paint binder from the surface.
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Electrodes synthesized from carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal metal adlayer
Adzic, Radoslav; Harris, Alexander
2014-04-15
High-surface-area carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin metal films and their method of manufacture are described. The preferred manufacturing process involves the initial oxidation of the carbon nanostructures followed by a surface preparation process involving immersion in a solution with the desired pH to create negative surface dipoles. The nanostructures are subsequently immersed in an alkaline solution containing a suitable quantity of non-noble metal ions which adsorb at surface reaction sites. The metal ions are then reduced via chemical or electrical means. The nanostructures are exposed to a solution containing a salt of one or more noble metals which replace adsorbed non-noble surface metal atoms by galvanic displacement. The process can be controlled and repeated to obtain a desired film coverage. The resulting coated nanostructures may be used, for example, as high-performance electrodes in supercapacitors, batteries, or other electric storage devices.
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2002-12-16
This image shows the dissected interior of a crater in the Cydonia region of Mars. The flat-topped buttes and mesas in the northern portion of the image were once a continuous layer of material that filled the crater. Since deposition, the material has been disturbed and dissected. The process that causes such landforms is not well known, but likely involves frozen subsurface water that may have found its way to the surface. The surfaces on the mesas are not rough, suggesting that the whole scene is mantled with fine dust, masking the details that may give clues to whether surface water was involved at some point in the past. Small recent channels can be seen in the lower left. This is an indication of relatively recent small-scale surface activity, which has been could have been volcanic, fluvial, or some process involving subsurface volatiles (ice). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04030
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Differential processing of binocular and monocular gloss cues in human visual cortex
Di Luca, Massimiliano; Ban, Hiroshi; Muryy, Alexander; Fleming, Roland W.
2016-01-01
The visual impression of an object's surface reflectance (“gloss”) relies on a range of visual cues, both monocular and binocular. Whereas previous imaging work has identified processing within ventral visual areas as important for monocular cues, little is known about cortical areas involved in processing binocular cues. Here, we used human functional MRI (fMRI) to test for brain areas selectively involved in the processing of binocular cues. We manipulated stereoscopic information to create four conditions that differed in their disparity structure and in the impression of surface gloss that they evoked. We performed multivoxel pattern analysis to find areas whose fMRI responses allow classes of stimuli to be distinguished based on their depth structure vs. material appearance. We show that higher dorsal areas play a role in processing binocular gloss information, in addition to known ventral areas involved in material processing, with ventral area lateral occipital responding to both object shape and surface material properties. Moreover, we tested for similarities between the representation of gloss from binocular cues and monocular cues. Specifically, we tested for transfer in the decoding performance of an algorithm trained on glossy vs. matte objects defined by either binocular or by monocular cues. We found transfer effects from monocular to binocular cues in dorsal visual area V3B/kinetic occipital (KO), suggesting a shared representation of the two cues in this area. These results indicate the involvement of mid- to high-level visual circuitry in the estimation of surface material properties, with V3B/KO potentially playing a role in integrating monocular and binocular cues. PMID:26912596
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Process for growing a film epitaxially upon an oxide surface and structures formed with the process
McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph
1998-01-01
A process and structure wherein a film comprised of a perovskite or a spinel is built epitaxially upon a surface, such as an alkaline earth oxide surface, involves the epitaxial build up of alternating constituent metal oxide planes of the perovskite or spinel. The first layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a small cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel, and the second layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a large cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel. The layering sequence involved in the film build up reduces problems which would otherwise result from the interfacial electrostatics at the first atomic layers, and these oxides can be stabilized as commensurate thin films at a unit cell thickness or grown with high crystal quality to thicknesses of 0.5-0.7 .mu.m for optical device applications.
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Process for growing a film epitaxially upon an oxide surface and structures formed with the process
McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.
1995-01-01
A process and structure wherein a film comprised of a perovskite or a spinel is built epitaxially upon a surface, such as an alkaline earth oxide surface, involves the epitaxial build up of alternating constituent metal oxide planes of the perovskite or spinel. The first layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a small cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel, and the second layer of metal oxide built upon the surface includes a metal element which provides a large cation in the crystalline structure of the perovskite or spinel. The layering sequence involved in the film build up reduces problems which would otherwise result from the interfacial electrostatics at the first atomic layers, and these oxides can be stabilized as commensurate thin films at a unit cell thickness or grown with high crystal quality to thicknesses of 0.5-0.7 .mu.m for optical device applications.
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Chemical and Physical Interactions of Martian Surface Material
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bishop, J. L.
1999-09-01
A model of alteration and maturation of the Martian surface material is described involving both chemical and physical interactions. Physical processes involve distribution and mixing of the fine-grained soil particles across the surface and into the atmosphere. Chemical processes include reaction of sulfate, salt and oxidizing components of the soil particles; these agents in the soils deposited on rocks will chew through the rock minerals forming coatings and will bind surface soils together to form duricrust deposits. Formation of crystalline iron oxide/oxyhydroxide minerals through hydrothermal processes and of poorly crystalline and amorphous phases through palagonitic processes both contribute to formation of the soil particles. Chemical and physical alteration of these soil minerals and phases contribute to producing the chemical, magnetic and spectroscopic character of the Martian soil as observed by Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor. Minerals such as maghemite/magnetite and jarosite/alunite have been observed in terrestrial volcanic soils near steam vents and may be important components of the Martian surface material. The spectroscopic properties of several terrestrial volcanic soils containing these minerals have been analyzed and evaluated in terms of the spectroscopic character of the surface material on Mars.
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Surface Modified Particles By Multi-Step Addition And Process For The Preparation Thereof
Cook, Ronald Lee; Elliott, Brian John; Luebben, Silvia DeVito; Myers, Andrew William; Smith, Bryan Matthew
2006-01-17
The present invention relates to a new class of surface modified particles and to a multi-step surface modification process for the preparation of the same. The multi-step surface functionalization process involves two or more reactions to produce particles that are compatible with various host systems and/or to provide the particles with particular chemical reactivities. The initial step comprises the attachment of a small organic compound to the surface of the inorganic particle. The subsequent steps attach additional compounds to the previously attached organic compounds through organic linking groups.
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Differential processing of binocular and monocular gloss cues in human visual cortex.
Sun, Hua-Chun; Di Luca, Massimiliano; Ban, Hiroshi; Muryy, Alexander; Fleming, Roland W; Welchman, Andrew E
2016-06-01
The visual impression of an object's surface reflectance ("gloss") relies on a range of visual cues, both monocular and binocular. Whereas previous imaging work has identified processing within ventral visual areas as important for monocular cues, little is known about cortical areas involved in processing binocular cues. Here, we used human functional MRI (fMRI) to test for brain areas selectively involved in the processing of binocular cues. We manipulated stereoscopic information to create four conditions that differed in their disparity structure and in the impression of surface gloss that they evoked. We performed multivoxel pattern analysis to find areas whose fMRI responses allow classes of stimuli to be distinguished based on their depth structure vs. material appearance. We show that higher dorsal areas play a role in processing binocular gloss information, in addition to known ventral areas involved in material processing, with ventral area lateral occipital responding to both object shape and surface material properties. Moreover, we tested for similarities between the representation of gloss from binocular cues and monocular cues. Specifically, we tested for transfer in the decoding performance of an algorithm trained on glossy vs. matte objects defined by either binocular or by monocular cues. We found transfer effects from monocular to binocular cues in dorsal visual area V3B/kinetic occipital (KO), suggesting a shared representation of the two cues in this area. These results indicate the involvement of mid- to high-level visual circuitry in the estimation of surface material properties, with V3B/KO potentially playing a role in integrating monocular and binocular cues. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.
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Earth Surface Processes, Landforms and Sediment Deposits
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bridge, John; Demicco, Robert
Earth surface processes, landforms and sediment deposits are intimately related - involving erosion of rocks, generation of sediment, and transport and deposition of sediment through various Earth surface environments. These processes, and the landforms and deposits that they generate, have a fundamental bearing on engineering, environmental and public safety issues; on recovery of economic resources; and on our understanding of Earth history. This unique textbook brings together the traditional disciplines of sedimentology and geomorphology to explain Earth surface processes, landforms and sediment deposits in a comprehensive and integrated way. It is the ideal resource for a two-semester course in sedimentology, stratigraphy, geomorphology, and Earth surface processes from the intermediate undergraduate to beginning graduate level. The book is also accompanied by a website hosting illustrations and material on field and laboratory methods for measuring, describing and analyzing Earth surface processes, landforms and sediments.
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Phoretic Force Measurement for Microparticles Under Microgravity Conditions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Davis, E. J.; Zheng, R.
1999-01-01
This theoretical and experimental investigation of the collisional interactions between gas molecules and solid and liquid surfaces of microparticles involves fundamental studies of the transfer of energy, mass and momentum between gas molecules and surfaces. The numerous applications include particle deposition on semiconductor surfaces and on surfaces in combustion processes, containerless processing, the production of nanophase materials, pigments and ceramic precursors, and pollution abatement technologies such as desulfurization of gaseous effluents from combustion processes. Of particular emphasis are the forces exerted on microparticles present in a nonuniform gas, that is, in gaseous surroundings involving temperature and concentration gradients. These so-called phoretic forces become the dominant forces when the gravitational force is diminished, and they are strongly dependent on the momentum transfer between gas molecules and the surface. The momentum transfer, in turn, depends on the gas and particle properties and the mean free path and kinetic energy of the gas molecules. The experimental program involves the particle levitation system shown. A micrometer size particle is held between two heat exchangers enclosed in a vacuum chamber by means of ac and dc electric fields. The ac field keeps the particle centered on the vertical axis of the chamber, and the dc field balances the gravitational force and the thermophoretic force. Some measurements of the thermophoretic force are presented in this paper.
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Grain Surface Chemistry and the Composition of Interstellar Ices
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tielens, A. G. G. M.
2006-01-01
Submicron sized dust grains are an important component of the interstellar medium. In particular they provide surface where active chemistry can take place. At the low temperatures (-10 K) of the interstellar medium, colliding gas phase species will stick, diffuse, react, and form an icy mantle on these dust grains. This talk will review the principles of grain surface chemistry and delineate important grain surface routes, focusing on reactions involving H, D, and O among each other and with molecules such as CO. Interstellar ice mantles can be studied through the fundamental vibrations of molecular species in the mid-infrared spectra of sources embedded in or located behind dense molecular clouds. Analysis of this type of data has provided a complex view of the composition of these ices and the processes involved. Specifically, besides grain surface chemistry, the composition of interstellar ices is also affected by thermal processing due to nearby newly formed stars. This leads to segregation between different ice components as well as outgassing. The latter results in the formation of a so-called Hot Core region with a gas phase composition dominated by evaporated mantle species. Studies of such regions provide thus a different view on the ice composition and the chemical processes involved. Interstellar ices can also be processed by FUV photons and high energy cosmic ray ions. Cosmic ray processing likely dominates the return of accreted species to the gas phase where further gas phase reactions can take place. These different chemical routes towards molecular complexity in molecular clouds and particularly regions of star formation will be discussed.
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Superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surfaces by a novel one-step process.
Saleema, N; Sarkar, D K; Paynter, R W; Chen, X-G
2010-09-01
A simple one-step process has been developed to render aluminum alloy surfaces superhydrophobic by immersing the aluminum alloy substrates in a solution containing NaOH and fluoroalkyl-silane (FAS-17) molecules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements have been performed to characterize the morphological features, chemical composition and superhydrophobicity of the surfaces. The resulting surfaces provided a water contact angle as high as ∼162° and a contact angle hysteresis as low as ∼4°. The study indicates that it is possible to fabricate superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces easily and effectively without involving the traditional two-step processes.
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Surface-induced dissociation of methanol cations: A non-ergodic process
Shukla, Anil K.
2017-09-01
Here, dissociation of methanol molecular cations, CH 3OH +, to CH 2OH + on collision with a self-assembled monolayer surface of fluorinated alkyl thiol on gold 111 crystal has been studied at 12.5 eV collision energy. Two energetically and spatially distinct processes contribute to the dissociation process: one involving loss of very large amount of energy approaching the initial kinetic energy of the primary ions with scattering of fragment ions over a broad angular range between surface normal and surface parallel while the second process results from small amount of energy loss with fragment ions scattered over a narrow angularmore » range close to the surface parallel. There is a third process with relatively small contribution to total dissociation whose characteristics are very similar to the low energy loss process. Finally, these results demonstrate that surface-induced dissociation of methanol cations via hydrogen loss is non-ergodic.« less
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Surface-induced dissociation of methanol cations: A non-ergodic process
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shukla, Anil K.
Here, dissociation of methanol molecular cations, CH 3OH +, to CH 2OH + on collision with a self-assembled monolayer surface of fluorinated alkyl thiol on gold 111 crystal has been studied at 12.5 eV collision energy. Two energetically and spatially distinct processes contribute to the dissociation process: one involving loss of very large amount of energy approaching the initial kinetic energy of the primary ions with scattering of fragment ions over a broad angular range between surface normal and surface parallel while the second process results from small amount of energy loss with fragment ions scattered over a narrow angularmore » range close to the surface parallel. There is a third process with relatively small contribution to total dissociation whose characteristics are very similar to the low energy loss process. Finally, these results demonstrate that surface-induced dissociation of methanol cations via hydrogen loss is non-ergodic.« less
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Surface modification by electrolytic plasma processing for high Nb-TiAl alloys
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gui, Wanyuan; Hao, Guojian; Liang, Yongfeng; Li, Feng; Liu, Xiao; Lin, Junpin
2016-12-01
Metal surface modification by electrolytic plasma processing (EPP) is an innovative treatment widely commonly applied to material processing and pretreatment process of coating and galvanization. EPP involves complex processes and a great deal of parameters, such as preset voltage, current, solution temperature and processing time. Several characterization methods are presented in this paper for evaluating the micro-structure surfaces of Ti45Al8Nb alloys: SEM, EDS, XRD and 3D topography. The results showed that the oxide scale and other contaminants on the surface of Ti45Al8Nb alloys can be effectively removed via EPP. The typical micro-crater structure of the surface of Ti45Al8Nb alloys were observed by 3D topography after EPP to find that the mean diameter of the surface structure and roughness value can be effectively controlled by altering the processing parameters. The mechanical properties of the surface according to nanomechanical probe testing exhibited slight decrease in microhardness and elastic modulus after EPP, but a dramatic increase in surface roughness, which is beneficial for further processing or coating.
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Morphologies of Solid Surfaces Produced Far from Equilibrium
1991-03-10
common to all these applications is that thc surface preparation processes used are far from chemical equilibrium. Many of the processes involve an...energetic ion beam, plasma or gas that is used to modify a surface, either by etching or depositing material. The electrical, optical and mechanical...growth, a number of continuum models have been used in the materials science literature, in particular in the context of electron-beam etching of
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ouyang, Wenjun; Dou, Wenjie; Subotnik, Joseph E., E-mail: subotnik@sas.upenn.edu
2015-02-28
We investigate the incorporation of the surface-leaking (SL) algorithm into Tully’s fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) algorithm to simulate some electronic relaxation induced by an electronic bath in conjunction with some electronic transitions between discrete states. The resulting SL-FSSH algorithm is benchmarked against exact quantum scattering calculations for three one-dimensional model problems. The results show excellent agreement between SL-FSSH and exact quantum dynamics in the wide band limit, suggesting the potential for a SL-FSSH algorithm. Discrepancies and failures are investigated in detail to understand the factors that will limit the reliability of SL-FSSH, especially the wide band approximation. Considering the easinessmore » of implementation and the low computational cost, we expect this method to be useful in studying processes involving both a continuum of electronic states (where electronic dynamics are probabilistic) and processes involving only a few electronic states (where non-adiabatic processes cannot ignore short-time coherence)« less
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1991-01-01
electrocrystallization, catalysis, and surface chemistry. In this process, submonolayer to monolayer(s) amounts of a metal can be electrodeposited on a foreign...mechanisms involving nucleation and growth processes. Although electrochemical methods are invaluable in controlling and measuring thermodynamic...obtain direct atomic structural information about metal deposits on an iodine covered Pt(IIl) surface . They found that electrodeposition occurred in a
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Gold, T.
1979-01-01
Experimental and theoretical research, concerning lunar surface processes and the nature, origin and derivation of the lunar surface cover, conducted during the period of February 1, 1971 through January 31, 1976 is presented. The principle research involved were: (1) electrostatic dust motion and transport process; (2) seismology properties of fine rock powders in lunar conditions; (3) surface processes that darken the lunar soil and affect the surface chemical properties of the soil grains; (4) laser simulation of micrometeorite impacts (estimation of the erosion rate caused by the microemeteorite flux); (5) the exposure history of the lunar regolith; and (6) destruction of amino acids by exposure to a simulation of the solar wind at the lunar surface. Research papers are presented which cover these general topics.
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Method for atmospheric pressure reactive atom plasma processing for surface modification
Carr, Jeffrey W [Livermore, CA
2009-09-22
Reactive atom plasma processing can be used to shape, polish, planarize and clean the surfaces of difficult materials with minimal subsurface damage. The apparatus and methods use a plasma torch, such as a conventional ICP torch. The workpiece and plasma torch are moved with respect to each other, whether by translating and/or rotating the workpiece, the plasma, or both. The plasma discharge from the torch can be used to shape, planarize, polish, and/or clean the surface of the workpiece, as well as to thin the workpiece. The processing may cause minimal or no damage to the workpiece underneath the surface, and may involve removing material from the surface of the workpiece.
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New surface smoothing technologies for manufacturing of complex shaped glass components
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Henkel, Sebastian; Schwager, Anne-Marie; Bliedtner, Jens; Götze, Kerstin; Rädlein, Edda; Schulze, Christian; Gerhardt, Martin; Fuhr, Michael
2017-10-01
The production of complex glass components with 2.5D or 3D-structures involves great effort and the need for advanced CNC-technology. Especially the final surface treatment, for generation of transparent surfaces, represents a timeconsuming and costly process. The ultrasonic-assisted grinding procedure is used to generate arbitrary shaped components and freeform-surfaces. The special kinematic principle, containing a high-frequency tool oscillation, enables efficient manufacturing processes. Surfaces produced in this way allow for application of novel smoothing methods, providing considerable advantages compared to classic polishing. It is shown, that manufacturing of transparent glass surfaces with low roughness down to Rq = 10 nm is possible, using an ultra-fine grinding process. By adding a CO2-laser polishing process, roughness can be reduced even further with a very short polishing time.
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Superacid Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces.
Bullock, James; Kiriya, Daisuke; Grant, Nicholas; Azcatl, Angelica; Hettick, Mark; Kho, Teng; Phang, Pheng; Sio, Hang C; Yan, Di; Macdonald, Daniel; Quevedo-Lopez, Manuel A; Wallace, Robert M; Cuevas, Andres; Javey, Ali
2016-09-14
The reduction of parasitic recombination processes commonly occurring within the silicon crystal and at its surfaces is of primary importance in crystalline silicon devices, particularly in photovoltaics. Here we explore a simple, room temperature treatment, involving a nonaqueous solution of the superacid bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide, to temporarily deactivate recombination centers at the surface. We show that this treatment leads to a significant enhancement in optoelectronic properties of the silicon wafer, attaining a level of surface passivation in line with state-of-the-art dielectric passivation films. Finally, we demonstrate its advantage as a bulk lifetime and process cleanliness monitor, establishing its compatibility with large area photoluminescence imaging in the process.
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Heterogeneous catalysis with lasers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
George, T. F.
1986-06-01
Theoretical techniques have been developed to describe a variety of laser-induced molecular rate processes occurring at solid surfaces which are involved in heterogeneous catalysis. Such processes include adsorption, migration, chemical reactions and desorption. The role of surface phonons in laser-selective processes and laser heating has been analyzed. The importance of electronic degrees of freedom has been considered for semiconductor and metal substrates, with special emphasis on the laser excitation of surface states. Surface-modified photochemistry has also been investigated, where the effect of a metal surface on the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a laser-driven atom/molecule has been assessed by means of surface-dressed optical Bloch equations. It is seen that the spectrum can be significantly different from the gas-phase case. Two related gas-surface collision processes have also been studied. First, the feasibility of the formation of the electron-hole pairs in a semiconductor by vibrationally excited molecules has been explored. Second, charge transfer in ion-surface collisions has been examined for both one-electron and two-electron transfer processes. Work has been initiated on microstructures and rough structures, including clusters and surface gratings.
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The Surface Layer of a Crystal and Its Specific Role in the Process of Melt Formation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sobolev, R. N.
2018-04-01
A crystal becomes melted in a few stages. The structure of the crystal surface differs from that of its interior. Therefore, as its interior is gradually involved in the melting process, the phase transition temperature becomes higher. The melting point becomes constant when all atoms have the same number of unsaturated bonds.
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Cook, Ronald Lee; Elliott, Brian John; Luebben, Silvia DeVito; Myers, Andrew William; Smith, Bryan Matthew
2005-05-03
A new class of surface modified particles and a multi-step Michael-type addition surface modification process for the preparation of the same is provided. The multi-step Michael-type addition surface modification process involves two or more reactions to compatibilize particles with various host systems and/or to provide the particles with particular chemical reactivities. The initial step comprises the attachment of a small organic compound to the surface of the inorganic particle. The subsequent steps attach additional compounds to the previously attached organic compounds through reactive organic linking groups. Specifically, these reactive groups are activated carbon—carbon pi bonds and carbon and non-carbon nucleophiles that react via Michael or Michael-type additions.
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Ribeiro, Marta; Monteiro, Fernando J.; Ferraz, Maria P.
2012-01-01
Staphylococcus comprises up to two-thirds of all pathogens in orthopedic implant infections and they are the principal causative agents of two major types of infection affecting bone: septic arthritis and osteomyelitis, which involve the inflammatory destruction of joint and bone. Bacterial adhesion is the first and most important step in implant infection. It is a complex process influenced by environmental factors, bacterial properties, material surface properties and by the presence of serum or tissue proteins. Properties of the substrate, such as chemical composition of the material, surface charge, hydrophobicity, surface roughness and the presence of specific proteins at the surface, are all thought to be important in the initial cell attachment process. The biofilm mode of growth of infecting bacteria on an implant surface protects the organisms from the host immune system and antibiotic therapy. The research for novel therapeutic strategies is incited by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This work will provide an overview of the mechanisms and factors involved in bacterial adhesion, the techniques that are currently being used studying bacterial-material interactions as well as provide insight into future directions in the field. PMID:23507884
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2006-10-31
microwave signal processing components, and micro-fluidic devices. The projected involved the preparation, surface mounting, and characterization of...Guisinger, R. Basu, and M. C. Hersam, “Atomic-level characterization and control of free radical surface chemistry using scanning tunneling microscopy...Basu, and M. C. Hersam, “Atomic level characterization and control of organosilicon surface chemistry using scanning tunneling microscopy,” presented
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Method for producing functionally graded nanocrystalline layer on metal surface
Ajayi, Oyelayo O.; Hershberger, Jeffrey G.
2010-03-23
An improved process for the creation or formation of nanocrystalline layers on substrates' surfaces is provided. The process involves "prescuffing" the surface of a substrate such as a metal by allowing friction to occur on the surface by a load-bearing entity making rubbing contact and moving along and on the substrate's surface. The "prescuffing" action is terminated when the coefficient of friction between the surface and the noise is rising significantly. Often, the significant rise in the coefficient of friction is signaled by a change in pitch of the scuffing action sound emanating from the buffeted surface. The "prescuffing" gives rise to a harder and smoother surface which withstands better any inadequate lubrication that may take place when the "prescuffed" surface is contacted by other surfaces.
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Bigham, Sajjad; Fazeli, Abdolreza; Moghaddam, Saeed
2017-01-01
Performance enhancement of the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer process in microchannels through implementation of surface micro- and nanostructures has gained substantial interest in recent years. However, the reported results range widely from a decline to improvements in performance depending on the test conditions and fluid properties, without a consensus on the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior. This gap in knowledge stems from a lack of understanding of the physics of surface structures interactions with microscale heat and mass transfer events involved in the microchannel flow boiling process. Here, using a novel measurement technique, the heat and mass transfer process is analyzed within surface structures with unprecedented detail. The local heat flux and dryout time scale are measured as the liquid wicks through surface structures and evaporates. The physics governing heat transfer enhancement on textured surfaces is explained by a deterministic model that involves three key parameters: the drying time scale of the liquid film wicking into the surface structures (τd), the heating length scale of the liquid film (δH) and the area fraction of the evaporating liquid film (Ar). It is shown that the model accurately predicts the optimum spacing between surface structures (i.e. pillars fabricated on the microchannel wall) in boiling of two fluids FC-72 and water with fundamentally different wicking characteristics. PMID:28303952
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On the flow structure of cloud cavitating flow around an axisymmetric body near the free surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Yiwei; Wu, Xiaocui; Huang, Chenguang; Yu, XianXian
2015-12-01
The influence of the free surface on the cavitating flow is an important issue involved in the design of high speed surface vehicles. In the present paper, unsteady cavitating turbulent flow around an axisymmetric body near the free surface was investigated by both launching experiment and LES simulation. The vortex motion induced by cavity shedding under the effect of the free surface is emphatically analyzed by comparing with the submerged condition. The vortex shedding process around the projectile is not synchronized, while the asymmetric characteristic in collapse process is more remarkable, with the generation of multiple vortex ring structures.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Landsfeld, M.; Gautier, C.; Figel, T.
1995-01-01
To better predict global climate change, scientists are developing climate models that require interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts in their building. We are currently involved in several such projects but will briefly discuss activities in support of two such complementary projects: the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program of the Department of Energy and Sequoia 2000, a joint venture of the University of California, the private sector, and government agencies. Our contribution to the ARM program is to investigate the role of clouds on the top of the atmosphere and on surface radiance fields through the data analysis of surface and satellite observations and complex modeling of the interaction of radiation with clouds. One of our first ARM research activities involves the computation of the broadband shortwave surface irradiance from satellite observations. Geostationary satellite images centered over the first ARM observation site are received hourly over the Internet network and processed in real time to compute hourly and daily composite shortwave irradiance fields. The images and the results are transferred via a high-speed network to the Sequoia 2000 storage facility in Berkeley, where they are archived These satellite-derived results are compared with the surface observations to evaluate the accuracy of the satellite estimate and the spatial representation of the surface observations. In developing the software involved in calculating the surface shortwave irradiance, we have produced an environment whereby we can easily modify and monitor the data processing as required. Through the principles of modular programming, we have developed software that is easily modified as new algorithms for computation are developed or input data availability changes. In addition, the software was designed so that it could be run from an interactive, icon-driven, graphical interface, TCL-TK, developed by Sequoia 2000 participants. In this way, the data flow can be interactively assessed and altered as needed. In this environment, the intermediate data processing 'images' can be viewed, enabling the investigator to easily monitor the various data processing steps as they progress. Additionally, this environment allows the rapid testing of new processing modules and allows their effects to be visually compared with previous results.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Naruse, Makoto; Yatsui, Takashi; Nomura, Wataru; Kawazoe, Tadashi; Aida, Masaki; Ohtsu, Motoichi
2013-02-01
Dressed-photon-phonon (DPP) etching is a disruptive technology in planarizing material surfaces because it completely eliminates mechanical contact processes. However, adequate metrics for evaluating the surface roughness and the underlying physical mechanisms are still not well understood. Here, we propose a two-dimensional hierarchical surface roughness measure, inspired by the Allan variance, that represents the effectiveness of DPP etching while conserving the original two-dimensional surface topology. Also, we build a simple physical model of DPP etching that agrees well with the experimental observations, which clearly shows the involvement of the intrinsic hierarchical properties of dressed photons, or optical near-fields, in the surface processing.
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Specificity of marine microbial surface interactions.
Imam, S H; Bard, R F; Tosteson, T R
1984-01-01
The macromolecular surface components involved in intraspecific cell surface interactions of the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and closely associated bacteria were investigated. The specific surface attachment between this alga and its associated bacteria is mediated by lectin-like macromolecules associated with the surfaces of these cells. The binding activity of these surface polymers was inhibited by specific simple sugars; this suggests the involvement of specific receptor-ligand binding sites on the interactive surfaces. Epifluorescent microscopic evaluation of bacteria-alga interactions in the presence and absence of the macromolecules that mediate these interactions showed that the glycoproteins active in these processes were specific to the microbial sources from which they were obtained. The demonstration and definition of the specificity of these interactions in mixed microbial populations may play an important role in our understanding of the dynamics of marine microbial populations in the sea. PMID:6508293
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Surface preparation of Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy tubes for welding using a fiber laser
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kumar, Aniruddha; Gupta, Mool C.
2009-11-01
Ti-3Al-2.5V tubes are widely used in aircraft hydraulic systems. Meticulous surface preparation before welding is necessary to obtain a sound weld involving these alloy tubes. Conventionally this is done by cleaning with environmentally malign toxic chemicals, such as, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. This paper describes the laser-cleaning process of the surface of these tubes with a fiber laser as a preparation for pulsed gas tungsten arc welding and results obtained. A simple one-dimensional heat equation has been solved to evaluate the temperature profile of the irradiated surface. It is shown that surface preparation by laser cleaning can be an environmentally friendly alternative process by producing acceptable welds with laser-processed tubes.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Basirin, Hammadi bin Mohd; Nawi, Ismail bin Haji Mohd
2017-04-01
This research is an approach to improve the surface roughness for acrylic door panel by using polishing process. The polishing process involve is sanding process by 3 types of sand paper. The sanding process used to improve the surface roughness by using the different grit sizes of sand paper. The experiment was done by using two types of material s, that is plywood and medium density board (MDF). These two materials are the main materials in producing the arcrylic door panel. The surface roughness of these two materials affects the qualities and quantities of the acrylic door panel. The surface structure was measured by using Optical Microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and the surface roughness was measured by using Mitutoyo surfest SJ 400 Tester. Results indicates that using the different types of grit are influence the surface roughness of the material. When the higher types of grit sizes had been used, the average roughness of the surface are decrease. In summary, a good surface roughness condition produced when using the higher types of grit sizes sand paper.
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Techniques for Down-Sampling a Measured Surface Height Map for Model Validation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sidick, Erkin
2012-01-01
This software allows one to down-sample a measured surface map for model validation, not only without introducing any re-sampling errors, but also eliminating the existing measurement noise and measurement errors. The software tool of the current two new techniques can be used in all optical model validation processes involving large space optical surfaces
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sung, Yao-Ting; Shih, Pao-Chen; Chang, Kuo-En
2015-01-01
Providing instruction on spatial geometry, specifically how to calculate the surface areas of composite solids, challenges many elementary school teachers. Determining the surface areas of composite solids involves complex calculations and advanced spatial concepts. The goals of this study were to build on students' learning processes for…
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Traub, David; Nguyen, Jason
The Slick Rock, Colorado, Processing Sites are referred to as the Slick Rock West Processing Site (SRK05) and the Slick Rock East Processing Site (SRK06). This annual event involved sampling both sites for a total of 16 monitoring wells and 6 surface water locations as required by the 2006 Draft Final Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Slick Rock, Colorado, Processing Sites (GCAP). A domestic well was also sampled at a property adjacent to the Slick Rock East site at the request of the landowner.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Palmieri, Frank L.; Crow, Allison; Zetterberg, Anna; Hopkins, John; Wohl, Christopher J.; Connell, John W.; Belcher, Tony; Blohowiak, Kay Y.
2014-01-01
Adhesive bonding offers many advantages over mechanical fastening, but requires robust materials and processing methodologies before it can be incorporated in primary structures for aerospace applications. Surface preparation is widely recognized as one of the key steps to producing robust and predictable bonds. This report documents an ongoing investigation of a surface preparation technique based on Nd:YAG laser ablation as a replacement for the chemical etch and/or abrasive processes currently applied to Ti-6Al-4V alloys. Laser ablation imparts both topographical and chemical changes to a surface that can lead to increased bond durability. A laser based process provides an alternative to chemical-immersion, manual abrasion, and grit blast process steps which are expensive, hazardous, environmentally unfriendly, and less precise. In addition, laser ablation is amenable to process automation, which can improve reproducibility to meet quality standards for surface preparation. An update on work involving adhesive property testing, surface characterization, surface stability, and the effect of laser surface treatment on fatigue behavior is presented. Based on the tests conducted, laser surface treatment is a viable replacement for the immersion chemical surface treatment processes. Testing also showed that the fatigue behavior of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy is comparable for surfaces treated with either laser ablation or chemical surface treatment.
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Dehydrogenation involved Coulomb explosion of molecular C2H4FBr in an intense laser field
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pei, Minjie; Yang, Yan; Zhang, Jian; Sun, Zhenrong
2018-04-01
The dissociative double ionization (DDI) of molecular 1-fluo-2-bromoethane (FBE) in an intense laser field has been investigated by dc-slice imaging technology. The DDI channels involved with dehydrogenation are revealed and it's believed both the charge distribution and the bound character of real potential energy surfaces of parent ions play important roles in the dissociation process. The relationship between the potential energy surfaces of the precursor species and the photofragment ejection angles are also discussed and analyzed. Furthermore, the competition between the DDI channels has been studied and the Csbnd C bond cleavages dominate the DDI process at relative higher laser intensity.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xiao, HuiFang; Huang, Bin; Yao, Ge; Kang, WenBin; Gong, Sheng; Pan, Hai; Cao, Yi; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Wei
2018-03-01
Understanding the processes of protein adsorption/desorption on nanoparticles' surfaces is important for the development of new nanotechnology involving biomaterials; however, an atomistic resolution picture for these processes and for the simultaneous protein conformational change is missing. Here, we report the adsorption of protein GB1 on a polystyrene nanoparticle surface using atomistic molecular dynamic simulations. Enabled by metadynamics, we explored the relevant phase space and identified three protein states, each involving both the adsorbed and desorbed modes. We also studied the change of the secondary and tertiary structures of GB1 during adsorption and the dominant interactions between the protein and surface in different adsorption stages. The results we obtained from simulation were found to be more adequate and complete than the previous one. We believe the model presented in this paper, in comparison with the previous ones, is a better theoretical model to understand and explain the experimental results.
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Chemical surface deposition of ultra-thin semiconductors
McCandless, Brian E.; Shafarman, William N.
2003-03-25
A chemical surface deposition process for forming an ultra-thin semiconducting film of Group IIB-VIA compounds onto a substrate. This process eliminates particulates formed by homogeneous reactions in bath, dramatically increases the utilization of Group IIB species, and results in the formation of a dense, adherent film for thin film solar cells. The process involves applying a pre-mixed liquid coating composition containing Group IIB and Group VIA ionic species onto a preheated substrate. Heat from the substrate causes a heterogeneous reaction between the Group IIB and VIA ionic species of the liquid coating composition, thus forming a solid reaction product film on the substrate surface.
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The Consequences of Surface Confinement on Free Radical Chemistry
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Birtt, P.F.; Buchanan, A.C., III
1999-08-22
Mass transport limitations impact the thermochemical processing of fossil and renewable energy resources, which involves the breakdown of cross-linked, macromolecular networks. To Investigate the molecular level details of the consequences of molecular confinement on high temperature (275-500°C) free-radical reaction pathways, we have been examining the pyrolysis of model compounds attached to the surface of non-porous silica nanoparticles through a thermally robust Si-O-C aryl, tetha. Pyrolysis of silica-immobilized diphenylalkanes and related ethers have been studied in detail and compared with the corresponding behavior in fluid phases. The diffusional constraints can lead to reduced rates of radical termination on the surface, andmore » enhancement of neophyl-like rearrangements, cyclization-dehydrogenation pathways, and ipso- aromatic substitutions. Furthermore, studies of two-component surfaces have revealed the importance of a radical relay mechanism involving rapid serial hydrogen transfer steps resulting from the molecular pre-organization on the low fractal dimension silica surface. Key findings are reviewed in this paper, and the implications of these results for fuel processing are described.« less
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The Role of Amodal Surface Completion in Stereoscopic Transparency
Anderson, Barton L.; Schmid, Alexandra C.
2012-01-01
Previous work has shown that the visual system can decompose stereoscopic textures into percepts of inhomogeneous transparency. We investigate whether this form of layered image decomposition is shaped by constraints on amodal surface completion. We report a series of experiments that demonstrate that stereoscopic depth differences are easier to discriminate when the stereo images generate a coherent percept of surface color, than when images require amodally integrating a series of color changes into a coherent surface. Our results provide further evidence for the intimate link between the segmentation processes that occur in conditions of transparency and occlusion, and the interpolation processes involved in the formation of amodally completed surfaces. PMID:23060829
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Studies of the Ocean Surface and the Coupling between the Sea and the Atmosphere.
1984-10-01
design was developed and built for use - in this work.. A number of new ideas were involved and five patents were assigned to the Navy in the following...close enough that the mounting surface was not involved in the drag. A physical description of the process using entraining slabs of turbulent air allowed...each slab the average turbulence, average horizontal velocity and average dissipation rate are still used . The ve- locity at any given level matches
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Laser-driven fusion etching process
Ashby, C.I.H.; Brannon, P.J.; Gerardo, J.B.
1987-08-25
The surfaces of solids are etched by a radiation-driven chemical reaction. The process involves exposing a substrate coated with a layer of a reactant material on its surface to radiation, e.g., a laser, to induce localized melting of the substrate which results in the occurrence of a fusion reaction between the substrate and coating material. The resultant reaction product and excess reactant salt are then removed from the surface of the substrate with a solvent which is relatively inert towards the substrate. The laser-driven chemical etching process is especially suitable for etching ionic substrates, e.g., LiNbO/sub 3/, such as used in electro-optical/acousto-optic devices. It is also suitable for applications wherein the etching process is required to produce an etched ionic substrate having a smooth surface morphology or when a very rapid etching rate is desired.
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Ion beam microtexturing and enhanced surface diffusion
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Robinson, R. S.
1982-01-01
Ion beam interactions with solid surfaces are discussed with particular emphasis on microtexturing induced by the deliberate deposition of controllable amounts of an impurity material onto a solid surface while simultaneously sputtering the surface with an ion beam. Experimental study of the optical properties of microtextured surfaces is described. Measurements of both absorptance as a function of wavelength and emissivity are presented. A computer code is described that models the sputtering and ion reflection processes involved in microtexture formation.
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Method of producing adherent metal oxide coatings on metallic surfaces
Lane, Michael H.; Varrin, Jr., Robert D.
2001-01-01
Provided is a process of producing an adherent synthetic corrosion product (sludge) coating on metallic surfaces. The method involves a chemical reaction between a dry solid powder mixture of at least one reactive metal oxide with orthophosphoric acid to produce a coating in which the particles are bound together and the matrix is adherent to the metallic surface.
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Recovering tag fiber from cottonseed using the power roll gin
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
In the mid-1990s, Cotton Incorporated and the USDA-ARS Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit developed a process that became known as EasiFlo™ cottonseed (Patent #5,750,466; Issued May 12, 1998). This process involves the application of gelatinized starch to the surface of fuzzy cottonseed,...
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Cheesman, Andrew; Harvey, Jeremy N; Ashfold, Michael N R
2008-11-13
Accurate potential energy surface calculations are presented for many of the key steps involved in diamond chemical vapor deposition on the [100] surface (in its 2 x 1 reconstructed and hydrogenated form). The growing diamond surface was described by using a large (approximately 1500 atoms) cluster model, with the key atoms involved in chemical steps being described by using a quantum mechanical (QM, density functional theory, DFT) method and the bulk of the atoms being described by molecular mechanics (MM). The resulting hybrid QM/MM calculations are more systematic and/or at a higher level of theory than previous work on this growth process. The dominant process for carbon addition, in the form of methyl radicals, is predicted to be addition to a surface radical site, opening of the adjacent C-C dimer bond, insertion, and ultimate ring closure. Other steps such as insertion across the trough between rows of dimer bonds or addition to a neighboring dimer leading to formation of a reconstruction on the next layer may also contribute. Etching of carbon can also occur; the most likely mechanism involves loss of a two-carbon moiety in the form of ethene. The present higher-level calculations confirm that migration of inserted carbon along both dimer rows and chains should be relatively facile, with barriers of approximately 150 kJ mol (-1) when starting from suitable diradical species, and that this step should play an important role in establishing growth of smooth surfaces.
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Interactions of tectonic, igneous, and hydraulic processes in the North Tharsis Region of Mars
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Davis, P. A.; Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Golombek, M. P.; Plescia, J. B.
1991-01-01
Recent work on the north Tharsis of Mars has revealed a complex geologic history involving volcanism, tectonism, flooding, and mass wasting. Our detailed photogeologic analysis of this region found many previously unreported volcanic vents, volcaniclastic flows, irregular cracks, and minor pit chains; additional evidence that volcanic tectonic processes dominated this region throughout Martian geologic time; and the local involvement of these processes with surface and near surface water. Also, photoclinometric profiles were obtained within the region of troughs, simple grabens, and pit chains, as well as average spacings of pits along pit chains. These data were used together with techniques to estimate depths of crustal mechanical discontinuities that may have controlled the development of these features. In turn, such discontinuities may be controlled by stratigraphy, presence of water or ice, or chemical cementation.
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Thalamic morphology in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
Smith, Matthew J; Wang, Lei; Cronenwett, Will; Mamah, Daniel; Barch, Deanna M; Csernansky, John G
2011-03-01
Biomarkers are needed that can distinguish between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder to inform the ongoing debate over the diagnostic boundary between these two disorders. Neuromorphometric abnormalities of the thalamus have been reported in individuals with schizophrenia and linked to core features of the disorder, but have not been similarly investigated in individuals with schizoaffective disorder. In this study, we examine whether individuals with schizoaffective disorder have a pattern of thalamic deformation that is similar or different to the pattern found in individuals with schizophrenia. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were collected from individuals with schizophrenia (n = 47), individuals with schizoaffective disorder (n = 15), and controls (n = 42). Large-deformation, high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain three-dimensional surfaces of the thalamus. Multiple analyses of variance were used to test for group differences in volume and measures of surface shape. Individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder have similar thalamic volumes. Thalamic surface shape deformation associated with schizophrenia suggests selective involvement of the anterior and posterior thalamus, while deformations in mediodorsal and ventrolateral regions were observed in both groups. Schizoaffective disorder had distinct deformations in medial and lateral thalamic regions. Abnormalities distinct to schizoaffective disorder suggest involvement of the central and ventroposterior medial thalamus which may be involved in mood circuitry, dorsolateral nucleus which is involved in recall processing, and the lateral geniculate nucleus which is involved in visual processing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Thalamic Morphology in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
Smith, Matthew J.; Wang, Lei; Cronenwett, Will; Mamah, Daniel; Barch, Deanna M.; Csernansky, John G.
2010-01-01
Background Biomarkers are needed that can distinguish between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder to inform the ongoing debate over the diagnostic boundary between these two disorders. Neuromorphometric abnormalities of the thalamus have been reported in individuals with schizophrenia and linked to core features of the disorder, but have not been similarly investigated in individuals with schizoaffective disorder. In this study, we examine whether individuals with schizoaffective disorder have a pattern of thalamic deformation that is similar or different to the pattern found in individuals with schizophrenia. Method T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were collected from individuals with schizophrenia (n=47), individuals with schizoaffective disorder (n=15), and controls (n=42). Large-deformation, high-dimensional brain mapping was used to obtain three-dimensional surfaces of the thalamus. Multiple analyses of variance were used to test for group differences in volume and measures of surface shape. Results Individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder have similar thalamic volumes. Thalamic surface shape deformation associated with schizophrenia suggests selective involvement of the anterior and posterior thalamus, while deformations in mediodorsal and ventrolateral regions were observed in both groups. Schizoaffective disorder had distinct deformations in medial and lateral thalamic regions. Conclusions Abnormalities distinct to schizoaffective disorder suggest involvement of the central and ventroposterior medial thalamus which may be involved in mood circuitry, dorsolateral nucleus which is involved in recall processing, and the lateral geniculate nucleus which is involved in visual processing. PMID:20797731
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Madhav Rao Gonvindaraju
1999-10-18
Die casting dies used in the metal casting industry fail due to thermal fatigue cracking accompanied by the presence of residual tensile stresses, corrosion, erosion and wear of die surfaces. This phase 1 SBIR Final Report summarize Karta Technologies research involving the development of an innovative laser coating technology for metal casting dies. The process involves depositing complex protective coatings of nanocrystalline powders of TiC followed by a laser shot peening. The results indicate a significant improvement in corrosion and erosion resistance in molten aluminum for H13 die casting die steels. The laser-coated samples also showed improved surface finish, amore » homogeneous and uniform coating mircrostructure. The technology developed in this research can have a significant impact on the casting industry by saving the material costs involved in replacing dies, reducing downtime and improving the quality.« less
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The Preparation for and Execution of Engineering Operations for the Mars Curiosity Rover Mission
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Samuels, Jessica A.
2013-01-01
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover mission is the most complex and scientifically packed rover that has ever been operated on the surface of Mars. The preparation leading up to the surface mission involved various tests, contingency planning and integration of plans between various teams and scientists for determining how operation of the spacecraft (s/c) would be facilitated. In addition, a focused set of initial set of health checks needed to be defined and created in order to ensure successful operation of rover subsystems before embarking on a two year science journey. This paper will define the role and responsibilities of the Engineering Operations team, the process involved in preparing the team for rover surface operations, the predefined engineering activities performed during the early portion of the mission, and the evaluation process used for initial and day to day spacecraft operational assessment.
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The Overgrid Interface for Computational Simulations on Overset Grids
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chan, William M.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)
2002-01-01
Computational simulations using overset grids typically involve multiple steps and a variety of software modules. A graphical interface called OVERGRID has been specially designed for such purposes. Data required and created by the different steps include geometry, grids, domain connectivity information and flow solver input parameters. The interface provides a unified environment for the visualization, processing, generation and diagnosis of such data. General modules are available for the manipulation of structured grids and unstructured surface triangulations. Modules more specific for the overset approach include surface curve generators, hyperbolic and algebraic surface grid generators, a hyperbolic volume grid generator, Cartesian box grid generators, and domain connectivity: pre-processing tools. An interface provides automatic selection and viewing of flow solver boundary conditions, and various other flow solver inputs. For problems involving multiple components in relative motion, a module is available to build the component/grid relationships and to prescribe and animate the dynamics of the different components.
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Impact of rainfall pattern on interrill erosion process
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The impact of rainfall pattern on the interrill erosion process is not fully understood despite its importance. Systematic rainfall simulation experiments involving different rain intensities, stages, intensity sequences, and surface cover conditions were conducted to investigate the impacts of rain...
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Arduini, R. F.; Aherron, R. M.; Samms, R. W.
1984-01-01
A computational model of the deterministic and stochastic processes involved in multispectral remote sensing was designed to evaluate the performance of sensor systems and data processing algorithms for spectral feature classification. Accuracy in distinguishing between categories of surfaces or between specific types is developed as a means to compare sensor systems and data processing algorithms. The model allows studies to be made of the effects of variability of the atmosphere and of surface reflectance, as well as the effects of channel selection and sensor noise. Examples of these effects are shown.
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Surface contouring by controlled application of processing fluid using Marangoni effect
Rushford, Michael C.; Britten, Jerald A.
2003-04-29
An apparatus and method for modifying the surface of an object by contacting said surface with a liquid processing solution using the liquid applicator geometry and Marangoni effect (surface tension gradient-driven flow) to define and confine the dimensions of the wetted zone on said object surface. In particular, the method and apparatus involve contouring or figuring the surface of an object using an etchant solution as the wetting fluid and using realtime metrology (e.g. interferometry) to control the placement and dwell time of this wetted zone locally on the surface of said object, thereby removing material from the surface of the object in a controlled manner. One demonstrated manifestation is in the deterministic optical figuring of thin glasses by wet chemical etching using a buffered hydrofluoric acid solution and Marangoni effect.
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Manufacturing Precise, Lightweight Paraboloidal Mirrors
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hermann, Frederick Thomas
2006-01-01
A process for fabricating a precise, diffraction- limited, ultra-lightweight, composite- material (matrix/fiber) paraboloidal telescope mirror has been devised. Unlike the traditional process of fabrication of heavier glass-based mirrors, this process involves a minimum of manual steps and subjective judgment. Instead, this process involves objectively controllable, repeatable steps; hence, this process is better suited for mass production. Other processes that have been investigated for fabrication of precise composite-material lightweight mirrors have resulted in print-through of fiber patterns onto reflecting surfaces, and have not provided adequate structural support for maintenance of stable, diffraction-limited surface figures. In contrast, this process does not result in print-through of the fiber pattern onto the reflecting surface and does provide a lightweight, rigid structure capable of maintaining a diffraction-limited surface figure in the face of changing temperature, humidity, and air pressure. The process consists mainly of the following steps: 1. A precise glass mandrel is fabricated by conventional optical grinding and polishing. 2. The mandrel is coated with a release agent and covered with layers of a carbon- fiber composite material. 3. The outer surface of the outer layer of the carbon-fiber composite material is coated with a surfactant chosen to provide for the proper flow of an epoxy resin to be applied subsequently. 4. The mandrel as thus covered is mounted on a temperature-controlled spin table. 5. The table is heated to a suitable temperature and spun at a suitable speed as the epoxy resin is poured onto the coated carbon-fiber composite material. 6. The surface figure of the optic is monitored and adjusted by use of traditional Ronchi, Focault, and interferometric optical measurement techniques while the speed of rotation and the temperature are adjusted to obtain the desired figure. The proper selection of surfactant, speed or rotation, viscosity of the epoxy, and temperature make it possible to obtain the desired diffraction-limited, smooth (1/50th wave) parabolic outer surface, suitable for reflective coating. 7. A reflective coat is applied by use of conventional coating techniques. 8. Once the final figure is set, a lightweight structural foam is applied to the rear of the optic to ensure stability of the figure.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gentile, A.; Ruffino, F.; D'Andrea, C.; Gucciardi, P. G.; Reitano, R.; Grimaldi, M. G.
2016-06-01
Micrometric Au structures, presenting a dendritic nano-structure, have been fabricated on a Si-based substrate. The fabrication method involves the deposition of a thin Au film on the substrate and a high-temperature annealing (1100°C) using fast heating and cooling ramps. The thermal process produces the growth, from the substrate, of Si micro-pillars whose top surfaces, covered by a crystalline Au layer, present a nanodendritic morphology. In addition to the micro-pillars, the sample surface presents a complex structural and chemical composition including Si3N4 regions due to the silicon-nitrogen intermixing during the heating stage. By studying the kinetic processes at the Au-Si interface during the thermal treatment, we describe the stages involved in the micro-pillars growth, in the dendritic morphology development, and in the Au atoms entrapment at the top of the dendritic surfaces. Finally, we present the analyses of the optical and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties of the Au dendritic aggregates. We show, in particular, that: (1) the Au dendrites aggregates act as effective scattering elements for the electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectral region; and (2) the higher surface area due to the branched dendritic structure is responsible for the improvement in the sensitivity of the surface enhanced Raman scattering activity.
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Picosecond laser micro/nano surface texturing of nickel for superhydrophobicity
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, X. C.; Wang, B.; Xie, H.; Zheng, H. Y.; Lam, Y. C.
2018-03-01
A single step direct picosecond laser texturing process was demonstrated to be able to obtain a superhydrophobic surface on a nickel substrate, a key material for mold fabrication in the manufacture of various devices, including polymeric microfluidic devices. A two-scale hierarchical surface structure of regular 2D array micro-bumps with nano-ripples was produced on a nickel surface. The laser textured surface initially showed superhydrophilicity with almost complete wetting of the structured surface just after laser treatment, then quickly changed to nearly superhydrophobic with a water contact angle (WCA) of 140° in less than 1 d, and finally became superhydrophobic with a WCA of more than 150° and a contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of less than 5°. The mechanism involved in the process is discussed in terms of surface morphology and surface chemistry. The ultra-fast laser induced NiO catalytic effect was thought to play a key role in modifying the surface chemistry so as to lower the surface energy. The developed process has the potential to improve the performance of nickel mold in the fabrication of microfluidic devices.
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Regional scale hydrology with a new land surface processes model
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Laymon, Charles; Crosson, William
1995-01-01
Through the CaPE Hydrometeorology Project, we have developed an understanding of some of the unique data quality issues involved in assimilating data of disparate types for regional-scale hydrologic modeling within a GIS framework. Among others, the issues addressed here include the development of adequate validation of the surface water budget, implementation of the STATSGO soil data set, and implementation of a remote sensing-derived landcover data set to account for surface heterogeneity. A model of land surface processes has been developed and used in studies of the sensitivity of surface fluxes and runoff to soil and landcover characterization. Results of these experiments have raised many questions about how to treat the scale-dependence of land surface-atmosphere interactions on spatial and temporal variability. In light of these questions, additional modifications are being considered for the Marshall Land Surface Processes Model. It is anticipated that these techniques can be tested and applied in conjunction with GCIP activities over regional scales.
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Cell Surface Translocation of Annexin A2 Facilitates Glutamate-induced Extracellular Proteolysis*
Valapala, Mallika; Maji, Sayantan; Borejdo, Julian; Vishwanatha, Jamboor K.
2014-01-01
Glutamate-induced elevation in intracellular Ca2+ has been implicated in excitotoxic cell death. Neurons respond to increased glutamate levels by activating an extracellular proteolytic cascade involving the components of the plasmin-plasminogen system. AnxA2 is a Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding protein and serves as an extracellular proteolytic center by recruiting the tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen and mediating the localized generation of plasmin. Ratiometric Ca2+ imaging and time-lapse confocal microscopy demonstrated glutamate-induced Ca2+ influx. We showed that glutamate translocated both endogenous and AnxA2-GFP to the cell surface in a process dependent on the activity of the NMDA receptor. Glutamate-induced translocation of AnxA2 is dependent on the phosphorylation of tyrosine 23 at the N terminus, and mutation of tyrosine 23 to a non-phosphomimetic variant inhibits the translocation process. The cell surface-translocated AnxA2 forms an active plasmin-generating complex, and this activity can be neutralized by a hexapeptide directed against the N terminus. These results suggest an involvement of AnxA2 in potentiating glutamate-induced cell death processes. PMID:24742684
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Laser-driven fusion etching process
Ashby, Carol I. H.; Brannon, Paul J.; Gerardo, James B.
1989-01-01
The surfaces of solid ionic substrates are etched by a radiation-driven chemical reaction. The process involves exposing an ionic substrate coated with a layer of a reactant material on its surface to radiation, e.g. a laser, to induce localized melting of the substrate which results in the occurrance of a fusion reaction between the substrate and coating material. The resultant reaction product and excess reactant salt are then removed from the surface of the substrate with a solvent which is relatively inert towards the substrate. The laser-driven chemical etching process is especially suitable for etching ionic salt substrates, e.g., a solid inorganic salt such as LiNbO.sub.3, such as used in electro-optical/acousto-optic devices. It is also suitable for applications wherein the etching process is required to produce an etched ionic substrate having a smooth surface morphology or when a very rapid etching rate is desired.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jardine, P. M.; Gentry, R. W.
2011-12-01
Soil, the thin veneer of matter covering the Earths surface that supports a web of living diversity, is often abused through anthropogenic inputs of toxic waste. This subsurface regime, coupled with life sustaining surface water and groundwater is known as the "Critical Zone". The disposal of radioactive and toxic organic and inorganic waste generated by industry and various government agencies has historically involved shallow land burial or the use of surface impoundments in unsaturated soils and sediments. Presently, contaminated sites have been closing rapidly and many remediation strategies have chosen to leave contaminants in-place. As such, contaminants will continue to interact with the geosphere and investigations on long term changes and interactive processes is imperative to verify risks. In this presentation we provide a snap-shot of subsurface science research from the past 25 y that seeks to provide an improved understanding and predictive capability of multi-scale contaminant fate and transport processes in heterogeneous unsaturated and saturated environments. Investigations focus on coupled hydrological, geochemical, and microbial processes that control reactive contaminant transport and that involve multi-scale fundamental research ranging from the molecular scale (e.g. synchrotrons, electron sources, arrays) to in situ plume interrogation strategies at the macroscopic scale (e.g. geophysics, field biostimulation, coupled processes monitoring). We show how this fundamental research is used to provide multi-process, multi-scale predictive monitoring and modeling tools that can be used at contaminated sites to (1) inform and improve the technical basis for decision making, and (2) assess which sites are amenable to natural attenuation and which would benefit from source zone remedial intervention.
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Surface-water quality-assurance plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center
Mastin, Mark C.
2016-02-19
This Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey Washington Water Science Center (WAWSC) for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data. This plan serves as a guide to all WAWSC personnel involved in surface-water data activities, and changes as the needs and requirements of the WAWSC change. Regular updates to this plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. In the WAWSC, direct oversight and responsibility by the hydrographer(s) assigned to a surface-water station, combined with team approaches in all work efforts, assure highquality data, analyses, reviews, and reports for cooperating agencies and the public.
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Identification of the mechanism that confers superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Escobar, Ana M.; Llorca-Isern, Nuria; Rius-Ayra, Oriol
This study develops a rapid method to confer superhydrophobicity on 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. The highest contact angle (approaching 173°) was obtained after forming hierarchical structures with a non-aqueous electrolyte by an electrolytic process. Our goal was to induce superhydrophobicity directly on 316L stainless steel substrates and to establish which molecules cause the effect. The superhydrophobic behaviour is analysed by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The growth mechanism is analysed using FE-SEM, TOF-SIMS and XPS in order to determine the molecules involved inmore » the reaction and the growth. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed that the Ni{sup 2+} ions react with lauric acid to create an ester on the stainless steel surface. - Highlights: • This study develops a rapid and facile approach to impart superhydrophobicity properties to 316L stainless steel surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as dodecanoic acid. Surface character changes from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • This process changes the surface character from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. • The process based on electrolysis of a nickel salt in lauric acid provides superhydrophobic behaviour in 316L stainless steel. • The growth mechanism is proposed as a mode island (Volmert- Weber mode). • TOF-SIMS and XPS provided the identification of the molecules involved in the surface modification reaction on AISI 316L inducing superhydrophobicity.« less
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Wang, Yi; Lee, Sui Mae; Dykes, Gary
2015-01-01
Bacterial attachment to abiotic surfaces can be explained as a physicochemical process. Mechanisms of the process have been widely studied but are not yet well understood due to their complexity. Physicochemical processes can be influenced by various interactions and factors in attachment systems, including, but not limited to, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions and substratum surface roughness. Mechanistic models and control strategies for bacterial attachment to abiotic surfaces have been established based on the current understanding of the attachment process and the interactions involved. Due to a lack of process control and standardization in the methodologies used to study the mechanisms of bacterial attachment, however, various challenges are apparent in the development of models and control strategies. In this review, the physicochemical mechanisms, interactions and factors affecting the process of bacterial attachment to abiotic surfaces are described. Mechanistic models established based on these parameters are discussed in terms of their limitations. Currently employed methods to study these parameters and bacterial attachment are critically compared. The roles of these parameters in the development of control strategies for bacterial attachment are reviewed, and the challenges that arise in developing mechanistic models and control strategies are assessed.
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
This critical review addresses the persistence of human norovirus (NoV) in water, shellfish, processed meats, soils and organic wastes; on berries, herbs, vegetables, fruits and salads; and on food contact surfaces. The review focuses on studies using NoV; information from studies involving only su...
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Preface: Special Topic on Atomic and Molecular Layer Processing: Deposition, Patterning, and Etching
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Engstrom, James R.; Kummel, Andrew C.
2017-02-01
Thin film processing technologies that promise atomic and molecular scale control have received increasing interest in the past several years, as traditional methods for fabrication begin to reach their fundamental limits. Many of these technologies involve at their heart phenomena occurring at or near surfaces, including adsorption, gas-surface reactions, diffusion, desorption, and re-organization of near-surface layers. Moreover many of these phenomena involve not just reactions occurring under conditions of local thermodynamic equilibrium but also the action of energetic species including electrons, ions, and hyperthermal neutrals. There is a rich landscape of atomic and molecular scale interactions occurring in these systems that is still not well understood. In this Special Topic Issue of The Journal of Chemical Physics, we have collected recent representative examples of work that is directed at unraveling the mechanistic details concerning atomic and molecular layer processing, which will provide an important framework from which these fields can continue to develop. These studies range from the application of theory and computation to these systems to the use of powerful experimental probes, such as X-ray synchrotron radiation, probe microscopies, and photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies. The work presented here helps in identifying some of the major challenges and direct future activities in this exciting area of research involving atomic and molecular layer manipulation and fabrication.
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Engstrom, James R; Kummel, Andrew C
2017-02-07
Thin film processing technologies that promise atomic and molecular scale control have received increasing interest in the past several years, as traditional methods for fabrication begin to reach their fundamental limits. Many of these technologies involve at their heart phenomena occurring at or near surfaces, including adsorption, gas-surface reactions, diffusion, desorption, and re-organization of near-surface layers. Moreover many of these phenomena involve not just reactions occurring under conditions of local thermodynamic equilibrium but also the action of energetic species including electrons, ions, and hyperthermal neutrals. There is a rich landscape of atomic and molecular scale interactions occurring in these systems that is still not well understood. In this Special Topic Issue of The Journal of Chemical Physics, we have collected recent representative examples of work that is directed at unraveling the mechanistic details concerning atomic and molecular layer processing, which will provide an important framework from which these fields can continue to develop. These studies range from the application of theory and computation to these systems to the use of powerful experimental probes, such as X-ray synchrotron radiation, probe microscopies, and photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies. The work presented here helps in identifying some of the major challenges and direct future activities in this exciting area of research involving atomic and molecular layer manipulation and fabrication.
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Modification of Soil Temperature and Moisture Budgets by Snow Processes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feng, X.; Houser, P.
2006-12-01
Snow cover significantly influences the land surface energy and surface moisture budgets. Snow thermally insulates the soil column from large and rapid temperature fluctuations, and snow melting provides an important source for surface runoff and soil moisture. Therefore, it is important to accurately understand and predict the energy and moisture exchange between surface and subsurface associated with snow accumulation and ablation. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of land surface model soil layering treatment on the realistic simulation of soil temperature and soil moisture. We seek to understand how many soil layers are required to fully take into account soil thermodynamic properties and hydrological process while also honoring efficient calculation and inexpensive computation? This work attempts to address this question using field measurements from the Cold Land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX). In addition, to gain a better understanding of surface heat and surface moisture transfer process between land surface and deep soil involved in snow processes, numerical simulations were performed at several Meso-Cell Study Areas (MSAs) of CLPX using the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere (COLA) Simplified Version of the Simple Biosphere Model (SSiB). Measurements of soil temperature and soil moisture were analyzed at several CLPX sites with different vegetation and soil features. The monthly mean vertical profile of soil temperature during October 2002 to July 2003 at North Park Illinois River exhibits a large near surface variation (<5 cm), reveals a significant transition zone from 5 cm to 25 cm, and becomes uniform beyond 25cm. This result shows us that three soil layers are reasonable in solving the vertical variation of soil temperature at these study sites. With 6 soil layers, SSiB also captures the vertical variation of soil temperature during entire winter season, featuring with six soil layers, but the bare soil temperature is underestimated and root-zone soil temperature is overestimated during snow melting; which leads to overestimated temperature variations down to 20 cm. This is caused by extra heat loss from upper soil level and insufficient heat transport from the deep soil. Further work will need to verify if soil temperature displays similar vertical thermal structure for different vegetation and soil types during snow season. This study provides insight to the surface and subsurface thermodynamic and hydrological processes involved in snow modeling which is important for accurate snow simulation.
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Metal Contacts in Semiconductors.
1983-11-01
greater understanding of the role that imperfec- tions, defects etc. play in the formation of Schottk~y barriers and related devices. In section 1 of...these effects. In Section 2 of this report we consider the role of surface defects in the pinning of the Fermi level at free semiconductor surfaces and...in the adsorption and oxidation processes involved when these surfaces interact with gases and metals. The role of imperfections at metal
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Roling, Luke T.; Mavrikakis, Manos
2017-09-19
In this paper, we present a database of first-principles calculated activation energy barriers for two competitive processes involving bimetallic adatom-surface permutations of ten transition metals: (i) adatom “hopping” diffusion and (ii) adatom substitution into the surface. We consider the surface structure sensitivity of these events as well as coverage effects. We find that surface hopping mechanisms are facile and always preferred to substitution events on close-packed fcc(111) and hcp(0001) surfaces. However, surface atom substitution is more facile on the more open fcc(100) surfaces and is competitive with adatom surface hopping, which is more difficult than on the close-packed surfaces. Finally,more » by comparing the absolute and relative magnitudes of the energetics of hopping and substitution, our calculations can offer qualitative predictions of intermixing and other phenomena relevant to nanocrystal growth, such as the tendency to form intermixed alloys or core–shell structures during layer-by-layer nanoparticle synthesis involving a given bimetallic pair, and thereby inform the rational design and synthesis of novel bimetallic nanomaterials.« less
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Industrial processes influenced by gravity
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ostrach, Simon
1988-01-01
In considering new directions for low gravity research with particular regard to broadening the number and types of industrial involvements, it is noted that transport phenomena play a vital role in diverse processes in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and biotech industries. Relatively little attention has been given to the role of gravity in such processes. Accordingly, numerous industrial processes and phenomena are identified which involve gravity and/or surface tension forces. Phase separations and mixing are examples that will be significantly different in low gravity conditions. A basis is presented for expanding the scope of the low gravity research program and the potential benefits of such research is indicated.
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Late Maturation Steps Preceding Selective Nuclear Export and Egress of Progeny Parvovirus
Wolfisberg, Raphael; Kempf, Christoph
2016-01-01
ABSTRACT Although the mechanism is not well understood, growing evidence indicates that the nonenveloped parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM) may actively egress before passive release through cell lysis. We have dissected the late maturation steps of the intranuclear progeny with the aims of confirming the existence of active prelytic egress and identifying critical capsid rearrangements required to initiate the process. By performing anion-exchange chromatography (AEX), we separated intranuclear progeny particles by their net surface charges. Apart from empty capsids (EC), two distinct populations of full capsids (FC) arose in the nuclei of infected cells. The earliest population of FC to appear was infectious but, like EC, could not be actively exported from the nucleus. Further maturation of this early population, involving the phosphorylation of surface residues, gave rise to a second, late population with nuclear export potential. While capsid surface phosphorylation was strictly associated with nuclear export capacity, mutational analysis revealed that the phosphoserine-rich N terminus of VP2 (N-VP2) was dispensable, although it contributed to passive release. The reverse situation was observed for the incoming particles, which were dephosphorylated in the endosomes. Our results confirm the existence of active prelytic egress and reveal a late phosphorylation event occurring in the nucleus as a selective factor for initiating the process. IMPORTANCE In general, the process of egress of enveloped viruses is active and involves host cell membranes. However, the release of nonenveloped viruses seems to rely more on cell lysis. At least for some nonenveloped viruses, an active process before passive release by cell lysis has been reported, although the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. By using the nonenveloped model parvovirus minute virus of mice, we could confirm the existence of an active process of nuclear export and further characterize the associated capsid maturation steps. Following DNA packaging in the nucleus, capsids required further modifications, involving the phosphorylation of surface residues, to acquire nuclear export potential. Inversely, those surface residues were dephosphorylated on entering capsids. These spatially controlled phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events concurred with the nuclear export-import potential required to complete the infectious cycle. PMID:27009963
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Late Maturation Steps Preceding Selective Nuclear Export and Egress of Progeny Parvovirus.
Wolfisberg, Raphael; Kempf, Christoph; Ros, Carlos
2016-06-01
Although the mechanism is not well understood, growing evidence indicates that the nonenveloped parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM) may actively egress before passive release through cell lysis. We have dissected the late maturation steps of the intranuclear progeny with the aims of confirming the existence of active prelytic egress and identifying critical capsid rearrangements required to initiate the process. By performing anion-exchange chromatography (AEX), we separated intranuclear progeny particles by their net surface charges. Apart from empty capsids (EC), two distinct populations of full capsids (FC) arose in the nuclei of infected cells. The earliest population of FC to appear was infectious but, like EC, could not be actively exported from the nucleus. Further maturation of this early population, involving the phosphorylation of surface residues, gave rise to a second, late population with nuclear export potential. While capsid surface phosphorylation was strictly associated with nuclear export capacity, mutational analysis revealed that the phosphoserine-rich N terminus of VP2 (N-VP2) was dispensable, although it contributed to passive release. The reverse situation was observed for the incoming particles, which were dephosphorylated in the endosomes. Our results confirm the existence of active prelytic egress and reveal a late phosphorylation event occurring in the nucleus as a selective factor for initiating the process. In general, the process of egress of enveloped viruses is active and involves host cell membranes. However, the release of nonenveloped viruses seems to rely more on cell lysis. At least for some nonenveloped viruses, an active process before passive release by cell lysis has been reported, although the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. By using the nonenveloped model parvovirus minute virus of mice, we could confirm the existence of an active process of nuclear export and further characterize the associated capsid maturation steps. Following DNA packaging in the nucleus, capsids required further modifications, involving the phosphorylation of surface residues, to acquire nuclear export potential. Inversely, those surface residues were dephosphorylated on entering capsids. These spatially controlled phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events concurred with the nuclear export-import potential required to complete the infectious cycle. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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Effect of cathodic polarization on coating doxycycline on titanium surfaces.
Geißler, Sebastian; Tiainen, Hanna; Haugen, Håvard J
2016-06-01
Cathodic polarization has been reported to enhance the ability of titanium based implant materials to interact with biomolecules by forming titanium hydride at the outermost surface layer. Although this hydride layer has recently been suggested to allow the immobilization of the broad spectrum antibiotic doxycycline on titanium surfaces, the involvement of hydride in binding the biomolecule onto titanium remains poorly understood. To gain better understanding of the influence this immobilization process has on titanium surfaces, mirror-polished commercially pure titanium surfaces were cathodically polarized in the presence of doxycycline and the modified surfaces were thoroughly characterized using atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and angle-resolved X-ray spectroscopy. We demonstrated that no hydride was created during the polarization process. Doxycycline was found to be attached to an oxide layer that was modified during the electrochemical process. A bacterial assay using bioluminescent Staphylococcus epidermidis Xen43 showed the ability of the coating to reduce bacterial colonization and planktonic bacterial growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Exploring the mechanisms of DNA hybridization on a surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schmitt, Terry J.; Rogers, J. Brandon; Knotts, Thomas A.
2013-01-01
DNA microarrays are a potentially disruptive technology in the medical field, but their use in such settings is limited by poor reliability. Microarrays work on the principle of hybridization and can only be as reliable as this process is robust, yet little is known at the molecular level about how the surface affects the hybridization process. This work uses advanced molecular simulation techniques and an experimentally parameterized coarse-grain model to determine the mechanism by which hybridization occurs on surfaces. The results show that hybridization proceeds through a mechanism where the untethered (target) strand often flips orientation. For evenly lengthed strands, the surface stabilizes hybridization (compared to the bulk system) by reducing the barriers involved in the flipping event. For unevenly lengthed strands, the surface destabilizes hybridization compared to the bulk, but the degree of destabilization is dependent on the location of the matching sequence. Taken as a whole, the results offer an unprecedented view into the hybridization process on surfaces and provide some insights as to the poor reproducibility exhibited by microarrays.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Landsfeld, M.; Gautier, C.; Figel, T.
1995-01-01
To better predict global climate change, scientists are developing climate models that require interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts in their building. The authors are currently involved in several such projects but will briefly discuss activities in support of two such complementary projects: the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program of the Department of Energy and Sequoia 2000, a joint venture of the University of California, the private sector, and government. The author`s contribution to the ARM program is to investigate the role of clouds on the top of the atmosphere and on surface radiance fields through the data analysis of surface andmore » satellite observations and complex modeling of the interaction of radiation with clouds. One of the first ARM research activities involves the computation of the broadband shortwave surface irradiance from satellite observations. Geostationary satellite images centered over the first ARM observation site are received hourly over the Internet network and processed in real time to compute hourly and daily composite shortwave irradiance fields. The images and the results are transferred via a high-speed network to the Sequoia 2000 storage facility in Berkeley, where they are archived. These satellite-derived results are compared with the surface observations to evaluate the accuracy of the satellite estimate and the spatial representation of the surface observations. In developing the software involved in calculating the surface shortwave irradiance, the authors have produced an environment whereby they can easily modify and monitor the data processing as required. Through the principles of modular programming, they have developed software that is easily modified as new algorithms for computation are developed or input data availability changes. In addition, the software was designed so that it could be run from an interactive, icon-driven, graphical interface, TCL-TK, developed by Sequoia 2000 participants.« less
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Atomic and molecular data for spacecraft re-entry plasmas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Celiberto, R.; Armenise, I.; Cacciatore, M.; Capitelli, M.; Esposito, F.; Gamallo, P.; Janev, R. K.; Laganà, A.; Laporta, V.; Laricchiuta, A.; Lombardi, A.; Rutigliano, M.; Sayós, R.; Tennyson, J.; Wadehra, J. M.
2016-06-01
The modeling of atmospheric gas, interacting with the space vehicles in re-entry conditions in planetary exploration missions, requires a large set of scattering data for all those elementary processes occurring in the system. A fundamental aspect of re-entry problems is represented by the strong non-equilibrium conditions met in the atmospheric plasma close to the surface of the thermal shield, where numerous interconnected relaxation processes determine the evolution of the gaseous system towards equilibrium conditions. A central role is played by the vibrational exchanges of energy, so that collisional processes involving vibrationally excited molecules assume a particular importance. In the present paper, theoretical calculations of complete sets of vibrationally state-resolved cross sections and rate coefficients are reviewed, focusing on the relevant classes of collisional processes: resonant and non-resonant electron-impact excitation of molecules, atom-diatom and molecule-molecule collisions as well as gas-surface interaction. In particular, collisional processes involving atomic and molecular species, relevant to Earth (N2, O2, NO), Mars (CO2, CO, N2) and Jupiter (H2, He) atmospheres are considered.
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Atomic-Scale Observations of (010) LiFePO4 Surfaces Before and After Chemical Delithiation.
Kobayashi, Shunsuke; Fisher, Craig A J; Kato, Takeharu; Ukyo, Yoshio; Hirayama, Tsukasa; Ikuhara, Yuichi
2016-09-14
The ability to view directly the surface structures of battery materials with atomic resolution promises to dramatically improve our understanding of lithium (de)intercalation and related processes. Here we report the use of state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques to probe the (010) surface of commercially important material LiFePO4 and compare the results with theoretical models. The surface structure is noticeably different depending on whether Li ions are present in the topmost surface layer or not. Li ions are also found to migrate back to surface regions from within the crystal relatively quickly after partial delithiation, demonstrating the facile nature of Li transport in the [010] direction. The results are consistent with phase transformation models involving metastable phase formation and relaxation, providing atomic-level insights into these fundamental processes.
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Molecular self-assembly on surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mateo-Marti, E.; Pradier, C. M.
2012-09-01
The aim of the present research is to study the interaction of biomolecules, among them single amino acids, on metallic and mineral surfaces, and their chemical reactivity by means of powerful surface science techniques. Therefore, the use of simple biomolecules gives fundamental and significant information, including an adequate control of biomolecule-surface interactions, which will be unattainable to develop with more complex molecules. Furthermore, these studies are focussed on the catalytic properties of different surfaces that could be involved in molecular self-organization processes and the formation of prebiotic organic compounds.
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Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reed, Jason C. (Inventor); Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor); Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)
1989-01-01
A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body; a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid; water, with the surface of the body; and the hull of the marine vehicle.
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Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan for the Tallahassee Office, U.S. Geological Survey
Tomlinson, Stewart A.
2006-01-01
This Tallahassee Office Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Tallahassee Office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data. This plan serves as a guide to all Tallahassee Office personnel involved in surface-water data activities, and changes as the needs and requirements of the Tallahassee Office, Florida Integrated Science Center, and Water Discipline change. Reg-ular updates to this Plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. In the Tallahassee Office, direct oversight and responsibility by the employee(s) assigned to a surface-water station, combined with team approaches in all work efforts, assure high-quality data, analyses, reviews, and reports for cooperating agencies and the public.
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Photometric changes on Saturn's Titan: Evidence for active cryovolcanism
Nelson, R.M.; Kamp, L.W.; Lopes, R.M.C.; Matson, D.L.; Kirk, R.L.; Hapke, B.W.; Wall, S.D.; Boryta, M.D.; Leader, F.E.; Smythe, W.D.; Mitchell, K.L.; Baines, K.H.; Jaumann, R.; Sotin, Christophe; Clark, R.N.; Cruikshank, D.P.; Drossart, P.; Lunine, J.I.; Combes, M.; Bellucci, G.; Bibring, J.-P.; Capaccioni, F.; Cerroni, P.; Coradini, A.; Formisano, V.; Filacchione, G.; Langevin, Y.; McCord, T.B.; Mennella, V.; Nicholson, P.D.; Sicardy, B.; Irwin, P.G.J.; Pearl, J.C.
2009-01-01
We report infrared spectrophotometric variability on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan detected in images returned by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini Saturn Orbiter. The changes were observed at 7??S, 138??W and occurred between October 27, 2005 and January 15, 2006. After that date the surface was unchanged until the most recent observation, March 18, 2006. We previously reported spectrophotometric variability at another location (26??S, 78??W). Cassini Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) images find that the surface morphology at both locations is consistent with surface flows possibly resulting from cryovolcanic activity (Wall et al., companion paper, this issue). The VIMS-reported time variability and SAR morphology results suggest that Titan currently exhibits intermittent surface changes consistent with present ongoing surface processes. We suggest that these processes involve material from Titan's interior being extruded or effiised and deposited on the surface, as might be expected from cryovolcanism. ?? 2009.
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Carbon dioxide hydrogenation on Ni(110).
Vesselli, Erik; De Rogatis, Loredana; Ding, Xunlei; Baraldi, Alessandro; Savio, Letizia; Vattuone, Luca; Rocca, Mario; Fornasiero, Paolo; Peressi, Maria; Baldereschi, Alfonso; Rosei, Renzo; Comelli, Giovanni
2008-08-27
We demonstrate that the key step for the reaction of CO 2 with hydrogen on Ni(110) is a change of the activated molecule coordination to the metal surface. At 90 K, CO 2 is negatively charged and chemically bonded via the carbon atom. When the temperature is increased and H approaches, the H-CO 2 complex flips and binds to the surface through the two oxygen atoms, while H binds to the carbon atom, thus yielding formate. We provide the atomic-level description of this process by means of conventional ultrahigh vacuum surface science techniques combined with density functional theory calculations and corroborated by high pressure reactivity tests. Knowledge about the details of the mechanisms involved in this reaction can yield a deeper comprehension of heterogeneous catalytic organic synthesis processes involving carbon dioxide as a reactant. We show why on Ni the CO 2 hydrogenation barrier is remarkably smaller than that on the common Cu metal-based catalyst. Our results provide a possible interpretation of the observed high catalytic activity of NiCu alloys.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jakosky, Bruce M.
1988-08-01
The long-term evolution of both the atmosphere and the surface of Mars can be understood by examining the history of volatiles in the Mars atmosphere, their non-atmospheric reservoirs, and the processes of exchange between the two. Clearly, the present state of both the surface and the atmosphere can only be seen, so that any inferences about the evolution of the climate system are just that, inferences. The processes which control the atmosphere and surface on a seasonal basis, however, are the same processes which can act on longer timescales; only the specific solar and atmospheric forcing will differ. Once the ability of each process to affect the seasonal behavior is understood, the long-timescale forcing may be applied to the various processes in order to clearly identify the ability of the processes to act over the entire history of Mars. The areas of surface-atmospheric interaction of Mars are addressed in the ongoing research. The climate system on Mars is controlled by processes involving the exchange between the surface and atmosphere, so it is important to understand the current behavior of those processes. This is especially so in light of the current interest in understanding Mars; the upcoming Mars Observer mission, and the potential for a future sample-return or human-exploration mission will focus emphasis on this area of Mars science.
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Silver plating ensures reliable diffusion bonding of dissimilar metals
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1967-01-01
Dissimilar metals are reliably joined by diffusion bonding when the surfaces are electroplated with silver. The process involves cleaning and etching, anodization, silver striking, and silver plating with a conventional plating bath. It minimizes the formation of detrimental intermetallic phases and provides greater tolerance of processing parameters.
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A model study of factors involved in adhesion of Pseudomonas fluorescens to meat.
Piette, J P; Idziak, E S
1992-01-01
A study was undertaken to investigate the factors involved in the adhesion of Pseudomonas fluorescens to model meat surfaces (tendon slices). Adhesion was fast (less than 2.5 min) and was not suppressed by killing the cells with UV, gamma rays, or heat, indicating that physiological activity was not required. In various salt solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2), adhesion increased with increasing ionic strength up to 10 to 100 mM, suggesting that, at low ionic strengths, electrostatic interactions were involved in the adhesion process. At higher ionic strengths (greater than 10 to 100 mM) or in the presence of Al3+ ions, adhesion was sharply reduced. Selectively blocking of carboxyl or amino groups at the cell surface by chemical means did not affect adhesion. These groups are therefore not directly involved in an adhesive bond with tendon. Given a sufficient cell concentration (10(10) CFU.ml-1) in the adhesion medium, the surface of tendon was almost entirely covered with adherent bacteria. This suggests that if the adhesion is specific, the attachment sites on the tendon surface must be located within collagen or proteoglycan molecules. Images PMID:1444387
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gao, Fei
Semiconductor substrates are widely used in many applications. Multiple practical uses involving these materials require the ability to tune their physical and chemical properties to adjust those to a specific application. In recent years, surface and interface reactions have affected dramatically device fabrication and material design. Novel surface functionalization techniques with diverse chemical approaches make the desired physical, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties attainable. Meanwhile, the modified surface can serve as one of the most important key steps for further assembly process in order to make novel devices and materials. In the following chapters, novel chemical approaches to the functionalization of silicon and zinc oxide substrates will be reviewed and discussed. The specific functionalities including amines, azides, and alkynes on surfaces of different materials will be applied to address subsequent attachment of large molecules and assembly processes. This research is aimed to develop new strategies for manipulating the surface properties of semiconductor materials in a controlled way. The findings of these investigations will be relevant for future applications in molecular and nanoelectronics, sensing, and solar energy conversion. The ultimate goals of the projects are: 1) Preparation of an oxygen-and carbon-free silicon surface based exclusively on Si-N linkages for further modification protocols.. This project involves designing the surface reaction of hydrazine on chlorine-terminated silicon surface, introduction of additional functional group through dehydrohalogenation condensation reaction and direct covalent attachment of C60. 2) Demonstrating alternative method to anchor carbon nanotubes to solid substrates directly through the carbon cage.. This project targets surface modification of silicon and gold substrates with amine-terminated organic monolayers and the covalent attachment of nonfunctionalized and carboxylic acid-functionalized carbon nanotubes. 3) Designing a universal method for the modular functionalization of zinc oxide surface for the chemical protection of material morphology.. This project involves surface modification of zinc oxide nanopowder under vacuum condition with propiolic acid, followed by "click" reaction. A combination of spectroscopy and microscopy techniques was utilized to study the surface functionalization and assembly processes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of fight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) were employed to elucidate the chemical structure of the modified surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were combined to obtain the surface morphological information. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to confirm the experimental results and to suggest plausible reaction mechanisms. Other complementary techniques for these projects also include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to identify the chemical species on the surface and charge-carrier lifetime measurements to evaluate the electronic property of C60-modified silicon surface.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Winnerl, Andrea; Pereira, Rui N.; Stutzmann, Martin
2017-05-01
In this work, we use conductance and contact potential difference photo-transient data to study the influence of the growth technique, doping, and crystal polarity on the kinetics of photo-generated charges in GaN. We found that the processes, and corresponding time scales, involved in the decay of charge carriers generated at and close to the GaN surface via photo-excitation are notably independent of the growth technique, doping (n- and p-types), and also crystal polarity. Hence, the transfer of photo-generated charges from band states back to surface states proceeds always by hopping via shallow defect states in the space-charge region (SCR) close to the surface. Concerning the charge carrier photo-generation kinetics, we observe considerable differences between samples grown with different techniques. While for GaN grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, the accumulation of photo-conduction electrons results mainly from a combined trapping-hopping process (slow), where photo-generated electrons hop via shallow defect states to the conduction band (CB), in hydride vapor phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy materials, a faster direct process involving electron transfer via CB states is also present. The time scales of both processes are quite insensitive to the doping level and crystal polarity. However, these processes become irrelevant for very high doping levels (both n- and p-types), where the width of the SCR is much smaller than the photon penetration depth, and therefore, most charge carriers are generated outside the SCR.
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The Impact of Sonication on the Surface Quality of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.
Koh, Byumseok; Cheng, Wei
2015-08-01
Sonication process is regularly adopted for dispersing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in an aqueous medium. This can be achieved by either covalent functionalization of SWCNTs with strong acid or by noncovalent functionalization using dispersants that adsorb onto the surface of SWCNTs during dispersion. Because the dispersion process is usually performed using sonication, unintentional free radical formation during sonication process may induce covalent modification of SWCNT surface. Herein, we have systematically investigated the status of SWCNT surface modification under various sonication conditions using Raman spectroscopy. Comparing ID /IG (Raman intensities between D and G bands) ratio of SWCNTs under various sonication conditions suggests that typical sonication conditions (1-6 h bath sonication with sonication power between 3 and 80 W) in aqueous media do not induce covalent modification of SWCNT surface. In addition, we confirm that SWCNT dispersion with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) involves noncovalent adsorption of ssDNA onto the surface of SWCNTs, but not covalent linkage between ssDNA and SWCNT surface. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.
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Probing the effects of surface hydrophobicity and tether orientation on antibody-antigen binding
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bush, Derek B.; Knotts, Thomas A.
2017-04-01
Antibody microarrays have the potential to revolutionize molecular detection for many applications, but their current use is limited by poor reliability, and efforts to change this have not yielded fruitful results. One difficulty which limits the rational engineering of next-generation devices is that little is known, at the molecular level, about the antibody-antigen binding process near solid surfaces. Atomic-level structural information is scant because typical experimental techniques (X-ray crystallography and NMR) cannot be used to image proteins bound to surfaces. To overcome this limitation, this study uses molecular simulation and an advanced, experimentally validated, coarse-grain, protein-surface model to compare fab-lysozyme binding in bulk solution and when the fab is tethered to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. The results show that the tether site in the fab, as well as the surface hydrophobicity, significantly impacts the binding process and suggests that the optimal design involves tethering fabs upright on a hydrophilic surface. The results offer an unprecedented, molecular-level picture of the binding process and give hope that the rational design of protein-microarrays is possible.
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Structural and functional analyses of human cerebral cortex using a surface-based atlas
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Van Essen, D. C.; Drury, H. A.
1997-01-01
We have analyzed the geometry, geography, and functional organization of human cerebral cortex using surface reconstructions and cortical flat maps of the left and right hemispheres generated from a digital atlas (the Visible Man). The total surface area of the reconstructed Visible Man neocortex is 1570 cm2 (both hemispheres), approximately 70% of which is buried in sulci. By linking the Visible Man cerebrum to the Talairach stereotaxic coordinate space, the locations of activation foci reported in neuroimaging studies can be readily visualized in relation to the cortical surface. The associated spatial uncertainty was empirically shown to have a radius in three dimensions of approximately 10 mm. Application of this approach to studies of visual cortex reveals the overall patterns of activation associated with different aspects of visual function and the relationship of these patterns to topographically organized visual areas. Our analysis supports a distinction between an anterior region in ventral occipito-temporal cortex that is selectively involved in form processing and a more posterior region (in or near areas VP and V4v) involved in both form and color processing. Foci associated with motion processing are mainly concentrated in a region along the occipito-temporal junction, the ventral portion of which overlaps with foci also implicated in form processing. Comparisons between flat maps of human and macaque monkey cerebral cortex indicate significant differences as well as many similarities in the relative sizes and positions of cortical regions known or suspected to be homologous in the two species.
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Zheng, Wei; Liu, Xiao; Hanbicki, Aubrey T.; ...
2015-10-19
Nonlinear magneto-plasmonics (NMP) describes systems where nonlinear optics, magnetics and plasmonics are all involved. In such systems, nonlinear magneto-optical Kerr effect (nonlinear MOKE) plays an important role as a characterization method, and Surface Plasmons (SPs) work as catalyst to induce many new effects. Magnetization-induced second-harmonic generation (MSHG) is the major nonlinear magneto-optical process involved. The new effects include enhanced MSHG, controlled and enhanced magnetic contrast, etc. Nanostructures such as thin films, nanoparticles, nanogratings, and nanoarrays are critical for the excitation of SPs, which makes NMP an interdisciplinary research field in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this review article, we organize recentmore » work in this field into two categories: surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) representing propagating surface plasmons, and localized surface plasmons (LSPs), also called particle plasmons. We review the structures, experiments, findings, and the applications of NMP from various groups.« less
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Electric-field enhanced performance in catalysis and solid-state devices involving gases
Blackburn, Bryan M.; Wachsman, Eric D.; Van Assche, IV, Frederick Martin
2015-05-19
Electrode configurations for electric-field enhanced performance in catalysis and solid-state devices involving gases are provided. According to an embodiment, electric-field electrodes can be incorporated in devices such as gas sensors and fuel cells to shape an electric field provided with respect to sensing electrodes for the gas sensors and surfaces of the fuel cells. The shaped electric fields can alter surface dynamics, system thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and adsorption/desorption processes. In one embodiment, ring-shaped electric-field electrodes can be provided around sensing electrodes of a planar gas sensor.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bulutsuz, A. G., E-mail: asligunaya@gmail.com; Demircioglu, P., E-mail: pinar.demircioglu@adu.edu.tr; Bogrekci, I., E-mail: ismail.bogrekci@adu.edu.tr
Foreign substances and organic tissue interaction placed into the jaw in order to eliminate tooth loss involves a highly complex process. Many biological reactions take place as well as the biomechanical forces that influence this formation. Osseointegration denotes to the direct structural and functional association between the living bone and the load-bearing artificial implant's surface. Taking into consideration of the requirements in the manufacturing processes of the implants, surface characterizations with high precise measurement techniques are investigated and thus long-term success of dental implant is emphasized on the importance of these processes in this study. In this research, the detailedmore » surface characterization was performed to identify the dependence of the manufacturing techniques on the surface properties by using the image processing methods and using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) for morphological properties in 3D and Taylor Hobson stylus profilometer for roughness properties in 2D. Three implant surfaces fabricated by different manufacturing techniques were inspected, and a machined surface was included into the study as a reference specimen. The results indicated that different surface treatments were strongly influenced surface morphology. Thus 2D and 3D precise inspection techniques were highlighted on the importance for surface characterization. Different image analyses techniques such as Dark-light technique were used to verify the surface measurement results. The computational phase was performed using image processing toolbox in Matlab with precise evaluation of the roughness for the implant surfaces. The relationship between the number of black and white pixels and surface roughness is presented. FFT image processing and analyses results explicitly imply that the technique is useful in the determination of surface roughness. The results showed that the number of black pixels in the image increases with increase in surface roughness.« less
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Memory for non-native language: the role of lexical processing in the retention of surface form.
Sampaio, Cristina; Konopka, Agnieszka E
2013-01-01
Research on memory for native language (L1) has consistently shown that retention of surface form is inferior to that of gist (e.g., Sachs, 1967). This paper investigates whether the same pattern is found in memory for non-native language (L2). We apply a model of bilingual word processing to more complex linguistic structures and predict that memory for L2 sentences ought to contain more surface information than L1 sentences. Native and non-native speakers of English were tested on a set of sentence pairs with different surface forms but the same meaning (e.g., "The bullet hit/struck the bull's eye"). Memory for these sentences was assessed with a cued recall procedure. Responses showed that native and non-native speakers did not differ in the accuracy of gist-based recall but that non-native speakers outperformed native speakers in the retention of surface form. The results suggest that L2 processing involves more intensive encoding of lexical level information than L1 processing.
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A Novel Nonelectrolytic Process for Chromium and Nickel Coating
2015-06-01
thermal spraying and involves similar protocols for coating an object. The process proceeds after powder is injected into a plasma jet then superheated...HVOF) High velocity oxygen fuel coating is characteristic of a thermal spray coating process , enhancing anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties of...observations due to limited metal deposition on the surface during treatment. No powder particles were produced during this RES process . a. Optical
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An OSEE Based Portable Surface Contamination Monitor
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Perey, Daniel F.
1997-01-01
Many industrial and aerospace processes involving the joining of materials, require sufficient surface cleanliness to insure proper bonding. Processes as diverse as painting, welding, or the soldering of electronic circuits will be compromised if prior inspection and removal of surface contaminants is inadequate. As process requirements become more stringent and the number of different materials and identified contaminants increases, various instruments and techniques have been developed for improved inspection. One such technique based on the principle of Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE) has been explored for a number of years as a tool for surface contamination monitoring. Some of the benefits of OSEE are: it's non-contacting; requires little operator training; and has very high contamination sensitivity. This paper describes the development of a portable OSEE based surface contamination monitor. The instrument is suitable for both hand-held and robotic inspections with either manual or automated control of instrument operation. In addition, instrument output data is visually displayed to the operator and may be output to an external computer for archiving or analysis.
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Dimitrakellis, Panagiotis; Gogolides, Evangelos
2018-04-01
Hydrophobic surfaces are often used to reduce wetting of surfaces by water. In particular, superhydrophobic surfaces are highly desired for several applications due to their exceptional properties such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-friction and others. Such surfaces can be prepared via numerous methods including plasma technology, a dry technique with low environmental impact. Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) has recently attracted significant attention as lower-cost alternative to low-pressure plasmas, and as a candidate for continuous rather than batch processing. Although there are many reviews on water-repellent surfaces, and a few reviews on APP technology, there are hardly any review works on APP processing for hydrophobic and superhydrohobic surface fabrication, a topic of high importance in nanotechnology and interface science. Herein, we critically review the advances on hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surface fabrication using APP technology, trying also to give some perspectives in the field. After a short introduction to superhydrophobicity of nanostructured surfaces and to APPs we focus this review on three different aspects: (1) The atmospheric plasma reactor technology used for fabrication of (super)hydrophobic surfaces. (2) The APP process for hydrophobic surface preparation. The hydrophobic surface preparation processes are categorized methodologically as: a) activation, b) grafting, c) polymerization, d) roughening and hydrophobization. Each category includes subcategories related to different precursors used. (3) One of the most important sections of this review concerns superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated using APP. These are methodologically characterized as follows: a) single step processes where micro-nano textured topography and low surface energy coating are created at the same time, or b) multiple step processes, where these steps occur sequentially in or out of the plasma. We end the review with some perspectives in the field. We aspire to address scientists, who will get involved in the fields of (super)hydrophobicity and/or in atmospheric pressure plasma processing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kumbhar, N. N.; Mulay, A. V.
2016-08-01
The Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes open the possibility to go directly from Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to a physical prototype. These prototypes are used as test models before it is finalized as well as sometimes as a final product. Additive Manufacturing has many advantages over the traditional process used to develop a product such as allowing early customer involvement in product development, complex shape generation and also save time as well as money. Additive manufacturing also possess some special challenges that are usually worth overcoming such as Poor Surface quality, Physical Properties and use of specific raw material for manufacturing. To improve the surface quality several attempts had been made by controlling various process parameters of Additive manufacturing and also applying different post processing techniques on components manufactured by Additive manufacturing. The main objective of this work is to document an extensive literature review in the general area of post processing techniques which are used in Additive manufacturing.
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Microstructure and growth model for rice-hull-derived SiC whiskers
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nutt, Steven R.
1988-01-01
The microstructure of silicon carbide whiskers grown from rice hulls has been studied using methods of high-resolution analytical electron microscopy. Small, partially crystalline inclusions (about 10 nm) containing calcium, manganese, and oxygen are concentrated in whisker core regions, while peripheral regions are generally inclusion free. The distinct microphase distribution is evidence of a two-stage growth process in which the core region grows first, followed by normal growth toward whisker sides. Partial dislocations extend radially from the core region to the surface and tend to be paired in V-shaped configurations. Whisker surfaces exhibit microroughness due to a tendency to develop small facets on close-packed planes. The microstructural data obtained from TEM observations are used as a basis for discussion of the mechanisms involved in whisker growth, and a model of the growth process is proposed. The model includes a two-dimensional growth mechanism involving vapor, liquid, and solid phases, although it is significantly different from the classical vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process of whisker growth.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kuo, Kenneth K.; Lu, Yeu-Cherng; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Harting, George C.; Johnson, David K.; Serin, Nadir
1995-01-01
The experimental study on the fundamental processes involved in fuel decomposition and boundary-layer combustion in hybrid rocket motors is continuously being conducted at the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory of The Pennsylvania State University. This research will provide a useful engineering technology base in the development of hybrid rocket motors as well as a fundamental understanding of the complex processes involved in hybrid propulsion. A high-pressure, 2-D slab motor has been designed, manufactured, and utilized for conducting seven test firings using HTPB fuel processed at PSU. A total of 20 fuel slabs have been received from the Mcdonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation. Ten of these fuel slabs contain an array of fine-wire thermocouples for measuring solid fuel surface and subsurface temperatures. Diagnostic instrumentation used in the test include high-frequency pressure transducers for measuring static and dynamic motor pressures and fine-wire thermocouples for measuring solid fuel surface and subsurface temperatures. The ultrasonic pulse-echo technique as well as a real-time x-ray radiography system have been used to obtain independent measurements of instantaneous solid fuel regression rates.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kuo, Kenneth K.; Lu, Yeu-Cherng; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Harting, George C.; Johnson, David K.; Serin, Nadir
The experimental study on the fundamental processes involved in fuel decomposition and boundary-layer combustion in hybrid rocket motors is continuously being conducted at the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory of The Pennsylvania State University. This research will provide a useful engineering technology base in the development of hybrid rocket motors as well as a fundamental understanding of the complex processes involved in hybrid propulsion. A high-pressure, 2-D slab motor has been designed, manufactured, and utilized for conducting seven test firings using HTPB fuel processed at PSU. A total of 20 fuel slabs have been received from the Mcdonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation. Ten of these fuel slabs contain an array of fine-wire thermocouples for measuring solid fuel surface and subsurface temperatures. Diagnostic instrumentation used in the test include high-frequency pressure transducers for measuring static and dynamic motor pressures and fine-wire thermocouples for measuring solid fuel surface and subsurface temperatures. The ultrasonic pulse-echo technique as well as a real-time x-ray radiography system have been used to obtain independent measurements of instantaneous solid fuel regression rates.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cobo, S. J.; Rainforth, W. M.
2008-10-01
The hot rolling of austenitic stainless steels in Steckel Mills introduces particular characteristics to the development of oxides scales and surface structures. In this work, the formation of oxide structures during multipass hot rolling of 302 steel was studied under different sets of processing parameters in a laboratory system designed for the simulation of the Steckel process. The resulting surface structures were characterized by a set of complementary techniques involving scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and glow discharge optical spectroscopy (GDOS). The surface analysis revealed two alternative surface structures: one consisting in a thin protective oxide layer rich in Cr2O3 and the other consisting in thick complex structures containing several successive nonprotective oxide scale and metal layers resulting from a cyclic oxidation pattern involving stages of protective oxidation, chemical breakaway, and duplex oxidation. The critical condition that determined the activation of one mechanism or the other was identified associated with the parabolic rate constant for Cr2O3 growth and the diffusivity of Cr in the alloy. The effects of changes in temperature, deformation, and furnace atmosphere are discussed. Alternatives for controlling scale development are presented.
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Hydrodynamic skin-friction reduction
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reed, Jason C. (Inventor); Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor); Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)
1991-01-01
A process for reducing skin friction, inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence, and decreasing heat transfer in a system involving flow of a liquid along a surface of a body includes applying a substantially integral sheet of a gas, e.g., air, immediately adjacent to the surface of the body, e.g., a marine vehicle, which has a longitudinally grooved surface in proximity with the liquid and with a surface material having high contact angle between the liquid and said wall to reduce interaction of the liquid, e.g., water, with the surface of the body, e.g., the hull of the marine vehicle.
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Liao, Y; Williams, T J; Ye, J; Charlesworth, J; Burns, B P; Poljak, A; Raftery, M J; Cavicchioli, R
2016-11-22
Biofilms enhance rates of gene exchange, access to specific nutrients, and cell survivability. Haloarchaea in Deep Lake, Antarctica, are characterized by high rates of intergenera gene exchange, metabolic specialization that promotes niche adaptation, and are exposed to high levels of UV-irradiation in summer. Halorubrum lacusprofundi from Deep Lake has previously been reported to form biofilms. Here we defined growth conditions that promoted the formation of biofilms and used microscopy and enzymatic digestion of extracellular material to characterize biofilm structures. Extracellular DNA was found to be critical to biofilms, with cell surface proteins and quorum sensing also implicated in biofilm formation. Quantitative proteomics was used to define pathways and cellular processes involved in forming biofilms; these included enhanced purine synthesis and specific cell surface proteins involved in DNA metabolism; post-translational modification of cell surface proteins; specific pathways of carbon metabolism involving acetyl-CoA; and specific responses to oxidative stress. The study provides a new level of understanding about the molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation of this important member of the Deep Lake community.
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Liao, Y.; Williams, T. J.; Ye, J.; Charlesworth, J.; Burns, B. P.; Poljak, A.; Raftery, M. J.; Cavicchioli, R.
2016-01-01
Biofilms enhance rates of gene exchange, access to specific nutrients, and cell survivability. Haloarchaea in Deep Lake, Antarctica, are characterized by high rates of intergenera gene exchange, metabolic specialization that promotes niche adaptation, and are exposed to high levels of UV-irradiation in summer. Halorubrum lacusprofundi from Deep Lake has previously been reported to form biofilms. Here we defined growth conditions that promoted the formation of biofilms and used microscopy and enzymatic digestion of extracellular material to characterize biofilm structures. Extracellular DNA was found to be critical to biofilms, with cell surface proteins and quorum sensing also implicated in biofilm formation. Quantitative proteomics was used to define pathways and cellular processes involved in forming biofilms; these included enhanced purine synthesis and specific cell surface proteins involved in DNA metabolism; post-translational modification of cell surface proteins; specific pathways of carbon metabolism involving acetyl-CoA; and specific responses to oxidative stress. The study provides a new level of understanding about the molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation of this important member of the Deep Lake community. PMID:27874045
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Cleaning By Blasting With Pellets Of Dry Ice
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fody, Jody
1993-01-01
Dry process strips protective surface coats from parts to be cleaned, without manual scrubbing. Does not involve use of flammable or toxic solvents. Used to remove coats from variety of materials, including plastics, ceramics, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and composites. Adds no chemical-pollution problem to problem of disposal of residue of coating material. Process consists of blasting solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) pellets at surface to be cleaned. Pellets sublime on impact and pass into atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas. Size, harness, velocity, and quantity of pellets adjusted to suit coating material and substrate.
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Laminar Soot Processes (Lsp) Experiment: Findings From Ground-Based Measurements
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kim, C. H.; El-Leathy, A. M.; Faeth, G. M.; Xu, F.
2003-01-01
Processes of soot formation and oxidation must be understood in order to achieve reliable computational combustion calculations for nonpremixed (diffusion) flames involving hydrocarbon fuels. Motivated by this observation, the present investigation extended earlier work on soot formation and oxidation in laminar jet ethylene/air and methane/oxygen premixed and acetylene-nitrogen/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure in this laboratory, emphasizing soot surface growth and early soot surface oxidation in laminar diffusion flames fueled with a variety of hydrocarbons at pressures in the range 0.1 - 1.0 atm.
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Enhanced nitrogen diffusion induced by atomic attrition
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ochoa, E.A.; Figueroa, C.A.; Czerwiec, T.
2006-06-19
The nitrogen diffusion in steel is enhanced by previous atomic attrition with low energy xenon ions. The noble gas bombardment generates nanoscale texture surfaces and stress in the material. The atomic attrition increases nitrogen diffusion at lower temperatures than the ones normally used in standard processes. The stress causes binding energy shifts of the Xe 3d{sub 5/2} electron core level. The heavy ion bombardment control of the texture and stress of the material surfaces may be applied to several plasma processes where diffusing species are involved.
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Self-Cleaning Surfaces Prepared By Microstructuring System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sabbah, Abbas; Vandeparre, H.; Brau, F.; Damman, P.
The wettability of materials is a very important aspect of surface science governed by the chemical composition of the surface and its morphology. In this context, materials replicating nature's superhydrophobic surfaces, such as lotus leafs, rose petals and butterfly wings, have widely attracted attention of physicists and material engineers [1-3]. Despite of considerable efforts during the last decade, superhydrophobic surfaces are still expensive and usually involved microfabrication processes, such as photolithography technique. In this study, we propose an original and simple method to create superhydrophobic surfaces by controling elastic instabilities [4-8]. Indeed, we demonstrate that the self-organization of wrinkles on top of non-wettable polymer surfaces leads to surperhydrophobic surfaces.
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Acetone and Water on TiO₂(110): H/D Exchange
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Henderson, Michael A.
2005-04-12
Isotopic H/D exchange between coadsorbed acetone and water on the TiO?(110) surface was examined using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) as a function of coverage and two surface pretreatments (oxidation and reduction). Coadsorbed acetone and water interact repulsively on reduced TiO?(110) based on results from the companion paper to this study, with water exerting a greater influence in destabilizing acetone and acetone having only a nominal influence on water. Despite the repulsive interaction between these coadsorbates, about 0.02 ML of a 1 ML d6-acetone on the reduced surface exhibits H/D exchange with coadsorbed water, with the exchange occurring exclusively in themore » high temperature region of the d?-acetone TPD spectrum at {approx}340 K. The effect was confirmed with combinations of d?-acetone and D?O. The extent of exchange decreased on the reduced surface with water coverages above {approx}0.3 ML due to the ability of water to displace coadsorbed acetone from first layer sites to the multilayer. In contrast, the extent of exchange increased by a factor of 3 when the surface was pre-oxidized prior to coadsorption. In this case, there was no evidence for the negative influence of high water coverages on the extent of H/D exchange. Comparison of the TPD spectra from the exchange products (either d?- or d?-acetone depending on the coadsorption pairing) suggests that, in addition to the 340 K exchange process seen on the reduced surface, a second exchange process was observed on the oxidized surface at {approx}390 K. In both cases (oxidized and reduced), desorption of the H/D exchange products appeared to be reaction limited and to involve the influence of OH/OD groups (or water formed during recombinative desorption of OH/OD groups) instead of molecularly adsorbed water. The 340 K exchange process is assigned to reaction at step sites and the 390 K exchange process is attributed to the influence of oxygen adatoms deposited during surface oxidation. The H/D exchange mechanism likely involves an enolate or propenol surface intermediate formed transiently during the desorption of oxygen-stabilized acetone molecules.« less
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The surface tension of liquid gallium
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hardy, S. C.
1985-01-01
The surface tension of liquid gallium has been measured using the sessile drop technique in an Auger spectrometer. The experimental method is described. The surface tension in mJ/sq m is found to decrease linearly with increasing temperature and may be represented as 708-0.66(T-29.8), where T is the temperature in centigrade. This result is of interest because gallium has been suggested as a model fluid for Marangoni flow experiments. In addition, the surface tension is of technological significance in the processing of compound semiconductors involving gallium.
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Permanent wire splicing by an explosive joining process
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bement, Laurence J. (Inventor); Kushnick, Anne C. (Inventor)
1991-01-01
The invention is an apparatus and method for wire splicing using an explosive joining process. The apparatus consists of a prebent, U-shaped strap of metal that slides over prepositioned wires. A standoff means separates the wires from the strap before joining. An adhesive means holds two ribbon explosives in position centered over the U-shaped strap. A detonating means connects to the ribbon explosives. The process involves spreading strands of each wire to be joined into a flat plane. The process then requires alternating each strand in alignment to form a mesh-like arrangement with an overlapped area. The strap slides over the strands of the wires, and the standoff means is positioned between the two surfaces. The detonating means then initiates the ribbon explosives that drive the strap to accomplish a high velocity, angular collision between the mating surfaces. This collision creates surface melts and collision bonding results in electron sharing linkups.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ngo, Chi-Vinh; Chun, Doo-Man
2018-03-01
Recently, controlling the wettability of a metallic surface so that it is either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic has become important for many applications. However, conventional techniques require long fabrication times or involve toxic chemicals. Herein, through a combination of pulse laser ablation and simple post-processing, the surface of aluminum was controlled to either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic in a short time of only a few hours. In this study, grid patterns were first fabricated on aluminum using a nanosecond pulsed laser, and then additional post-processing without any chemicals was used. Under heat treatment, the surface became superhydrophobic with a contact angle (CA) greater than 150° and a sliding angle (SA) lower than 10°. Conversely, when immersed in boiling water, the surface became superhydrophilic with a low contact angle. The mechanism for wettability change was also explained. The surfaces, obtained in a short time with environmentally friendly fabrication and without the use of toxic chemicals, could potentially be applied in various industry and manufacturing applications such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, and biomedical devices.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Han, Xuesong; Li, Haiyan; Zhao, Fu
2017-07-01
Particle-fluid based surface generation process has already become one of the most important materials processing technology for many advanced materials such as optical crystal, ceramics and so on. Most of the particle-fluid based surface generation technology involves two key process: chemical reaction which is responsible for surface softening; physical behavior which is responsible for materials removal/deformation. Presently, researchers cannot give a reasonable explanation about the complex process in the particle-fluid based surface generation technology because of the small temporal-spatial scale and the concurrent influence of physical-chemical process. Molecular dynamics (MD) method has already been proved to be a promising approach for constructing effective model of atomic scale phenomenon and can serve as a predicting simulation tool in analyzing the complex surface generation mechanism and is employed in this research to study the essence of surface generation. The deformation and piles of water molecule is induced with the feeding of abrasive particle which justifies the property mutation of water at nanometer scale. There are little silica molecule aggregation or materials removal because the water-layer greatly reduce the strength of mechanical interaction between particle and materials surface and minimize the stress concentration. Furthermore, chemical effect is also observed at the interface: stable chemical bond is generated between water and silica which lead to the formation of silconl and the reaction rate changes with the amount of water molecules in the local environment. Novel ring structure is observed in the silica surface and it is justified to be favored of chemical reaction with water molecule. The siloxane bond formation process quickly strengthened across the interface with the feeding of abrasive particle because of the compressive stress resulted by the impacting behavior.
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Dusty Plasmas on the Lunar Surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Horanyi, M.; Andersson, L.; Colwell, J.; Ergun, R.; Gruen, E.; McClintock, B.; Peterson, W. K.; Robertson, S.; Sternovsky, Z.; Wang, X.
2006-12-01
The electrostatic levitation and transport of lunar dust remains one of the most interesting and controversial science issues from the Apollo era. This issue is also of great engineering importance in designing human habitats and protecting optical and mechanical devices. As function of time and location, the lunar surface is exposed to solar wind plasma, UV radiation, and/or the plasma environment of our magnetosphere. Dust grains on the lunar surface collect an electrostatic charge; alter the large-scale surface charge density distribution, ?and subsequently develop an interface region to the background plasma and radiation. There are several in situ and remote sensing observations that indicate that dusty plasma processes are likely to be responsible for the mobilization and transport of lunar soil. These processes are relevant to: a) understanding the lunar surface environment; b) develop dust mitigation strategies; c) to understand the basic physical processes involved in the birth and collapse of dust loaded plasma sheaths. This talk will focus on the dusty plasma processes on the lunar surface. We will review the existing body of observations, and will also consider future opportunities for the combination of in situ and remote sensing observations. Our goals are to characterize: a) the temporal variation of the spatial and size distributions of the levitated/transported dust; and b) the surface plasma environment
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fogg, L. C.; Stringham, R. S.; Toy, M. S.
1980-01-01
Flame resistance treatment for acid resistant polyamide fibers involving photoaddition of fluorocarbons to surface has been scaled up to treat 10 yards of commercial width (41 in.) fabric. Process may be applicable to other low cost polyamides, polyesters, and textiles.
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Apparatus and method for carbon fiber surface treatment
Paulauskas, Felix L; Sherman, Daniel M
2014-06-03
An apparatus and method for enhancing the surface energy and/or surface chemistry of carbon fibers involves exposing the fibers to direct or indirect contact with atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a background gas containing at least some oxygen or other reactive species. The fiber may be exposed directly to the plasma, provided that the plasma is nonfilamentary, or the fiber may be exposed indirectly through contact with gases exhausting from a plasma discharge maintained in a separate volume. In either case, the process is carried out at or near atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the need for vacuum equipment. The process may be further modified by moistening the fibers with selected oxygen-containing liquids before exposure to the plasma.
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Apparatus and method for carbon fiber surface treatment
Paulauskas, Felix L [Knoxville, TN; Sherman, Daniel M [Knoxville, TN
2012-07-24
An apparatus and method for enhancing the surface energy and/or surface chemistry of carbon fibers involves exposing the fibers to direct or indirect contact with atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a background gas containing at least some oxygen or other reactive species. The fiber may be exposed directly to the plasma, provided that the plasma is nonfilamentary, or the fiber may be exposed indirectly through contact with gases exhausting from a plasma discharge maintained in a separate volume. In either case, the process is carried out at or near atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the need for vacuum equipment. The process may be further modified by moistening the fibers with selected oxygen-containing liquids before exposure to the plasma.
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Computed potential energy surfaces for chemical reactions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Walch, Stephen P.
1994-01-01
Quantum mechanical methods have been used to compute potential energy surfaces for chemical reactions. The reactions studied were among those believed to be important to the NASP and HSR programs and included the recombination of two H atoms with several different third bodies; the reactions in the thermal Zeldovich mechanism; the reactions of H atom with O2, N2, and NO; reactions involved in the thermal De-NO(x) process; and the reaction of CH(squared Pi) with N2 (leading to 'prompt NO'). These potential energy surfaces have been used to compute reaction rate constants and rates of unimolecular decomposition. An additional application was the calculation of transport properties of gases using a semiclassical approximation (and in the case of interactions involving hydrogen inclusion of quantum mechanical effects).
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Processing of materials for uniform field emission
Pam, L.S.; Felter, T.E.; Talin, A.; Ohlberg, D.; Fox, C.; Han, S.
1999-01-12
This method produces a field emitter material having a uniform electron emitting surface and a low turn-on voltage. Field emitter materials having uniform electron emitting surfaces as large as 1 square meter and turn-on voltages as low as 16V/{micro}m can be produced from films of electron emitting materials such as polycrystalline diamond, diamond-like carbon, graphite and amorphous carbon by the method of the present invention. The process involves conditioning the surface of a field emitter material by applying an electric field to the surface, preferably by scanning the surface of the field emitter material with an electrode maintained at a fixed distance of at least 3 {micro}m above the surface of the field emitter material and at a voltage of at least 500V. In order to enhance the uniformity of electron emission the step of conditioning can be preceded by ion implanting carbon, nitrogen, argon, oxygen or hydrogen into the surface layers of the field emitter material. 2 figs.
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Processing of materials for uniform field emission
Pam, Lawrence S.; Felter, Thomas E.; Talin, Alec; Ohlberg, Douglas; Fox, Ciaran; Han, Sung
1999-01-01
This method produces a field emitter material having a uniform electron emitting surface and a low turn-on voltage. Field emitter materials having uniform electron emitting surfaces as large as 1 square meter and turn-on voltages as low as 16V/.mu.m can be produced from films of electron emitting materials such as polycrystalline diamond, diamond-like carbon, graphite and amorphous carbon by the method of the present invention. The process involves conditioning the surface of a field emitter material by applying an electric field to the surface, preferably by scanning the surface of the field emitter material with an electrode maintained at a fixed distance of at least 3 .mu.m above the surface of the field emitter material and at a voltage of at least 500V. In order to enhance the uniformity of electron emission the step of conditioning can be preceeded by ion implanting carbon, nitrogen, argon, oxygen or hydrogen into the surface layers of the field emitter material.
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Effects of Small Polar Molecules (MA+ and H2O) on Degradation Processes of Perovskite Solar Cells.
Ma, Chunqing; Shen, Dong; Qing, Jian; Thachoth Chandran, Hrisheekesh; Lo, Ming-Fai; Lee, Chun-Sing
2017-05-03
Degradation mechanisms of methylammonium lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have drawn much attention recently. Herein, the bulk and surface degradation processes of the perovskite were differentiated for the first time by employing combinational studies using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), capacitance frequency (CF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies with particular attention on the roles of small polar molecules (MA + and H 2 O). CF study shows that short-circuit current density of the PSCs is increased by H 2 O at the beginning of the degradation process coupled with an increased surface capacitance. On the basis of EIS and XRD analysis, we show that the bulk degradation of PSCs involves a lattice expansion process, which facilitates MA + ion diffusion by creating more efficient channels. These results provide a better understanding of the roles of small polar molecules on degradation processes in the bulk and on the surface of the perovskite film.
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Data requirements for verification of ram glow chemistry
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Swenson, G. R.; Mende, S. B.
1985-01-01
A set of questions is posed regarding the surface chemistry producing the ram glow on the space shuttle. The questions surround verification of the chemical cycle involved in the physical processes leading to the glow. The questions, and a matrix of measurements required for most answers, are presented. The measurements include knowledge of the flux composition to and from a ram surface as well as spectroscopic signatures from the U to visible to IR. A pallet set of experiments proposed to accomplish the measurements is discussed. An interim experiment involving an available infrared instrument to be operated from the shuttle Orbiter cabin is also be discussed.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Jia, Y.F.; Thomas, K.M.
Various types of oxygen functional groups were introduced onto the surface of coconut shell derived activated carbon by oxidation using nitric acid. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and selective neutralization were used to characterize the surface oxygen functional groups. The oxidized carbons were also heat treated to provide a suite of carbons where the oxygen functional groups of various thermal stabilities were varied progressively. The adsorption of cadmium ions was enhanced dramatically by oxidation of the carbon. The ratio of released protons to adsorbed cadmium ions on oxidized carbon was approximately 2, indicating cation exchange was involved inmore » the process of adsorption. Na{sup +} exchange studies with the oxidized carbon gave a similar ratio. After heat treatment of the oxidized carbons to remove oxygen functional groups, the ratio of H{sup +} released to Cd{sup 2+} adsorbed and the adsorption capacity decreased significantly. Both reversible and irreversible processes were involved in cadmium ion adsorption with reversible adsorption having higher enthalpy. The irreversible adsorption resulted from cation exchange with carboxylic acid groups, whereas the reversible adsorption probably involved physisorption of the partially hydrated cadmium ion.« less
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Role of functional groups on Aspergillus niger biomass in the detoxification of hexavalent chromium.
Narvekar, Sneha; Vaidya, Varsha K
2009-10-01
Chromium (VI) contamination is not uncommon, especially near industries involved in leather tanning, chrome painting, metal cleaning and processing, wood preservation and alloy preparation. The mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of Chromium (VI) necessitate effective remedial processes. Difficulties associated with chemical and physical techniques to remediate a Chromium (VI) contaminated site to EPA recommended level (50 ppm), in addition to higher costs involved, assert the need for bioremedial measures. Biosorption can be one such solution to clean up heavy metal contamination. The objective of this study was to examine the main aspects of a possible strategy for the removal of Chromium (VI), employing Aspergillus niger biomass. The roles played by amines, carboxylic acids, phosphates, in Chromium (VI) biosorption were studied. Amino and the carboxy groups on the fungal cell wall play an important role in sorption. However, the role of carboxy group was far less than amino group. Surface adsorption of Chromium (VI) was also seen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) thus indicating involvement of ion-exchange and surface adsorption mechanism in removal of Chromium (VI) ions.
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Investigation of wear phenomena by microscopy
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Buckley, D. H.
1982-01-01
The various wear mechanisms involved in the loss of material from metallic and nonmetallic surfaces are discussed. The results presented indicate how various microscopy techniques used in conjunction with other analytical tools can assist in the elucidation of a wear mechanism. Without question, microscopy is the single most important tool for the study of the wear of surfaces, to assess and address inherent mechanisms of the material removal process.
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Genome Wide assessment of Early Osseointegration in Implant-Adherent Cells
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thalji, Ghadeer N.
Objectives: To determine the molecular processes involved in osseointegration. Materials and methods: A structured literature review concerning in vitro and in vivo molecular assessment of osseointegration was performed. A rat and a human model were then used to identify the early molecular processes involved in osseointegration associated with a micro roughened and nanosurface superimposed featured implants. In the rat model, 32 titanium implants with surface topographies exhibiting a micro roughened (AT-II) and nanosurface superimposed featured implants (AT-I) were placed in the tibiae of 8 rats and subsequently harvested at 2 and 4 days after placement. Whereas in the human model, four titanium mini-implants with either a moderately roughened surface (TiOblast) or super-imposed nanoscale topography (Osseospeed) were placed in edentulous sites of eleven systemically healthy subjects and subsequently removed after 3 and 7 days. Total RNA was isolated from cells adherent to retrieved implants. A whole genome microarray using the Affymetrix 1.1 ST Array platform was used to describe the gene expression profiles that were differentially regulated by the implant surfaces. Results: The literature review provided evidence that particular topographic cues can be specifically integrated among the many extracellular signals received by the cell in its signal transduction network. In the rat model, functionally relevant categories related to ossification, skeletal system development, osteoblast differentiation, bone development and biomineral tissue development were upregulated and more prominent at AT-I compared to AT-II. In the human model, there were no significant differences when comparing the two-implant surfaces at each time point. However, the microarray identified several genes that were differentially regulated at day 7 vs. day 3 for both implant surfaces. Functionally relevant categories related to the extracellular matrix, collagen fibril organization and angiogenesis were upregulated at both surfaces. Abundant upregulation of several differential markers of alternative activated macrophages was also observed. The biological processes involved with the inflammatory/immune response gene expression were concomitantly downregulated. Conclusions: The presence of micro-roughened and nanosurface features modulated in vivo bone response. This work confirms previous evaluations and further implicates modulation of the inflammatory/immune responses as a factor affecting the accrual of bone mass shortly after implant placement.
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Process for preparing organoclays for aqueous and polar-organic systems
Chaiko, David J.
2001-01-01
A process for preparing organoclays as thixotropic agents to control the rheology of water-based paints and other aqueous and polar-organic systems. The process relates to treating low-grade clay ores to achieve highly purified organoclays and/or to incorporate surface modifying agents onto the clay by adsorption and/or to produce highly dispersed organoclays without excessive grinding or high shear dispersion. The process involves the treatment of impure, or run-of-mine, clay using an aqueous biphasic extraction system to produce a highly dispersed clay, free of mineral impurities and with modified surface properties brought about by adsorption of the water-soluble polymers used in generating the aqueous biphasic extraction system. This invention purifies the clay to greater than 95%.
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Downdraft outflows: climatological potential to influence fire behaviour
Brian E. Potter; Jaime R. Hernandez
2017-01-01
Sudden wind shifts caused by atmospheric gust fronts can lead to firefighter entrapments and fatalities. In this study, we describe the physical processes involved in the related phenomena of convective downdrafts, gust fronts and downbursts. We focus on the dominant process, evaporative cooling in a dry surface layer, as characterised by the measure known as downdraft...
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Mineral resource of the month: sulfur
,
2010-01-01
The article presents information on sulfur. Sulfur is said to be among the few solid elements found in elemental form in nature and has industrial uses. Changes in the sulfur production process over the years are discussed as well as the mining process developed by German engineer Herman Frasch that involves melting the sulfur underground and pumping it to the surface.
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Waterflooding employing surfactants produced in situ
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Foster, W.R.
1975-11-25
A waterflooding process involving the injection of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal fluoride and an alkaline agent to convert divalent metal soaps within the reservoir to the corresponding surface-active monovalent metal soaps is described. (auth)
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Internalization of fresh produce by foodborne pathogens.
Erickson, Marilyn C
2012-01-01
Recent studies addressing the internalization of fresh produce by foodborne pathogens arose in response to the growing number of recent and high profile outbreaks involving fresh produce. Because chemical sanitizing agents used during harvest and minimal processing are unlikely to reach enteric pathogens residing within plant tissue, it is imperative that paths for pathogen entry be recognized and minimized. Using both microscopy and microbial enumeration tools, enteric pathogens have been shown to enter plant tissues through both natural apertures (stomata, lateral junctions of roots, flowers) and damaged (wounds, cut surfaces) tissue. In studies revealing preharvest internalization via plant roots or leaf stomata, experimental conditions have primarily involved exposure of plants to high pathogen concentrations (≥ 6 log g⁻¹ soil or 6 log ml⁻¹ water), but those pathogens internalized appear to have short-term persistence. Postharvest internalization of pathogens via cut surfaces may be minimized by maintaining effective levels of sanitizing agents in waters during harvesting and minimal processing.
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Rare earth element scavenging in seawater
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Byrne, Robert H.; Kim, Ki-Hyun
1990-10-01
Examinations of rare earth element (REE) adsorption in seawater, using a variety of surface-types, indicated that, for most surfaces, light rare earth elements (LREEs) are preferentially adsorbed compared to the heavy rare earths (HREEs). Exceptions to this behavior were observed only for silica phases (glass surfaces, acid-cleaned diatomaceous earth, and synthetic SiO 2). The affinity of the rare earths for surfaces can be strongly affected by thin organic coatings. Glass surfaces which acquired an organic coating through immersion in Tampa Bay exhibited adsorptive behavior typical of organic-rich, rather than glass, surfaces. Models of rare earth distributions between seawater and carboxylate-rich surfaces indicate that scavenging processes which involve such surfaces should exhibit a strong dependence on pH and carbonate complexation. Scavenging models involving carboxylate surfaces produce relative REE abundance patterns in good general agreement with observed shale-normalized REE abundances in seawater. Scavenging by carboxylate-rich surfaces should produce HREE enrichments in seawater relative to the LREEs and may produce enrichments of lanthanum relative to its immediate trivalent neighbors. Due to the origin of distribution coefficients as a difference between REE solution complexation (which increases strongly with atomic number) and surface complexation (which apparently also increases with atomic number) the relative solution abundance patterns of the REEs produced by scavenging reactions can be quite complex.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lesley, Michael W.; Davis, Lawrence E.; Moulder, John F.; Carlson, Brad A.
1995-01-01
The role of surface-sensitive chemical analysis (ESCA, AES, and SIMS) in a study to select a process to replace 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane (TCA) vapor degreasing as a steel and aluminum bonding surface preparation method is described. The effort was primarily concerned with spray-in-air cleaning processes involving aqueous alkaline and semi-aqueous cleaners and a contamination sensitive epoxy-to-metal bondline. While all five cleaners tested produced bonding strength results equal to or better than those produced by vapor degreasing, the aqueous alkaline cleaners yielded results which were superior to those produced by the semi-aqueous cleaners. The main reason for the enhanced performance appears to be a silicate layer left behind by the aqueous alkaline cleaners. The silicate layer increases the polarity of the surface and enhances epoxy-to-metal bonding. On the other hand, one of the semi-aqueous cleaners left a nonpolar carbonaceous residue which appeared to have a negative effect on epoxy-to-metal bonding. Differences in cleaning efficiency between cleaners/processes were also identified. These differences in surface chemistry, which were sufficient to affect bonding, were not detected by conventional chemical analysis techniques.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Reddy, Vijeth V.; Vedantha Krishna, Amogh; Schultheiss, Fredrik; Rosén, B.-G.
2017-06-01
Manufactured surfaces usually consist of topographical features which include both those put forth by the manufacturing process, and micro-features caused by disturbances during this process. Surface characterization basically involves study of these features which influence the functionality of the surface. This article focuses on characterization of the surface topography of machined lead brass and lead free brass. The adverse effect of lead on human health and the environment has led the manufacturing sector to focus on sustainable manufacturing of lead free brass, as well as how to maintain control of the surface integrity when substituting the lead content in the brass with silicon. The investigation includes defined areal surface parameters measured on the turned samples of lead- and lead free brass using an optical coherence scanning interferometer, CSI. This paper deals with the study of surface topography of turned samples of lead- and lead free brass. It is important to study the topographical characteristics of the brass samples which are the intermediate link between the manufacturing process variables and the functional behaviour of the surface. To numerically evaluate the sample’s surface topography and to validate the measurements for a significant study, a general statistical methodology is implemented. The results indicate higher surface roughness in turned samples of lead brass compared to lead free brass.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Chen, Ying; Bylaska, Eric J.; Weare, John H.
Reactions in the mineral surface/reservoir fluid interface control many geochemical processes such as the dissolution and growth of minerals (Yanina and Rosso 2008), heterogeneous oxidation/reduction (Hochella 1990, Brown 2001, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008), and inorganic respiration (Newman 2010). Key minerals involved in these processes are the transition metal oxides and oxyhydroxides (e.g., hematite, Fe2O3, and goethite, FeOOH)(Brown, Henrich et al. 1999, Brown 2001, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008). To interpret and predict these processes, it is necessary to have a high level of understanding of the interactions between themore » formations containing these minerals and their reservoir fluids. However, these are complicated chemical events occurring under a wide range of T, P, and X conditions and the interpretation is complicated by the highly heterogeneous nature of natural environments (Hochella 1990, Hochella, Lower et al. 2008, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008) and the electronic and structural complexity of the oxide materials involved(Cox 1992, Kotliar and Vollhardt 2004, Navrotsky, Mazeina et al. 2008). In addition, also because of the complexity of the minerals involved and the heterogeneous nature of natural systems, the direct observation of these reactions at the atomic level is experimentally extremely difficult. Theoretical simulations will provide important support for analysis of the geochemistry of the mineral surface/fluid region as well as provide essential tools to extrapolate laboratory measurements to the field environment.« less
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HF-Release of Sacrificial Layers in CMOS-integrated MOEMS structures
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Döring, S.; Friedrichs, M.; Pufe, W.; Schulze, M.
2016-10-01
In this paper we will present details of the release process of SiO2 sacrificial layers we use within a multi-level MOEMS process developed by IPMS. Using such sacrificial layers gain a lot of benefits necessary for the production of high-end MOEMS devices like high surface quality and great surface planarity. However the HF-release of the sacrificial layer can be connected with specific issues. We present, which mechanisms are involved in the release process and how knowing them, can be the key for an optimized performance of the device. More-over we will present how to protect the CMOS backplane of our devices from unwanted HF attack during the release.
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McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.
1993-01-01
A process and structure involving a silicon substrate utilizes an ultra high vacuum and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) methods to grow an epitaxial oxide film upon a surface of the substrate. As the film is grown, the lattice of the compound formed at the silicon interface becomes stabilized, and a base layer comprised of an oxide having a sodium chloride-type lattice structure grows epitaxially upon the compound so as to cover the substrate surface. A perovskite may then be grown epitaxially upon the base layer to render a product which incorporates silicon, with its electronic capabilities, with a perovskite having technologically-significant properties of its own.
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Grossberg, Stephen; Hwang, Seungwoo; Mingolla, Ennio
2002-05-01
This article further develops the FACADE neural model of 3-D vision and figure-ground perception to quantitatively explain properties of the McCollough effect (ME). The model proposes that many ME data result from visual system mechanisms whose primary function is to adaptively align, through learning, boundary and surface representations that are positionally shifted due to the process of binocular fusion. For example, binocular boundary representations are shifted by binocular fusion relative to monocular surface representations, yet the boundaries must become positionally aligned with the surfaces to control binocular surface capture and filling-in. The model also includes perceptual reset mechanisms that use habituative transmitters in opponent processing circuits. Thus the model shows how ME data may arise from a combination of mechanisms that have a clear functional role in biological vision. Simulation results with a single set of parameters quantitatively fit data from 13 experiments that probe the nature of achromatic/chromatic and monocular/binocular interactions during induction of the ME. The model proposes how perceptual learning, opponent processing, and habituation at both monocular and binocular surface representations are involved, including early thalamocortical sites. In particular, it explains the anomalous ME utilizing these multiple processing sites. Alternative models of the ME are also summarized and compared with the present model.
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fMRI evidence for areas that process surface gloss in the human visual cortex
Sun, Hua-Chun; Ban, Hiroshi; Di Luca, Massimiliano; Welchman, Andrew E.
2015-01-01
Surface gloss is an important cue to the material properties of objects. Recent progress in the study of macaque’s brain has increased our understating of the areas involved in processing information about gloss, however the homologies with the human brain are not yet fully understood. Here we used human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements to localize brain areas preferentially responding to glossy objects. We measured cortical activity for thirty-two rendered three-dimensional objects that had either Lambertian or specular surface properties. To control for differences in image structure, we overlaid a grid on the images and scrambled its cells. We found activations related to gloss in the posterior fusiform sulcus (pFs) and in area V3B/KO. Subsequent analysis with Granger causality mapping indicated that V3B/KO processes gloss information differently than pFs. Our results identify a small network of mid-level visual areas whose activity may be important in supporting the perception of surface gloss. PMID:25490434
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Broekhuizen, K. E.; Thornberry, T.; Abbatt, J. P.
2003-12-01
The ability of organic aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) will be discussed. A variety of laboratory experiments will be presented which address several key questions concerning organic particle activation. Does the particle phase impact activation? How does surface tension play a role and can a trace amount of a surface active species impact activation? Does a trace amount of a highly soluble species impact the activation of organic particles of moderate to low solubility? Can the activation properties of organic aerosols be enhanced through oxidative processing? To systematically address these issues, the CCN activity of various diacids such as oxalic, malonic, succinic, adipic and azelaic acid have been studied, as well as the addition of trace amounts of nonanoic acid and ammonium sulfate to examine the roles of surface active and soluble species, respectively. The first examination of the role of oxidative processing on CCN activity has involved investigating the effect of ozone oxidation on the activity of oleic acid particles.
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Hydration of excess electrons trapped in charge pockets on molecular surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jalbout, Abraham F.; Del Castillo, R.; Adamowicz, Ludwik
2007-01-01
In this work we strive to design a novel electron trap located on a molecular surface. The process of electron trapping involves hydration of the trapped electron. Previous calculations on surface electron trapping revealed that clusters of OH groups can form stable hydrogen-bonded networks on one side of a hydrocarbon surface (i.e. cyclohexane sheets), while the hydrogen atoms on the opposite side of the surface form pockets of positive charge that can attract extra negative charge. The excess electron density on such surfaces can be further stabilized by interactions with water molecules. Our calculations show that these anionic systems are stable with respect to vertical electron detachment (VDE).
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Mechanisms of dust grain charging in plasma with allowance for electron emission processes
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Mol’kov, S. I.; Savin, V. N., E-mail: moped@onego.ru
2017-02-15
The process of dust grain charging is described with allowance for secondary, ion-induced, photoelectric, and thermal electron emission from the grain surface. The roughness of the grain surface is taken into account. An intermediate charging regime involving ion–atom collisions and electron ionization in the perturbed plasma region is analyzed using the moment equations and Poisson’s equation. A calculation method is proposed that allows one to take into account the influence of all the above effects and determine the radius of the plasma region perturbed by the dust grain.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Perey, D. F.
1996-01-01
Many industrial and aerospace processes involving the joining of materials, require sufficient surface cleanliness to insure proper bonding. Processes as diverse as painting, welding, or the soldering of electronic circuits will be compromised if prior inspection and removal of surface contaminants is inadequate. As process requirements become more stringent and the number of different materials and identified contaminants increases, various instruments and techniques have been developed for improved inspection. One such technique, based on the principle of Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE), has been explored for a number of years as a tool for surface contamination monitoring. Some of the benefits of OSEE are: it is non-contacting; requires little operator training; and has very high contamination sensitivity. This paper describes the development of a portable OSEE based surface contamination monitor. The instrument is suitable for both hand-held and robotic inspections with either manual or automated control of instrument operation. In addition, instrument output data is visually displayed to the operator and may be sent to an external computer for archiving or analysis.
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Ocean Biological Pump Sensitivities and Implications for Climate Change Impacts
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Romanou, Anastasia
2013-01-01
The ocean is one of the principal reservoirs of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and therefore plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate. Currently, the ocean sequesters about a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, mitigating the human impact on climate. At the same time, the deeper ocean represents the largest carbon pool in the Earth System and processes that describe the transfer of carbon from the surface of the ocean to depth are intimately linked to the effectiveness of carbon sequestration.The ocean biological pump (OBP), which involves several biogeochemical processes, is a major pathway for transfer of carbon from the surface mixed layer into the ocean interior. About 75 of the carbon vertical gradient is due to the carbon pump with only 25 attributed to the solubility pump. However, the relative importance and role of the two pumps is poorly constrained. OBP is further divided to the organic carbon pump (soft tissue pump) and the carbonate pump, with the former exporting about 10 times more carbon than the latter through processes like remineralization.Major uncertainties about OBP, and hence in the carbon uptake and sequestration, stem from uncertainties in processes involved in OBP such as particulate organicinorganic carbon sinkingsettling, remineralization, microbial degradation of DOC and uptakegrowth rate changes of the ocean biology. The deep ocean is a major sink of atmospheric CO2 in scales of hundreds to thousands of years, but how the export efficiency (i.e. the fraction of total carbon fixation at the surface that is transported at depth) is affected by climate change remains largely undetermined. These processes affect the ocean chemistry (alkalinity, pH, DIC, particulate and dissolved organic carbon) as well as the ecology (biodiversity, functional groups and their interactions) in the ocean. It is important to have a rigorous, quantitative understanding of the uncertainties involved in the observational measurements, the models and the projections of future changes.
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Black stains in the mixed dentition: a PCR microbiological study of the etiopathogenic bacteria.
Saba, C; Solidani, M; Berlutti, F; Vestri, A; Ottolenghi, L; Polimeni, A
2006-01-01
The aim of this work is to emphasize that particular stains on the third cervical of the buccal and lingual surfaces in mixed dentition, called "black stain." Previous research showed the microbiological etiology of this discoloration by chromogen bacterias. Our study shows bacteria spp involved in stains by means of PCR process and electrophoresis gel on the agarose medium. Sample was formed by 100 subject with black stain and 100 control subjects stain-free. A statistical analysis (SPSS 10.0) using X2 was performed in this study. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella melaninogenica, were not involved in both in black stain subjects and in the control. On the contrary, Actinomyces could be involved in the pigmentation process.
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A Study on Low-Cost Case Hardening of Mild and Alloy Steels Utilizing Cassava Leaf Media
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gordon, Renee Erica
Conventional case hardening processes have major drawbacks in being expensive and hazardous to perform. A novel cyaniding technique has been developed to case harden steel which involves the use of cassava leaf. Cassava is ideal for use in this process as it contains varying degrees of cyanogenic glucoside (15-1000 mg of HCN per kg of cassava). The entire hardening process involves direct thermal decomposition of the HCN, which produced C and N gas that then diffused into the steel creating a hardened surface. Pulverized cassava leaf was involved in the pack-cyaniding of AISI 1018 and Nitralloy 135 within three varying process atmospheres. The use of barium carbonate (BaCO3) as an energizer was employed at the high temperature regime while barium chloride (BaCl2) was utilized at low temperatures. Vickers microhardness testing, microstructural characterization, and diffraction techniques were utilized for analysis. While no improvement was observed at low temperatures, processing within the high temperature regime showed significant hardening. The addition of BaCO3 to pulverized cassava leaf accelerated the hardening process by substantially increasing the resident surface microhardness while generating a shallow case layer distance. Diffusion theory was used to identify changes experienced with the variation in parameters. The presence of barium carbonate during processing decreased the diffusivity of hardening agents. This manifested in a very large, initial mass transfer of diffusing species localized in the case region followed by a minimum of any further increase in case depths, even as treatment time intervals were increased. The level of influence each parameter delivered was assessed using stepwise regression analysis and a unified model was constructed.
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Copper Reduction and Contact Killing of Bacteria by Iron Surfaces
Mathews, Salima; Kumar, Ranjeet
2015-01-01
The well-established killing of bacteria by copper surfaces, also called contact killing, is currently believed to be a combined effect of bacterial contact with the copper surface and the dissolution of copper, resulting in lethal bacterial damage. Iron can similarly be released in ionic form from iron surfaces and would thus be expected to also exhibit contact killing, although essentially no contact killing is observed by iron surfaces. However, we show here that the exposure of bacteria to iron surfaces in the presence of copper ions results in efficient contact killing. The process involves reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ by iron; Cu+ has been shown to be considerably more toxic to cells than Cu2+. The specific Cu+ chelator, bicinchoninic acid, suppresses contact killing by chelating the Cu+ ions. These findings underline the importance of Cu+ ions in the contact killing process and infer that iron-based alloys containing copper could provide novel antimicrobial materials. PMID:26150470
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Forecasting Future Sea Ice Conditions in the MIZ: A Lagrangian Approach
2013-09-30
www.mcgill.ca/meteo/people/tremblay LONG-TERM GOALS 1- Determine the source regions for sea ice in the seasonally ice-covered zones (SIZs...distribution of sea ice cover and transport pathways. 2- Improve our understanding of the strengths and/or limitations of GCM predictions of future...ocean currents, RGPS sea ice deformation, Reanalysis surface wind , surface radiative fluxes, etc. Processing the large datasets involved is a tedious
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Cultural sensitivity in public health: defined and demystified.
Resnicow, K; Baranowski, T; Ahluwalia, J S; Braithwaite, R L
1999-01-01
There is consensus that health promotion programs should be culturally sensitive (CS). Yet, despite the ubiquitous nature of CS within public health research and practice, there has been surprisingly little attention given to defining CS or delineating a framework for developing culturally sensitive programs and practitioners. This paper describes a model for understanding CS from a public health perspective; describes a process for applying this model in the development of health promotion and disease prevention interventions; and highlights research priorities. Cultural sensitivity is defined by two dimensions: surface and deep structures. Surface structure involves matching intervention materials and messages to observable, "superficial" characteristics of a target population. This may involve using people, places, language, music, food, locations, and clothing familiar to, and preferred by, the target audience. Surface structure refers to how well interventions fit within a specific culture. Deep structure involves incorporating the cultural, social, historical, environmental and psychological forces that influence the target health behavior in the proposed target population. Whereas surface structure generally increases the "receptivity" or "acceptance" of messages, deep structure conveys salience. Techniques, borrowed from social marketing and health communication theory, for developing culturally sensitive interventions are described. Research is needed to determine the effectiveness of culturally sensitive programs.
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Mavadat, Maryam; Ghasemzadeh-Barvarz, Massoud; Turgeon, Stéphane; Duchesne, Carl; Laroche, Gaétan
2013-12-23
We investigated the effect of various plasma parameters (relative density of atomic N and H, plasma temperature, and vibrational temperature) and process conditions (pressure and H2/(N2 + H2) ratio) on the chemical composition of modified poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE). The plasma parameters were measured by means of near-infrared (NIR) and UV-visible emission spectroscopy with and without actinometry. The process conditions of the N2-H2 microwave discharges were set at various pressures ranging from 100 to 2000 mTorr and H2/(N2+H2) gas mixture ratios between 0 and 0.4. The surface chemical composition of the modified polymers was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A mathematical model was constructed using the partial least-squares regression algorithm to correlate the plasma information (process condition and plasma parameters as determined by emission spectroscopy) with the modified surface characteristics. To construct the model, a set of data input variables containing process conditions and plasma parameters were generated, as well as a response matrix containing the surface composition of the polymer. This model was used to predict the composition of PTFE surfaces subjected to N2-H2 plasma treatment. Contrary to what is generally accepted in the literature, the present data demonstrate that hydrogen is not directly involved in the defluorination of the surface but rather produces atomic nitrogen and/or NH radicals that are shown to be at the origin of fluorine atom removal from the polymer surface. The results show that process conditions alone do not suffice in predicting the surface chemical composition and that the plasma characteristics, which cannot be easily correlated with these conditions, should be considered. Process optimization and control would benefit from plasma diagnostics, particularly infrared emission spectroscopy.
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Selective dry etching of silicon containing anti-reflective coating
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sridhar, Shyam; Nolan, Andrew; Wang, Li; Karakas, Erdinc; Voronin, Sergey; Biolsi, Peter; Ranjan, Alok
2018-03-01
Multi-layer patterning schemes involve the use of Silicon containing Anti-Reflective Coating (SiARC) films for their anti-reflective properties. Patterning transfer completion requires complete and selective removal of SiARC which is very difficult due to its high silicon content (>40%). Typically, SiARC removal is accomplished through a non-selective etch during the pattern transfer process using fluorine containing plasmas, or an ex-situ wet etch process using hydrofluoric acid is employed to remove the residual SiARC, post pattern transfer. Using a non-selective etch may result in profile distortion or wiggling, due to distortion of the underlying organic layer. The drawbacks of using wet etch process for SiARC removal are increased overall processing time and the need for additional equipment. Many applications may involve patterning of active structures in a poly-Si layer with an underlying oxide stopping layer. In such applications, SiARC removal selective to oxide using a wet process may prove futile. Removing SiARC selectively to SiO2 using a dry etch process is also challenging, due to similarity in the nature of chemical bonds (Si - O) in the two materials. In this work, we present highly selective etching of SiARC, in a plasma driven by a surface wave radial line slot antenna. The first step in the process involves an in-situ modification of the SiARC layer in O2 plasma followed by selective etching in a NF3/H2 plasma. Surface treatment in O2 plasma resulted in enhanced etching of the SiARC layer. For the right processing conditions, in-situ NF3/H2 dry etch process demonstrated selectivity values greater than 15:1 with respect to SiO2. The etching chemistry, however, was sensitive to NF3:H2 gas ratio. For dilute NF3 in H2, no SiARC etching was observed. Presumably, this is due to the deposition of ammonium fluorosilicate layer that occurs for dilute NF3/H2 plasmas. Additionally, challenges involved in selective SiARC removal (selective to SiO2, organic and Si layers) post pattern transfer, in a multi-layer structure will be discussed.
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Chu, Wei-kan; Childs, Charles B.
1991-01-01
Disclosed herein is a coated substrate and a process for forming films on substrates and for providing a particularly smooth film on a substrate. The method of this invention involves subjecting a surface of a substrate to contact with a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient force and energy to substantially change the surface characteristics of said substrate, and then exposing a film-forming material to a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient energy to vaporize the atoms of said film-forming material and to transmit the vaporized atoms to the substrate surface with sufficient force to form a film bonded to the substrate. This process is particularly useful commercially because it forms strong bonds at room temperature. This invention is particularly useful for adhering a gold film to diamond and forming ohmic electrodes on diamond, but also can be used to bond other films to substrates.
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Explosive Spot Joining of Metals
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bement, Laurence J. (Inventor); Perry, Ronnie B. (Inventor)
1997-01-01
The invention is an apparatus and method for wire splicing using an explosive joining process. The apparatus consists of a prebend, U-shaped strap of metal that slides over prepositioned wires. A standoff means separates the wires from the strap before joining. An adhesive means holds two ribbon explosives in position centered over the U-shaped strap. A detonating means connects to the ribbon explosives. The process involves spreading strands of each wire to be joined into a flat plane. The process then requires alternating each strand in alignment to form a mesh-like arrangement with an overlapped area. The strap slides over the strands of the wires. and the standoff means is positioned between the two surfaces. The detonating means then initiates the ribbon explosives that drive the strap to accomplish a high velocity. angular collision between the mating surfaces. This collision creates surface melts and collision bonding resulting in electron-sharing linkups.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yi, Zao; Luo, Jiangshan; Tan, Xiulan; Yi, Yong; Yao, Weitang; Kang, Xiaoli; Ye, Xin; Zhu, Wenkun; Duan, Tao; Yi, Yougen; Tang, Yongjian
2015-11-01
Mesoporous gold sponges were prepared using 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-stabilized Au seeds. This is a general process, which involves a simple template-free method, room temperature reduction of HAuCl4·4H2O with hydroxylamine. The formation process of mesoporous gold sponges could be accounted for the electrostatic interaction (the small Au nanoparticles (~3 nm) and the positively charged DMAP-stabilized Au seeds) and Ostwald ripening process. The mesoporous gold sponges had appeared to undergo electrostatic adsorption initially, sequentially linear aggregation, welding and Ostwald ripening, then, they randomly cross link into self-supporting, three-dimensional networks with time. The mesoporous gold sponges exhibit higher surface area than the literature. In addition, application of the spongelike networks as an active material for surface-enhanced Raman scattering has been investigated by employing 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) molecules as a probe.
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Yi, Zao; Luo, Jiangshan; Tan, Xiulan; Yi, Yong; Yao, Weitang; Kang, Xiaoli; Ye, Xin; Zhu, Wenkun; Duan, Tao; Yi, Yougen; Tang, Yongjian
2015-01-01
Mesoporous gold sponges were prepared using 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-stabilized Au seeds. This is a general process, which involves a simple template-free method, room temperature reduction of HAuCl4·4H2O with hydroxylamine. The formation process of mesoporous gold sponges could be accounted for the electrostatic interaction (the small Au nanoparticles (~3 nm) and the positively charged DMAP-stabilized Au seeds) and Ostwald ripening process. The mesoporous gold sponges had appeared to undergo electrostatic adsorption initially, sequentially linear aggregation, welding and Ostwald ripening, then, they randomly cross link into self-supporting, three-dimensional networks with time. The mesoporous gold sponges exhibit higher surface area than the literature. In addition, application of the spongelike networks as an active material for surface-enhanced Raman scattering has been investigated by employing 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) molecules as a probe. PMID:26538365
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A mathematical model of the chevron-like wave pattern on a weld piece
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dowden, J.; Kapadia, P.
1996-12-31
In welding processes in general the surface of a metallic weld displays a chevron-like pattern. Such a pattern is also clearly seen to be present if welding is carried out using a laser beam. In the welding process a laser beam is directed normally on the metal undergoing translation and usually penetrates it to form a keyhole. The keyhole is surrounded by a molten region, the weld pool. Even if a CO{sub 2} laser is used, there are numerous fluctuations and instabilities that occur, so that the keyhole imposes forcing frequencies on the molten weld pool, additional to vibrations attendantmore » on the process of translation. The weld pool in turn responds by supporting a spectrum of waves of different frequencies involving the natural frequency of the weld pool as well as various forcing frequencies. These waves are surface tension-type capillary waves and previous publications have attempted to model their behavior mathematically, although not all aspects of the problem have always been included. The wave pattern that is manifested in the chevron-like pattern seen on the weld piece is, however, not necessarily identical to the wave pattern present in the weld pool. This is because the chevron-like wave pattern forms as a result of several complicating effects that arise as the weld specimen cools on its surface immediately after the weld has been formed. This process involves the waves on the surface of the weld pool freezing to form the chevron-like wave pattern. A feature that is often ignored is the fact that the waves on the weld pool can only be regarded as irrotational if the translation speed is sufficiently low. This paper describes mathematically the formation of the chevron-like wave pattern based on suitable simplifying assumptions to model the process. The mathematical description of the way in which this chevron-like pattern forms is a step toward a more comprehensive understanding of this process.« less
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Understanding wear in dentistry.
Mair, L H
1999-01-01
Tooth wear is an increasing problem in dentistry. Traditionally, it has been divided into three categories: abrasion, attrition, and erosion. However, most clinical cases of tooth wear involve more than one of these processes. It is often easier to make a diagnosis by looking for the signs of the fundamental wear processes rather than trying to categorize the individual case. Wear can be caused by direct surface-to-surface wear, an intervening slurry, or a corrosive environment. Wear occurs during mastication, but also at other times, often at night. Although it may be possible to institute a preventive regimen, this will not always help the patient if his or her prime concern is esthetics. The same processes that cause tooth wear will cause wear to restorative materials. To diagnose and prevent wear, its processes must be understood.
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Oral Rehydration Therapy in Burn Patients
2014-04-24
Burn Any Degree Involving 20-29 Percent of Body Surface; Burn Any Degree Involving 30-39 Percent of Body Surface; Burn Any Degree Involving 40-49 Percent of Body Surface; Burn Any Degree Involving 50-59 Percent of Body Surface; Burn Any Degree Involving 60-65 Percent of Body Surface
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pasquale, M. A.; Nieto, F. J. Rodríguez; Arvia, A. J.
The electrochemical formation and reduction of O-layers on gold (111) films in 1 m sulfuric acid under different potentiodynamic routines are investigated utilizing in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. The surface dynamics is interpreted considering the anodic and cathodic reaction pathways recently proposed complemented with concurrent relaxation phenomena occurring after gold (111) lattice mild disruption (one gold atom deep) and moderate disruption (several atoms deep). The dynamics of both oxidized and reduced gold topographies depends on the potentiodynamic routine utilized to form OH/O surface species. The topography resulting from a mild oxidative disruption is dominated by quasi-2D holes and hillocks of the order of 5 nm, involving about 500-600 gold atoms each, and their coalescence. A cooperative turnover process at the O-layer, in which the anion ad-layer and interfacial water play a key role, determines the oxidized surface topography. The reduction of these O-layers results in gold clusters, their features depending on the applied potential routine. A moderate oxidative disruption produces a surface topography of hillocks and holes several gold atoms high and deep, respectively. The subsequent reduction leads to a spinodal gold pattern. Concurrent coalescence appears to be the result of an Ostwald ripening that involves the surface diffusion of both gold atoms and clusters. These processes produce an increase in surface roughness and an incipient gold faceting. The dynamics of different topographies can be qualitatively explained employing the arguments from colloidal science theory. For 1.1 V ≤ E ≅ Epzc weak electrostatic repulsions favor gold atom/cluster coalescence, whereas for E < Epzc the attenuated electrostatic repulsions among gold surfaces stabilize small clusters over the substrate producing string-like patterns.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dehotin, Judicaël; Breil, Pascal; Braud, Isabelle; de Lavenne, Alban; Lagouy, Mickaël; Sarrazin, Benoît
2015-06-01
Surface runoff is one of the hydrological processes involved in floods, pollution transfer, soil erosion and mudslide. Many models allow the simulation and the mapping of surface runoff and erosion hazards. Field observations of this hydrological process are not common although they are crucial to evaluate surface runoff models and to investigate or assess different kinds of hazards linked to this process. In this study, a simple field monitoring network is implemented to assess the relevance of a surface runoff susceptibility mapping method. The network is based on spatially distributed observations (nine different locations in the catchment) of soil water content and rainfall events. These data are analyzed to determine if surface runoff occurs. Two surface runoff mechanisms are considered: surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon and surface runoff by infiltration excess (also called hortonian runoff). The monitoring strategy includes continuous records of soil surface water content and rainfall with a 5 min time step. Soil infiltration capacity time series are calculated using field soil water content and in situ measurements of soil hydraulic conductivity. Comparison of soil infiltration capacity and rainfall intensity time series allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by infiltration-excess. Comparison of surface soil water content with saturated water content values allows detecting the occurrence of surface runoff by saturation of the soil surface horizon. Automatic records were complemented with direct field observations of surface runoff in the experimental catchment after each significant rainfall event. The presented observation method allows the identification of fast and short-lived surface runoff processes at a small spatial and temporal resolution in natural conditions. The results also highlight the relationship between surface runoff and factors usually integrated in surface runoff mapping such as topography, rainfall parameters, soil or land cover. This study opens interesting prospects for the use of spatially distributed measurement for surface runoff detection, spatially distributed hydrological models implementation and validation at a reasonable cost.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Winter, H.; Huber, J. L.; Huber, S. C.; Davies, E. (Principal Investigator)
1997-01-01
Sucrose synthase (SuSy) plays an important role in sucrose degradation and occurs both as a soluble and as a membrane-associated enzyme in higher plants. We show that membrane association can vary in vivo in response to gravistimulation, apparently involving SuSy dephosphorylation, and is a reversible process in vitro. Phosphorylation of SuSy has little effect on its activity but decreases its surface hydrophobicity as reported with the fluorescent probe bis-ANS. We postulate that phosphorylation of SuSy (and perhaps other membrane proteins) is involved in the release of the membrane-bound enzyme in part as a result of decreased surface hydrophobicity.
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Winter, H; Huber, J L; Huber, S C
1997-12-29
Sucrose synthase (SuSy) plays an important role in sucrose degradation and occurs both as a soluble and as a membrane-associated enzyme in higher plants. We show that membrane association can vary in vivo in response to gravistimulation, apparently involving SuSy dephosphorylation, and is a reversible process in vitro. Phosphorylation of SuSy has little effect on its activity but decreases its surface hydrophobicity as reported with the fluorescent probe bis-ANS. We postulate that phosphorylation of SuSy (and perhaps other membrane proteins) is involved in the release of the membrane-bound enzyme in part as a result of decreased surface hydrophobicity.
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Controlled confinement of DNA at the nanoscale: nanofabrication and surface bio-functionalization
Palma, Matteo; Abramson, Justin; Gorodetsky, Alon; Nuckolls, Colin; Sheetz, Michael P.; Wind, Shalom J.; Hone, James
2012-01-01
Nanopatterned arrays of biomolecules are a powerful tool to address fundamental issues in many areas of biology. DNA nanoarrays, in particular, are of interest in the study of both DNA-protein interactions as well as for biodiagnostic investigations. In this context, achieving a highly specific nanoscale assembly of oligonulceotides at surfaces is critical. In this chapter we describe a method to control the immobilization of DNA on nanopatterned surfaces: the nanofabrication and the bio-functionalization involved in the process will be discussed. PMID:21674372
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yang, Bo; Scheidtmann, Jens; Mayer, Joachim; Wuttig, Matthias; Michely, Thomas
2002-01-01
Deposition of Ag on a silicon oil surface leads to the formation of nm-sized Ag crystals floating on the oil surface. These nanocrystals mutually attract each other, forming strongly branched nanocrystal aggregates and continuous aggregate networks. Transformation processes of such nanocrystal aggregate networks are imaged in situ by optical microscopy. The observations are explained on the basis of a simple model involving diffusion of nanocrystals along aggregate edges and the rupture of branches resulting from branch width fluctuations due to edge diffusion.
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Metallic superhydrophobic surfaces via thermal sensitization
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vahabi, Hamed; Wang, Wei; Popat, Ketul C.; Kwon, Gibum; Holland, Troy B.; Kota, Arun K.
2017-06-01
Superhydrophobic surfaces (i.e., surfaces extremely repellent to water) allow water droplets to bead up and easily roll off from the surface. While a few methods have been developed to fabricate metallic superhydrophobic surfaces, these methods typically involve expensive equipment, environmental hazards, or multi-step processes. In this work, we developed a universal, scalable, solvent-free, one-step methodology based on thermal sensitization to create appropriate surface texture and fabricate metallic superhydrophobic surfaces. To demonstrate the feasibility of our methodology and elucidate the underlying mechanism, we fabricated superhydrophobic surfaces using ferritic (430) and austenitic (316) stainless steels (representative alloys) with roll off angles as low as 4° and 7°, respectively. We envision that our approach will enable the fabrication of superhydrophobic metal alloys for a wide range of civilian and military applications.
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Bautista-Toledo, M I; Méndez-Díaz, J D; Sánchez-Polo, M; Rivera-Utrilla, J; Ferro-García, M A
2008-01-01
The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effectiveness of activated carbon in removing sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) and to analyze the chemical and textural characteristics of the activated carbons that are involved in the adsorption process. Studies were also performed on the influence of operational variables (pH, ionic strength, and presence of microorganisms) and on the kinetics and interactions involved in the adsorption of this pollutant on activated carbon. The kinetics study of SDBS adsorption revealed no problems in its diffusion on any of the activated carbons studied, and Weisz-Prater coefficient (C WP) values were considerably lower than unity for all activated carbons studied. SDBS adsorption isotherms on these activated carbons showed that: (i) adsorption capacity of activated carbons was very high (260-470 mg/g) and increased with larger surface area; and (ii) dispersive interactions between SDBS and carbon surface were largely responsible for the adsorption of this pollutant. SDBS adsorption was not significantly affected by the solution pH, indicating that electrostatic adsorbent-adsorbate interactions do not play an important role in this process. The presence of electrolytes (NaCl) in the medium favors SDBS adsorption, accelerating the process and increasing adsorption capacity. Under the working conditions used, SDBS is not degraded by bacteria; however, the presence of bacteria during the process accelerates and increases SDBS adsorption on the activated carbon. Microorganism adsorption on the activated carbon surface increases its hydrophobicity, explaining the results observed.
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Physics and Chemistry on Well-Defined Semiconductor and Oxide Surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Peijun
High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and other surface spectroscopic techniques have been employed to investigate the following two classes of surface/interface phenomena on well-defined semiconductor and oxide surfaces: (i) the fundamental physical and chemical processes involved in gas-solid interaction on silicon single crystal surfaces, and (ii) the physical and chemical properties of metal-oxide interfaces. The particular systems reported in this dissertation are: NH_3, PH_3 and B_ {10}H_{14} on Si(111)-(7 x 7); NH_3 on Si(100) -(2 x 1); atomic H on Si(111)-(7 x 7) and boron-modified Si(111); Al on Al_2O_3 and Sn on SiO_2.. On silicon surfaces, the surface dangling bonds function as the primary adsorption sites where surface chemical processes take place. The unambiguous identification of surface species by vibrational spectroscopy allows the elementary steps involved in these surface chemical processes to be followed on a molecular level. For adsorbate molecules such as NH_3 and PH_3, the nature of the initial low temperature (100 -300 K) adsorption is found to be dissociative, while that for B_{10}H_ {14} is non-dissociative. This has been deduced based upon the presence (or absence) of specific characteristic vibrational mode(s) on surface. By following the evolution of surface species as a function of temperature, the elementary steps leading to silicon nitride thin film growth and doping of silicon are elucidated. In the case of NH_3 on Si(111)-(7 x 7) and Si(100)-(2 x 1), a detailed understanding on the role of substrate surface structure in controlling the surface reactivity has been gained on the basis of a Si adatom backbond-strain relief mechanism on the Si(111) -(7 x 7). The electronic modification to Si(111) surface by subsurface boron doping has been shown to quench its surface chemistry, even for the most aggressive atomic H. This discovery is potentially meaningful to the technology of gas-phase silicon etching. The electron energy loss studies on the excitation of surface plasmon in heavily B-doped Si(111) and the investigation of surface optical phonon modes in aluminum oxide thin films provide insights into the sensitive dependence of the physical properties of a solid upon its chemical modification. Successful interpretations of these elementary excitation features are built upon the understanding of the fundamental physics of low-energy electron-solid interaction. Finally, the temperature behavior of the interfacial properties of Sn/SiO_2 are explored.
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Probing topological Fermi-Arcs and bulk boundary correspondence in the Weyl semimetal TaAs
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Batabyal, Rajib; Morali, Noam; Avraham, Nurit; Sun, Yan; Schmidt, Marcus; Felser, Claudia; Stern, Ady; Yan, Binghai; Beidenkopf, Haim
The relation between surface Fermi-arcs and bulk Weyl cones in a Weyl semimetal, uniquely allows to study the notion of bulk to surface correspondence. We visualize these topological Fermi arc states on the surface of the Weyl semi-metal tantalum arsenide using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Its surface hosts 12 Fermi arcs amongst several other surface bands of non-topological origin. We detect the possible scattering processes of surface bands in which Fermi arcs are involved including intra- and inter arc scatterings and arc-trivial scatterings. Each of the measured scattering processes entails additional information on the unique nature of Fermi arcs in tantalum arsenide: their contour, their energy-momentum dispersion and its relation with the bulk Weyl nodes. We further identify a sharp distinction between the wave function's spatial distribution of topological versus trivial bands. The non-topological surface bands, which are derived from the arsenic dangling bonds, are tightly bound to the arsenic termination layer. In contrast, the Fermi-arc bands reside on the deeper tantalum layer, penetrating into the bulk, which is predominantly derived from tantalum orbitals.
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Method and apparatus for continuous electrophoresis
Watson, Jack S.
1992-01-01
A method and apparatus for conducting continuous separation of substances by electrophoresis are disclosed. The process involves electrophoretic separation combined with couette flow in a thin volume defined by opposing surfaces. By alternating the polarity of the applied potential and producing reciprocating short rotations of at least one of the surfaces relative to the other, small increments of separation accumulate to cause substantial, useful segregation of electrophoretically separable components in a continuous flow system.
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The Interaction of UV-Laser Radiation with Metal and Semiconductor Surfaces
1992-05-26
order of magnitude larger than the typical widths of non- 43 R.C. Weast, ed., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, p. D-185 (CRC Press, 1986). 25 resonant...fundamental chemistry and practical applications of laser chemical processing techniques involved photofragmentation of relatively 28 simple metal-alkyl...pressure of the gas was monitored with a capacitance manometer. A variety of techniques were used in this work to examine the surface-phase chemistry and
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Merging Surface Reconstructions of Terrestrial and Airborne LIDAR Range Data
2009-05-19
Mangan and R. Whitaker. Partitioning 3D surface meshes using watershed segmentation . IEEE Trans. on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 5(4), pp...Jain, and A. Zakhor. Data Processing Algorithms for Generating Textured 3D Building Facade Meshes from Laser Scans and Camera Images. International...acquired set of overlapping range images into a single mesh [2,9,10]. However, due to the volume of data involved in large scale urban modeling, data
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Computer simulation of surface and film processes
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tiller, W. A.
1981-01-01
A molecular dynamics technique based upon Lennard-Jones type pair interactions is used to investigate time-dependent as well as equilibrium properties. The case study deals with systems containing Si and O atoms. In this case a more involved potential energy function (PEF) is employed and the system is simulated via a Monte-Carlo procedure. This furnishes the equilibrium properties of the system at its interfaces and surfaces as well as in the bulk.
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Exploration, Sampling, And Reconstruction of Free Energy Surfaces with Gaussian Process Regression.
Mones, Letif; Bernstein, Noam; Csányi, Gábor
2016-10-11
Practical free energy reconstruction algorithms involve three separate tasks: biasing, measuring some observable, and finally reconstructing the free energy surface from those measurements. In more than one dimension, adaptive schemes make it possible to explore only relatively low lying regions of the landscape by progressively building up the bias toward the negative of the free energy surface so that free energy barriers are eliminated. Most schemes use the final bias as their best estimate of the free energy surface. We show that large gains in computational efficiency, as measured by the reduction of time to solution, can be obtained by separating the bias used for dynamics from the final free energy reconstruction itself. We find that biasing with metadynamics, measuring a free energy gradient estimator, and reconstructing using Gaussian process regression can give an order of magnitude reduction in computational cost.
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Ab initio study on the dynamics of furfural at the liquid-solid interfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dang, Hongli; Xue, Wenhua; Shields, Darwin; Liu, Yingdi; Jentoft, Friederike; Resasco, Daniel; Wang, Sanwu
2013-03-01
Catalytic biomass conversion sometimes occurs at the liquid-solid interfaces. We report ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at finite temperatures for the catalytic reactions involving furfural at the water-Pd and water-Cu interfaces. We found that, during the dynamic process, the furan ring of furfural prefers to be parallel to the Pd surface and the aldehyde group tends to be away from the Pd surface. On the other hand, at the water-Cu(111) interface, furfural prefers to be tilted to the Cu surface while the aldehyde group is bonded to the surface. In both cases, interaction of liquid water and furfural is identified. The difference of dynamic process of furfural at the two interfaces suggests different catalytic reaction mechanisms for the conversion of furfural, consistent with the experimental investigations. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). Simulations and calculations were performed on XSED's and NERSC's supercomputers
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Quasi-one-dimensional arrangement of silver nanoparticles templated by cellulose microfibrils.
Wu, Min; Kuga, Shigenori; Huang, Yong
2008-09-16
We demonstrate a simple, facile approach to the deposition of silver nanoparticles on the surface of cellulose microfibrils with a quasi-one-dimensional arrangement. The process involves the generation of aldehyde groups by oxidizing the surface of cellulose microfibrils and then the assembly of silver nanoparticles on the surface by means of the silver mirror reaction. The linear nature of the microfibrils and the relatively uniform surface chemical modification result in a uniform linear distribution of silver particles along the microfibrils. The effects of various reaction parameters, such as the reaction time for the reduction process and employed starting materials, have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Additionally, the products were examined for their electric current-voltage characteristics, the results showing that these materials had an electric conductivity of approximately 5 S/cm, being different from either the oxidated cellulose or bulk silver materials by many orders of magnitude.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Orth, N. W.; Quatinetz, M.; Weeton, J. W.
1970-01-01
Mechanical process produces dispersion-strengthened metal alloys. Power surface contamination during milling is removed by a cleaning method that involves heating thin shapes or partially-compacted milled powder blends in hydrogen to carefully controlled temperature schedules.
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Nitrate (NO3) leaching is a significant nitrogen (N) loss process for agriculture that must be managed to minimize NO3 enrichment of groundwater and surface waters. Managing NO3 leaching should involve the application of basic principles of understanding the site’s hydrologic cycle, avoiding excess ...
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Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-10-01
... TRANSPORTATION RULES OF PRACTICE PROCEDURES FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD CONSIDERATION OF SAFETY INTEGRATION... the agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for railroad safety. Safety Integration... involved in a manner that would maintain safety at every step of the integration process, in the event the...
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In-space fabrication of thin-film structures
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lippman, M. E.
1972-01-01
A conceptual study of physical vapor-deposition processes for in-space fabrication of thin-film structures is presented. Potential advantages of in-space fabrication are improved structural integrity and surface reflectivity of free-standing ultra-thin films and coatings. Free-standing thin-film structures can find use as photon propulsion devices (solar sails). Other applications of the concept involve free-standing shadow shields, or thermal control coatings of spacecraft surfaces. Use of expendables (such as booster and interstage structures) as source material for the physical vapor deposition process is considered. The practicability of producing thin, textured, aluminum films by physical vapor deposition and subsequent separation from a revolving substrate is demonstrated by laboratory experiments. Heating power requirement for the evaporation process is estimated for a specific mission.
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Altitude Effects on Thermal Ice Protection System Performance; a Study of an Alternative Approach
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Addy, Harold E., Jr.; Orchard, David; Wright, William B.; Oleskiw, Myron
2016-01-01
Research has been conducted to better understand the phenomena involved during operation of an aircraft's thermal ice protection system under running wet icing conditions. In such situations, supercooled water striking a thermally ice-protected surface does not fully evaporate but runs aft to a location where it freezes. The effects of altitude, in terms of air pressure and density, on the processes involved were of particular interest. Initial study results showed that the altitude effects on heat energy transfer were accurately modeled using existing methods, but water mass transport was not. Based upon those results, a new method to account for altitude effects on thermal ice protection system operation was proposed. The method employs a two-step process where heat energy and mass transport are sequentially matched, linked by matched surface temperatures. While not providing exact matching of heat and mass transport to reference conditions, the method produces a better simulation than other methods. Moreover, it does not rely on the application of empirical correction factors, but instead relies on the straightforward application of the primary physics involved. This report describes the method, shows results of testing the method, and discusses its limitations.
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Highly reflective polymeric substrates functionalized utilizing atomic layer deposition
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zuzuarregui, Ana; Coto, Borja; Rodríguez, Jorge; Gregorczyk, Keith E.; Ruiz de Gopegui, Unai; Barriga, Javier; Knez, Mato
2015-08-01
Reflective surfaces are one of the key elements of solar plants to concentrate energy in the receivers of solar thermal electricity plants. Polymeric substrates are being considered as an alternative to the widely used glass mirrors due to their intrinsic and processing advantages, but optimizing both the reflectance and the physical stability of polymeric mirrors still poses technological difficulties. In this work, polymeric surfaces have been functionalized with ceramic thin-films by atomic layer deposition. The characterization and optimization of the parameters involved in the process resulted in surfaces with a reflection index of 97%, turning polymers into a real alternative to glass substrates. The solution we present here can be easily applied in further technological areas where seemingly incompatible combinations of polymeric substrates and ceramic coatings occur.
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Dissolution process analysis using model-free Noyes-Whitney integral equation.
Hattori, Yusuke; Haruna, Yoshimasa; Otsuka, Makoto
2013-02-01
Drug dissolution process of solid dosages is theoretically described by Noyes-Whitney-Nernst equation. However, the analysis of the process is demonstrated assuming some models. Normally, the model-dependent methods are idealized and require some limitations. In this study, Noyes-Whitney integral equation was proposed and applied to represent the drug dissolution profiles of a solid formulation via the non-linear least squares (NLLS) method. The integral equation is a model-free formula involving the dissolution rate constant as a parameter. In the present study, several solid formulations were prepared via changing the blending time of magnesium stearate (MgSt) with theophylline monohydrate, α-lactose monohydrate, and crystalline cellulose. The formula could excellently represent the dissolution profile, and thereby the rate constant and specific surface area could be obtained by NLLS method. Since the long time blending coated the particle surface with MgSt, it was found that the water permeation was disturbed by its layer dissociating into disintegrant particles. In the end, the solid formulations were not disintegrated; however, the specific surface area gradually increased during the process of dissolution. The X-ray CT observation supported this result and demonstrated that the rough surface was dominant as compared to dissolution, and thus, specific surface area of the solid formulation gradually increased. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Dutta, Amlan; Raychaudhuri, Arup Kumar; Saha-Dasgupta, Tanusri
2016-01-01
We study the thermal stability of hollow copper nanowires using molecular dynamics simulation. We find that the plasticity-mediated structural evolution leads to transformation of the initial hollow structure to a solid wire. The process involves three distinct stages, namely, collapse, recrystallization and slow recovery. We calculate the time scales associated with different stages of the evolution process. Our findings suggest a plasticity-mediated mechanism of collapse and recrystallization. This contradicts the prevailing notion of diffusion driven transport of vacancies from the interior to outer surface being responsible for collapse, which would involve much longer time scales as compared to the plasticity-based mechanism.
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Véliz, Elena; Vergara, Teresa; Pearcy, Mercedes; Dabanch, Jeannette
Introduction Dental care has become a challenge for healthcare associated infection prevention programs, since the environment, within other factors, plays an important role in the transmission chain. Materials and Methods An intervention program was designed for the Dental Unit of Hospital Militar de Santiago, between years 2014 and 2015. The program contemplated 3 stages: diagnostic, intervention and evaluation stage. Objective To improve the safety of critical surfaces involved in dental healthcare. Results During the diagnostic stage, the cleaning and disinfection process was found to be deficient. The most contaminated critical surface was the instrument holder unit, then the clean area and lamp handle. The surfaces that significantly reduced their contamination, after the intervention, were the clean area and the instrument carrier unit. Conclusion Training in the processes of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and dental equipment is one of the cost-effective strategies in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), with simple and easy-to-apply methods.
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Atkinson, Samantha; Kirik, Angela; Kirik, Viktor
2014-01-01
Aligned microtubule arrays spatially organize cell division, trafficking, and determine the direction of cell expansion in plant cells. In response to changes in environmental and developmental signals, cells reorganize their microtubule arrays into new configurations. Here, we tested the role of microtubule nucleation during hormone-induced microtubule array reorientation. We have found that in the process of microtubule array reorientation the ratios between branching, parallel, and de-novo nucleations remained constant, suggesting that the microtubule reorientation mechanism does not involve changes in nucleation modes. In the ton2/fass mutant, which has reduced microtubule branching nucleation frequency and decreased nucleation activity of the γ-tubulin complexes, microtubule arrays were able to reorient. Presented data suggest that reorientation of microtubules into transverse arrays in response to hormones does not involve changes in microtubule nucleation at the periclinal cell surface PMID:25135522
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Semiconductor structural damage attendant to contact formation in III-V solar cells
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fatemi, Navid S.; Weizer, Victor G.
1991-01-01
In order to keep the resistive losses in solar cells to a minimum, it is often necessary for the ohmic contacts to be heat treated to lower the metal-semiconductor contact resistivity to acceptable values. Sintering of the contacts, however can result in extensive mechanical damage of the semiconductor surface under the metallization. An investigation of the detailed mechanisms involved in the process of contact formation during heat treatment may control the structural damage incurred by the semiconductor surface to acceptable levels, while achieving the desired values of contact resistivity for the ohmic contacts. The reaction kinetics of sintered gold contacts to InP were determined. It was found that the Au-InP interaction involves three consecutive stages marked by distinct color changes observed on the surface of the Au, and that each stage is governed by a different mechanism. A detailed description of these mechanisms and options to control them are presented.
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Process-based upscaling of surface-atmosphere exchange
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Keenan, T. F.; Prentice, I. C.; Canadell, J.; Williams, C. A.; Wang, H.; Raupach, M. R.; Collatz, G. J.; Davis, T.; Stocker, B.; Evans, B. J.
2015-12-01
Empirical upscaling techniques such as machine learning and data-mining have proven invaluable tools for the global scaling of disparate observations of surface-atmosphere exchange, but are not based on a theoretical understanding of the key processes involved. This makes spatial and temporal extrapolation outside of the training domain difficult at best. There is therefore a clear need for the incorporation of knowledge of ecosystem function, in combination with the strength of data mining. Here, we present such an approach. We describe a novel diagnostic process-based model of global photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration, which is directly informed by a variety of global datasets relevant to ecosystem state and function. We use the model framework to estimate global carbon cycling both spatially and temporally, with a specific focus on the mechanisms responsible for long-term change. Our results show the importance of incorporating process knowledge into upscaling approaches, and highlight the effect of key processes on the terrestrial carbon cycle.
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Carbon Nanotube Bonding Strength Enhancement Using Metal "Wicking" Process
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lamb, James L.; Dickie, Matthew R.; Kowalczyk, Robert S.; Liao, Anna; Bronikowski, Michael J.
2012-01-01
Carbon nanotubes grown from a surface typically have poor bonding strength at the interface. A process has been developed for adding a metal coat to the surface of carbon nano tubes (CNTs) through a wicking process, which could lead to an enhanced bonding strength at the interface. This process involves merging CNTs with indium as a bump-bonding enhancement. Classical capillary theory would not normally allow materials that do not wet carbon or graphite to be drawn into the spacings by capillary action because the contact angle is greater than 90 degrees. However, capillary action can be induced through JPL's ability to fabricate oriented CNT bundles to desired spacings, and through the use of deposition techniques and temperature to control the size and mobility of the liquid metal streams and associated reservoirs. A reflow and plasma cleaning process has also been developed and demonstrated to remove indium oxide, and to obtain smooth coatings on the CNT bundles.
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Dissolved organic matter in sea spray: a transfer study from marine surface water to aerosols
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schmitt-Kopplin, P.; Liger-Belair, G.; Koch, B. P.; Flerus, R.; Kattner, G.; Harir, M.; Kanawati, B.; Lucio, M.; Tziotis, D.; Hertkorn, N.; Gebefügi, I.
2012-04-01
Atmospheric aerosols impose direct and indirect effects on the climate system, for example, by absorption of radiation in relation to cloud droplets size, on chemical and organic composition and cloud dynamics. The first step in the formation of Organic primary aerosols, i.e. the transfer of dissolved organic matter from the marine surface into the atmosphere, was studied. We present a molecular level description of this phenomenon using the high resolution analytical tools of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Our experiments confirm the chemoselective transfer of natural organic molecules, especially of aliphatic compounds from the surface water into the atmosphere via bubble bursting processes. Transfer from marine surface water to the atmosphere involves a chemical gradient governed by the physicochemical properties of the involved molecules when comparing elemental compositions and differentiating CHO, CHNO, CHOS and CHNOS bearing compounds. Typical chemical fingerprints of compounds enriched in the aerosol phase were CHO and CHOS molecular series, smaller molecules of higher aliphaticity and lower oxygen content, and typical surfactants. A non-targeted metabolomics analysis demonstrated that many of these molecules corresponded to homologous series of oxo-, hydroxy-, methoxy-, branched fatty acids and mono-, di- and tricarboxylic acids as well as monoterpenes and sugars. These surface active biomolecules were preferentially transferred from surface water into the atmosphere via bubble bursting processes to form a significant fraction of primary organic aerosols. This way of sea spray production leaves a selective biological signature of the surface water in the corresponding aerosol that may be transported into higher altitudes up to the lower atmosphere, thus contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosol on a global scale or transported laterally with possible deposition in the context of global biogeocycling.
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Suratwala, Tayyab; Steele, Rusty; Feit, Michael; Dylla-Spears, Rebecca; Desjardin, Richard; Mason, Dan; Wong, Lana; Geraghty, Paul; Miller, Phil; Shen, Nan
2014-01-01
Convergent Polishing is a novel polishing system and method for finishing flat and spherical glass optics in which a workpiece, independent of its initial shape (i.e., surface figure), will converge to final surface figure with excellent surface quality under a fixed, unchanging set of polishing parameters in a single polishing iteration. In contrast, conventional full aperture polishing methods require multiple, often long, iterative cycles involving polishing, metrology and process changes to achieve the desired surface figure. The Convergent Polishing process is based on the concept of workpiece-lap height mismatch resulting in pressure differential that decreases with removal and results in the workpiece converging to the shape of the lap. The successful implementation of the Convergent Polishing process is a result of the combination of a number of technologies to remove all sources of non-uniform spatial material removal (except for workpiece-lap mismatch) for surface figure convergence and to reduce the number of rogue particles in the system for low scratch densities and low roughness. The Convergent Polishing process has been demonstrated for the fabrication of both flats and spheres of various shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios on various glass materials. The practical impact is that high quality optical components can be fabricated more rapidly, more repeatedly, with less metrology, and with less labor, resulting in lower unit costs. In this study, the Convergent Polishing protocol is specifically described for fabricating 26.5 cm square fused silica flats from a fine ground surface to a polished ~λ/2 surface figure after polishing 4 hr per surface on a 81 cm diameter polisher. PMID:25489745
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Investigating ground effects on mixing and afterburning during a TNT explosion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fedina, E.; Fureby, C.
2013-05-01
In this paper, the unconfined and semi-confined condensed phase explosions of TNT will be studied using large eddy simulations based on the unsteady, compressible, reacting, multi-species Navier-Stokes equations to gain further understanding of the physical processes involved in a condensed phase explosion and the effect of confinement on the physical processes involved. The analysis of the mixing and afterburning of TNT explosions in free air (unconfined) and near the ground (semi-confined) indicates that the combustion region of detonation products and air is determined by the vorticity patterns, which are induced by the Richtmeyer-Meshkov instabilities that arise during the explosion. When the explosive is detonated in the vicinity of a surface, the surface affects the shock propagation by creating complex shock systems, thereby changing the orientation of the vorticity, giving the afterburning a mushroom shape, and increasing performance of an explosive charge by prolonging the existence of the mixing layer and thereby the afterburning.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Seisenbaeva, Gulaim A.; Kessler, Vadim G.
2014-05-01
This review provides an insight into the common reaction mechanisms in Soft Chemistry processes involved in nucleation, growth and aggregation of metal, metal oxide and chalcogenide nanoparticles starting from metal-organic precursors such as metal alkoxides, beta-diketonates, carboxylates and their chalcogene analogues and demonstrates how mastering the precursor chemistry permits us to control the chemical and phase composition, crystallinity, morphology, porosity and surface characteristics of produced nanomaterials.This review provides an insight into the common reaction mechanisms in Soft Chemistry processes involved in nucleation, growth and aggregation of metal, metal oxide and chalcogenide nanoparticles starting from metal-organic precursors such as metal alkoxides, beta-diketonates, carboxylates and their chalcogene analogues and demonstrates how mastering the precursor chemistry permits us to control the chemical and phase composition, crystallinity, morphology, porosity and surface characteristics of produced nanomaterials. To Professor David Avnir on his 65th birthday.
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Greif, Gonzalo; Rodriguez, Matias; Alvarez-Valin, Fernando
2017-01-01
American trypanosomiasis is a chronic and endemic disease which affects millions of people. Trypanosoma cruzi, its causative agent, has a life cycle that involves complex morphological and functional transitions, as well as a variety of environmental conditions. This requires a tight regulation of gene expression, which is achieved mainly by post-transcriptional regulation. In this work we conducted an RNAseq analysis of the three major life cycle stages of T. cruzi: amastigotes, epimastigotes and trypomastigotes. This analysis allowed us to delineate specific transcriptomic profiling for each stage, and also to identify those biological processes of major relevance in each state. Stage specific expression profiling evidenced the plasticity of T. cruzi to adapt quickly to different conditions, with particular focus on membrane remodeling and metabolic shifts along the life cycle. Epimastigotes, which replicate in the gut of insect vectors, showed higher expression of genes related to energy metabolism, mainly Krebs cycle, respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation related genes, and anabolism related genes associated to nucleotide and steroid biosynthesis; also, a general down-regulation of surface glycoprotein coding genes was seen at this stage. Trypomastigotes, living extracellularly in the bloodstream of mammals, express a plethora of surface proteins and signaling genes involved in invasion and evasion of immune response. Amastigotes mostly express membrane transporters and genes involved in regulation of cell cycle, and also express a specific subset of surface glycoprotein coding genes. In addition, these results allowed us to improve the annotation of the Dm28c genome, identifying new ORFs and set the stage for construction of networks of co-expression, which can give clues about coded proteins of unknown functions. PMID:28286708
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Measurement of surface tension by sessile drop tensiometer with superoleophobic surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kwak, Wonshik; Park, Jun Kwon; Yoon, Jinsung; Lee, Sanghyun; Hwang, Woonbong
2018-03-01
A sessile drop tensiometer provides a simple and efficient method of determining the surface tension of various liquids. The technique involves obtaining the shape of an axisymmetric liquid droplet and iterative fitting of the Young-Laplace equation, which balances the gravitational deformation of the drop. Since the advent of high quality digital cameras and desktop computers, this process has been automated with precision. However, despite its appealing simplicity, there are complications and limitations in a sessile drop tensiometer, i.e., it must dispense spherical droplets with low surface tension. We propose a method of measuring surface tension using a sessile drop tensiometer with a superoleophobic surface fabricated by acidic etching and anodization for liquids with low surface tension and investigate the accuracy of the measurement by changing the wettability of the measuring plate surface.
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Control surface in aerial triangulation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jaw, Jen-Jer
With the increased availability of surface-related sensors, the collection of surface information becomes easier and more straightforward than ever before. In this study, the author proposes a model in which the surface information is integrated into the aerial triangulation workflow by hypothesizing plane observations in the object space, the estimated object points via photo measurements (or matching) together with the adjusted surface points would provide a better point group describing the surface. The algorithms require no special structure of surface points and involve no interpolation process. The suggested measuring strategy (pairwise measurements) results in a quite fluent and favorable working environment when taking measurements. Furthermore, the extension of the model employing the the surface plane finds itself useful in tying photo models. The proposed model has been proven working by the simulation and carried out in the photogrammetric laboratory.
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Apparatus For Etching Or Depositing A Desired Profile Onto A Surface
Rushford, Michael C.; Britten, Jerald A.
2004-05-25
An apparatus and method for modifying the surface of an object by contacting said surface with a liquid processing solution using the liquid applicator geometry and Marangoni effect (surface tension gradient-driven flow) to define and confine the dimensions of the wetted zone on said object surface. In particular, the method and apparatus involve contouring or figuring the surface of an object using an etchant solution as the wetting fluid and using real-time metrology (e.g. interferometry) to control the placement and dwell time of this wetted zone locally on the surface of said object, thereby removing material from the surface of the object in a controlled manner. One demonstrated manifestation is in the deterministic optical figuring of thin glasses by wet chemical etching using a buffered hydrofluoric acid solution and Marangoni effect.
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Cavity formation and surface modeling of laser milling process under a thin-flowing water layer
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tangwarodomnukun, Viboon
2016-11-01
Laser milling process normally involves a number of laser scans over a workpiece to selectively remove the material and then to form cavities with shape and dimensions required. However, this process adversely causes a heat accumulation in work material, which can in turn damage the laser-milled area and vicinity in terms of recast deposition and change of material properties. Laser milling process performing in a thin-flowing water layer is a promising method that can overcome such damage. With the use of this technique, water can flush away the cut debris and at the same time cool the workpiece during the ablation. To understand the potential of this technique for milling application, the effects of process parameters on cavity dimensions and surface roughness were experimentally examined in this study. Titanium sheet was used as a workpiece to be milled by a nanosecond pulse laser under different water flow velocities. A smooth and uniform cut feature can be obtained when the metal was ablated under the high laser pulse frequency and high water flow velocity. Furthermore, a surface model based on the energy balance was developed in this study to predict the cavity profile and surface roughness. By comparing to the experiments, the predicted profiles had a good agreement with the measured ones.
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Eibinger, Manuel; Zahel, Thomas; Ganner, Thomas; Plank, Harald; Nidetzky, Bernd
2016-01-01
Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose involves the spatiotemporally correlated action of distinct polysaccharide chain cleaving activities confined to the surface of an insoluble substrate. Because cellulases differ in preference for attacking crystalline compared to amorphous cellulose, the spatial distribution of structural order across the cellulose surface imposes additional constraints on the dynamic interplay between the enzymes. Reconstruction of total system behavior from single-molecule activity parameters is a longstanding key goal in the field. We have developed a stochastic, cellular automata-based modeling approach to describe degradation of cellulosic material by a cellulase system at single-molecule resolution. Substrate morphology was modeled to represent the amorphous and crystalline phases as well as the different spatial orientations of the polysaccharide chains. The enzyme system model consisted of an internally chain-cleaving endoglucanase (EG) as well as two processively acting, reducing and non-reducing chain end-cleaving cellobiohydrolases (CBHs). Substrate preference (amorphous: EG, CBH II; crystalline: CBH I) and characteristic frequencies for chain cleavage, processive movement, and dissociation were assigned from biochemical data. Once adsorbed, enzymes were allowed to reach surface-exposed substrate sites through "random-walk" lateral diffusion or processive motion. Simulations revealed that slow dissociation of processive enzymes at obstacles obstructing further movement resulted in local jamming of the cellulases, with consequent delay in the degradation of the surface area affected. Exploiting validation against evidence from atomic force microscopy imaging as a unique opportunity opened up by the modeling approach, we show that spatiotemporal characteristics of cellulose surface degradation by the system of synergizing cellulases were reproduced quantitatively at the nanometer resolution of the experimental data. This in turn gave useful prediction of the soluble sugar release rate. Salient dynamic features of cellulose surface degradation by different cellulases acting in synergy were reproduced in simulations in good agreement with evidence from high-resolution visualization experiments. Due to the single-molecule resolution of the modeling approach, the utility of the presented model lies not only in predicting system behavior but also in elucidating inherently complex (e.g., stochastic) phenomena involved in enzymatic cellulose degradation. Thus, it creates synergy with experiment to advance the mechanistic understanding for improved application.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ren, Yingying; Zhang, Limu; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R.; Chen, Feng
2018-05-01
In this work, we systematically study the surface modifications of femtosecond (fs) laser irradiated Nd:YAG crystal in stationary focusing case (i.e., the beam focused on the target in the steady focusing geometry) or dynamic scanning case (i.e., focused fs-laser beam scanning over the target material). Micro-sized structures (e.g. micro-craters or lines) are experimentally produced in a large scale of parameters in terms of pulse energy as well as (effective) pulse number. Surface ablation of Nd:YAG surface under both processing cases are investigated, involving the morphological evolution, parameter dependence, the ablation threshold fluences and the incubation factors. Meanwhile, under specific irradiation conditions, periodic surface structures with high-spatial-frequency (<λ/2) can be generated. The obtained period is as short as 157 nm in this work. Investigations on the evolution of nanograting formation and fluence dependence of period are performed. The experimental results obtained under different cases and the comparison between them reveal that incubation effect plays an important role not only in the ablation of Nd:YAG surface but also in the processes of nanograting formation.
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Supported versus colloidal zinc oxide for advanced oxidation processes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Laxman, Karthik; Al Rashdi, Manal; Al Sabahi, Jamal; Al Abri, Mohammed; Dutta, Joydeep
2017-07-01
Photocatalysis is a green technology which typically utilizes either supported or colloidal catalysts for the mineralization of aqueous organic contaminants. Catalyst surface area and surface energy are the primary factors determining its efficiency, but correlation between the two is still unclear. This work explores their relation and hierarchy in a photocatalytic process involving both supported and colloidal catalysts. In order to do this the active surface areas of supported zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NR's) and colloidal zinc oxide nanoparticles (having different surface energies) were equalized and their phenol oxidation mechanism and capacity was analyzed. It was observed that while surface energy had subtle effects on the oxidation rate of the catalysts, the degradation efficiency was primarily a function of the surface area; which makes it a better parameter for comparison when studying different catalyst forms of the same material. Thus we build a case for the use of supported catalysts, wherein their catalytic efficiency was tested to be unaltered over several days under both natural and artificial light, suggesting their viability for practical applications.
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Martínez-Calderon, M; Manso-Silván, M; Rodríguez, A; Gómez-Aranzadi, M; García-Ruiz, J P; Olaizola, S M; Martín-Palma, R J
2016-11-02
The precise control over the interaction between cells and the surface of materials plays a crucial role in optimizing the integration of implanted biomaterials. In this regard, material surface with controlled topographic features at the micro- and nano-scales has been proved to affect the overall cell behavior and therefore the final osseointegration of implants. Within this context, femtosecond (fs) laser micro/nano machining technology was used in this work to modify the surface structure of stainless steel aiming at controlling cell adhesion and migration. The experimental results show that cells tend to attach and preferentially align to the laser-induced nanopatterns oriented in a specific direction. Accordingly, the laser-based fabrication method here described constitutes a simple, clean, and scalable technique which allows a precise control of the surface nano-patterning process and, subsequently, enables the control of cell adhesion, migration, and polarization. Moreover, since our surface-patterning approach does not involve any chemical treatments and is performed in a single step process, it could in principle be applied to most metallic materials.
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Martínez-Calderon, M.; Manso-Silván, M.; Rodríguez, A.; Gómez-Aranzadi, M.; García-Ruiz, J. P.; Olaizola, S. M.; Martín-Palma, R. J.
2016-01-01
The precise control over the interaction between cells and the surface of materials plays a crucial role in optimizing the integration of implanted biomaterials. In this regard, material surface with controlled topographic features at the micro- and nano-scales has been proved to affect the overall cell behavior and therefore the final osseointegration of implants. Within this context, femtosecond (fs) laser micro/nano machining technology was used in this work to modify the surface structure of stainless steel aiming at controlling cell adhesion and migration. The experimental results show that cells tend to attach and preferentially align to the laser-induced nanopatterns oriented in a specific direction. Accordingly, the laser-based fabrication method here described constitutes a simple, clean, and scalable technique which allows a precise control of the surface nano-patterning process and, subsequently, enables the control of cell adhesion, migration, and polarization. Moreover, since our surface-patterning approach does not involve any chemical treatments and is performed in a single step process, it could in principle be applied to most metallic materials. PMID:27805063
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Three-Dimensional Tracking of Interfacial Hopping Diffusion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Dapeng; Wu, Haichao; Schwartz, Daniel K.
2017-12-01
Theoretical predictions have suggested that molecular motion at interfaces—which influences processes including heterogeneous catalysis, (bio)chemical sensing, lubrication and adhesion, and nanomaterial self-assembly—may be dominated by hypothetical "hops" through the adjacent liquid phase, where a diffusing molecule readsorbs after a given hop according to a probabilistic "sticking coefficient." Here, we use three-dimensional (3D) single-molecule tracking to explicitly visualize this process for human serum albumin at solid-liquid interfaces that exert varying electrostatic interactions on the biomacromolecule. Following desorption from the interface, a molecule experiences multiple unproductive surface encounters before readsorption. An average of approximately seven surface collisions is required for the repulsive surfaces, decreasing to approximately two and a half for surfaces that are more attractive. The hops themselves are also influenced by long-range interactions, with increased electrostatic repulsion causing hops of longer duration and distance. These findings explicitly demonstrate that interfacial diffusion is dominated by biased 3D Brownian motion involving bulk-surface coupling and that it can be controlled by influencing short- and long-range adsorbate-surface interactions.
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Free energy surfaces from nonequilibrium processes without work measurement
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Adib, Artur B.
2006-04-01
Recent developments in statistical mechanics have allowed the estimation of equilibrium free energies from the statistics of work measurements during processes that drive the system out of equilibrium. Here a different class of processes is considered, wherein the system is prepared and released from a nonequilibrium state, and no external work is involved during its observation. For such "clamp-and-release" processes, a simple strategy for the estimation of equilibrium free energies is offered. The method is illustrated with numerical simulations and analyzed in the context of tethered single-molecule experiments.
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Cleaning process for EUV optical substrates
Weber, Frank J.; Spiller, Eberhard A.
1999-01-01
A cleaning process for surfaces with very demanding cleanliness requirements, such as extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) optical substrates. Proper cleaning of optical substrates prior to applying reflective coatings thereon is very critical in the fabrication of the reflective optics used in EUV lithographic systems, for example. The cleaning process involves ultrasonic cleaning in acetone, methanol, and a pH neutral soap, such as FL-70, followed by rinsing in de-ionized water and drying with dry filtered nitrogen in conjunction with a spin-rinse.
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Laser Induced Aluminum Surface Breakdown Model
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chen, Yen-Sen; Liu, Jiwen; Zhang, Sijun; Wang, Ten-See (Technical Monitor)
2002-01-01
Laser powered propulsion systems involve complex fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and radiative transfer processes. Based on an unstructured grid, pressure-based computational aerothermodynamics; platform, several sub-models describing such underlying physics as laser ray tracing and focusing, thermal non-equilibrium, plasma radiation and air spark ignition have been developed. This proposed work shall extend the numerical platform and existing sub-models to include the aluminum wall surface Inverse Bremsstrahlung (IB) effect from which surface ablation and free-electron generation can be initiated without relying on the air spark ignition sub-model. The following tasks will be performed to accomplish the research objectives.
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Photo-induced free radicals on a simulated Martian surface
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tseng, S.-S.; Chang, S.
1974-01-01
Results of an electron spin resonance study of free radicals in the ultraviolet irradiation of a simulated Martian surface suggest that the ultraviolet photolysis of CO or CO2, or a mixture of both, adsorbed on silica gel at minus 170 C involves the formation of OH radicals and possibly of H atoms as the primary process, followed by the formation of CO2H radicals. It is concluded that the photochemical synthesis of organic compounds could occur on Mars if the siliceous surface dust contains enough silanol groups and/or adsorbed H2O in the form of bound water.
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Fifth symposium on surface mining and reclamation. NCA/BCR coal conference and Expo IV
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
None
1977-01-01
The Fifth Symposium on Surface Mining and Reclamation, sponsored by the National Coal Association and Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., was held at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky, October 18-20, 1977. Twenty-six papers from the proceedings have been entered individually into EDB and ERA. Topics covered include spoil bank revegetation, use of aerial photography, reclamation for row crop production, hydrology, computer programs related to this work, subirrigated alluvial valley floors, reclamation on steep slopes, mountain top removal, surface mine road design, successional processes involved in reclamation, land use planning, etc. (LTN)
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Formation and mechanics of granular waves in gravity and shallow overland flow
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Sediment transport in overland flow is a highly complex process involving many properties relative to the flow regime characteristics, soil surface conditions, and type of sediment. From a practical standpoint, most sediment transport studies are concerned with developing relationships of rates of s...
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An experimental study on particle effects in liquid sheets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sauret, Alban; Troger, Anthony; Jop, Pierre
2017-06-01
Many industrial processes, such as surface coating or liquid transport in tubes, involve liquid sheets or thin films of suspensions. In these situations, the thickness of the liquid film becomes comparable to the particle size, which leads to unexpected dynamics. In addition, the classical constitutive rheological law for suspensions cannot be applied as the continuum approximation is no longer valid. Here, we consider experimentally a transient particle-laden liquid sheet that expands radially. We characterize the influence of the particles on the shape of the liquid film and the atomization process. We highlight that the presence of particles modifies the thickness and stability of the liquid sheet. Our study suggests that the influence of particles through capillary effects can modify significantly the dynamics of processes that involve suspensions and particles confined in liquid films.
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Process for growing a film epitaxially upon a MGO surface and structures formed with the process
McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph
1998-01-01
A process and structure wherein optical quality perovskites, such as BaTiO.sub.3 or SrTiO.sub.3, are grown upon a single crystal MgO substrate involves the epitaxial build up of alternating planes of TiO.sub.2 and metal oxide wherein the first plane grown upon the MgO substrate is a plane of TiO.sub.2. The layering sequence involved in the film build up reduces problems which would otherwise result from the interfacial electrostatics at the first atomic layers, and these oxides can be stabilized as commensurate thin films at a unit cell thickness or grown with high crystal quality to thicknesses of 0.5-0.7 .mu.m for optical device applications.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lu, Cheng-Tsung; Chen, Shu-An; Bretaña, Neil Arvin; Cheng, Tzu-Hsiu; Lee, Tzong-Yi
2011-10-01
In proteins, glutamate (Glu) residues are transformed into γ-carboxyglutamate (Gla) residues in a process called carboxylation. The process of protein carboxylation catalyzed by γ-glutamyl carboxylase is deemed to be important due to its involvement in biological processes such as blood clotting cascade and bone growth. There is an increasing interest within the scientific community to identify protein carboxylation sites. However, experimental identification of carboxylation sites via mass spectrometry-based methods is observed to be expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Thus, we were motivated to design a computational method for identifying protein carboxylation sites. This work aims to investigate the protein carboxylation by considering the composition of amino acids that surround modification sites. With the implication of a modified residue prefers to be accessible on the surface of a protein, the solvent-accessible surface area (ASA) around carboxylation sites is also investigated. Radial basis function network is then employed to build a predictive model using various features for identifying carboxylation sites. Based on a five-fold cross-validation evaluation, a predictive model trained using the combined features of amino acid sequence (AA20D), amino acid composition, and ASA, yields the highest accuracy at 0.874. Furthermore, an independent test done involving data not included in the cross-validation process indicates that in silico identification is a feasible means of preliminary analysis. Additionally, the predictive method presented in this work is implemented as Carboxylator (http://csb.cse.yzu.edu.tw/Carboxylator/), a web-based tool for identifying carboxylated proteins with modification sites in order to help users in investigating γ-glutamyl carboxylation.
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Mesh infrastructure for coupled multiprocess geophysical simulations
Garimella, Rao V.; Perkins, William A.; Buksas, Mike W.; ...
2014-01-01
We have developed a sophisticated mesh infrastructure capability to support large scale multiphysics simulations such as subsurface flow and reactive contaminant transport at storage sites as well as the analysis of the effects of a warming climate on the terrestrial arctic. These simulations involve a wide range of coupled processes including overland flow, subsurface flow, freezing and thawing of ice rich soil, accumulation, redistribution and melting of snow, biogeochemical processes involving plant matter and finally, microtopography evolution due to melting and degradation of ice wedges below the surface. In addition to supporting the usual topological and geometric queries about themore » mesh, the mesh infrastructure adds capabilities such as identifying columnar structures in the mesh, enabling deforming of the mesh subject to constraints and enabling the simultaneous use of meshes of different dimensionality for subsurface and surface processes. The generic mesh interface is capable of using three different open source mesh frameworks (MSTK, MOAB and STKmesh) under the hood allowing the developers to directly compare them and choose one that is best suited for the application's needs. We demonstrate the results of some simulations using these capabilities as well as present a comparison of the performance of the different mesh frameworks.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bigham, S; Yu, DZ; Chugh, D
2014-02-01
The slow diffusion of an absorbate molecule into an absorbent often makes the absorption process a rate-limiting step in many applications. In cases involving an absorbate with a high heat of phase change, such as water absorption into a LiBr (lithium bromide) solution, the absorption rate is further slowed due to significant heating of the absorbent. Recently, it has been demonstrated that constraining a LiBr solution film by a hydrophobic porous structure enables manipulation of the solution flow thermohydraulic characteristics. Here, it is shown that mass transport mode in a constrained laminar solution flow can be changed from diffusive tomore » advective. This change in mode is accomplished through stretching and folding the laminar streamlines within the solution film via the implementation of micro-scale features on the flow channel surface. The process induces vortices within the solution film, which continuously bring concentrated solution from the bottom and middle of the solution channel to its interface with the vapor phase, thus leading to a significant enhancement in the absorption rate. The detailed physics of the involved transport processes is elucidated using the LBM (Lattice Boltzmann Method). Published by Elsevier Ltd.« less
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Early Stage of Oxidation on Titanium Surface by Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Yang, Liang; Wang, C. Z.; Lin, Shiwei; ...
2018-01-01
Understanding of metal oxidation is very critical to corrosion control, catalysis synthesis, and advanced materials engineering. Metal oxidation is a very complex phenomenon, with many different processes which are coupled and involved from the onset of reaction. In this work, the initial stage of oxidation on titanium surface was investigated in atomic scale by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF). We show that oxygen transport is the dominant process during the initial oxidation. Our simulation also demonstrate that a compressive stress was generated in the oxide layer which blocked the oxygen transport perpendicular to the Titaniummore » (0001) surface and further prevented oxidation in the deeper layers. As a result, the mechanism of initial oxidation observed in this work can be also applicable to other self-limiting oxidation.« less
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Polymer/riblet combination for hydrodynamic skin friction reduction
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reed, Jason C. (Inventor); Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor)
1995-01-01
A process is disclosed for reducing skin friction and inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence in a system involving the flow of a liquid along the surface of a body, e.g. a marine vehicle. This process includes injecting a drag reducing polymer into the valleys of adjacent, evenly spaced, longitudinal grooves extending along the length of the surface of the body, so that the rate of diffusion of the polymer from individual grooves into the liquid flow is predictably controlled by the groove dimensions. When the polymer has diffused over the tips of the grooves into the near wall region of the boundary layer, the polymer effectively reduces the turbulent skin friction. A substantial drag reducing effect is achieved with less polymer than must be used to lower skin friction when the surface of the body is smooth.
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Polymer/riblet combination for hydrodynamic skin friction reduction
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bushnell, Dennis M. (Inventor); Reed, Jason C. (Inventor)
1990-01-01
A process is disclosed for reducing skin friction and inhibiting the effects of liquid turbulence in a system involving the flow of a liquid along the surface of a body, e.g., a marine vehicle. This process includes injecting a drag reducing polymer into the valleys of adjacent, evenly spaced, longitudinal grooves extending along the length of the surface of the body, so that the rate of diffusion of the polymer from individual grooves into the liquid flow is predictably controlled by the groove dimensions. When the polymer has diffused over the tips of the grooves into the near wall region of the boundary layer, the polymer effectively reduces the turbulent skin friction. A substantial drag reducing effect is achieved with less polymer than must be used to lower skin friction when the surface of the body is smooth.
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Preliminary evidence for validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of Study Process Questionnaire.
Liem, Arief Darmanegara; Prasetya, Paulus Hidajat
2007-02-01
This study provides preliminary evidence for the validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of the Study Process Questionnaire (BI-SPQ) from a sample of 147 psychology students (22 men and 125 women; M age = 21.8 yr., SD = 1.3). The internal consistency alpha of the BI-SPQ subscales were found to range from .46 (Surface Strategy) to .77 (Deep Strategy), with a median of .67. Principal component analysis indicated a two-factor solution, where the Deep and Achieving subscales loaded onto Factor 1 and the Surface subscales loaded on Factor 2. Students' GPAs were associated negatively with Surface Motive (r = -.24) and were associated positively with Deep and Achieving Motives (rs = .20). Further studies with larger samples involving students majoring in other disciplines are needed to provide further evidence of the validity of the BI-SPQ.
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Ivanova, Tatiana V; Baier, Grit; Landfester, Katharina; Musin, Eduard; Al-Bataineh, Sameer A; Cameron, David C; Homola, Tomáš; Whittle, Jason D; Sillanpää, Mika
2015-09-01
Active dressings that based on fabric materials are an area of interest for the treatment of wounds. Poly(l-lactide) nanoparticles containing the antimicrobial agent octenidine can be controllably lysed by toxins released by pathogenic bacteria thus releasing antimicrobial material in response to the presence of the bacterial toxins and so counteracting the infection. We developed an integrated engineering solution that allows for the stable immobilisation of nanoparticles on non-woven fabrics. The process involves coating nanoparticles on non-woven polymer surfaces by using an inkjet printing process. In order to improve the adhesion and retention of the nanoparticles on the fabric, surface pretreatment of the non-woven fabric using plasma jet treatment can be applied to increase its surface energy. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Electroless silver plating of the surface of organic semiconductors.
Campione, Marcello; Parravicini, Matteo; Moret, Massimo; Papagni, Antonio; Schröter, Bernd; Fritz, Torsten
2011-10-04
The integration of nanoscale processes and devices demands fabrication routes involving rapid, cost-effective steps, preferably carried out under ambient conditions. The realization of the metal/organic semiconductor interface is one of the most demanding steps of device fabrication, since it requires mechanical and/or thermal treatments which increment costs and are often harmful in respect to the active layer. Here, we provide a microscopic analysis of a room temperature, electroless process aimed at the deposition of a nanostructured metallic silver layer with controlled coverage atop the surface of single crystals and thin films of organic semiconductors. This process relies on the reaction of aqueous AgF solutions with the nonwettable crystalline surface of donor-type organic semiconductors. It is observed that the formation of a uniform layer of silver nanoparticles can be accomplished within 20 min contact time. The electrical characterization of two-terminal devices performed before and after the aforementioned treatment shows that the metal deposition process is associated with a redox reaction causing the p-doping of the semiconductor. © 2011 American Chemical Society
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Shen, Mengyan; Carey, James E; Crouch, Catherine H; Kandyla, Maria; Stone, Howard A; Mazur, Eric
2008-07-01
We report on the formation of high-density regular arrays of nanometer-scale rods using femtosecond laser irradiation of a silicon surface immersed in water. The resulting surface exhibits both micrometer-scale and nanometer-scale structures. The micrometer-scale structure consists of spikes of 5-10 mum width, which are entirely covered by nanometer-scale rods that are roughly 50 nm wide and normal to the surface of the micrometer-scale spikes. The formation of the nanometer-scale rods involves several processes: refraction of laser light in highly excited silicon, interference of scattered and refracted light, rapid cooling in water, roughness-enhanced optical absorptance, and capillary instabilities.
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Interference and facilitation in overt speech production investigated with event-related potentials.
Hirschfeld, Gerrit; Jansma, Bernadette; Bölte, Jens; Zwitserlood, Pienie
2008-08-06
We report an event-related potential study investigating the neural basis of interference and facilitation in the picture-word interference paradigm with immediate overt naming. We used the high temporal resolution of the electrophysiological response to dissociate general and specific interference processes, by comparing unrelated word distractors to nonlinguistic (a row of Xs), surface feature denoting, and category member distractors. Our results first indicate that the increased naming latencies for linguistic relative to nonlinguistic distractors are because of general conflict-monitoring processes, associated with early event-related potential effects (120-220 ms) and increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. Next, distractors specifying a surface feature of the picture seem to facilitate its identification within the same time window, which involves widespread networks. Finally, nonlinguistic and surface feature distractors also reduced the N400 amplitude, relative to unrelated word distractors. Taken together our results support the view that several distinct processes give rise to the reaction time results often observed in picture naming.
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Surface hardening of Al alloys through controlled ball-milling and sintering.
Kim, Seek Hyeoun; Kim, Yong Jin; Ahn, Jung-Ho
2012-07-01
One of the drawbacks of aluminum and its alloys is the lack of proper heat-treatment for surface-hardening. In the present work, a new and simple method of hardening the surface of aluminum and its alloys was developed. Low-energy ball-milling using specific process control agents (PCAs) was employed, using subsequent sintering in a controlled atmosphere. The PCAs in the present work were very effective both for milling and the formation of hard nanocrystalline dispersoids during sintering. The residual oxygen in a sintering atmosphere also played an important role in the formation of AIN or Al-O-N dispersoids. Through the proper control of the processing atmosphere and PCAs, the hardness and thickness of the hardened layers could be adjusted. The results of the wear test showed that the present aluminum alloys can be effectively utilized as light-weight components with a good wear resistance. Furthermore, the present method involves a simple forming process of die-compaction and sintering.
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Flux canceling in three-dimensional radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thaler, Irina; Spruit, H. C.
2017-05-01
We aim to study the processes involved in the disappearance of magnetic flux between regions of opposite polarity on the solar surface using realistic three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. "Retraction" below the surface driven by magnetic forces is found to be a very effective mechanism of flux canceling of opposite polarities. The speed at which flux disappears increases strongly with initial mean flux density. In agreement with existing inferences from observations we suggest that this is a key process of flux disappearance within active complexes. Intrinsic kG strength concentrations connect the surface to deeper layers by magnetic forces, and therefore the influence of deeper layers on the flux canceling process is studied. We do this by comparing simulations extending to different depths. For average flux densities of 50 G, and on length scales on the order of 3 Mm in the horizontal and 10 Mm in depth, deeper layers appear to have only a mild influence on the effective rate of diffusion.
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Friction and Wear on the Atomic Scale
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gnecco, Enrico; Bennewitz, Roland; Pfeiffer, Oliver; Socoliuc, Anisoara; Meyer, Ernst
Friction has long been the subject of research: the empirical da Vinci-Amontons friction laws have been common knowledge for centuries. Macroscopic experiments performed by the school of Bowden and Tabor revealed that macroscopic friction can be related to the collective action of small asperities. Over the last 15 years, experiments performed with the atomic force microscope have provided new insights into the physics of single asperities sliding over surfaces. This development, together with the results from complementary experiments using surface force apparatus and the quartz microbalance, have led to the new field of nanotribology. At the same time, increasing computing power has permitted the simulation of processes that occur during sliding contact involving several hundreds of atoms. It has become clear that atomic processes cannot be neglected when interpreting nanotribology experiments. Even on well-defined surfaces, experiments have revealed that atomic structure is directly linked to friction force. This chapter will describe friction force microscopy experiments that reveal, more or less directly, atomic processes during sliding contact.
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Machining of bone: Analysis of cutting force and surface roughness by turning process.
Noordin, M Y; Jiawkok, N; Ndaruhadi, P Y M W; Kurniawan, D
2015-11-01
There are millions of orthopedic surgeries and dental implantation procedures performed every year globally. Most of them involve machining of bones and cartilage. However, theoretical and analytical study on bone machining is lagging behind its practice and implementation. This study views bone machining as a machining process with bovine bone as the workpiece material. Turning process which makes the basis of the actually used drilling process was experimented. The focus is on evaluating the effects of three machining parameters, that is, cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut, to machining responses, that is, cutting forces and surface roughness resulted by the turning process. Response surface methodology was used to quantify the relation between the machining parameters and the machining responses. The turning process was done at various cutting speeds (29-156 m/min), depths of cut (0.03 -0.37 mm), and feeds (0.023-0.11 mm/rev). Empirical models of the resulted cutting force and surface roughness as the functions of cutting speed, depth of cut, and feed were developed. Observation using the developed empirical models found that within the range of machining parameters evaluated, the most influential machining parameter to the cutting force is depth of cut, followed by feed and cutting speed. The lowest cutting force was obtained at the lowest cutting speed, lowest depth of cut, and highest feed setting. For surface roughness, feed is the most significant machining condition, followed by cutting speed, and with depth of cut showed no effect. The finest surface finish was obtained at the lowest cutting speed and feed setting. © IMechE 2015.
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Soul Work: A Phenomenological Study of College English Professors
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ashby, Sjon F.
2011-01-01
English teachers can encourage writing that opens college students to transformative learning through what John Dirkx called soul work. This soul work involves the conscious attempt to bring to the surface myths, images, and metaphors from the unconscious through imaginative writing and thinking processes. Participants in this study engaged in…
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Natural regeneration of eastern hemlock: a review
Daniel L. Goerlich; Ralph D. Nyland
2000-01-01
Successful regeneration of eastern hemlock involves a complex biophysical process that commonly spans many years. Critical factors include a reliable source of seed, a suitable seedbed, a partially shaded environment, and several years of favorable moisture. Surface scarification appears critical as a means of site preparation. Even then, young hemlocks grow slowly,...
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A Lawyer/Therapist Team Approach to Divorce.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Black, Melvin; Joffe, Wendy
The high incidence of divorce today has surfaced the emotional/legal issues involved in the divorce process. Mental health clinicians recognize the severe emotional trauma which divorced couples experience. The interdependency of the marital relationship is severed and each member must face that loss. A continuing relationship is often required…
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40 CFR 721.91 - Computation of estimated surface water concentrations: Instructions.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-07-01
... shall be computed for each site using the stream flow rate appropriate for the site according to... computing the equation, the number of kilograms released, and receiving stream flow. (a) Number of kilograms... diagram which describes each manufacturing, processing, or use operation involving the substance. The...
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40 CFR 721.91 - Computation of estimated surface water concentrations: Instructions.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-07-01
... shall be computed for each site using the stream flow rate appropriate for the site according to... computing the equation, the number of kilograms released, and receiving stream flow. (a) Number of kilograms... diagram which describes each manufacturing, processing, or use operation involving the substance. The...
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Hupp, C.R.; Simon, A.
1991-01-01
This paper describes the recovery of stable bank form and development of vegetated depositional surfaces along the banks of channelized West Tennessee streams. Most perennial streams in West Tennessee were straightened and dredged since the turn of the century. Patterns of fluvial ecological responses to channelization have previously been described by a six-stage model. Dendrogeomorphic (tree-ring) techniques allowed the determination of location, timing, amount, and rate of bank-sediment deposition. Channel cross sections and ecological analyses made at 101 locations along 12 streams, encompassing bends and straight reaches, show that channel and bank processes initially react vertically to channelization through downcutting. A depositional surface forms on banks once bed-degradation and heightened bank mass wasting processes have eased or slowed. The formation of this depositional surface marks the beginning of bank recovery from channelization. Dominating lateral processes, characteristic of stable or natural channels, return during the formation and expansion of the depositional surface, suggesting a relation with thalweg deflection, point-bar development, and meanderloop extension. Characteristic woody riparian vegetation begins to grow as this depositional surface develops and becomes part of the process and form of restabilizing banks. The depositional surface initially forms low on the bank and tends to maintain a slope of about 24??. Mean accretion rates ranges from 5.9 cm/yr on inside bends to 0 cm/yr on most outside bends; straight reaches have a mean-accretion rate of 4.2 cm/yr. The relatively stable, convex upward, depositional surface expands and ultimately attaches to the flood plain. The time required for the recovery process to reach equilibrium averaged about 50 years. Indicative pioneer speccies of woody riparian vegetation include black willow, river birch, silver maple, and boxelder. Stem densities generally decrease with time after and initial flush of about 160 stems per 100 m2. Together bank accretion and vegetative regrowth appear to be the most important environmental processes involved in channel bank recovery from channelization or rejuvenation. ?? 1991.
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A common network of functional areas for attention and eye movements
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Corbetta, M.; Akbudak, E.; Conturo, T. E.; Snyder, A. Z.; Ollinger, J. M.; Drury, H. A.; Linenweber, M. R.; Petersen, S. E.; Raichle, M. E.; Van Essen, D. C.;
1998-01-01
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and surface-based representations of brain activity were used to compare the functional anatomy of two tasks, one involving covert shifts of attention to peripheral visual stimuli, the other involving both attentional and saccadic shifts to the same stimuli. Overlapping regional networks in parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes were active in both tasks. This anatomical overlap is consistent with the hypothesis that attentional and oculomotor processes are tightly integrated at the neural level.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1973-01-01
An investigation of the technology and programmatics involved in the development of four of the products selected as capable of benefitting from space manufacturing was conducted. The four activities selected are as follows: (1) levitation heating and melting of tungsten, (2) free suspension processing of oxides to form amorphous oxide materials, (3) crystals for surface wave acoustic substrates, and (4) space manufacturing of surface acoustic wave devices.
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Raychaudhuri, Arup Kumar; Saha-Dasgupta, Tanusri
2016-01-01
Summary We study the thermal stability of hollow copper nanowires using molecular dynamics simulation. We find that the plasticity-mediated structural evolution leads to transformation of the initial hollow structure to a solid wire. The process involves three distinct stages, namely, collapse, recrystallization and slow recovery. We calculate the time scales associated with different stages of the evolution process. Our findings suggest a plasticity-mediated mechanism of collapse and recrystallization. This contradicts the prevailing notion of diffusion driven transport of vacancies from the interior to outer surface being responsible for collapse, which would involve much longer time scales as compared to the plasticity-based mechanism. PMID:26977380
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lychagin, D. V.; Filippov, A. V.; Novitskaia, O. S.; Kolubaev, E. A.; Sizova, O. V.
2016-08-01
The results of experimental research into dry sliding friction of Hadfield steel single crystals involving registration of acoustic emission are presented in the paper. The images of friction surfaces of Hadfield steel single crystals and wear grooves of the counterbody surface made after completion of three serial experiments conducted under similar conditions and friction regimes are given. The relation of the acoustic emission waveform envelope to the changing friction factor is revealed. Amplitude-frequency characteristics of acoustic emission signal frames are determined on the base of Fast Fourier Transform and Short Time Fourier Transform during the run-in stage of tribounits and in the process of stable friction.
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Mendes, Ana Isabel; Matos, Paulo; Moniz, Sónia; Luz, Simão; Amaral, Margarida D.; Farinha, Carlos M.; Jordan, Peter
2011-01-01
Members of the WNK (with-no-lysine [K]) subfamily of protein kinases regulate various ion channels involved in sodium, potassium, and chloride homeostasis by either inducing their phosphorylation or regulating the number of channel proteins expressed at the cell surface. Here, we describe findings demonstrating that the cell surface expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is also regulated by WNK4 in mammalian cells. This effect of WNK4 is independent of the presence of kinase and involves interaction with and inhibition of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), which phosphorylates Tyr512 in the first nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) of CFTR. Transfection of catalytically active Syk into CFTR-expressing baby hamster kidney cells reduces the cell surface expression of CFTR, whereas that of WNK4 promotes it. This is shown by biotinylation of cell surface proteins, immunofluorescence microscopy, and functional efflux assays. Mutation of Tyr512 to either glutamic acid or phenylalanine is sufficient to alter CFTR surface levels. In human airway epithelial cells, downregulation of endogenous Syk and WNK4 confirms their roles as physiologic regulators of CFTR surface expression. Together, our results show that Tyr512 phosphorylation is a novel signal regulating the prevalence of CFTR at the cell surface and that WNK4 and Syk perform an antagonistic role in this process. PMID:21807898
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Water evaporation on highly viscoelastic polymer surfaces.
Pu, Gang; Severtson, Steven J
2012-07-03
Results are reported for a study on the evaporation of water droplets from a highly viscoelastic acrylic polymer surface. These are contrasted with those collected for the same measurements carried out on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). For PDMS, the evaporation process involves the expected multistep process including constant drop area, constant contact angle, and finally a combination of these steps until the liquid is gone. In contrast, water evaporation from the acrylic polymer shows a constant drop area mode throughout. Furthermore, during the evaporation process, the drop area actually expands on the acrylic polymer. The single mode evaporation process is consistent with formation of wetting structures, which cannot be propagated by the capillary forces. Expansion of the drop area is attributed to the influence of the drop capillary pressure. Furthermore, the rate of drop area expansion is shown to be dependent on the thickness of the polymer film.
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The esa earth explorer land surface processes and interactions mission
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Labandibar, Jean-Yves; Jubineau, Franck; Silvestrin, Pierluigi; Del Bello, Umberto
2017-11-01
The European Space Agency (ESA) is defining candidate missions for Earth Observation. In the class of the Earth Explorer missions, dedicated to research and pre-operational demonstration, the Land Surface Processes and Interactions Mission (LSPIM) will acquire the accurate quantitative measurements needed to improve our understanding of the nature and evolution of biosphere-atmosphere interactions and to contribute significantly to a solution of the scaling problems for energy, water and carbon fluxes at the Earth's surface. The mission is intended to provide detailed observations of the surface of the Earth and to collect data related to ecosystem processes and radiation balance. It is also intended to address a range of issues important for environmental monitoring, renewable resources assessment and climate models. The mission involves a dedicated maneuvering satellite which provides multi-directional observations for systematic measurement of Land Surface BRDF (BiDirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) of selected sites on Earth. The satellite carries an optical payload : PRISM (Processes Research by an Imaging Space Mission), a multispectral imager providing reasonably high spatial resolution images (50 m over 50 km swath) in the whole optical spectral domain (from 450 nm to 2.35 μm with a resolution close to 10 nm, and two thermal bands from 8.1 to 9.1 μm). This paper presents the results of the Phase A study awarded by ESA, led by ALCATEL Space Industries and concerning the design of LSPIM.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pawde, S. M.; Parab, Sanmesh S.
2008-05-01
Polystyrene (PS) films are used in packaging and biomedical applications because of their transparency and good environmental properties. The present investigation is centered on the antifungal and antibacterial activities involved in the film surface. Subsequently, microbial formations were immobilized on the modified PS films. Living microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast were used. Untreated PS films show very fast rate of growth of bacteria within few hours. The study involves developments of polymer surfaces with bacterial growth and further studies after giving antibacterial treatment such as plasma treatment. Major emphasis has been given to study the effect of various parameters which can affect the performance of the improved material. Films were prepared by two methods: plasma treatment under vacuum and under ongoing He-Ne laser source. The parameters such as (1) surface area by contact angle measurements, (2) quality of material before and after treatment by SEM and FTIR spectra and (3) material characterization by UV-vis spectra were studied. It was observed that plasma treatment of the PS material for different processing time improved the surface properties of PS films.
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Fabrication of lightweight Si/SiC LIDAR mirrors
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Goela, Jitendra S.; Taylor, Raymond L.
1991-01-01
A new, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was developed for fabricating lightweight, polycrystalline silicon/silicon-carbide (Si/SiC) mirrors. The process involves three CVD steps: (1) to produce the mirror faceplate; (2) to form the lightweight backstructure, which is deposited integral to the faceplate; and (3) to deposit a layer of optical-grade material, e.g., Si, onto the front surface of the faceplate. The mirror figure and finish are fabricated into the faceplate.
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Processable high temperature resistant polymer matrix materials
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Serafini, T. T.
1975-01-01
A review is presented of studies conducted with addition-cured polyimides, giving particular attention to an improved method involving in situ polymerization of monomer reactants (PMR) on the surface of the reinforcing fibers. The studies show that the PMR approach provides a powerful method for fabricating high performance polymer matrix composites. Significant advantages of the PMR approach are related to the superior high temperature properties of the obtained material, lower cost, greater safety, and processing versatility.
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2014-09-30
continuation of the evolution of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) as a multi-scale, multi-process model and its utilization for...hydrostatic component of ROMS (Kanarska et al., 2007) is required to increase its efficiency and generality. The non-hydrostatic ROMS involves the solution...instability and wind-driven mixing. For the computational regime where those processes can be partially, but not yet fully resolved, it will
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Diurnal variability of gas phase and surface water ethanol in southeastern North Carolina, USA
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kieber, R. J.; Powell, J. P.; Foley, L.; Mead, R. N.; Willey, J. D.; Avery, G. B.
2017-11-01
Diurnal variations in gas phase and surface water concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde were investigated at five locations in southeastern North Carolina, USA. There were distinct diurnal oscillations observed in gas phase concentrations with maxima occurring in late afternoon suggesting that photochemical production is an important process in the cycling of these analytes in the troposphere. The rapid decrease in concentrations after the mid day maximum suggests that there is also an atmospheric photochemical sink for both analytes most likely involving photo produced hydroxyl radicals with a half-life on the order of hours rather than days at ground level. Ethanol concentrations in the surface microlayer taken at the same time as gas phase samples had a very similar diurnal profile suggesting photochemical processes, in addition to atmospheric deposition, play a role in the aqueous phase cycling of both analytes. The concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde increased significantly in flasks containing freshwater collected from the Cape Fear River exposed to simulated sunlight for 6 h underscoring the importance of in situ photochemical production. Results of this study are significant because they represent the first simultaneous analyses of the temporal variability of ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations in the gas and aqueous phases. These measurements are essential in order to better define the processes involved in the global biogeochemical cycling of ethanol both now and in the future as our use of the biofuel continues to grow.
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Ortega, Isabel Cristina Muñoz; Valdivieso, Alher Mauricio Hernández; Lopez, Joan Francesc Alonso; Villanueva, Miguel Ángel Mañanas; Lopez, Luis Horacio Atehortúa
2017-01-01
Objective The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of surface electromyographic signal derived indexes for the prediction of weaning outcomes among mechanically ventilated subjects after cardiac surgery. Methods A sample of 10 postsurgical adult subjects who received cardiovascular surgery that did not meet the criteria for early extubation were included. Surface electromyographic signals from diaphragm and ventilatory variables were recorded during the weaning process, with the moment determined by the medical staff according to their expertise. Several indexes of respiratory muscle expenditure from surface electromyography using linear and non-linear processing techniques were evaluated. Two groups were compared: successfully and unsuccessfully weaned patients. Results The obtained indexes allow estimation of the diaphragm activity of each subject, showing a correlation between high expenditure and weaning test failure. Conclusion Surface electromyography is becoming a promising procedure for assessing the state of mechanically ventilated patients, even in complex situations such as those that involve a patient after cardiovascular surgery. PMID:28977261
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Modelling episodic acidification of surface waters: the state of science.
Eshleman, K N; Wigington, P J; Davies, T D; Tranter, M
1992-01-01
Field studies of chemical changes in surface waters associated with rainfall and snowmelt events have provided evidence of episodic acidification of lakes and streams in Europe and North America. Modelling these chemical changes is particularly challenging because of the variability associated with hydrological transport and chemical transformation processes in catchments. This paper provides a review of mathematical models that have been applied to the problem of episodic acidification. Several empirical approaches, including regression models, mixing models and time series models, support a strong hydrological interpretation of episodic acidification. Regional application of several models has suggested that acidic episodes (in which the acid neutralizing capacity becomes negative) are relatively common in surface waters in several regions of the US that receive acid deposition. Results from physically based models have suggested a lack of understanding of hydrological flowpaths, hydraulic residence times and biogeochemical reactions, particularly those involving aluminum. The ability to better predict episodic chemical responses of surface waters is thus dependent upon elucidation of these and other physical and chemical processes.
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Fabrication of superhydrophobic Pt3Fe/Fe surface for its application
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cui, Shuo; Lu, Shixiang; Xu, Wenguo; Wu, Bei
2017-10-01
Well-defined Pt3Fe/Fe superhydrophobic materials on iron sheet with special properties, such as corrosion resistance, superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, was fabricated. The fabrication process involved etching in hydrochloric acid aqueous solution and simple replacement deposition process without using any seed and organic solvent, and then annealing. The electrochemical measurements show that the resultant surface in 3.5% sodium chloride solution displays good corrosion resistance. Also, it is proved that the obtained surface has better mechanical abrasion resistance via scratch test. The superoleophilicity and low water adhesion force of the obtained surface endow it high oil/water separation capacity. The as-prepared nanocomposites display enhanced catalytic activity and kinetics toward degradation of methyl orange. In particular, it possesses the most efficient degradation capacity (95%) towards methyl orange at a high concentration (17.5 mg/L) in 80 min. The improved stability and excellent catalytic activity of the Pt3Fe/Fe nanocomposites promise new opportunities for the development of waste water treatment.
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Fan, Hong Jin; Knez, Mato; Scholz, Roland; Hesse, Dietrich; Nielsch, Kornelius; Zacharias, Margit; Gösele, Ulrich
2007-04-01
The Kirkendall effect has been widely applied for fabrication of nanoscale hollow structures, which involves an unbalanced counterdiffusion through a reaction interface. Conventional treatment of this process only considers the bulk diffusion of growth species and vacancies. In this letter, a conceptual extension is proposed: the development of the hollow interior undergoes two main stages. The initial stage is the generation of small Kirkendall voids intersecting the compound interface via a bulk diffusion process; the second stage is dominated by surface diffusion of the core material (viz., the fast-diffusing species) along the pore surface. This concept applies to spherical as well as cylindrical nanometer and microscale structures, and even to macroscopic bilayers. As supporting evidence, we show the results of a spinel-forming solid-state reaction of core-shell nanowires, as well as of a planar bilayer of ZnO-Al2O3 to illustrate the influence of surface diffusion on the morphology evolution.
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Method of physical vapor deposition of metal oxides on semiconductors
Norton, David P.
2001-01-01
A process for growing a metal oxide thin film upon a semiconductor surface with a physical vapor deposition technique in a high-vacuum environment and a structure formed with the process involves the steps of heating the semiconductor surface and introducing hydrogen gas into the high-vacuum environment to develop conditions at the semiconductor surface which are favorable for growing the desired metal oxide upon the semiconductor surface yet is unfavorable for the formation of any native oxides upon the semiconductor. More specifically, the temperature of the semiconductor surface and the ratio of hydrogen partial pressure to water pressure within the vacuum environment are high enough to render the formation of native oxides on the semiconductor surface thermodynamically unstable yet are not so high that the formation of the desired metal oxide on the semiconductor surface is thermodynamically unstable. Having established these conditions, constituent atoms of the metal oxide to be deposited upon the semiconductor surface are directed toward the surface of the semiconductor by a physical vapor deposition technique so that the atoms come to rest upon the semiconductor surface as a thin film of metal oxide with no native oxide at the semiconductor surface/thin film interface. An example of a structure formed by this method includes an epitaxial thin film of (001)-oriented CeO.sub.2 overlying a substrate of (001) Ge.
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Process Feasibility Study in Support of Silicon Material, Task 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Li, K. Y.; Hansen, K. C.; Yaws, C. L.
1979-01-01
During this reporting period, major activies were devoted to process system properties, chemical engineering and economic analyses. Analyses of process system properties was continued for materials involved in the alternate processes under consideration for solar cell grade silicon. The following property data are reported for silicon tetrafluoride: critical constants, vapor pressure, heat of varporization, heat capacity, density, surface tension, viscosity, thermal conductivity, heat of formation and Gibb's free energy of formation. Chemical engineering analysis of the BCL process was continued with primary efforts being devoted to the preliminary process design. Status and progress are reported for base case conditions; process flow diagram; reaction chemistry; material and energy balances; and major process equipment design.
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Chialvo, Ariel A.; Vlcek, Lukas; Cummings, Peter T.
2014-10-17
We studied the link between the water-mediated (tensile or compressive) strain-driven hydration free energy changes in the association process involving finite-size graphene surfaces, the resulting water-graphene interfacial behavior, and the combined effect of surface strain and fluid confinement on the thermodynamic response functions and the dynamics of water. In this study, we found that either small surface corrugation (compressive strain) or surface stretching (tensile strain) is able to enhance significantly the water-graphene hydrophobicity relative to that of the unstrained surface, an effect that exacerbates the confinement impact on the isothermal compressibility and isobaric thermal expansivity of confined water, as wellmore » as on the slowing down of its dynamics that gives rise to anomalous diffusivity.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lau Sheng, Annie; Ismail, Izwan; Nur Aqida, Syarifah
2018-03-01
This study presents the effects of laser parameters on the surface roughness of laser modified tool steel after thermal cyclic loading. Pulse mode Nd:YAG laser was used to perform the laser surface modification process on AISI H13 tool steel samples. Samples were then treated with thermal cyclic loading experiments which involved alternate immersion in molten aluminium (800°C) and water (27°C) for 553 cycles. A full factorial design of experiment (DOE) was developed to perform the investigation. Factors for the DOE are the laser parameter namely overlap rate (η), pulse repetition frequency (f PRF) and peak power (Ppeak ) while the response is the surface roughness after thermal cyclic loading. Results indicate the surface roughness of the laser modified surface after thermal cyclic loading is significantly affected by laser parameter settings.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1980-01-01
A simple procedure to evaluate actual evaporation was derived by linearizing the surface energy balance equation, using Taylor's expansion. The original multidimensional hypersurface could be reduced to a linear relationship between evaporation and surface temperature or to a surface relationship involving evaporation, surface temperature and albedo. This procedure permits a rapid sensitivity analysis of the surface energy balance equation as well as a speedy mapping of evaporation from remotely sensed surface temperatures and albedo. Comparison with experimental data yielded promising results. The validity of evapotranspiration and soil moisture models in semiarid conditions was tested. Wheat was the crop chosen for a continuous measurement campaign made in the south of Italy. Radiometric, micrometeorologic, agronomic and soil data were collected for processing and interpretation.
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Event-Related Potential Responses to Task Switching Are Sensitive to Choice of Spatial Filter
Wong, Aaron S. W.; Cooper, Patrick S.; Conley, Alexander C.; McKewen, Montana; Fulham, W. Ross; Michie, Patricia T.; Karayanidis, Frini
2018-01-01
Event-related potential (ERP) studies using the task-switching paradigm show that multiple ERP components are modulated by activation of proactive control processes involved in preparing to repeat or switch task and reactive control processes involved in implementation of the current or new task. Our understanding of the functional significance of these ERP components has been hampered by variability in their robustness, as well as their temporal and scalp distribution across studies. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of choice of reference electrode or spatial filter on the number, timing and scalp distribution of ERP elicited during task-switching. We compared four configurations, including the two most common (i.e., average mastoid reference and common average reference) and two novel ones that aim to reduce volume conduction (i.e., reference electrode standardization technique (REST) and surface Laplacian) on mixing cost and switch cost effects in cue-locked and target-locked ERP waveforms in 201 healthy participants. All four spatial filters showed the same well-characterized ERP components that are typically seen in task-switching paradigms: the cue-locked switch positivity and target-locked N2/P3 effect. However, both the number of ERP effects associated with mixing and switch cost, and their temporal and spatial resolution were greater with the surface Laplacian transformation which revealed rapid temporal adjustments that were not identifiable with other spatial filters. We conclude that the surface Laplacian transformation may be more suited to characterize EEG signatures of complex spatiotemporal networks involved in cognitive control. PMID:29568260
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gulick, V. C.
2002-12-01
Despite three decades of exploration, the valley networks on Mars still seem to raise more questions than they answer. Valley systems have formed in the southern highlands, along some regions of the dichotomy boundary and the south rim of Valles Marineris, around the rim of some impact craters, and on the flanks of some volcanoes. They are found on some of the oldest and youngest terrains as well as on intermediate aged surfaces. There is surprisingly little consensus as to the formation and the paleoclimatic implications of the valley networks. Did the valleys require a persistent solar-driven atmospheric hydrological cycle involving precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration and groundwater outflow as they typically do on Earth? Or are they the result of magmatic or impact-driven thermal cycling of ground water involving persistent outflow and subsequent runoff? Are they the result of some other process(es)? Ground-water sapping, surface-water runoff, debris flows, wind erosion, and formation mechanisms involving other fluids have been proposed. Until such basic questions as these are definitively answered, their significance for understanding paleoclimatic change on Mars remains cloudy. I will review what is known about valley networks using data from both past and current missions. I will discuss what we have learned about their morphology, environments in which they formed, their spatial and temporal associations, possible formation mechanisms, relation to outflow channel and gully formation, as well as the possible implications for past climate change on Mars. Finally I will discuss how future, meter to submeter scale imaging and other remote sensing observations may shed new light on the debate over the origin of these enigmatic features.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
1989-01-01
A "NASA Tech Briefs" article describing an inspection tool and technique known as Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE) led to the formation of Photo Acoustic Technology, Inc. (PAT). PAT produces sensors and scanning systems which assure surface cleanliness prior to bonding, coating, painting, etc. The company's OP1000 series realtime pre-processing detection capability assures 100 percent surface quality testing. The technique involves brief exposure of the inspection surface to ultraviolet radiation. The energy interacts with the surface layer, causing free electrons to be emitted from the surface to be picked up by the detector. When contamination is present, it interferes with the electron flow in proportion to the thickness of the contaminant layer enabling measurement by system signal output. OP1000 systems operate in conventional atmospheres on all types of material and detect both organic and inorganic contamination.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Yingfeng; Li, Meicheng; Gu, TianSheng; Bai, Fan; Yu, Yue; Trevor, Mwenya; Yu, Yangxin
2013-11-01
By density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the early stages of the growth of graphene on copper (1 1 1) surface are investigated. At the very first time of graphene growth, the carbon atom sinks into subsurface. As more carbon atoms are adsorbed nearby the site, the sunken carbon atom will spontaneously form a dimer with one of the newly adsorbed carbon atoms, and the formed dimer will up-float on the top of the surface. We emphasize the role of the co-operative relaxation of the co-adsorbed carbon atoms in facilitating the sinking and up-floating of carbon atoms. In detail: when two carbon atoms are co-adsorbed, their co-operative relaxation will result in different carbon-copper interactions for the co-adsorbed carbon atoms. This difference facilitates the sinking of a single carbon atom into the subsurface. As a third carbon atom is co-adsorbed nearby, it draws the sunken carbon atom on top of the surface, forming a dimer. Co-operative relaxations of the surface involving all adsorbed carbon atoms and their copper neighbors facilitate these sinking and up-floating processes. This investigation is helpful for the deeper understanding of graphene synthesis and the choosing of optimal carbon sources or process.
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Natural fracture systems on planetary surfaces: Genetic classification and pattern randomness
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rossbacher, Lisa A.
1987-01-01
One method for classifying natural fracture systems is by fracture genesis. This approach involves the physics of the formation process, and it has been used most frequently in attempts to predict subsurface fractures and petroleum reservoir productivity. This classification system can also be applied to larger fracture systems on any planetary surface. One problem in applying this classification system to planetary surfaces is that it was developed for ralatively small-scale fractures that would influence porosity, particularly as observed in a core sample. Planetary studies also require consideration of large-scale fractures. Nevertheless, this system offers some valuable perspectives on fracture systems of any size.
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Purification of Carbon Nanotubes: Alternative Methods
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Files, Bradley; Scott, Carl; Gorelik, Olga; Nikolaev, Pasha; Hulse, Lou; Arepalli, Sivaram
2000-01-01
Traditional carbon nanotube purification process involves nitric acid refluxing and cross flow filtration using surfactant TritonX. This is believed to result in damage to nanotubes and surfactant residue on nanotube surface. Alternative purification procedures involving solvent extraction, thermal zone refining and nitric acid refiuxing are used in the current study. The effect of duration and type of solvent to dissolve impurities including fullerenes and P ACs (polyaromatic compounds) are monitored by nuclear magnetic reasonance, high performance liquid chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal zone refining yielded sample areas rich in nanotubes as seen by scanning electric microscopy. Refluxing in boiling nitric acid seem to improve the nanotube content. Different procedural steps are needed to purify samples produced by laser process compared to arc process. These alternative methods of nanotube purification will be presented along with results from supporting analytical techniques.
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Campbell, Christian X; Thomaidis, Dimitrios
2014-05-13
A process is provided for forming an airfoil for a gas turbine engine involving: forming a casting of a gas turbine engine airfoil having a main wall and an interior cavity, the main wall having a wall thickness extending from an external surface of the outer wall to the interior cavity, an outer section of the main wall extending from a location between a base and a tip of the airfoil casting to the tip having a wall thickness greater than a final thickness. The process may further involve effecting movement, using a computer system, of a material removal apparatus and the casting relative to one another such that a layer of material is removed from the casting at one or more radial portions along the main wall of the casting.
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Dynamic of particle-laden liquid sheet
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sauret, Alban; Jop, Pierre; Troger, Anthony
2016-11-01
Many industrial processes, such as surface coating or liquid transport in tubes, involve liquid sheets or thin liquid films of suspensions. In these situations, the thickness of the liquid film becomes comparable to the particle size, which leads to unexpected dynamics. In addition, the classical constitutive rheological law cannot be applied as the continuum approximation is no longer valid. Here, we consider experimentally a transient free liquid sheet that expands radially. We characterize the influence of the particles on the shape of the liquid film as a function of time and the atomization process. We highlight that the presence of particles modifies the thickness and the stability of the liquid sheet. Our study suggests that the influence of particles through capillary effects can modify significantly the dynamics of processes that involve suspensions and particles confined in liquid films.
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Li, Yun-He; Zhang, Hong-Na; Wu, Qing-Song; Muday, Gloria K
2017-06-01
A total of 74,745 unigenes were generated and 1975 DEGs were identified. Candidate genes that may be involved in the adventitious root formation of mango cotyledon segment were revealed. Adventitious root formation is a crucial step in plant vegetative propagation, but the molecular mechanism of adventitious root formation remains unclear. Adventitious roots formed only at the proximal cut surface (PCS) of mango cotyledon segments, whereas no roots were formed on the opposite, distal cut surface (DCS). To identify the transcript abundance changes linked to adventitious root development, RNA was isolated from PCS and DCS at 0, 4 and 7 days after culture, respectively. Illumina sequencing of libraries generated from these samples yielded 62.36 Gb high-quality reads that were assembled into 74,745 unigenes with an average sequence length of 807 base pairs, and 33,252 of the assembled unigenes at least had homologs in one of the public databases. Comparative analysis of these transcriptome databases revealed that between the different time points at PCS there were 1966 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while there were only 51 DEGs for the PCS vs. DCS when time-matched samples were compared. Of these DEGs, 1636 were assigned to gene ontology (GO) classes, the majority of that was involved in cellular processes, metabolic processes and single-organism processes. Candidate genes that may be involved in the adventitious root formation of mango cotyledon segment are predicted to encode polar auxin transport carriers, auxin-regulated proteins, cell wall remodeling enzymes and ethylene-related proteins. In order to validate RNA-sequencing results, we further analyzed the expression profiles of 20 genes by quantitative real-time PCR. This study expands the transcriptome information for Mangifera indica and identifies candidate genes involved in adventitious root formation in cotyledon segments of mango.
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Compact handheld low-cost biosensor platform for remote health monitoring
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hastanin, J.; Lenaerts, C.; Gailly, P.; Jans, H.; Huang, C.; Lagae, L.; Kokkinos, D.; Fleury-Frenette, K.
2016-04-01
In this paper, we present an original concept of plasmonic-related instrumentation platform dedicated to diagnostic biosensing tests out of the laboratory. The developed instrumental platform includes both disposable one-use microfluidic affinity biochip and compact optical readout device for biochip monitoring involving mobile Internet devices for data processing and communication. The biochip includes both microfluidic and optical coupling structures formed into a single plastic slab. The microfluidic path of the biochip operates in passive capillary pumping mode. In the proof-of-concept prototype, we address specifically the sensing format involving Surface Plasmon Resonance phenomenon. The biochip is plugged in the readout device without the use of an index matching fluid. An essential advantage of the developed biochip is that its implementation involves conventional hot embossing and thin film deposition process, perfectly suited for mass production of low-cost microfluidic biochip for biochemical applications.
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Trapping of drops by wetting defects
't Mannetje, Dieter; Ghosh, Somnath; Lagraauw, Rudy; Otten, Simon; Pit, Arjen; Berendsen, Christian; Zeegers, Jos; van den Ende, Dirk; Mugele, Frieder
2014-01-01
Controlling the motion of drops on solid surfaces is crucial in many natural phenomena and technological processes including the collection and removal of rain drops, cleaning technology and heat exchangers. Topographic and chemical heterogeneities on solid surfaces give rise to pinning forces that can capture and steer drops in desired directions. Here we determine general physical conditions required for capturing sliding drops on an inclined plane that is equipped with electrically tunable wetting defects. By mapping the drop dynamics on the one-dimensional motion of a point mass, we demonstrate that the trapping process is controlled by two dimensionless parameters, the trapping strength measured in units of the driving force and the ratio between a viscous and an inertial time scale. Complementary experiments involving superhydrophobic surfaces with wetting defects demonstrate the general applicability of the concept. Moreover, we show that electrically tunable defects can be used to guide sliding drops along actively switchable tracks—with potential applications in microfluidics. PMID:24721935
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Immobilization of concanavalin A receptors during differentiation of neuroblastoma cells.
Fishman, M C; Dragsten, P R; Spector, I
1981-04-30
Neuroblastoma cells serve as a useful model of neuronal development because compounds such as dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP cause them to undergo a process of controlled differentiation in tissue culture, during which they can extend long processes, develop characteristic excitability mechanisms, synthesize neurotransmitters and form synapses. We have used the technique of fluorescence photobleaching recovery to study the lateral mobility of cell-surface constituents during the differentiation of neuroblastoma clone N1E-115 cells. The concanavalin A (Con A) binding sites appear as discrete patches distributed over the entire cell surface and exhibit lateral mobility in undifferentiated cells comparable with that of surface glycoproteins of other cells. After induction of differentiation, however, the vast majority of Con A binding sites become immobilized, and we present data which suggest that the mechanism of this immobilization may involve linkage to the internal actin network.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bachelet, Vincent; Mangeney, Anne; de Rosny, Julien; Toussaint, Renaud
2016-04-01
The seismic signal generated by rockfalls, landslides or avalanches is a unique tool to detect, characterize and monitor gravitational flow activity, with strong implication in terms of natural hazard monitoring. Indeed, as natural flows travel down the slope, they apply stresses on the ground, generating seismic waves in a wide frequency band. Our ultimate objective is to relate the granular flow properties to the generated signals that result from the different physical processes involved. We investigate here the more simple process: the impact of a single bead on a rough surface. Farin et al. [2015] have already shown theoretically and experimentally the existence of a link between the properties of an impacting bead (mass and velocity) on smooth surfaces, and the emitted signal (radiated elastic energy and mean frequency). This demonstrates that the single impactor properties can be deduced from the form of the emitted signal. We extend this work here by investigating the impact of single beads and gravels on rough and erodible surfaces. Experimentally, we drop glass and steel beads of diameters from 2 mm to 10 mm on a PMMA plate. The roughness of this last is obtained by gluing 3mm-diameter glass beads on one of its face. Free beads have been also added to get erodible beds. We track the dropped impactor motion, times between impacts and the generated acoustic waves using two fast cameras and 8 accelerometers. Cameras are used in addition to estimate the impactor rotation. We investigate the energy balance during the impact process, especially how the energy restitution varies as a function of the energy lost through acoustic waves. From these experiments, we clearly observe that even if more dissipative processes are involved (friction, grain reorganization, etc.), the single bead scaling laws obtained on smooth surfaces remain valid. A main result of this work is to quantify the fluctuations of the characteristic quantities such as the bounce angle, the seismic energy and frequency induced by the plate roughness.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhu, Qing; Zou, Lianfeng; Zhou, Guangwen; Saidi, Wissam A.; Yang, Judith C.
2016-10-01
Understanding of metal oxidation is critical to corrosion control, catalysis synthesis, and advanced materials engineering. Although, metal oxidation process is rather complicated, different processes, many of them coupled, are involved from the onset of reaction. Since first introduced, there has been great success in applying heteroepitaxial theory to the oxide growth on a metal surface as demonstrated in the Cu oxidation experiments. In this paper, we review the recent progress in experimental findings on Cu oxidation as well as the advances in the theoretical simulations of the Cu oxidation process. We focus on the effects of defects such as step edges, present on realistic metal surfaces, on the oxide growth dynamics. We show that the surface steps can change the mass transport of both Cu and O atoms during oxide growth, and ultimately lead to the formation of different oxide morphology. We also review the oxidation of Cu alloys and explore the effect of a secondary element to the oxide growth on a Cu surface. From the review of the work on Cu oxidation, we demonstrate the correlation of theoretical simulations at multiple scales with various experimental techniques.
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Climate change and water table fluctuation: Implications for raised bog surface variability
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Taminskas, Julius; Linkevičienė, Rita; Šimanauskienė, Rasa; Jukna, Laurynas; Kibirkštis, Gintautas; Tamkevičiūtė, Marija
2018-03-01
Cyclic peatland surface variability is influenced by hydrological conditions that highly depend on climate and/or anthropogenic activities. A low water level leads to a decrease of peatland surface and an increase of C emissions into the atmosphere, whereas a high water level leads to an increase of peatland surface and carbon sequestration in peatlands. The main aim of this article is to evaluate the influence of hydrometeorological conditions toward the peatland surface and its feedback toward the water regime. A regional survey of the raised bog water table fluctuation and surface variability was made in one of the largest peatlands in Lithuania. Two appropriate indicators for different peatland surface variability periods (increase and decrease) were detected. The first one is an 200 mm y- 1 average net rainfall over a three-year range. The second one is an average annual water depth of 25-30 cm. The application of these indicators enabled the reconstruction of Čepkeliai peatland surface variability during a 100 year period. Processes of peatland surface variability differ in time and in separate parts of peatland. Therefore, internal subbasins in peatland are formed. Subbasins involve autogenic processes that can later affect their internal hydrology, nutrient status, and vegetation succession. Internal hydrological conditions, surface fluctuation, and vegetation succession in peatland subbasins should be taken into account during evaluation of their state, nature management projects, and other peatland research works.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ozkan, Seher
Tissue engineering involves the fabrication of biodegradable scaffolds, on which various types of cells are grown, to provide tissue constructs for tissue repair/regeneration. Native tissues have complex structures, with functions and properties changing spatially and temporally, and require special tailoring of tissue engineering scaffolds to allow mimicking of their complex elegance. The understanding of the rheological behavior of the biodegradable polymer and the thermo-mechanical history that the polymer experiences during processing is critical in fabricating scaffolds with appropriate microstructural distributions. This study has first focused on the rheological material functions of various gel-like fluids including biofluids and hydrogels, which can emulate the viscoelastic behavior of biofluids. Viscoplasticity and wall slip were recognized as key attributes of such systems. Furthermore, a new technology base involving twin-screw extrusion/spiral winding (TSESW) process was developed for the shaping of functionally-graded scaffolds. This novel scaffold fabrication technology was applied to the development of polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds, incorporated with tricalcium phosphate nanoparticles and various porogens in graded fashion. The protein encapsulation and controlled release capabilities of the TSESW process was also demonstrated by dispersing bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein into the PCL matrix. Effects of processing conditions and porosity distributions on compressive properties, surface topography, encapsulation efficiency, release profiles and the secondary structure of BSA were investigated. The PCL scaffolds were determined to be biocompatible, with the proliferation rates of human fetal osteoblast cells (hFOB) increasing with increasing porosity and decreasing concentration of TCP. BSA proteins were determined to be denatured to a greater extent with melt extrusion in the 80-100°C range (in comparison to wet extrusion using organic solvents). Finally, the surface topographies of melt processed poly(L-lactic acid) (ranging from nanoindentations to spherulitic protrusions) were determined to affect the orientation directions of fibroblast and osteoblast-like cells and the spherulitic surfaces giving rise to reduced proliferation rates of fibroblasts.
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Role of Pb for Ag growth on H-passivated Si(1 0 0) surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mathew, S.; Satpati, B.; Joseph, B.; Dev, B. N.
2005-08-01
We have deposited Ag on hydrogen passivated Si(1 0 0) surfaces under high vacuum conditions at room temperature. The deposition, followed by annealing at 250 °C for 30 min, produced silver islands of an average lateral size 36±14 nm. Depositing a small amount of Pb prior to Ag deposition reduced the average island size to 14±5 nm. A small amount of Pb, initially present at the Ag-Si interface, is found to be segregating to the surface of Ag after annealing. Both these aspects, namely, reduction of the island size and Pb floating on the Ag surface conform to the surfactant action of Pb. Samples have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). A selective etching process that preferentially removes Pb, in conjunction with RBS, was used to detect surface segregation of Pb involving depth scales below the resolution of conventional RBS. The annealing and etching process leaves only smaller Ag islands on the surface with complete removal of Pb. Ag growth in the presence of Pb leads to smaller Ag islands with a narrower size distribution.
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Job Grading Standard for Electroplater, WG-3711.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.
The standard for Electroplating Worker WG-7 and Electroplater WG-9 covers work involving the use of electrolytic and chemical processes to plate, coat, and treat surfaces of metals and metal alloys for purposes of protection, repair, maintenance, and fabrication of parts and equipment. A knowledge of the preparation, testing, and maintenance of…
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Dynamic Processes at Semiconductor Interfaces: Atomic Intermixing, Diffusion Barriers, and Stability
1991-08-15
that the movement of the Fermi level position at the Si surface and the variation of heterojunction band lineup correlated to the density of...that the topmost layer of As atoms was initially involved in a sequential two-step reaction to produce As l - and As 3+- like oxides. These reactions
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Episodic Aging and End States of Comets
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sekanina, Zdenek
2008-01-01
It is known that comets are aging very rapidly on cosmic scales, because they rapidly shed mass. The processes involved are (i) normal activity - sublimation of ices and expulsion of dust from discrete emission sources on and/or below the surface of a comet's nucleus, and (ii) nuclear fragmentation. Both modes are episodic in nature, the latter includes major steps in the comet's life cycle. The role and history of dynamical techniques used are described and results on mass losses due to sublimation and dust expulsion are reviewed. Studies of split comets, Holmes-like exploding comets, and cataclysmically fragmenting comets show that masses of 10 to 100 million tons are involved in the fragmentation process. This and other information is used to investigate the nature of comets' episodic aging. Based on recent advances in understanding the surface morphology of cometary nuclei by close-up imaging, a possible mechanism for large-scale fragmentation events is proposed and shown to be consistent with evidence available from observations. Strongly flattened pancake-like shapes appear to be required for comet fragments by conceptual constraints. Possible end states are briefly examined.
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Calza, P; Vione, D; Galli, F; Fabbri, D; Dal Bello, F; Medana, C
2016-01-01
We studied the aquatic environmental fate of 2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate (OD-PABA), a widespread sunscreen, to assess its environmental persistence and photoinduced transformation. Direct photolysis is shown to play a key role in phototransformation, and this fast process is expected to be the main attenuation route of OD-PABA in sunlit surface waters. The generation of transformation products (TPs) was followed via HPLC/HRMS. Five (or four) TPs were detected in the samples exposed to UVB (or UVA) radiation, respectively. The main detected TPs of OD-PABA, at least as far as HPLC-HRMS peak areas are concerned, would involve a dealkylation or hydroxylation/oxidation process in both direct photolysis and indirect phototransformation. The latter was simulated by using TiO2-based heterogeneous photocatalysis, involving the formation of nine additional TPs. Most of them resulted from the further degradation of the primary TPs that can also be formed by direct photolysis. Therefore, these secondary TPs might also occur as later transformation intermediates in natural aquatic systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bosch, R.; Ward, D.
2017-12-01
Investigation of erosion rates and processes at knickpoints in surface bedrock streams is an active area of research, involving complex feedbacks in the coupled relationships between dissolution, abrasion, and plucking that have not been sufficiently addressed. Even less research has addressed how these processes operate to propagate knickpoints through cave passages in layered sedimentary rocks, despite these features being common along subsurface streams. In both settings, there is evidence for mechanical and chemical erosion, but in cave passages the different hydrologic and hydraulic regimes, combined with an important role for the dissolution process, affect the relative roles and coupled interactions between these processes, and distinguish them from surface stream knickpoints. Using a novel approach of imaging cave passages using Structure from Motion (SFM), we create 3D geometry meshes to explore these systems using multiphysics simulation, and compare the processes as they occur in caves with those in surface streams. Here we focus on four field sites with actively eroding streambeds that include knickpoints: Upper River Acheron and Devil's Cooling Tub in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; and two surface streams in Clermont County, Ohio, Avey's Run and Fox Run. SFM 3D reconstructions are built using images exported from 4K video shot at each field location. We demonstrate that SFM is a viable imaging approach for reconstructing cave passages with complex morphologies. We then use these reconstructions to create meshes upon which to run multiphysics simulations using STAR-CCM+. Our approach incorporates multiphase free-surface computational fluid dynamics simulations with sediment transport modeled using discrete element method grains. Physical and chemical properties of the water, bedrock, and sediment enable computation of shear stress, sediment impact forces, and chemical kinetic conditions at the bed surface. Preliminary results prove the efficacy of commercially available multiphysics simulation software for modeling various flow conditions, erosional processes, and their complex coupled interactions in cave passages and in surface stream channels to expand knowledge and understanding of overall cave system development and river profile erosion.
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Assessment of Scheduling and Plan Execution of Apollo 14 Lunar Surface Operations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Marquez, Jessica J.
2010-01-01
Although over forty years have passed since first landing on the Moon, there is not yet a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of Apollo extravehicular activities (EVAs). Quantitatively evaluating lunar EVAs will provide a better understanding of the challenges involved with surface operations. This first evaluation of a surface EVA centers on comparing the planned and the as-ran timeline, specifically collecting data on discrepancies between durations that were estimated versus executed. Differences were summarized by task categories in order to gain insight as to the type of surface operation activities that were most challenging. One Apollo 14 EVA was assessed utilizing the described methodology. Selected metrics and task categorizations were effective, and limitations to this process were identified.
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Deionization and desalination using electrostatic ion pumping
Bourcier, William L.; Aines, Roger D.; Haslam, Jeffery J.; Schaldach, Charlene M.; O& #x27; Brien, Kevin C.; Cussler, Edward
2013-06-11
The present invention provides a new method and apparatus/system for purifying ionic solutions, such as, for example, desalinating water, using engineered charged surfaces to sorb ions from such solutions. Surface charge is applied externally, and is synchronized with oscillatory fluid movements between substantially parallel charged plates. Ions are held in place during fluid movement in one direction (because they are held in the electrical double layer), and released for transport during fluid movement in the opposite direction by removing the applied electric field. In this way the ions, such as salt, are "ratcheted" across the charged surface from the feed side to the concentrate side. The process itself is very simple and involves only pumps, charged surfaces, and manifolds for fluid collection.
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High surface area electrodes by template-free self-assembled hierarchical porous gold architecture.
Morag, Ahiud; Golub, Tatiana; Becker, James; Jelinek, Raz
2016-06-15
The electrode active surface area is a crucial determinant in many electrochemical applications and devices. Porous metal substrates have been employed in electrode design, however construction of such materials generally involves multistep processes, generating in many instances electrodes exhibiting incomplete access to internal pore surfaces. Here we describe fabrication of electrodes comprising hierarchical, nano-to-microscale porous gold matrix, synthesized through spontaneous crystallization of gold thiocyanate in water. Cyclic voltammetry analysis revealed that the specific surface area of the conductive nanoporous Au microwires was very high and depended only upon the amount of gold used, not electrode areas or geometries. Application of the electrode in a pseudo-capacitor device is presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Deionization and desalination using electrostatic ion pumping
Bourcier, William L [Livermore, CA; Aines, Roger D [Livermore, CA; Haslam, Jeffery J [Livermore, CA; Schaldach, Charlene M [Pleasanton, CA; O'Brien, Kevin C [San Ramon, CA; Cussler, Edward [Edina, MN
2011-07-19
The present invention provides a new method and apparatus/system for purifying ionic solutions, such as, for example, desalinating water, using engineered charged surfaces to sorb ions from such solutions. Surface charge is applied externally, and is synchronized with oscillatory fluid movements between substantially parallel charged plates. Ions are held in place during fluid movement in one direction (because they are held in the electrical double layer), and released for transport during fluid movement in the opposite direction by removing the applied electric field. In this way the ions, such as salt, are "ratcheted" across the charged surface from the feed side to the concentrate side. The process itself is very simple and involves only pumps, charged surfaces, and manifolds for fluid collection.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lin, Yuh-Lang; Arya, S. Pal; Kaplan, Michael L.
1994-01-01
The proposed research involves four tasks. The first of these is to simulate accurately the turbulent processes in the atmospheric boundary layer. TASS was originally developed to study meso-gamma scale phenomena, such as tornadic storms, microbursts and windshear effects in terminal areas. Simulation of wake vortex evolution, however, will rely on appropriate representation of the physical processes in the surface layer and mixed layer. This involves two parts. First, a specified heat flux boundary condition must be implemented at the surface. Using this boundary condition, simulation results will be compared to experimental data and to other model results for validation. At this point, any necessary changes to the model will be implemented. Next, a surface energy budget parameterization will be added to the model. This will enable calculation of the surface fluxes by accounting for the radiative heat transfer to and from the ground and heat loss to the soil rather than simple specification of the fluxes. The second task involves running TASS with prescribed wake vortices in the initial condition. The vortex models will be supplied by NASA Langley Research Center. Sensitivity tests will be performed on different meteorological environments in the atmospheric boundary layer, which include stable, neutral, and unstable stratifications, calm and severe wind conditions, and dry and wet conditions. Vortex strength may be varied as well. Relevant non-dimensional parameters will include the following: Richardson number or Froude number, Bowen ratio, and height to length scale ratios. The model output will be analyzed and visualized to better understand the transport, decay, and growth rates of the wake vortices. The third task involves running simulations using observed data. MIT Lincoln Labs is currently planning field experiments at the Memphis airport to measure both meteorological conditions and wake vortex characteristics. Once this data becomes available, it can be used to validate the model for vortex behavior under different atmospheric conditions. The fourth task will be to simulate the wake in a more realistic environment covering a wider area. This will involve grid nesting, since high resolution will be required in the wake region but a larger total domain will be used. During the first allocation year, most of the first task will be accomplished.
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D'Amico, Claudio; Bianchi, Giovanni; Padovano, Elisa; Biamino, Sara; Aversa, Alberta; Badini, Claudio; Ortona, Alberto
2018-01-01
Silicon carbide ceramics obtained by reactive infiltration of silicon (SRI) have many industrial applications especially involving severe and high temperature conditions. In this study, the oxidation behavior in air of Si-SiC-ZrB 2 systems at a high temperature (1500°C) for dwelling times of up to 48 hours was examined. The oxidation process was analyzed on the basis of elemental maps and X-ray diffraction patterns taken, respectively, on the core and on the surface of the specimens, together with weight gains and the average thicknesses of the resulting scale. Further, flexural strength at room temperature was examined as a function of different oxidation times. The main chemical reactions and phase transformations involved in the oxidation process are reported. Several oxides were detected on the surface: zirconia, silica, zircon and 3-zirconium monoxide. All of the samples showed a parabolic oxidation kinetics, suggesting that the controlling mechanism was the diffusion; however, even after 48 hours, the oxidation process was not finished - indeed, all of the samples continued to gain weight. The oxidation of Si-SiC-ZrB 2 material produced via SRI was slower compared with previously investigated ZrB 2 -SiC composites processed with a different techniques and tested in similar conditions. The oxidation mechanism was found to be consistent with the convection cells model.
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Ionized cluster beam deposition
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kirkpatrick, A. R.
1983-01-01
Ionized Cluster Beam (ICB) deposition, a new technique originated by Takagi of Kyoto University in Japan, offers a number of unique capabilities for thin film metallization as well as for deposition of active semiconductor materials. ICB allows average energy per deposited atom to be controlled and involves impact kinetics which result in high diffusion energies of atoms on the growth surface. To a greater degree than in other techniques, ICB involves quantitative process parameters which can be utilized to strongly control the characteristics of films being deposited. In the ICB deposition process, material to be deposited is vaporized into a vacuum chamber from a confinement crucible at high temperature. Crucible nozzle configuration and operating temperature are such that emerging vapor undergoes supercondensation following adiabatic expansion through the nozzle.
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Process for growing a film epitaxially upon a MgO surface
McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph
1997-01-01
A process and structure wherein optical quality perovskites, such as BaTiO.sub.3 or SrTiO.sub.3, are grown upon a single crystal MgO substrate involves the epitaxial build up of alternating planes of TiO.sub.2 and metal oxide wherein the first plane grown upon the MgO substrate is a plane of TiO.sub.2. The layering sequence involved in the film build up reduces problems which would otherwise result from the interfacial electrostatics at the first atomic layers, and these oxides can be stabilized as commensurate thin films at a unit cell thickness or grown with high crystal quality to thicknesses of 0.5-0.7 .mu.m for optical device applications.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ragan, R.
1982-01-01
General problems faced by hydrologists when using historical records, real time data, statistical analysis, and system simulation in providing quantitative information on the temporal and spatial distribution of water are related to the limitations of these data. Major problem areas requiring multispectral imaging-based research to improve hydrology models involve: evapotranspiration rates and soil moisture dynamics for large areas; the three dimensional characteristics of bodies of water; flooding in wetlands; snow water equivalents; runoff and sediment yield from ungaged watersheds; storm rainfall; fluorescence and polarization of water and its contained substances; discriminating between sediment and chlorophyll in water; role of barrier island dynamics in coastal zone processes; the relationship between remotely measured surface roughness and hydraulic roughness of land surfaces and stream networks; and modeling the runoff process.
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A study of the possible characteristics of a low-altitude electron layer in the Martian atmosphere
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wallio, H. A.
1974-01-01
The apparent diurnal Martian surface pressure variations, as deduced from radio occultation experiments, is discussed and explained as possibly arising from the effect of a low-altitude electron layer. Possible source and loss mechanisms for the low altitude electron layer are presented and discussed. Time dependent differential equations describing the electron layer are derived, and then integrated to investigate the electron distribution resulting from several processes that might occur in the atmosphere. It is concluded that the source mechanism is the sublimation of alkali atoms from a permanent dust layer, and that the dominant loss process must involve CO2 clustering about the alkali atoms. An electron layer is developed which explains the apparent diurnal surface pressure variation.
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Deformation and relaxation of an incompressible viscoelastic body with surface viscoelasticity
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Liping; Yu, Miao; Lin, Hao; Foty, Ramsey
2017-01-01
Measuring mechanical properties of cells or cell aggregates has proven to be an involved process due to their geometrical and structural complexity. Past measurements are based on material models that completely neglect the elasticity of either the surface membrane or the interior bulk. In this work, we consider general material models to account for both surface and bulk viscoelasticity. The boundary value problems are formulated for deformations and relaxations of a closed viscoelastic surface coupled with viscoelastic media inside and outside of the surface. The linearized surface elasticity models are derived for the constant surface tension model and the Helfrich-Canham bending model for coupling with the bulk viscoelasticity. For quasi-spherical surfaces, explicit solutions are obtained for the deformation, stress-strain and relaxation behaviors under a variety of loading conditions. These solutions can be applied to extract the intrinsic surface and bulk viscoelastic properties of biological cells or cell aggregates in the indentation, electro-deformation and relaxation experiments.
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Modelling the evaporation of nanoparticle suspensions from heterogeneous surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chalmers, C.; Smith, R.; Archer, A. J.
2017-07-01
We present a Monte Carlo (MC) grid-based model for the drying of drops of a nanoparticle suspension upon a heterogeneous surface. The model consists of a generalised lattice-gas in which the interaction parameters in the Hamiltonian can be varied to model different properties of the materials involved. We show how to correctly choose the interactions, to minimise the effects of the underlying grid so that hemispherical droplets form. We also include the effects of surface roughness to examine the effects of contact-line pinning on the dynamics. When there is a ‘lid’ above the system, which prevents evaporation, equilibrium drops form on the surface, which we use to determine the contact angle and how it varies as the parameters of the model are changed. This enables us to relate the interaction parameters to the materials used in applications. The model has also been applied to drying on heterogeneous surfaces, in particular to the case where the suspension is deposited on a surface consisting of a pair of hydrophilic conducting metal surfaces that are either side of a band of hydrophobic insulating polymer. This situation occurs when using inkjet printing to manufacture electrical connections between the metallic parts of the surface. The process is not always without problems, since the liquid can dewet from the hydrophobic part of the surface, breaking the bridge before the drying process is complete. The MC model reproduces the observed dewetting, allowing the parameters to be varied so that the conditions for the best connection can be established. We show that if the hydrophobic portion of the surface is located at a step below the height of the neighbouring metal, the chance of dewetting of the liquid during the drying process is significantly reduced.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moritzer, E.; Leister, C.
2014-05-01
The industrial use of atmospheric pressure plasmas in the plastics processing industry has increased significantly in recent years. Users of this treatment process have the possibility to influence the target values (e.g. bond strength or surface energy) with the help of kinematic and electrical parameters. Until now, systematic procedures have been used with which the parameters can be adapted to the process or product requirements but only by very time-consuming methods. For this reason, the relationship between influencing values and target values will be examined based on the example of a pretreatment in the bonding process with the help of statistical experimental design. Because of the large number of parameters involved, the analysis is restricted to the kinematic and electrical parameters. In the experimental tests, the following factors are taken as parameters: gap between nozzle and substrate, treatment velocity (kinematic data), voltage and duty cycle (electrical data). The statistical evaluation shows significant relationships between the parameters and surface energy in the case of polypropylene. An increase in the voltage and duty cycle increases the polar proportion of the surface energy, while a larger gap and higher velocity leads to lower energy levels. The bond strength of the overlapping bond is also significantly influenced by the voltage, velocity and gap. The direction of their effects is identical with those of the surface energy. In addition to the kinematic influences of the motion of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet, it is therefore especially important that the parameters for the plasma production are taken into account when designing the pretreatment processes.
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Enabling Highly Effective Boiling from Superhydrophobic Surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Allred, Taylor P.; Weibel, Justin A.; Garimella, Suresh V.
2018-04-01
A variety of industrial applications such as power generation, water distillation, and high-density cooling rely on heat transfer processes involving boiling. Enhancements to the boiling process can improve the energy efficiency and performance across multiple industries. Highly wetting textured surfaces have shown promise in boiling applications since capillary wicking increases the maximum heat flux that can be dissipated. Conversely, highly nonwetting textured (superhydrophobic) surfaces have been largely dismissed for these applications as they have been shown to promote formation of an insulating vapor film that greatly diminishes heat transfer efficiency. The current Letter shows that boiling from a superhydrophobic surface in an initial Wenzel state, in which the surface texture is infiltrated with liquid, results in remarkably low surface superheat with nucleate boiling sustained up to a critical heat flux typical of hydrophilic wetting surfaces, and thus upends this conventional wisdom. Two distinct boiling behaviors are demonstrated on both micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces based on the initial wetting state. For an initial surface condition in which vapor occupies the interstices of the surface texture (Cassie-Baxter state), premature film boiling occurs, as has been commonly observed in the literature. However, if the surface texture is infiltrated with liquid (Wenzel state) prior to boiling, drastically improved thermal performance is observed; in this wetting state, the three-phase contact line is pinned during vapor bubble growth, which prevents the development of a vapor film over the surface and maintains efficient nucleate boiling behavior.
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GIS thematic layers for assessing karst hazard in Murgia region (Italy)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Canora, Filomena; D'Angella, Annachiara; Fidelibus, Dolores; Lella, Angela; Pellicani, Roberta; Spilotro, Giuseppe
2013-04-01
The assessment of karst hazard in a carbonate area may be somewhat complex for the multiplicity of involved factors (geological, hydrological, morphological, anthropogenic, etc.), their history and the slow rate of evolution of the processes. In coastal areas, moreover, the long term sea level variations and the short term oscillations generally influence the generation and evolution of the karst process. Another peculiarity of the karst hazard assessment consists in the difficulty for identifying the location of subsurface forms, which may develop over very large areas without any kind of surface signal. The karst processes and landforms often require specific methods of investigation and mitigation, due to the unique and highly variable characters of karst environments. In addition, the hidden character of the karst processes, often accelerated by human activity, is an issue with significant economic impact, affecting many regions of the world. The assessment of karst hazard in the Murgia plateau (in central-west of Apulia region) is the main goal of this research. For this aim, the typologies of karst phenomena, able to produce hazard in the study area, were individuated and collected in a specific database. The hazard was evaluated on the basis of the probability of occurrence of a phenomenon of instability, active (produced by human activities) or passive (natural evolution of karst process), in relation to the presence, evolution or generation of karst forms on surface or at critical distance from the surface. The critical distance from the surface is defined as the distance at which the local or general destructive evolution of a karst process can produce a variation of the usability of the area or of the value of elements involved in the instability. The thematic layers relative to the factors influencing karst processes and landforms (doline, sinkholes, polje, lame, gravine, caves) were elaborated and managed in a GIS system. The archives of the main karst landforms were reviewed by crossing different cartographic information. Appropriated spatial buffers were defined around the landforms, according to the type of karst phenomenon and to the elevation of the karst forms, as recognized by previous researches. Finally, the karst hazard map was obtained by using an heuristic model that includes all the basic thematic layers.
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Wave-front propagation of rinsing flows on rotating semiconductor wafers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Frostad, John M.; Ylitalo, Andy; Walls, Daniel J.; Mui, David S. L.; Fuller, Gerald G.
2016-11-01
The semiconductor manufacturing industry is migrating to a cleaning technology that involves dispersing cleaning solutions onto a rotating wafer, similar to spin-coating. Advantages include a more continuous overall fabrication process, lower particle level, no cross contamination from the back side of a wafer, and less usage of harsh chemicals for a lower environmental impact. Rapid rotation of the wafer during rinsing can be more effective, but centrifugal forces can pull spiral-like ribbons of liquid radially outward from the advancing wave-front where particles can build up, causing higher instances of device failure at these locations. A better understanding of the rinsing flow is essential for reducing yield losses while taking advantage of the benefits of rotation. In the present work, high-speed video and image processing are used to study the dynamics of the advancing wave-front from an impinging jet on a rotating substrate. The flow-rate and rotation-speed are varied for substrates coated with a thin layer of a second liquid that has a different surface tension than the jet liquid. The difference in surface tension of the two fluids gives rise to Marangoni stresses at the interface that have a significant impact on the rinsing process, despite the extremely short time-scales involved.
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Mathematical Model of Solid Food Pasteurization by Ohmic Heating: Influence of Process Parameters
2014-01-01
Pasteurization of a solid food undergoing ohmic heating has been analysed by means of a mathematical model, involving the simultaneous solution of Laplace's equation, which describes the distribution of electrical potential within a food, the heat transfer equation, using a source term involving the displacement of electrical potential, the kinetics of inactivation of microorganisms likely to be contaminating the product. In the model, thermophysical and electrical properties as function of temperature are used. Previous works have shown the occurrence of heat loss from food products to the external environment during ohmic heating. The current model predicts that, when temperature gradients are established in the proximity of the outer ohmic cell surface, more cold areas are present at junctions of electrodes with lateral sample surface. For these reasons, colder external shells are the critical areas to be monitored, instead of internal points (typically geometrical center) as in classical pure conductive heat transfer. Analysis is carried out in order to understand the influence of pasteurisation process parameters on this temperature distribution. A successful model helps to improve understanding of these processing phenomenon, which in turn will help to reduce the magnitude of the temperature differential within the product and ultimately provide a more uniformly pasteurized product. PMID:24574874
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Mathematical model of solid food pasteurization by ohmic heating: influence of process parameters.
Marra, Francesco
2014-01-01
Pasteurization of a solid food undergoing ohmic heating has been analysed by means of a mathematical model, involving the simultaneous solution of Laplace's equation, which describes the distribution of electrical potential within a food, the heat transfer equation, using a source term involving the displacement of electrical potential, the kinetics of inactivation of microorganisms likely to be contaminating the product. In the model, thermophysical and electrical properties as function of temperature are used. Previous works have shown the occurrence of heat loss from food products to the external environment during ohmic heating. The current model predicts that, when temperature gradients are established in the proximity of the outer ohmic cell surface, more cold areas are present at junctions of electrodes with lateral sample surface. For these reasons, colder external shells are the critical areas to be monitored, instead of internal points (typically geometrical center) as in classical pure conductive heat transfer. Analysis is carried out in order to understand the influence of pasteurisation process parameters on this temperature distribution. A successful model helps to improve understanding of these processing phenomenon, which in turn will help to reduce the magnitude of the temperature differential within the product and ultimately provide a more uniformly pasteurized product.
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Sensing roughness and polish direction
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jakobsen, M. L.; Olesen, A. S.; Larsen, H. E.; Stubager, J.; Hanson, S. G.; Pedersen, T. F.; Pedersen, H. C.
2016-04-01
As a part of the work carried out on a project supported by the Danish council for technology and innovation, we have investigated the option of smoothing standard CNC machined surfaces. In the process of constructing optical prototypes, involving custom-designed optics, the development cost and time consumption can become relatively large numbers in a research budget. Machining the optical surfaces directly is expensive and time consuming. Alternatively, a more standardized and cheaper machining method can be used, but then the object needs to be manually polished. During the polishing process the operator needs information about the RMS-value of the surface roughness and the current direction of the scratches introduces by the polishing process. The RMS-value indicates to the operator how far he is from the final finish, and the scratch orientation is often specified by the customer in order to avoid complications during the casting process. In this work we present a method for measuring the RMS-values of the surface roughness while simultaneously determining the polishing direction. We are mainly interested in the RMS-values in the range from 0 - 100 nm, which corresponds to the finish categories of A1, A2 and A3. Based on simple intensity measurements we estimates the RMS-value of the surface roughness, and by using a sectioned annual photo-detector to collect the scattered light we can determine the direction of polishing and distinguish light scattered from random structures and light scattered from scratches.
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Mechanisms of Surface-Mediated DNA Hybridization
2015-01-01
Single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was employed in conjunction with resonance energy transfer (RET) to observe the dynamic behavior of donor-labeled ssDNA at the interface between aqueous solution and a solid surface decorated with complementary acceptor-labeled ssDNA. At least 100 000 molecular trajectories were determined for both complementary strands and negative control ssDNA. RET was used to identify trajectory segments corresponding to the hybridized state. The vast majority of molecules from solution adsorbed nonspecifically to the surface, where a brief two-dimensional search was performed with a 7% chance of hybridization. Successful hybridization events occurred with a characteristic search time of ∼0.1 s, and unsuccessful searches resulted in desorption from the surface, ultimately repeating the adsorption and search process. Hybridization was reversible, and two distinct modes of melting (i.e., dehybridization) were observed, corresponding to long-lived (∼15 s) and short-lived (∼1.4 s) hybridized time intervals. A strand that melted back onto the surface could rehybridize after a brief search or desorb from the interface. These mechanistic observations provide guidance for technologies that involve DNA interactions in the near-surface region, suggesting a need to design surfaces that both enhance the complex multidimensional search process and stabilize the hybridized state. PMID:24708278
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A new synthesis route to high surface area sol gel bioactive glass through alcohol washing
M. Mukundan, Lakshmi; Nirmal, Remya; Vaikkath, Dhanesh; Nair, Prabha D.
2013-01-01
Bioactive glass is one of the widely used bone repair material due to its unique properties like osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity and biodegradability. In this study bioactive glass is prepared by the sol gel process and stabilized by a novel method that involves a solvent instead of the conventional calcinations process. This study represents the first attempt to use this method for the stabilization of bioactive glass. The bioactive glass stabilized by this ethanol washing process was characterized for its physicochemical and biomimetic property in comparison with similar composition of calcined bioactive glass. The compositional similarity of the two stabilized glass powders was confirmed by spectroscopic and thermogravimetric analysis. Other physicochemical characterizations together with the cell culture studies with L929 fibroblast cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells proved that the stabilization was achieved with the retention of its inherent bioactive potential. However an increase in the surface area of the glass powder was obtained as a result of this ethanol washing process and this add up to the success of the study. Hence the present study exhibits a promising route for high surface area bioactive glass for increasing biomimicity. PMID:23512012
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cheng, Yuan-Chieh; Hsu, Wei-Yao; Kuo, Ching-Hsiang; Abou-El-Hossein, Khaled; Otieno, Timothy
2015-08-01
The metal mirror has been widely used in optical application for a longtime. Especially the aluminum 6061 is often considered the preferred material for manufacturing optical components for ground-based astronomical applications. One reason for using this material is its high specific stiffness and excellent thermal properties. However, a large amount of data exists for this material and commercially available aluminum 6061 using single point diamond turning (SPDT) and polishing process can achieve surface roughness values of approximately 2 to 4 nm, which is adequate for applications that involve the infrared spectral range, but not for the shorter spectral range. A novel aluminum material, fabricated using a rapid solidification process that is equivalent to the conventional aluminum 6061 alloy grade has been used in optical applications in recent years because of its smaller grain size. In this study, the surface quality of the rapid solidification aluminum after single point diamond turning and followed by magnetorheological finish (MRF) process is investigated and compared with conventional aluminum 6061. Both the surface roughness Ra was evaluated using white light interferometers. Finally, indicators such as optimal fabrication parameter combination and optical performance are discussed.
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Software Package Completed for Alloy Design at the Atomic Level
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bozzolo, Guillermo H.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Abel, Phillip B.; Good, Brian S.
2001-01-01
As a result of a multidisciplinary effort involving solid-state physics, quantum mechanics, and materials and surface science, the first version of a software package dedicated to the atomistic analysis of multicomponent systems was recently completed. Based on the BFS (Bozzolo, Ferrante, and Smith) method for the calculation of alloy and surface energetics, this package includes modules devoted to the analysis of many essential features that characterize any given alloy or surface system, including (1) surface structure analysis, (2) surface segregation, (3) surface alloying, (4) bulk crystalline material properties and atomic defect structures, and (5) thermal processes that allow us to perform phase diagram calculations. All the modules of this Alloy Design Workbench 1.0 (ADW 1.0) are designed to run in PC and workstation environments, and their operation and performance are substantially linked to the needs of the user and the specific application.
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Surface Propensity of Atmospherically Relevant Amino Acids Studied by XPS.
Mocellin, Alexandra; Gomes, Anderson Herbert de Abreu; Araújo, Oscar Cardoso; de Brito, Arnaldo Naves; Björneholm, Olle
2017-04-27
Amino acids constitute an important fraction of the water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) compounds in aerosols and are involved in many processes in the atmosphere. In this work, we applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to study aqueous solutions of four amino acids, glycine, alanine, valine, and methionine, in their zwitterionic forms. We found that amino acids with hydrophilic side chains and smaller size, GLY and ALA, tend to stay in the bulk of the liquid, while the hydrophobic and bigger amino acids, VAL and MET, are found to concentrate more on the surface. We found experimental evidence that the amino acids have preferential orientation relative to the surface, with the hydrophobic side chain being closer to the surface than the hydrophilic carboxylate group. The observed amino acid surface propensity has implications in atmospheric science as the surface interactions play a central role in cloud droplet formation, and they should be considered in climate models.
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Rapid Surface Functionalization of Hydrogen-Terminated Silicon by Alkyl Silanols.
Escorihuela, Jorge; Zuilhof, Han
2017-04-26
Surface functionalization of inorganic semiconductor substrates, particularly silicon, has focused attention toward many technologically important applications, involving photovoltaic energy, biosensing and catalysis. For such modification processes, oxide-free (H-terminated) silicon surfaces are highly required, and different chemical approaches have been described in the past decades. However, their reactivity is often poor, requiring long reaction times (2-18 h) or the use of UV light (10-30 min). Here, we report a simple and rapid surface functionalization for H-terminated Si(111) surfaces using alkyl silanols. This catalyst-free surface reaction is fast (15 min at room temperature) and can be accelerated with UV light irradiation, reducing the reaction time to 1-2 min. This grafting procedure leads to densely packed organic monolayers that are hydrolytically stable (even up to 30 days at pH 3 or 11) and can display excellent antifouling behavior against a range of organic polymers.
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Rapid Surface Functionalization of Hydrogen-Terminated Silicon by Alkyl Silanols
2017-01-01
Surface functionalization of inorganic semiconductor substrates, particularly silicon, has focused attention toward many technologically important applications, involving photovoltaic energy, biosensing and catalysis. For such modification processes, oxide-free (H-terminated) silicon surfaces are highly required, and different chemical approaches have been described in the past decades. However, their reactivity is often poor, requiring long reaction times (2–18 h) or the use of UV light (10–30 min). Here, we report a simple and rapid surface functionalization for H-terminated Si(111) surfaces using alkyl silanols. This catalyst-free surface reaction is fast (15 min at room temperature) and can be accelerated with UV light irradiation, reducing the reaction time to 1–2 min. This grafting procedure leads to densely packed organic monolayers that are hydrolytically stable (even up to 30 days at pH 3 or 11) and can display excellent antifouling behavior against a range of organic polymers. PMID:28409624
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An evolutionary link between capsular biogenesis and surface motility in bacteria.
Agrebi, Rym; Wartel, Morgane; Brochier-Armanet, Céline; Mignot, Tâm
2015-05-01
Studying the evolution of macromolecular assemblies is important to improve our understanding of how complex cellular structures evolved, and to identify the functional building blocks that are involved. Recent studies suggest that the macromolecular complexes that are involved in two distinct processes in Myxococcus xanthus - surface motility and sporulation - are derived from an ancestral polysaccharide capsule assembly system. In this Opinion article, we argue that the available data suggest that the motility machinery evolved from this capsule assembly system following a gene duplication event, a change in carbohydrate polymer specificity and the acquisition of additional proteins by the motility complex, all of which are key features that distinguish the motility and sporulation systems. Furthermore, the presence of intermediates of these systems in bacterial genomes suggests a testable evolutionary model for their emergence and spread.
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Atomic scale study of surface orientations and energies of Ti 2 O 3 crystals
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gu, Meng; Wang, Zhiguo; Wang, Chongmin
2017-10-30
For nanostructured particles, the faceting planes and their terminating chemical species are two critical factors that govern the chemical behavior of the particle. The surface atomistic structure and termination of the Ti2O3 crystals were analyzed using atomic-scale aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combining with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STEM imaging reveals that the Ti2O3 crystal are most often faceted along (001), (012), (-114) and (1-20) planes. DFT calculation indicates that the (012) surface with TiO-termination have the lowest cleavage energy and correspondingly the lowest surface energy, indicating that (012) will be the most stable and prevalent surfaces inmore » Ti2O3 nanocrystals. These observations provide insights for exploring the interfacial process involving Ti2O3 nanoparticles.« less
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Compact Heat Exchanger Design and Testing for Advanced Reactors and Advanced Power Cycles
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sun, Xiaodong; Zhang, Xiaoqin; Christensen, Richard
The goal of the proposed research is to demonstrate the thermal hydraulic performance of innovative surface geometries in compact heat exchangers used as intermediate heat exchangers (IHXs) and recuperators for the supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO 2) Brayton cycle. Printed-circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are the primary compact heat exchangers of interest. The overall objectives are: To develop optimized PCHE designs for different working fluid combinations including helium to s-CO 2, liquid salt to s-CO 2, sodium to s-CO 2, and liquid salt to helium; To experimentally and numerically investigate thermal performance, thermal stress and failure mechanism of PCHEs under various transients;more » and To study diffusion bonding techniques for elevated-temperature alloys and examine post-test material integrity of the PCHEs. The project objectives were accomplished by defining and executing five different tasks corresponding to these specific objectives. The first task involved a thorough literature review and a selection of IHX candidates with different surface geometries as well as a summary of prototypic operational conditions. The second task involved optimization of PCHE design with numerical analyses of thermal-hydraulic performances and mechanical integrity. The subsequent task dealt with the development of testing facilities and engineering design of PCHE to be tested in s-CO 2 fluid conditions. The next task involved experimental investigation and validation of the thermal-hydraulic performances and thermal stress distribution of prototype PCHEs manufactured with particular surface geometries. The last task involved an investigation of diffusion bonding process and posttest destructive testing to validate mechanical design methods adopted in the design process. The experimental work utilized the two test facilities at The Ohio State University (OSU) including one existing High-Temperature Helium Test Facility (HTHF) and the newly developed s-CO 2 test loop (STL) facility and s-CO 2 test facility at University of Wisconsin – Madison (UW).« less
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Improved growth of GaN layers on ultra thin silicon nitride/Si (1 1 1) by RF-MBE
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kumar, Mahesh; Roul, Basanta; Central Research Laboratory, Bharat Electronics, Bangalore 560013
High-quality GaN epilayers were grown on Si (1 1 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using a new growth process sequence which involved a substrate nitridation at low temperatures, annealing at high temperatures, followed by nitridation at high temperatures, deposition of a low-temperature buffer layer, and a high-temperature overgrowth. The material quality of the GaN films was also investigated as a function of nitridation time and temperature. Crystallinity and surface roughness of GaN was found to improve when the Si substrate was treated under the new growth process sequence. Micro-Raman and photoluminescence (PL) measurement results indicate that the GaN filmmore » grown by the new process sequence has less tensile stress and optically good. The surface and interface structures of an ultra thin silicon nitride film grown on the Si surface are investigated by core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and it clearly indicates that the quality of silicon nitride notably affects the properties of GaN growth.« less
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Locatelli, D; Delmonte Corrado, M U; Politi, H; Bottiroli, G
1998-01-01
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a photophysical phenomenon occurring between the molecules of two fluorochromes with suitable spectral characteristics (donor-acceptor dye pair), and consisting in an excitation energy migration through a non-radiative process. Since the efficiency of the process is strictly dependent on the distance and reciprocal orientation of the donor and acceptor molecules, FRET-based techniques can be successfully applied to the study of biomolecules and cell component organisation and distribution. These techniques have been employed in studying Paramecium primaurelia surface membrane for the reciprocal distribution of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) glycosidic residues, which were found to be involved in mating cell pairing. NeuAc and GlcNAc were detected by their specific binding lectins, Limulus polyphemus agglutinin (LPA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), respectively. Microspectrofluorometric analysis afforded the choice of fluorescein isothiocyanate and Texas red conjugated with LPA and WGA, respectively, as a suitable donor-acceptor couple efficiently activating FRET processes. Studies performed both in solution and in cells allowed to define the experimental conditions favourable for a FRET analysis. The comparative study carried out both on the conjugating-region and the non conjugating region of the surface membrane, indicates that FRET distribution appears quite homogeneous in mating-competent mating type (mt) I, whereas, in mating-competent mt II cells, FRET distribution seems to be preferentially localised on the conjugating-region functionally involved in mating cell pairing. This difference in the distribution of lectin-binding sites is suggested to be related to mating-competence acquisition.
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Testing single point incremental forming moulds for rotomoulding operations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Afonso, Daniel; de Sousa, Ricardo Alves; Torcato, Ricardo
2017-10-01
Low pressure polymer processes as thermoforming or rotational moulding use much simpler moulds than high pressure processes like injection. However, despite the low forces involved in the process, moulds manufacturing for these applications is still a very material, energy and time consuming operation. Particularly in rotational moulding there is no standard for the mould manufacture and very different techniques are applicable. The goal of this research is to develop and validate a method for manufacturing plastically formed sheet metal moulds by single point incremental forming (SPIF) for rotomoulding and rotocasting operations. A Stewart platform based SPIF machine allow the forming of thick metal sheets, granting the required structural stiffness for the mould surface, and keeping a short manufacture lead time and low thermal inertia. The experimental work involves the proposal of a hollow part, design and fabrication of a sheet metal mould using dieless incremental forming techniques and testing its operation in the production of prototype parts.
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Chen, Lei; Wen, Jialin; Zhang, Peng; Yu, Bingjun; Chen, Cheng; Ma, Tianbao; Lu, Xinchun; Kim, Seong H; Qian, Linmao
2018-04-18
Topographic nanomanufacturing with a depth precision down to atomic dimension is of importance for advancement of nanoelectronics with new functionalities. Here we demonstrate a mask-less and chemical-free nanolithography process for regio-specific removal of atomic layers on a single crystalline silicon surface via shear-induced mechanochemical reactions. Since chemical reactions involve only the topmost atomic layer exposed at the interface, the removal of a single atomic layer is possible and the crystalline lattice beneath the processed area remains intact without subsurface structural damages. Molecular dynamics simulations depict the atom-by-atom removal process, where the first atomic layer is removed preferentially through the formation and dissociation of interfacial bridge bonds. Based on the parametric thresholds needed for single atomic layer removal, the critical energy barrier for water-assisted mechanochemical dissociation of Si-Si bonds was determined. The mechanochemical nanolithography method demonstrated here could be extended to nanofabrication of other crystalline materials.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wallio, H. A.
1973-01-01
The apparent diurnal Martian surface pressure variation, as deduced from radio occultation experiments, is discussed and explained as possibly arising from the effect of a low altitude electron layer. Possible source and loss mechanisms for the low altitude electron layer are presented and discussed. Time-dependent differential equations describing the electron layer are derived and then integrated to investigate the electron distribution resulting from the several processes that might occur in the atmosphere. It is concluded that the source mechanism is the sublimation of alkali atoms from a permanent dust layer (a dust layer of 0.2 micron particles of density 9/cu cm is sufficient), and that the dominant loss process must involve CO2 clustering to the alkali atoms. Using these processes, an electron layer is developed which would explain the apparent diurnal surface pressure.
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Simulation of Mechanical Behavior of Agglutinates
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nakagawa, Masami; Moon, Tae-Hyun
2005-01-01
Due to lack of "real" lunar soil or even lunar simulant, it is difficult to characterize the interaction between lunar soil (or simulant) with different surfaces that are involved in excavation and processing machinery. One unique feature possessed by lunar soil is the agglutinates produced by repeated high-speed micrometeoroid impacts and subsequent pulverization[l and 2]. The large particles are impacted by micrometeoroids [Fig.l] and pulverized to produce finer particles. This process continues until there are no more "large" particles left on the surface of the moon. Due to high impact speed, the impact melting process fuses fines to make agglutinates such as shown in Fig. 2. We will present a series of simulation results and movies will be shown to indicate brittle behavior of each individual agglutinate and also similar compressibility charts shown by Carrier et al. [3]. Fig. 3 shows our preliminary result of the simulated oedometer tests.
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Laboratory Studies of Heterogeneous Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Molina, Mario J.
2004-01-01
The objective of this study is to conduct measurements of chemical kinetics parameters for heterogeneous reactions of importance in the stratosphere and the troposphere. It involves the elucidation of the mechanism of the interaction of HCl vapor with ice surfaces, which is the first step in the heterogeneous chlorine activation processes, as well as the investigation of the atmospheric oxidation mechanism of soot particles emitted by biomass and fossil fuels. The techniques being employed include turbulent flow-chemical ionization mass spectrometry and optical ellipsometry, among others.
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Fabrication of lightweight ceramic mirrors by means of a chemical vapor deposition process
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Goela, Jitendra S. (Inventor); Taylor, Raymond L. (Inventor)
1991-01-01
A process to fabricate lightweigth ceramic mirrors, and in particular, silicon/silicon carbide mirrors, involves three chemical vapor deposition steps: one to produce the mirror faceplate, the second to form the lightweight backstructure which is deposited integral to the faceplate, and the third and final step which results in the deposition of a layer of optical grade material, for example, silicon, onto the front surface of the faceplate. The mirror figure and finish are fabricated into this latter material.
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Application of Intelligent Tutoring Technology to an Apparently Mechanical Task.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Newman, Denis
The increasing automation of many occupations leads to jobs that involve understanding and monitoring the operation of complex computer systems. One case is PATRIOT, an air defense surface-to-air missile system deployed by the U.S. Army. Radar information is processed and presented to the operators in highly abstract form. The system identifies…
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Mycobacterial biofilms: a greasy way to hold it together.
Zambrano, María Mercedes; Kolter, Roberto
2005-12-02
Microorganisms growing on surfaces can form biofilms under certain conditions. In this issue of Cell, Ojha et al. (2005) investigate biofilm formation in mycobacteria. They identify new cell-wall components that are required for the formation of architecturally complex mature biofilms in these bacteria and the surprising involvement of a chaperone protein in this process.
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Zhang, Ningning; Nguyen, Anh V; Zhou, Changchun
2018-04-01
Diasporic bauxite represents one of the major aluminum resources. Its upgrading for further processing involves a separation of diaspore (the valuable mineral) from aluminosilicates (the gangue minerals) such as kaolinite, illite, and pyrophyllite. Flotation is one of the most effective ways to realize the upgrading. Since flotation is a physicochemical process based on the difference in the surface hydrophobicity of different components, determining the adsorption characteristics of various flotation surfactants on the mineral surfaces is critical. The surfactant adsorption properties of the minerals, in turn, are controlled by the surface chemistry of the minerals, while the latter is related to the mineral crystal structures. In this paper, we first discuss the crystal structures of the four key minerals of diaspore, kaolinite, illite, and pyrophyllite as well as the broken bonds on their exposed surfaces after grinding. Next, we summarize the surface chemistry properties such as surface wettability and surface electrical properties of the four minerals, and the differences in these properties are explained from the perspective of mineral crystal structures. Then we review the adsorption mechanism and adsorption characteristics of surfactants such as collectors (cationic, anionic, and mixed surfactants), depressants (inorganic and organic), dispersants, and flocculants on these mineral surfaces. The separation of diaspore and aluminosilicates by direct flotation and reverse flotation are reviewed, and the collecting properties of different types of collectors are compared. Furthermore, the abnormal behavior of the cationic flotation of kaolinite is also explained in this section. This review provides a strong theoretical support for the optimization of the upgrading of diaspore bauxite ore by flotation and the early industrialization of the reverse flotation process. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Illangasekare, T. H.; Sakaki, T.; Smits, K. M.; Limsuwat, A.; Terrés-Nícoli, J. M.
2008-12-01
Understanding the dynamics of soil moisture distribution near the ground surface is of interest in various applications involving land-atmospheric interaction, evaporation from soils, CO2 leakage from carbon sequestration, vapor intrusion into buildings, and land mine detection. Natural soil heterogeneity in combination with water and energy fluxes at the soil surface creates complex spatial and temporal distributions of soil moisture. Even though considerable knowledge exists on how soil moisture conditions change in response to flux and energy boundary conditions, emerging problems involving land atmospheric interactions require the quantification of soil moisture variability both at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The issue of up-scaling becomes critical in all applications, as in general, field measurements are taken at sparsely distributed spatial locations that require assimilation with measurements taken using remote sensing technologies. It is our contention that the knowledge that will contribute to both improving our understanding of the fundamental processes and practical problem solution cannot be obtained easily in the field due to a number of constraints. One of these basic constraints is the inability to make measurements at very fine spatial scales at high temporal resolutions in naturally heterogeneous field systems. Also, as the natural boundary conditions at the land/atmospheric interface are not controllable in the field, even in pilot scale studies, the developed theories and tools cannot be validated for the diversity of conditions that could be expected in the field. Intermediate scale testing using soil tanks packed to represent different heterogeneous test configurations provides an attractive and cost effective alternative to investigate a class of problems involving the shallow unsaturated zone. In this presentation, we will discuss the advantages and limitations of studies conducted in both two and three dimensional intermediate scale test systems together with instrumentation and measuring techniques. The features and capabilities of a new coupled porous media/climate wind tunnel test system that allows for the study of near surface unsaturated soil moisture conditions under climate boundary conditions will also be presented with the goal of exploring opportunities to use such a facility to study some of the multi-scale problems in the near surface unsaturated zone.
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Superhydrophobic Analyte Concentration Utilizing Colloid-Pillar Array SERS Substrates
Wallace, Ryan A.; Charlton, Jennifer J.; Kirchner, Teresa B.; ...
2014-11-04
In order to detect a few molecules present in a large sample it is important to know the trace components in the medicinal and environmental sample. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a technique that can be utilized to detect molecules at very low absolute numbers. However, detection at trace concentration levels in real samples requires properly designed delivery and detection systems. Moreover, the following work involves superhydrophobic surfaces that includes silicon pillar arrays formed by lithographic and dewetting protocols. In order to generate the necessary plasmonic substrate for SERS detection, simple and flow stable Ag colloid was added tomore » the functionalized pillar array system via soaking. The pillars are used native and with hydrophobic modification. The pillars provide a means to concentrate analyte via superhydrophobic droplet evaporation effects. A 100-fold concentration of analyte was estimated, with a limit of detection of 2.9 10-12 M for mitoxantrone dihydrochloride. Additionally, analytes were delivered to the surface via a multiplex approach in order to demonstrate an ability to control droplet size and placement for scaled-up applications in real world applications. Finally, a concentration process involving transport and sequestration based on surface treatment selective wicking is demonstrated.« less
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Generalization of fewest-switches surface hopping for coherences
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tempelaar, Roel; Reichman, David R.
2018-03-01
Fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) is perhaps the most widely used mixed quantum-classical approach for the modeling of non-adiabatic processes, but its original formulation is restricted to (adiabatic) population terms of the quantum density matrix, leaving its implementations with an inconsistency in the treatment of populations and coherences. In this article, we propose a generalization of FSSH that treats both coherence and population terms on equal footing and which formally reduces to the conventional FSSH algorithm for the case of populations. This approach, coherent fewest-switches surface hopping (C-FSSH), employs a decoupling of population relaxation and pure dephasing and involves two replicas of the classical trajectories interacting with two active surfaces. Through extensive benchmark calculations of a spin-boson model involving a Debye spectral density, we demonstrate the potential of C-FSSH to deliver highly accurate results for a large region of parameter space. Its uniform description of populations and coherences is found to resolve incorrect behavior observed for conventional FSSH in various cases, in particular at low temperature, while the parameter space regions where it breaks down are shown to be quite limited. Its computational expenses are virtually identical to conventional FSSH.
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Superhydrophobic Analyte Concentration Utilizing Colloid-Pillar Array SERS Substrates
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wallace, Ryan A.; Charlton, Jennifer J.; Kirchner, Teresa B.
In order to detect a few molecules present in a large sample it is important to know the trace components in the medicinal and environmental sample. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a technique that can be utilized to detect molecules at very low absolute numbers. However, detection at trace concentration levels in real samples requires properly designed delivery and detection systems. Moreover, the following work involves superhydrophobic surfaces that includes silicon pillar arrays formed by lithographic and dewetting protocols. In order to generate the necessary plasmonic substrate for SERS detection, simple and flow stable Ag colloid was added tomore » the functionalized pillar array system via soaking. The pillars are used native and with hydrophobic modification. The pillars provide a means to concentrate analyte via superhydrophobic droplet evaporation effects. A 100-fold concentration of analyte was estimated, with a limit of detection of 2.9 10-12 M for mitoxantrone dihydrochloride. Additionally, analytes were delivered to the surface via a multiplex approach in order to demonstrate an ability to control droplet size and placement for scaled-up applications in real world applications. Finally, a concentration process involving transport and sequestration based on surface treatment selective wicking is demonstrated.« less
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N-Type delta Doping of High-Purity Silicon Imaging Arrays
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Blacksberg, Jordana; Hoenk, Michael; Nikzad, Shouleh
2005-01-01
A process for n-type (electron-donor) delta doping has shown promise as a means of modifying back-illuminated image detectors made from n-doped high-purity silicon to enable them to detect high-energy photons (ultraviolet and x-rays) and low-energy charged particles (electrons and ions). This process is applicable to imaging detectors of several types, including charge-coupled devices, hybrid devices, and complementary metal oxide/semiconductor detector arrays. Delta doping is so named because its density-vs.-depth characteristic is reminiscent of the Dirac delta function (impulse function): the dopant is highly concentrated in a very thin layer. Preferably, the dopant is concentrated in one or at most two atomic layers in a crystal plane and, therefore, delta doping is also known as atomic-plane doping. The use of doping to enable detection of high-energy photons and low-energy particles was reported in several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles. As described in more detail in those articles, the main benefit afforded by delta doping of a back-illuminated silicon detector is to eliminate a "dead" layer at the back surface of the silicon wherein high-energy photons and low-energy particles are absorbed without detection. An additional benefit is that the delta-doped layer can serve as a back-side electrical contact. Delta doping of p-type silicon detectors is well established. The development of the present process addresses concerns specific to the delta doping of high-purity silicon detectors, which are typically n-type. The present process involves relatively low temperatures, is fully compatible with other processes used to fabricate the detectors, and does not entail interruption of those processes. Indeed, this process can be the last stage in the fabrication of an imaging detector that has, in all other respects, already been fully processed, including metallized. This process includes molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) for deposition of three layers, including metallization. The success of the process depends on accurate temperature control, surface treatment, growth of high-quality crystalline silicon, and precise control of thicknesses of layers. MBE affords the necessary nanometer- scale control of the placement of atoms for delta doping. More specifically, the process consists of MBE deposition of a thin silicon buffer layer, the n-type delta doping layer, and a thin silicon cap layer. The n dopant selected for initial experiments was antimony, but other n dopants as (phosphorus or arsenic) could be used. All n-type dopants in silicon tend to surface-segregate during growth, leading to a broadened dopant-concentration- versus-depth profile. In order to keep the profile as narrow as possible, the substrate temperature is held below 300 C during deposition of the silicon cap layer onto the antimony delta layer. The deposition of silicon includes a silicon- surface-preparation step, involving H-termination, that enables the growth of high-quality crystalline silicon at the relatively low temperature with close to full electrical activation of donors in the surface layer.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Srivastava, Manu; Rathee, Sandeep; Maheshwari, Sachin; Siddiquee, Arshad Noor
2018-06-01
Friction stir processing (FSP) is a relatively newly developed solid-state process involving surface modifications for fabricating metal matrix surface composites. Obtaining metal matrix nano-composites with uniform dispersion of reinforcement particles via FSP route is an intricate task to accomplish. In this work, AA5059/SiC nano surface composites (SCs) were developed. Effect of multiple FSP passes and SiC addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of fabricated SCs during underwater condition was investigated. Results reflected that the average microhardness value of base metal (BM) increases from 85 Hv to 159 Hv in stir zone of four pass underwater friction stir processed (FSPed) SC. Highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) achieved during four pass FSPed sample was 377 MPa that is higher than UTS of BM (321 MPa) and four pass FSPed sample developed at ambient air FSP conditions (347 MPa). An appreciably narrower heat affected zone is obtained owing to fast cooling and reduced heat conduction during underwater FSP, amounting to higher UTS as compared to BM and SC at ambient conditions. Thus, it can be concluded that surrounding medium and number of FSP passes have significant impact on mechanical properties of fabricated SCs. Analysis of microstructures and distribution of SiC particles in fabricated SCs were studied by optical microscope and FESEM respectively and found in good corroboration with the mechanical properties.
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Gastric mucosal protective mechanisms: roles of epithelial bicarbonate and mucus secretions.
Garner, A; Flemström, G; Allen, A; Heylings, J R; McQueen, S
1984-01-01
Secretion of HCO3 (amounting to 2-10% of maximum H+ secretion) in conjunction with the adherent mucus gel layer (functioning as a mixing barrier) protects gastric mucosa from luminal acid by a process of surface neutralization. Gastric HCO3 secretion is augmented by cholinergic agonists, prostaglandins and low luminal pH. Ulcerogens attenuate HCO3 secretion although passive diffusion of alkali consequent upon an increase in mucosal permeability may mask these inhibitory actions. Studies in vitro indicate that HCO3 transport in the stomach is dependent on oxidative metabolism, carbonic anhydrase activity and involves a CL exchange mechanism. Mucus, synthesized and released from epithelial cells, adheres to the mucosal surface as a thin (less than 80 microns in rat) but continuous gel layer. Prostaglandins and carbachol induced release of preformed mucus and thereby increase thickness, whereas acute exposure to ulcerogens has little effect on overall dimensions of the surface mucus layer. Measurements of pH gradients adjacent to gastric mucosa indicate that the disposal of luminal H+ occurs by extracellular neutralization. However, the fall in pH at the apical cell membrane when luminal pH is low (pH 1.5) suggests that while a mucus-bicarbonate barrier comprises the first line of mucosal defence, other factors are involved in the overall process of mucosal protection in the stomach.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nogami, Keisuke; Sakai, Yasuhiro; Mineta, Shota
2015-11-15
Visible emission spectra were acquired from neutral atoms sputtered by 35–60 keV Kr{sup +} ions from a polycrystalline tungsten surface. Mean velocities of excited tungsten atoms in seven different 6p states were also obtained via the dependence of photon intensities on the distance from the surface. The average velocities parallel to the surface normal varied by factors of 2–4 for atoms in the different 6p energy levels. However, they were almost independent of the incident ion kinetic energy. The 6p-level energy dependence indicated that the velocities of the excited atoms were determined by inelastic processes that involve resonant charge exchange.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yevsyukov, N. N.
1985-09-01
An approximate isolation algorithm for the isolation of multidimensional clusters is developed and applied in the construction of a three-dimensional diagram of the optical characteristics of the lunar surface. The method is somewhat analogous to that of Koontz and Fukunaga (1972) and involves isolating two-dimensional clusters, adding a new characteristic, and linearizing, a cycle which is repeated a limited number of times. The lunar-surface parameters analyzed are the 620-nm albedo, the 620/380-nm color index, and the 950/620-nm index. The results are presented graphically; the reliability of the cluster-isolation process is discussed; and some correspondences between known lunar morphology and the cluster maps are indicated.
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Kaleva, Aaretti; Saarimaa, Ville; Heinonen, Saara; Nikkanen, Juha-Pekka; Markkula, Antti; Väisänen, Pasi; Levänen, Erkki
2017-07-11
In this study, we demonstrate a rapid treatment method for producing a needle-like nanowire structure on a hot-dip galvanized sheet at a temperature of 50 °C. The processing method involved only supercritical carbon dioxide and water to induce a reaction on the zinc surface, which resulted in growth of zinc hydroxycarbonate nanowires into flower-like shapes. This artificial patina nanostructure predicts high surface area and offers interesting opportunities for its use in industrial high-end applications. The nanowires can significantly improve paint adhesion and promote electrochemical stability for organic coatings, or be converted to ZnO nanostructures by calcining to be used in various semiconductor applications.
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Dissolution-Induced Nanowire Synthesis on Hot-Dip Galvanized Surface in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Saarimaa, Ville; Heinonen, Saara; Nikkanen, Juha-Pekka; Markkula, Antti; Väisänen, Pasi; Levänen, Erkki
2017-01-01
In this study, we demonstrate a rapid treatment method for producing a needle-like nanowire structure on a hot-dip galvanized sheet at a temperature of 50 °C. The processing method involved only supercritical carbon dioxide and water to induce a reaction on the zinc surface, which resulted in growth of zinc hydroxycarbonate nanowires into flower-like shapes. This artificial patina nanostructure predicts high surface area and offers interesting opportunities for its use in industrial high-end applications. The nanowires can significantly improve paint adhesion and promote electrochemical stability for organic coatings, or be converted to ZnO nanostructures by calcining to be used in various semiconductor applications. PMID:28696374
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Paleokarst processes in the Eocene limestones of the Pyramids Plateau, Giza, Egypt
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
El Aref, M. M.; Refai, E.
The Eocene limestones of the Pyramids plateau are characterized by landforms of stepped terraced escarpment and karst ridges with isolated hills. The carbonate country rocks are also dominated by minor surface, surface to subsurface and subsurface solution features associated with karst products. The systematic field observations eludicate the denudation trend of the minor solution features and suggest the origin of the regional landscapes. The lithologic and structural characters of the limestone country rocks comprise the main factors controlling the surface and subsurface karst evolution. The development of the karst features and the associated sediments in the study area provides information on the paleohydrolic, chemical and climatic environments involved in the origin of the karstification.
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Interactions between attention, context and learning in primary visual cortex.
Gilbert, C; Ito, M; Kapadia, M; Westheimer, G
2000-01-01
Attention in early visual processing engages the higher order, context dependent properties of neurons. Even at the earliest stages of visual cortical processing neurons play a role in intermediate level vision - contour integration and surface segmentation. The contextual influences mediating this process may be derived from long range connections within primary visual cortex (V1). These influences are subject to perceptual learning, and are strongly modulated by visuospatial attention, which is itself a learning dependent process. The attentional influences may involve interactions between feedback and horizontal connections in V1. V1 is therefore a dynamic and active processor, subject to top-down influences.
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Testing single point incremental forming molds for thermoforming operations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Afonso, Daniel; de Sousa, Ricardo Alves; Torcato, Ricardo
2016-10-01
Low pressure polymer processing processes as thermoforming or rotational molding use much simpler molds then high pressure processes like injection. However, despite the low forces involved with the process, molds manufacturing for this operations is still a very material, energy and time consuming operation. The goal of the research is to develop and validate a method for manufacturing plastically formed sheets metal molds by single point incremental forming (SPIF) operation for thermoforming operation. Stewart platform based SPIF machines allow the forming of thick metal sheets, granting the required structural stiffness for the mold surface, and keeping the short lead time manufacture and low thermal inertia.
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Fundamental Studies of Crystal Growth of Microporous Materials
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dutta, P.; George, M.; Ramachandran, N.; Schoeman, B.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)
2002-01-01
Microporous materials are framework structures with well-defined porosity, often of molecular dimensions. Zeolites contain aluminum and silicon atoms in their framework and are the most extensively studied amongst all microporous materials. Framework structures with P, Ga, Fe, Co, Zn, B, Ti and a host of other elements have also been made. Typical synthesis of microporous materials involve mixing the framework elements (or compounds, thereof) in a basic solution, followed by aging in some cases and then heating at elevated temperatures. This process is termed hydrothermal synthesis, and involves complex chemical and physical changes. Because of a limited understanding of this process, most synthesis advancements happen by a trial and error approach. There is considerable interest in understanding the synthesis process at a molecular level with the expectation that eventually new framework structures will be built by design. The basic issues in the microporous materials crystallization process include: (1) Nature of the molecular units responsible for the crystal nuclei formation; (2) Nature of the nuclei and nucleation process; (3) Growth process of the nuclei into crystal; (4) Morphological control and size of the resulting crystal; (5) Surface structure of the resulting crystals; (6) Transformation of frameworks into other frameworks or condensed structures. The NASA-funded research described in this report focuses to varying degrees on all of the above issues and has been described in several publications. Following is the presentation of the highlights of our current research program. The report is divided into five sections: (1) Fundamental aspects of the crystal growth process; (2) Morphological and Surface properties of crystals; (3) Crystal dissolution and transformations; (4) Modeling of Crystal Growth; (5) Relevant Microgravity Experiments.
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Performance Optimization Control of ECH using Fuzzy Inference Application
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dubey, Abhay Kumar
Electro-chemical honing (ECH) is a hybrid electrolytic precision micro-finishing technology that, by combining physico-chemical actions of electro-chemical machining and conventional honing processes, provides the controlled functional surfaces-generation and fast material removal capabilities in a single operation. Process multi-performance optimization has become vital for utilizing full potential of manufacturing processes to meet the challenging requirements being placed on the surface quality, size, tolerances and production rate of engineering components in this globally competitive scenario. This paper presents an strategy that integrates the Taguchi matrix experimental design, analysis of variances and fuzzy inference system (FIS) to formulate a robust practical multi-performance optimization methodology for complex manufacturing processes like ECH, which involve several control variables. Two methodologies one using a genetic algorithm tuning of FIS (GA-tuned FIS) and another using an adaptive network based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) have been evaluated for a multi-performance optimization case study of ECH. The actual experimental results confirm their potential for a wide range of machining conditions employed in ECH.
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Jami, Mohammed S; Rosli, Nurul-Shafiqah; Amosa, Mutiu K
2016-06-01
Availability of quality-certified water is pertinent to the production of food and pharmaceutical products. Adverse effects of manganese content of water on the corrosion of vessels and reactors necessitate that process water is scrutinized for allowable concentration levels before being applied in the production processes. In this research, optimization of the adsorption process conditions germane to the removal of manganese from biotreated palm oil mill effluent (BPOME) using zeolite 3A subsequent to a comparative adsorption with clinoptilolite was studied. A face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted for the study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for response surface quadratic model revealed that the model was significant with dosage and agitation speed connoting the main significant process factors for the optimization. R(2) of 0.9478 yielded by the model was in agreement with predicted R(2). Langmuir and pseudo-second-order suggest the adsorption mechanism involved monolayer adsorption and cation exchanging.
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The structure of reconstructed chalcopyrite surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thinius, Sascha; Islam, Mazharul M.; Bredow, Thomas
2018-03-01
Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) surfaces are of major interest for copper exploitation in aqueous solution, called leaching. Since leaching is a surface process knowledge of the surface structure, bonding pattern and oxidation states is important for improving the efficiency. At present such information is not available from experimental studies. Therefore a detailed computational study of chalcopyrite surfaces is performed. The structures of low-index stoichiometric chalcopyrite surfaces {hkl} h, k, l ∈ {0, 1, 2} have been studied with density functional theory (DFT) and global optimization strategies. We have applied ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) in combination with simulated annealing (SA) in order to explore possible reconstructions via a minima hopping (MH) algorithm. In almost all cases reconstruction involving substantial rearrangement has occurred accompanied by reduction of the surface energy. The analysis of the change in the coordination sphere and migration during reconstruction reveals that S-S dimers are formed on the surface. Further it was observed that metal atoms near the surface move toward the bulk forming metal alloys passivated by sulfur. The obtained surface energies of reconstructed surfaces are in the range of 0.53-0.95 J/m2.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Soler, Ya I.; Salov, V. M.; Mai, D. S.
2018-03-01
Surface grinding of flat workpieces made of alloy VT22 was conducted by the periphery of a highly porous wheel (HPW) from cubic boron nitride CBN30 B107 100 OV K27 КF40 with three processing techniques (ij). They are 10 - cross-feed per stroke, HPW cutting into a workpiece changes alternately from up to down; 12 – cross-feed per double stroke during the up HPW cutting-in at the working stroke; 22 – cross-feed per double stroke during the down HPW cutting-in at the working stroke. With the involvement of artificial neural network models, it was revealed that to improve the quality of surfaces and stability of its formation, grinding should be conducted if ij = 12.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Etters, R. D.
1985-01-01
Work directed toward understanding the high pressure properties of molecular solids and molecular surfaces deposited on hetrogeneous substrates is reported. The motivation, apart from expanding our basic knowledge about these systems, was to understand and predict the properties of new materials synthesized at high pressure, including pressure induced metallic and superconducting states. As a consequence, information about the states of matter of the Jovian planets and their satellites, which are natural high pressure laboratories was also provided. The work on molecular surfaces and finite two and three dimensional clusters of atoms and molecules was connected with the composition and behavior of planetary atmospheres and on the processes involved in forming surface layers, which is vital to the development of composite materials and microcircuitry.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, Weiwen; Culley, David E.; Nie, Lei
2007-08-01
The build-up of biofilms of sulphate -reducing bacteria (SRB) on metals surfaces may lead to severe corrosion of iron. To understand the processes at molecular level, in this study, a whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray was used to examine differential expression patterns between planktonic populations and mature biofilm of model SRB species Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Statistical analysis revealed that 472 genes were differentially expressed (1.5 fold or more with a p value less than 0.025) when comparing biofilm to planktonic cells. Among the differentially expressed genes were several that corresponded to biofilm formation genes identified in many aerobic bacterial biofilms (i.e., Pseudomonas speciesmore » and Escherichia coli), such as down-regulation of genes encoding flagellin, flagellar motor switch protein and chemotaxis proteins involved in cell motility and induction of genes encoding sugar transferase and glycogen synthase involved in exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. In addition, D. vulgaris biofilm-bound cells exhibited decreased transcription of genes involved in protein synthesis, energy metabolism and sulfate reduction, as well as genes involved in general stress responses. These findings were all consistent with early suggestion that the average physiology of biofilm cells were similar to planktonic cells of stationary phases. Most notably, up-regulation of large number of outer membrane proteins was observed in D. vulgaris biofilm. Although their function is still unknown, the higher expression of these genes in D. vulgaris biofilm could implicate important roles formation and maintenance of multi-cellular consortium on metal surface. The study provided insights into the metabolic networks associated with D. vulgaris biofilm formation and maintenance on an iron surface.« less
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Surface science studies of ethene containing model interstellar ices
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Puletti, F.; Whelan, M.; Brown, W. A.
2011-05-01
The formation of saturated hydrocarbons in the interstellar medium (ISM) is difficult to explain only by taking into account gas phase reactions. This is mostly due to the fact that carbonium ions only react with H_2 to make unsaturated hydrocarbons, and hence no viable route to saturated hydrocarbons has been postulated to date. It is therefore likely that saturation processes occur via surface reactions that take place on interstellar dust grains. One of the species of interest in this family of reactions is C_2H_4 (ethene) which is an intermediate in several molecular formation routes (e.g. C_2H_2 → C_2H_6). To help to understand some of the surface processes involving ethene, a study of ethene deposited on a dust grain analogue surface (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite) held under ultra-high vacuum at 20 K has been performed. The adsorption and desorption of ethene has been studied both in water-free and water-dominated model interstellar ices. A combination of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) have been used to identify the adsorbed and trapped species and to determine the kinetics of the desorption processes. In all cases, ethene is found to physisorb on the carbonaceous surface. As expected water has a very strong influence on the desorption of ethene, as previously observed for other model interstellar ice systems.
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Photochemistry, Ion Chemistry, and Haze Formation in Pluto’s Atmosphere
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Summers, Michael E.; Stern, S. A.; Gladstone, G. Randal; Young, Leslie A.; Olkin, C. B.; Weaver, H. A.; Cheng, A. F.; Strobel, D. F.; Ennico, K. A.; Kammer, J. A.; Parker, A. H.; Retherford, K. D.; Schindhelm, E.; Singer, K. N.; Steffl, A. J.; Tsang, C. C.; Versteeg, M. H.; Greathouse, T. K.; Linscott, I. R.; Tyler, L. G.; Woods, W. W.; Hinson, D. P.; Parker, J. W.; Renaud, J. P.; Ewell, M.; Lisse, Cary M.
2015-11-01
The detection of ethylene (C2H4) and acetylene (C2H2) in Pluto’s atmosphere provides important ground-truth observations for validating photochemical models of Pluto’s atmosphere. Their detection also confirms the production of precursor chemical compounds involved in the formation of tholins, which are thought to give Pluto’s surface its reddish color. Photochemical models predict many other hydrocarbon and nitrile products, currently undetected, which may also be participants in tholin production on Pluto’s surface or on atmospheric haze particles. The observed atmospheric haze layer extending to altitudes of ~140 km above Pluto’s surface, suggests a global and very robust process of atmospheric particle nucleation, growth, and sedimentation onto Pluto’s surface. The high altitude extent of the haze layer suggests that the nucleation process begins above the expected altitude range where hydrocarbons become supersaturated (below ~30 km altitude). This situation may be analogous to that in Titan’s atmosphere, wherein nucleation and aerosol growth is directly related to large negative ion production. In the case of Pluto, this means that nucleation may occur at altitudes as high as 1200 km altitude where ionization in Pluto’s atmosphere peaks. In this paper we discuss these processes and their implications for haze formation in Pluto’s atmosphere and its deposition onto Pluto’s surface. This work was supported by NASA's New Horizons project.
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Andersen, Martin Nybo; Krzystanek, Katarzyna; Petersen, Frederic; Bomholtz, Sofia Hammami; Olesen, Søren-Peter; Abriel, Hugues; Jespersen, Thomas; Rasmussen, Hanne Borger
2013-01-01
Epithelial cell polarization involves several kinase signaling cascades that eventually divide the surface membrane into an apical and a basolateral part. One kinase, which is activated during the polarization process, is phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). In MDCK cells, the basolateral potassium channel Kv7.1 requires PI3K activity for surface-expression during the polarization process. Here, we demonstrate that Kv7.1 surface expression requires tonic PI3K activity as PI3K inhibition triggers endocytosis of these channels in polarized MDCK. Pharmacological inhibition of SGK1 gave similar results as PI3K inhibition, whereas overexpression of constitutively active SGK1 overruled it, suggesting that SGK1 is the primary downstream target of PI3K in this process. Furthermore, knockdown of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 overruled PI3K inhibition, whereas a Nedd4-2 interaction-deficient Kv7.1 mutant was resistant to both PI3K and SGK1 inhibition. Altogether, these data suggest that a PI3K-SGK1 pathway stabilizes Kv7.1 surface expression by inhibiting Nedd4-2-dependent endocytosis and thereby demonstrates that Nedd4-2 is a key regulator of Kv7.1 localization and turnover in epithelial cells. PMID:24214981
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Andersen, Martin Nybo; Krzystanek, Katarzyna; Petersen, Frederic; Bomholtz, Sofia Hammami; Olesen, Søren-Peter; Abriel, Hugues; Jespersen, Thomas; Rasmussen, Hanne Borger
2013-12-27
Epithelial cell polarization involves several kinase signaling cascades that eventually divide the surface membrane into an apical and a basolateral part. One kinase, which is activated during the polarization process, is phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). In MDCK cells, the basolateral potassium channel Kv7.1 requires PI3K activity for surface-expression during the polarization process. Here, we demonstrate that Kv7.1 surface expression requires tonic PI3K activity as PI3K inhibition triggers endocytosis of these channels in polarized MDCK. Pharmacological inhibition of SGK1 gave similar results as PI3K inhibition, whereas overexpression of constitutively active SGK1 overruled it, suggesting that SGK1 is the primary downstream target of PI3K in this process. Furthermore, knockdown of the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 overruled PI3K inhibition, whereas a Nedd4-2 interaction-deficient Kv7.1 mutant was resistant to both PI3K and SGK1 inhibition. Altogether, these data suggest that a PI3K-SGK1 pathway stabilizes Kv7.1 surface expression by inhibiting Nedd4-2-dependent endocytosis and thereby demonstrates that Nedd4-2 is a key regulator of Kv7.1 localization and turnover in epithelial cells.
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Bombardment-induced segregation and redistribution
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lam, N. Q.; Wiedersich, H.
During ion bombardment, a number of processes can alter the compositional distribution and microstructure in near-surface regions of alloys. The relative importance of each process depends principally on the target composition, temperature, and ion characteristics. In addition to displacement mixing leading to a randomization of atomic locations, and preferential loss of alloying elements by sputtering, which are dominant at relatively low temperatures, several thermally-activated processes, including radiation-enhanced diffusion, radiation-induced segregation and Gibbsian adsorption, also play important roles. At elevated temperatures, nonequilibrium point defects induced by ion impacts become mobile and tend to anneal out by recombination and diffusion to extended sinks, such as dislocations, grain boundaries and free surfaces. The high defect concentrations, far exceeding the thermodynamic equilibrium values, can enhance diffusion-controlled processes, while persistent defect fluxes, originating from the spatial non-uniformity in defect production and annihilation, give rise to local redistribution of alloy constituents because of radiation-induced segregation. Moreover, when the alloy is maintained at high temperature, Gibbsian adsorption, driven by the reduction in free energy of the system, occurs even without irradiation; it involves a compositional perturbation in a few atom layers near the alloy surface. The combination of these processes leads to the complex development of a compositionally-modified layer in the subsurface region. Considerable progress has been made recently in identifying and understanding the relative contributions from the individual processes under various irradiation conditions. In the present paper, selected examples of these different phenomena and their synergistic effects on the evolution of the near-surface compositions of alloys during sputtering and ion implantation at elevated temperatures are discussed.
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The pathology of dry eye: the interaction between the ocular surface and lacrimal glands.
Stern, M E; Beuerman, R W; Fox, R I; Gao, J; Mircheff, A K; Pflugfelder, S C
1998-11-01
Most dry-eye symptoms result from an abnormal, nonlubricative ocular surface that increases shear forces under the eyelids and diminishes the ability of the ocular surface to respond to environmental challenges. This ocular-surface dysfunction may result from immunocompromise due to systemic autoimmune disease or may occur locally from a decrease in systemic androgen support to the lacrimal gland as seen in aging, most frequently in the menopausal female. Components of the ocular surface (cornea, conjunctiva, accessory lacrimal glands, and meibomian glands), the main lacrimal gland, and interconnecting innervation act as a functional unit. When one portion is compromised, normal lacrimal support of the ocular surface is impaired. Resulting immune-based inflammation can lead to lacrimal gland and neural dysfunction. This progression yields the OS symptoms associated with dry eye. Restoration of lacrimal function involves resolution of lymphocytic activation and inflammation. This has been demonstrated in the MRL/lpr mouse using systemic androgens or cyclosporine and in the dry-eye dog using topical cyclosporine. The efficacy of cyclosporine may be due to its immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory (phosphatase inhibitory capability) functions on the ocular surface, resulting in a normalization of nerve traffic. Although the etiologies of dry eye are varied, common to all ocular-surface disease is an underlying cytokine/receptor-mediated inflammatory process. By treating this process, it may be possible to normalize the ocular surface/lacrimal neural reflex and facilitate ocular surface healing.
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A frozen record of density-driven crustal overturn in lava lakes: The example of Kilauea Iki 1959
Stovall, W.K.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Harris, A.J.L.; Swanson, D.A.
2009-01-01
Lava lakes are found at basaltic volcanoes on Earth and other planetary bodies. Density-driven crustal foundering leading to surface renewal occurs repeatedly throughout the life of a lava lake. This process has been observed and described in a qualitative sense, but due to dangerous conditions, no data has been acquired to evaluate the densities of the units involved. Kilauea Iki pit crater in Hawai'i houses a lava lake erupted during a 2 month period in 1959. Part of the surface of the Kilauea Iki lake now preserves the frozen record of a final, incomplete, crustal-overturn cycle. We mapped this region and sampled portions of the foundering crust, as well as overriding and underlying lava, to constrain the density of the units involved in the overturn process. Overturn is driven by the advance of a flow front of fresh, low-density lava over an older, higher density surface crust. The advance of the front causes the older crust to break up, founder, and dive downwards into the lake to expose new, hot, low-density lava. We find density differences of 200 to 740 kg/m3 between the foundering crust and over-riding and under-lying lava respectively. In this case, crustal overturn is driven by large density differences between the foundering and resurfacing units. These differences lead, inevitably, to frequent crustal renewal: simple density differences between the surface crust and underlying lake lava make the upper layers of the lake highly unstable. ?? Springer-Verlag 2008.
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Mechanical tearing of graphene on an oxidizing metal surface.
George, Lijin; Gupta, Aparna; Shaina, P R; Das Gupta, Nandita; Jaiswal, Manu
2015-12-11
Graphene, the thinnest possible anticorrosion and gas-permeation barrier, is poised to transform the protective coatings industry for a variety of surface applications. In this work, we have studied the structural changes of graphene when the underlying copper surface undergoes oxidation upon heating. Single-layer graphene directly grown on a copper surface by chemical vapour deposition was annealed under ambient atmosphere conditions up to 400 °C. The onset temperature of the surface oxidation of copper is found to be higher for graphene-coated foils. Parallel arrays of graphene nanoripples are a ubiquitous feature of pristine graphene on copper, and we demonstrate that these form crucial sites for the onset of the oxidation of copper, particularly for ∼0.3-0.4 μm ripple widths. In these regions, the oxidation proceeds along the length of the nanoripples, resulting in the formation of parallel stripes of oxidized copper regions. We demonstrate from temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy that the primary defect formation process in graphene involves boundary-type defects rather than vacancy or sp(3)-type defects. This observation is consistent with a mechanical tearing process that splits graphene into small polycrystalline domains. The size of these is estimated to be sub-50 nm.
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Developing a more useful surface quality metric for laser optics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Turchette, Quentin; Turner, Trey
2011-02-01
Light scatter due to surface defects on laser resonator optics produces losses which lower system efficiency and output power. The traditional methodology for surface quality inspection involves visual comparison of a component to scratch and dig (SAD) standards under controlled lighting and viewing conditions. Unfortunately, this process is subjective and operator dependent. Also, there is no clear correlation between inspection results and the actual performance impact of the optic in a laser resonator. As a result, laser manufacturers often overspecify surface quality in order to ensure that optics will not degrade laser performance due to scatter. This can drive up component costs and lengthen lead times. Alternatively, an objective test system for measuring optical scatter from defects can be constructed with a microscope, calibrated lighting, a CCD detector and image processing software. This approach is quantitative, highly repeatable and totally operator independent. Furthermore, it is flexible, allowing the user to set threshold levels as to what will or will not constitute a defect. This paper details how this automated, quantitative type of surface quality measurement can be constructed, and shows how its results correlate against conventional loss measurement techniques such as cavity ringdown times.
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Automatic recognition of surface landmarks of anatomical structures of back and posture
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Michoński, Jakub; Glinkowski, Wojciech; Witkowski, Marcin; Sitnik, Robert
2012-05-01
Faulty postures, scoliosis and sagittal plane deformities should be detected as early as possible to apply preventive and treatment measures against major clinical consequences. To support documentation of the severity of deformity and diminish x-ray exposures, several solutions utilizing analysis of back surface topography data were introduced. A novel approach to automatic recognition and localization of anatomical landmarks of the human back is presented that may provide more repeatable results and speed up the whole procedure. The algorithm was designed as a two-step process involving a statistical model built upon expert knowledge and analysis of three-dimensional back surface shape data. Voronoi diagram is used to connect mean geometric relations, which provide a first approximation of the positions, with surface curvature distribution, which further guides the recognition process and gives final locations of landmarks. Positions obtained using the developed algorithms are validated with respect to accuracy of manual landmark indication by experts. Preliminary validation proved that the landmarks were localized correctly, with accuracy depending mostly on the characteristics of a given structure. It was concluded that recognition should mainly take into account the shape of the back surface, putting as little emphasis on the statistical approximation as possible.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Steffen, K.; Abdalati, W.; Stroeve, J.; Nolin, A.; Box, J.; Key, J.; Zwally, J.; Stober, M.; Kreuter, J.
1996-01-01
The proposed research involves the application of multispectral satellite data in combination with ground truth measurements to monitor surface properties of the Greenland Ice Sheet which are essential for describing the energy and mass of the ice sheet. Several key components of the energy balance are parameterized using satellite data and in situ measurements. The analysis has been done for a 6 to 17 year time period in order to analyze the seasonal and interannual variations of the surface processes and the climatology. Our goal was to investigate to what accuracy and over what geographic areas large scale snow properties and radiative fluxes can be derived based upon a combination of available remote sensing and meteorological data sets. For the understanding of the surface processes a field program was designed to collect information on spectral albedo, specular reflectance, soot content, grain size and the physical properties of different snow types. Further, the radiative and turbulent fluxes at the ice/snow surface were monitored for the parameterization and interpretation of the satellite data. Highlights include AVHRR time series and surface based radiation measurements, passive microwave time series, and geodetic results from the ETH/CU camp.
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Affinity+: Semi-Structured Brainstorming on Large Displays
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Burtner, Edwin R.; May, Richard A.; Scarberry, Randall E.
2013-04-27
Affinity diagraming is a powerful method for encouraging and capturing lateral thinking in a group environment. The Affinity+ Concept was designed to improve the collaborative brainstorm process through the use of large display surfaces in conjunction with mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. The system works by capturing the ideas digitally and allowing users to sort and group them on a large touch screen manually. Additionally, Affinity+ incorporates theme detection, topic clustering, and other processing algorithms that help bring structured analytic techniques to the process without requiring explicit leadership roles and other overhead typically involved in these activities.
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Stabilizing laser energy density on a target during pulsed laser deposition of thin films
Dowden, Paul C.; Jia, Quanxi
2016-05-31
A process for stabilizing laser energy density on a target surface during pulsed laser deposition of thin films controls the focused laser spot on the target. The process involves imaging an image-aperture positioned in the beamline. This eliminates changes in the beam dimensions of the laser. A continuously variable attenuator located in between the output of the laser and the imaged image-aperture adjusts the energy to a desired level by running the laser in a "constant voltage" mode. The process provides reproducibility and controllability for deposition of electronic thin films by pulsed laser deposition.
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Pease, R.W.; Jenner, C.B.; Lewis, J.E.
1980-01-01
The Sun drives the atmospheric heat engine by warming the terrestrial surface which in turn warms the atmosphere above. Climate, therefore, is significantly controlled by complex interaction of energy flows near and at the terrestrial surface. When man alters this delicate energy balance by his use of the land, he may alter his climatic environment as well. Land use climatology has emerged as a discipline in which these energy interactions are studied; first, by viewing the spatial distributions of their surface manifestations, and second, by analyzing the energy exchange processes involved. Two new tools for accomplishing this study are presented: one that can interpret surface energy exchange processes from space, and another that can simulate the complex of energy transfers by a numerical simulation model. Use of a satellite-borne multispectral scanner as an imaging radiometer was made feasible by devising a gray-window model that corrects measurements made in space for the effects of the atmosphere in the optical path. The simulation model is a combination of mathematical models of energy transfer processes at or near the surface. Integration of these two analytical approaches was applied to the Washington-Baltimore area to coincide with the August 5, 1973, Skylab 3 overpass which provided data for constructing maps of the energy characteristics of the Earth's surface. The use of the two techniques provides insights into the relationship of climate to land use and land cover and in predicting alterations of climate that may result from alterations of the land surface.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Alvertos, Nicolas; Dcunha, Ivan
1993-01-01
The problem of recognizing and positioning of objects in three-dimensional space is important for robotics and navigation applications. In recent years, digital range data, also referred to as range images or depth maps, have been available for the analysis of three-dimensional objects owing to the development of several active range finding techniques. The distinct advantage of range images is the explicitness of the surface information available. Many industrial and navigational robotics tasks will be more easily accomplished if such explicit information can be efficiently interpreted. In this research, a new technique based on analytic geometry for the recognition and description of three-dimensional quadric surfaces from range images is presented. Beginning with the explicit representation of quadrics, a set of ten coefficients are determined for various three-dimensional surfaces. For each quadric surface, a unique set of two-dimensional curves which serve as a feature set is obtained from the various angles at which the object is intersected with a plane. Based on a discriminant method, each of the curves is classified as a parabola, circle, ellipse, hyperbola, or a line. Each quadric surface is shown to be uniquely characterized by a set of these two-dimensional curves, thus allowing discrimination from the others. Before the recognition process can be implemented, the range data have to undergo a set of pre-processing operations, thereby making it more presentable to classification algorithms. One such pre-processing step is to study the effect of median filtering on raw range images. Utilizing a variety of surface curvature techniques, reliable sets of image data that approximate the shape of a quadric surface are determined. Since the initial orientation of the surfaces is unknown, a new technique is developed wherein all the rotation parameters are determined and subsequently eliminated. This approach enables us to position the quadric surfaces in a desired coordinate system. Experiments were conducted on raw range images of spheres, cylinders, and cones. Experiments were also performed on simulated data for surfaces such as hyperboloids of one and two sheets, elliptical and hyperbolic paraboloids, elliptical and hyperbolic cylinders, ellipsoids and the quadric cones. Both the real and simulated data yielded excellent results. Our approach is found to be more accurate and computationally inexpensive as compared to traditional approaches, such as the three-dimensional discriminant approach which involves evaluation of the rank of a matrix. Finally, we have proposed one other new approach, which involves the formulation of a mapping between the explicit and implicit forms of representing quadric surfaces. This approach, when fully realized, will yield a three-dimensional discriminant, which will recognize quadric surfaces based upon their component surfaces patches. This approach is faster than prior approaches and at the same time is invariant to pose and orientation of the surfaces in three-dimensional space.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alvertos, Nicolas; Dcunha, Ivan
1993-03-01
The problem of recognizing and positioning of objects in three-dimensional space is important for robotics and navigation applications. In recent years, digital range data, also referred to as range images or depth maps, have been available for the analysis of three-dimensional objects owing to the development of several active range finding techniques. The distinct advantage of range images is the explicitness of the surface information available. Many industrial and navigational robotics tasks will be more easily accomplished if such explicit information can be efficiently interpreted. In this research, a new technique based on analytic geometry for the recognition and description of three-dimensional quadric surfaces from range images is presented. Beginning with the explicit representation of quadrics, a set of ten coefficients are determined for various three-dimensional surfaces. For each quadric surface, a unique set of two-dimensional curves which serve as a feature set is obtained from the various angles at which the object is intersected with a plane. Based on a discriminant method, each of the curves is classified as a parabola, circle, ellipse, hyperbola, or a line. Each quadric surface is shown to be uniquely characterized by a set of these two-dimensional curves, thus allowing discrimination from the others. Before the recognition process can be implemented, the range data have to undergo a set of pre-processing operations, thereby making it more presentable to classification algorithms. One such pre-processing step is to study the effect of median filtering on raw range images. Utilizing a variety of surface curvature techniques, reliable sets of image data that approximate the shape of a quadric surface are determined. Since the initial orientation of the surfaces is unknown, a new technique is developed wherein all the rotation parameters are determined and subsequently eliminated. This approach enables us to position the quadric surfaces in a desired coordinate system. Experiments were conducted on raw range images of spheres, cylinders, and cones. Experiments were also performed on simulated data for surfaces such as hyperboloids of one and two sheets, elliptical and hyperbolic paraboloids, elliptical and hyperbolic cylinders, ellipsoids and the quadric cones. Both the real and simulated data yielded excellent results. Our approach is found to be more accurate and computationally inexpensive as compared to traditional approaches, such as the three-dimensional discriminant approach which involves evaluation of the rank of a matrix.
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Catalytic reaction processes revealed by scanning probe microscopy. [corrected].
Jiang, Peng; Bao, Xinhe; Salmeron, Miquel
2015-05-19
Heterogeneous catalysis is of great importance for modern society. About 80% of the chemicals are produced by catalytic reactions. Green energy production and utilization as well as environmental protection also need efficient catalysts. Understanding the reaction mechanisms is crucial to improve the existing catalysts and develop new ones with better activity, selectivity, and stability. Three components are involved in one catalytic reaction: reactant, product, and catalyst. The catalytic reaction process consists of a series of elementary steps: adsorption, diffusion, reaction, and desorption. During reaction, the catalyst surface can change at the atomic level, with roughening, sintering, and segregation processes occurring dynamically in response to the reaction conditions. Therefore, it is imperative to obtain atomic-scale information for understanding catalytic reactions. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a very appropriate tool for catalytic research at the atomic scale because of its unique atomic-resolution capability. A distinguishing feature of SPM, compared to other surface characterization techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, is that there is no intrinsic limitation for SPM to work under realistic reaction conditions (usually high temperature and high pressure). Therefore, since it was introduced in 1981, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been widely used to investigate the adsorption, diffusion, reaction, and desorption processes on solid catalyst surfaces at the atomic level. STM can also monitor dynamic changes of catalyst surfaces during reactions. These invaluable microscopic insights have not only deepened the understanding of catalytic processes, but also provided important guidance for the development of new catalysts. This Account will focus on elementary reaction processes revealed by SPM. First, we will demonstrate the power of SPM to investigate the adsorption and diffusion process of reactants on catalyst surfaces at the atomic level. Then the dynamic processes, including surface reconstruction, roughening, sintering, and phase separation, studied by SPM will be discussed. Furthermore, SPM provides valuable insights toward identifying the active sites and understanding the reaction mechanisms. We also illustrate here how both ultrahigh vacuum STM and high pressure STM provide valuable information, expanding the understanding provided by traditional surface science. We conclude with highlighting remarkable recent progress in noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS), and their impact on single-chemical-bond level characterization for catalytic reaction processes in the future.
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Bacterial subversion of host actin dynamics at the plasma membrane.
Carabeo, Rey
2011-10-01
Invasion of non-phagocytic cells by a number of bacterial pathogens involves the subversion of the actin cytoskeletal remodelling machinery to produce actin-rich cell surface projections designed to engulf the bacteria. The signalling that occurs to induce these actin-rich structures has considerable overlap among a diverse group of bacteria. The molecular organization within these structures act in concert to internalize the invading pathogen. This dynamic process could be subdivided into three acts - actin recruitment, engulfment, and finally, actin disassembly/internalization. This review will present the current state of knowledge of the molecular processes involved in each stage of bacterial invasion, and provide a perspective that highlights the temporal and spatial control of actin remodelling that occurs during bacterial invasion. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morrev, P. G.; Gordon, V. A.
2018-03-01
Surface hardening by deep rolling can be considered as the axial symmetric problem in some special events (namely, when large R and small r radii of the deforming roller meet the requirement R>> r). An axisymmetric nodal averaged stabilized finite element is formulated. The formulation is based on a variational principle with a penalty (stabilizing) item in order to involve large elastic-plastic strain and near to incompressible materials. The deep rolling process for a steel rod is analyzed. Axial residual stress, yield stress, and Odkvist’s parameter are calculated. The residual stress is compared with the data obtained by other authors using a three-dimensional statement of the problem. The results obtained demonstrate essential advantages of the newly developed finite element.
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Geomicrobiology in oceanography: microbe-mineral interactions at and below the seafloor.
Edwards, Katrina J; Bach, Wolfgang; McCollom, Thomas M
2005-09-01
Oceanography is inherently interdisciplinary and, since its inception, has included the study of microbe-mineral interactions. From early studies of manganese nodules, to the discovery of hydrothermal vents, it has been recognized that microorganisms are involved at various levels in the transformation of rocks and minerals at and below the seafloor. Recent studies include mineral weathering at low temperatures and microbe-mineral interactions in the subseafloor "deep biosphere". A common characteristic of seafloor and subseafloor geomicrobiological processes that distinguishes them from terrestrial or near-surface processes is that they occur in the dark, one or more steps removed from the sunlight that fuels the near-surface biosphere on Earth. This review focuses on geomicrobiological studies and energy flow in dark, deep-ocean and subseafloor rock habitats.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Yang, Liang; Wang, C. Z.; Lin, Shiwei
Understanding of metal oxidation is very critical to corrosion control, catalysis synthesis, and advanced materials engineering. Metal oxidation is a very complex phenomenon, with many different processes which are coupled and involved from the onset of reaction. In this work, the initial stage of oxidation on titanium surface was investigated in atomic scale by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF). We show that oxygen transport is the dominant process during the initial oxidation. Our simulation also demonstrate that a compressive stress was generated in the oxide layer which blocked the oxygen transport perpendicular to the Titaniummore » (0001) surface and further prevented oxidation in the deeper layers. As a result, the mechanism of initial oxidation observed in this work can be also applicable to other self-limiting oxidation.« less
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NASA's MERBoard: An Interactive Collaborative Workspace Platform. Chapter 4
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Trimble, Jay; Wales, Roxana; Gossweiler, Rich
2003-01-01
This chapter describes the ongoing process by which a multidisciplinary group at NASA's Ames Research Center is designing and implementing a large interactive work surface called the MERBoard Collaborative Workspace. A MERBoard system involves several distributed, large, touch-enabled, plasma display systems with custom MERBoard software. A centralized server and database back the system. We are continually tuning MERBoard to support over two hundred scientists and engineers during the surface operations of the Mars Exploration Rover Missions. These scientists and engineers come from various disciplines and are working both in small and large groups over a span of space and time. We describe the multidisciplinary, human-centered process by which this h4ERBoard system is being designed, the usage patterns and social interactions that we have observed, and issues we are currently facing.
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Gomaa, Ola M; Husseiny, Sherif M; Abd El Kareem, Hussein; Talaat, Riham
2016-10-01
Fungi are known to be affected by external environmental stimuli, resulting in different stress response effects, which in turn could be used to enhance its biodegrading ability. In a previous study, ethanol was used to manipulate cell-cell and cell-surface interaction to prevent cell loss and maximize the usage of Penicillium purpurogenum cells in the media, a correlation was drawn between ethanol oxidative stress, surface-bound proteins and fungal adhesion. The present study focuses on a more detailed study of the effect of ethanol on the same fungus. The results show that the presence of Yap1p gene and the detection of an oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG) suggest that a stress response might be involved in the adhesion process. The process of adhesion could be described as a signaling process and it is affected by the germ tube formation as an initial step in adhesion. Protein profile showed polymorphism in surface-bound proteins for cultures amended with ethanol when compared to control cultures. Ethanol also affected the DNA polymorphic profile of DNA, rendering the fungus genetically variable. P. purpurogenum produced phenol oxidase enzyme and could be used to degrade total phenols in olive mill waste water without the formation of biofilm on the surface of the containers.
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Plasma Surface Modification of Polyaramid Fibers for Protective Clothing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Widodo, Mohamad
2011-12-01
The purpose of this research was to develop a novel process that would achieve biocidal properties on Kevlar fabric via atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) induced-graft polymerization of monomers. In the course of the study, experiments were carried out to understand plasma-monomer-substrate interactions, particularly, how each of the main parameters in the plasma processing affects the formation of surface radicals and eventually the degree of graft polymerization of monomers. The study also served to explore the possibility of developing plasma-initiated and plasma-controlled graft polymerization for continuous operation. In this regards, three methods of processing were studied, which included two-step plasma graft-polymerization with immersion, two-step and one-step plasma graft-polymerization with pad-dry. In general, plasma treatment did not cause visible damage to the surface of Kevlar fibers, except for the appearance of tiny globules distributed almost uniformly indicating a minor effect of plasma treatment to the surface morphology of the polymer. From the examination of SEM images, however, it was found that a very localized surface etching seemed to have taken place, especially at high RF power (800 W) and long time of exposure (60 s), even in plasma downstream mode of operation. It was suggested that a small amount of charged particles might have escaped and reached the substrate surface. High density of surface radicals, which is the prerequisite for high graft density and high antimicrobial activity, was achieved by the combination of high RF power and short exposure time or low RF power and long time of exposure. This was a clear indication that the formation of surface radicals is a function of amount of the dissipated energy, which also explained the two-factor interaction between the two process parameters. XPS results showed that hydrolysis of the anilide bond of PPTA chains took place to some extent on the surface of Kevlar, leading to the formation carboxylic and phenyl amine groups, which may provide additional active sites for grafting by way of hydrogen abstraction from the latter. Further analysis of XPS data, however, showed that macroradicals and active sites of grafting were formed at least at one of the carbon atoms in the aromatic ring. A reduction of microbial activity up to 3-log reduction was achieved by plasma treated Kevlar grafted by either diallyl diammonium chloride (DADMAC) or 3- ((trimethoxysilyl)-propyl) dimethylammonium chloride (TMS), with the latter being the one with better performance. It was found that high antimicrobial activity was obtained by the combination of high RF power, short time of exposure, and low concentration of monomer. Of the three processing methods studied, the one with immersion method produced higher graft yield. However, one-step plasma graft-polymerization with pad-dry method has proven itself more interesting due to its potential for an open continuous process. This research has been successful in producing effective antimicrobial properties on Kevlar fabric by plasma-initiated and plasma-controlled graft polymerization, which is unprecedented. The design of experiments showed that better results with higher order of log reduction can be obtained by process optimization, e.g. by using response surface methods. It would also be very beneficial to continue the research for the development of plasma graft-polymerization process with more rigorous design, which involves the use of crosslinker and antimicrobial monomers with different chemistry. A study that involves the development of a robust design for processes that perform consistently as intended under a wide range of user's conditions and yet produce high-level performance with high reliability would also be advantageous. The major implication of the findings from this research for the finishing of Kevlar is that a wide array of different surface functionalities may become more readily available now than ever. Plasma technology has made surface chemistry functionalization of Kevlar more straightforward and easier to perform, which opens new avenues for achieving functional and multifunctional Kevlar fabrics using a fast, more economic and environmentally friendly continuous process for niche market such as military applications and protective clothing for emergency responders.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lazarus, E.
2015-12-01
In the archetypal "tragedy of the commons" narrative, local farmers pasture their cows on the town common. Soon the common becomes crowded with cows, who graze it bare, and the arrangement of open access to a shared resource ultimately fails. The "tragedy" involves social and physical processes, but the denouement depends on who is telling the story. An economist might argue that the system collapses because each farmer always has a rational incentive to graze one more cow. An ecologist might remark that the rate of grass growth is an inherent control on the common's carrying capacity. And a geomorphologist might point out that processes of soil degradation almost always outstrip processes of soil production. Interdisciplinary research into human-environmental systems still tends to favor disciplinary vantages. In the context of Anthropocene grand challenges - including fundamental insight into dynamics of landscape resilience, and what the dominance of human activities means for processes of change and evolution on the Earth's surface - two disciplines in particular have more to talk about than they might think. Here, I use three examples - (1) beach nourishment, (2) upstream/downstream fluvial asymmetry, and (3) current and historical "land grabbing" - to illustrate a range of interconnections between physical Earth-surface science and common-pool resource economics. In many systems, decision-making and social complexity exert stronger controls on landscape expression than do physical geomorphological processes. Conversely, human-environmental research keeps encountering multi-scale, emergent problems of resource use made 'common-pool' by water, nutrient and sediment transport dynamics. Just as Earth-surface research can benefit from decades of work on common-pool resource systems, quantitative Earth-surface science can make essential contributions to efforts addressing complex problems in environmental sustainability.
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Control method and system for use when growing thin-films on semiconductor-based materials
McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.
2001-01-01
A process and system for use during the growth of a thin film upon the surface of a substrate by exposing the substrate surface to vaporized material in a high vacuum (HV) facility involves the directing of an electron beam generally toward the surface of the substrate as the substrate is exposed to vaporized material so that electrons are diffracted from the substrate surface by the beam and the monitoring of the pattern of electrons diffracted from the substrate surface as vaporized material settles upon the substrate surface. When the monitored pattern achieves a condition indicative of the desired condition of the thin film being grown upon the substrate, the exposure of the substrate to the vaporized materials is shut off or otherwise adjusted. To facilitate the adjustment of the crystallographic orientation of the film relative to the electron beam, the system includes a mechanism for altering the orientation of the surface of the substrate relative to the electron beam.
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Is there a role for a test controller in the development of new ATC equipment?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Westrum, Ron
1994-01-01
Earl Wiener points out that human factors problems fixed during the R & D stage are paid for once. When they are not fixed during R & D, they are then paid for every day. How users are involved in the R & D process to assist in developing equipment is a critical issue. Effective involvement can produce real improvements. Ineffective involvement can produce inefficient kludges or systems that are actually dangerous. The underlying problem is the management of information and ideas. To develop a really generative system a great deal would have to change in the way that the FAA innovates. Use of test controllers would solve only some of the problems. For instance, we have cockpit resource management now for pilots; we may have it soon for controllers. But the management of ideas in the innovation process also needs intellectual resource management. Simply involving users is not enough. Brought in at the wrong point in the development process, users can block or compromise innovation. User involvement must be carefully considered. A test controller may be one solution to this problem. It might be necessary to have several kinds of test controllers (en route versus TRACON, for instance). No doubt further problems would surface in getting test controllers into operation. I would recommend that the FAA engage in a series of case studies of controller involvement in the innovation process. A systematic comparison of effective and ineffective cases would do much to clarify what we ought to do in the future. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any cases where test controllers have been used. Perhaps we need to create some, to see how they work.
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Surface pre-treatment of aluminium by cleaning, chemical ething and conversion coating
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zaki, Mohammad Hafizudden Mohd; Mohd, Yusairie; Isa, Nik Norziehana Che
2017-12-01
Surface pre-treatment is one of the critical treatments for surface modification of aluminium (Al). In this study, pre-treatment of Al surface involved three stages; (1) cleaning (polishing and degreasing), (2) chemical etching (alkaline and acid) and (3) conversion coating (ie: zincate treatment). Cleaning process of Al was conducted by polishing and degreasing with acetone while etching process was done by immersion in 1.25 M NaOH solution (i.e: alkaline etching) followed with acid etching using 8 M HNO3 solution. The zincate treatment was conducted via electroless coating method by immersion of Al into a bath solution containing 0.5 M Zn(NO3)2, 0.1 M HNO3 and 0.2 M NaBH4 (reducing agent) for one hour. Different temperatures (ie: 25 °C, 50 °C, 75 °C, 90 °C) of bath solutions at pH 4 were used to investigate the effect of temperature on zincate treatment. Surface morphology and chemical composition of the pre-treated Al were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy Dispersion X-ray analysis (EDX), respectively. The results showed that oxide layer on Al surface decreased after chemical etching process. Temperature of zincate solution has significantly affected the conversion coating process of aluminium. It was found that zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc borate (ZnO.B2O3) were dominantly formed after zincate treatment at high temperature (ie:90 °C) with curved blade-like structure and composition of Zn, B and O with 13.70 wt.%, 3.52 wt.% and 54.39 wt.%, respectively. However, zincate treatment at low temperature (ie:<50 °C) has produced low metallic Zn.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Byrnes, J. M.; Finnegan, D. C.; Nicoll, K.; Anderson, S. W.
2007-05-01
Remote sensing datasets enable planetary volcanologists to extract information regarding eruption processes. Long-lived effusive eruptions at sites such as Kilauea Volcano (HI) provide opportunities to collect rich observational data sets, including detailed measurements of topography and extrusion rates, that allow comparisons between lava flow surface morphologies and emplacement conditions for use in interpreting similar morphological features associated with planetary lava flows. On Mars, the emplacement of basaltic lava flows is a volumetrically and spatially important process, creating both large-scale and small-scale surface morphologies. On Earth, low effusion rate eruptions on relatively horizontal slopes tend to create inflated lava flows that display hummocky topography. To better understand the processes involved in creating observed surface characteristics, we repeatedly measured the surface topography of an actively flowing and inflating basaltic unit within the Pu'u O'o flow field over a 5-day period. We used a ground-based laser-scanner (LiDAR) system that provided vertical and horizontal accuracies of 4 mm. Comparing DEMs from repeated laser scans yielded the magnitudes and styles of constructional processes, allowing us to quantify the relationship between pre- and post-emplacement surface topography. Our study site (roughly 200 m x 200 m) experienced about 5 m of vertical inflation over a 3 day period and created a new hummocky surface containing several tumuli. The temporal and spatial patterns of inflation were complex and showed no obvious relationship with underlying topography. High-precision morphometric measurements acquired using ground-based LiDAR affords us the opportunity to capture the essential boundary conditions necessary for evaluating and comparing high-resolution planetary data sets, such as those acquired by the MOC, HRSC, and HiRISE instruments.
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Tiwari, Akhilesh; Kondjoyan, Alain; Fontaine, Jean-Pierre
2012-07-01
The phenomenon of heat and mass transfer by condensation of water vapour from humid air involves several key concepts in aerobic bioreactors. The high performance of bioreactors results from optimised interactions between biological processes and multiphase heat and mass transfer. Indeed in various processes such as submerged fermenters and solid-state fermenters, gas/liquid transfer need to be well controlled, as it is involved at the microorganism interface and for the control of the global process. For the theoretical prediction of such phenomena, mathematical models require heat and mass transfer coefficients. To date, very few data have been validated concerning mass transfer coefficients from humid air inflows relevant to those bioprocesses. Our study focussed on the condensation process of water vapour and developed an experimental set-up and protocol to study the velocity profiles and the mass flux on a small size horizontal flat plate in controlled environmental conditions. A closed circuit wind tunnel facility was used to control the temperature, hygrometry and hydrodynamics of the flow. The temperature of the active surface was controlled and kept isothermal below the dew point to induce condensation, by the use of thermoelectricity. The experiments were performed at ambient temperature for a relative humidity between 35-65% and for a velocity of 1.0 ms⁻¹. The obtained data are analysed and compared to available theoretical calculations on condensation mass flux.
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Femtosecond laser-induced surface wettability modification of polystyrene surface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Bing; Wang, XinCai; Zheng, HongYu; Lam, YeeCheong
2016-12-01
In this paper, we demonstrated a simple method to create either a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface. With femtosecond laser irradiation at different laser parameters, the water contact angle (WCA) on polystyrene's surface can be modified to either 12.7° or 156.2° from its original WCA of 88.2°. With properly spaced micro-pits created, the surface became hydrophilic probably due to the spread of the water droplets into the micro-pits. While with properly spaced micro-grooves created, the surface became rough and more hydrophobic. We investigated the effect of laser parameters on WCAs and analyzed the laser-treated surface roughness, profiles and chemical bonds by surface profilometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For the laser-treated surface with low roughness, the polar (such as C—O, C=O, and O—C=O bonds) and non-polar (such as C—C or C—H bonds) groups were found to be responsible for the wettability changes. While for a rough surface, the surface roughness or the surface topography structure played a more significant role in the changes of the surface WCA. The mechanisms involved in the laser surface wettability modification process were discussed.
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Elucidating Grinding Mechanism by Theoretical and Experimental Investigations
Kubo, Akihiko; Chowdhury, M. A. K.
2018-01-01
Grinding is one of the essential manufacturing processes for producing brittle or hard materials-based precision parts (e.g., optical lenses). In grinding, a grinding wheel removes the desired amount of material by passing the same area on the workpiece surface multiple times. How the topography of a workpiece surface evolves with these passes is thus an important research issue, which has not yet been addressed elaborately. The present paper tackles this issue from both the theoretical and the experimental points of view. In particular, this paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical investigations on the multi-pass surface grinding operations where the workpiece surface is made of glass and the grinding wheel consists of cBN abrasive grains. Both investigations confirm that a great deal of stochasticity is involved in the grinding mechanism, and the complexity of the workpiece surface gradually increases along with the number of passes. PMID:29425160
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Elucidating Grinding Mechanism by Theoretical and Experimental Investigations.
Ullah, Amm Sharif; Caggiano, Alessandra; Kubo, Akihiko; Chowdhury, M A K
2018-02-09
Grinding is one of the essential manufacturing processes for producing brittle or hard materials-based precision parts (e.g., optical lenses). In grinding, a grinding wheel removes the desired amount of material by passing the same area on the workpiece surface multiple times. How the topography of a workpiece surface evolves with these passes is thus an important research issue, which has not yet been addressed elaborately. The present paper tackles this issue from both the theoretical and the experimental points of view. In particular, this paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical investigations on the multi-pass surface grinding operations where the workpiece surface is made of glass and the grinding wheel consists of cBN abrasive grains. Both investigations confirm that a great deal of stochasticity is involved in the grinding mechanism, and the complexity of the workpiece surface gradually increases along with the number of passes.
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A model of the planetary boundary layer over a snow surface
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Halberstam, I.; Melendez, R.
1979-01-01
A model of the planetary boundary layer over a snow surface has been developed. It contains the vertical heat exchange processes due to radiation, conduction, and atmospheric turbulence. Parametrization of the boundary layer is based on similarity functions developed by Hoffert and Sud (1976), which involve a dimensionless variable, dependent on boundary-layer height and a localized Monin-Obukhov length. The model also contains the atmospheric surface layer and the snowpack itself, where snowmelt and snow evaporation are calculated. The results indicate a strong dependence of surface temperatures, especially at night, on the bursts of turbulence which result from the frictional damping of surface-layer winds during periods of high stability, as described by Businger (1973). The model also shows the cooling and drying effect of the snow on the atmosphere, which may be the mechanism for air mass transformation in sub-Arctic regions.
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Stabilization of surface-immobilized enzymes using grafted polymers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moskovitz, Yevgeny; Srebnik, Simcha
2004-03-01
Vast research efforts focus on improving the biocompatibility and biofunctionality of surfaces for artificial implants and organs. A relatively successful approach involves grafting of polymer (usually PEG) on the artificial surface, which significantly improves its biocompatibility. In addition, positioning enzymes on or in the vicinity of the surface can significantly enhance bioseparation processes. However, the catalytic activity of the anchored enzyme is often drastically impaired by the nonnatural environment, leading to loss of activity and denaturation. We study protein adsorption and stabilization by grafted polymers using a mean-field lattice model. The model protein is designed as a compact HP with a specific bulk conformation reproducing a catalytic cleft of natural enzymes. Using hydrophilic grafted polymers of tailored length and density, we show that the conformation as well as hydrophobic and active centers of the model enzyme can be restored. This research is inspired by the problem of biocompatibility and biofunctionality of surfaces for artificial implants and organs.
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Fracture surfaces of granular pastes.
Mohamed Abdelhaye, Y O; Chaouche, M; Van Damme, H
2013-11-01
Granular pastes are dense dispersions of non-colloidal grains in a simple or a complex fluid. Typical examples are the coating, gluing or sealing mortars used in building applications. We study the cohesive rupture of thick mortar layers in a simple pulling test where the paste is initially confined between two flat surfaces. After hardening, the morphology of the fracture surfaces was investigated, using either the box counting method to analyze fracture profiles perpendicular to the mean fracture plane, or the slit-island method to analyze the islands obtained by cutting the fracture surfaces at different heights, parallel to the mean fracture plane. The fracture surfaces were shown to exhibit scaling properties over several decades. However, contrary to what has been observed in the brittle or ductile fracture of solid materials, the islands were shown to be mass fractals. This was related to the extensive plastic flow involved in the fracture process.
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Atomic scale study of surface orientations and energies of Ti 2O 3 crystals
Gu, Meng; Wang, Zhiguo; Wang, Chongmin; ...
2017-11-01
For nanostructured particles, the faceting planes and their terminating chemical species are two critical factors that govern their chemical behavior. In this paper, the surface atomistic structure and termination of Ti 2O 3 crystals were analyzed using atomic-scale aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STEM imaging reveals that the Ti 2O 3 crystals are most often faceted along (001), (012), (-114), and (1–20) planes. The DFT calculation indicates that the (012) surface with TiO-termination has the lowest cleavage energy and correspondingly the lowest surface energy, indicating that (012) will be the most stablemore » and prevalent surfaces in Ti 2O 3 nanocrystals. Finally, these observations provide insights for exploring the interfacial process involving Ti 2O 3 nanoparticles.« less
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Calculations of Helium Bubble Evolution in the PISCES Experiments with Cluster Dynamics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Blondel, Sophie; Younkin, Timothy; Wirth, Brian; Lasa, Ane; Green, David; Canik, John; Drobny, Jon; Curreli, Davide
2017-10-01
Plasma surface interactions in fusion tokamak reactors involve an inherently multiscale, highly non-equilibrium set of phenomena, for which current models are inadequate to predict the divertor response to and feedback on the plasma. In this presentation, we describe the latest code developments of Xolotl, a spatially-dependent reaction diffusion cluster dynamics code to simulate the divertor surface response to fusion-relevant plasma exposure. Xolotl is part of a code-coupling effort to model both plasma and material simultaneously; the first benchmark for this effort is the series of PISCES linear device experiments. We will discuss the processes leading to surface morphology changes, which further affect erosion, as well as how Xolotl has been updated in order to communicate with other codes. Furthermore, we will show results of the sub-surface evolution of helium bubbles in tungsten as well as the material surface displacement under these conditions.
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Practical colloidal processing of multication ceramics
Bell, Nelson S.; Monson, Todd C.; Diantonio, Christopher; ...
2015-09-07
The use of colloidal processing principles in the formation of ceramic materials is well appreciated for developing homogeneous material properties in sintered products, enabling novel forming techniques for porous ceramics or 3D printing, and controlling microstructure to enable optimized material properties. The solution processing of electronic ceramic materials often involves multiple cationic elements or dopants to affect microstructure and properties. Material stability must be considered through the steps of colloidal processing to optimize desired component properties. This review provides strategies for preventing material degradation in particle synthesis, milling processes, and dispersion, with case studies of consolidation using spark plasma sinteringmore » of these systems. The prevention of multication corrosion in colloidal dispersions can be achieved by utilizing conditions similar to the synthesis environment or by the development of surface passivation layers. The choice of dispersing surfactants can be related to these surface states, which are of special importance for nanoparticle systems. A survey of dispersant chemistries related to some common synthesis conditions is provided for perovskite systems as an example. Furthermore, these principles can be applied to many colloidal systems related to electronic and optical applications.« less
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Shie, Chung-Lin; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Johnson, Dan; Simpson, Joanne; Li, Xiaofan; Sui, Chung-Hsiung; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
Coupling a cloud resolving model (CRM) with an ocean mixed layer (OML) model can provide a powerful tool for better understanding impacts of atmospheric precipitation on sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity. The objective of this study is twofold. First, by using the three dimensional (3-D) CRM-simulated (the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model, GCE) diabatic source terms, radiation (longwave and shortwave), surface fluxes (sensible and latent heat, and wind stress), and precipitation as input for the OML model, the respective impact of individual component on upper ocean heat and salt budgets are investigated. Secondly, a two-way air-sea interaction between tropical atmospheric climates (involving atmospheric radiative-convective processes) and upper ocean boundary layer is also examined using a coupled two dimensional (2-D) GCE and OML model. Results presented here, however, only involve the first aspect. Complete results will be presented at the conference.
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Plant Lectins and Lectin Receptor-Like Kinases: How Do They Sense the Outside?
Bellande, Kevin; Bono, Jean-Jacques; Savelli, Bruno; Jamet, Elisabeth; Canut, Hervé
2017-01-01
Lectins are fundamental to plant life and have important roles in cell-to-cell communication; development and defence strategies. At the cell surface; lectins are present both as soluble proteins (LecPs) and as chimeric proteins: lectins are then the extracellular domains of receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) and receptor-like proteins (LecRLPs). In this review; we first describe the domain architectures of proteins harbouring G-type; L-type; LysM and malectin carbohydrate-binding domains. We then focus on the functions of LecPs; LecRLKs and LecRLPs referring to the biological processes they are involved in and to the ligands they recognize. Together; LecPs; LecRLKs and LecRLPs constitute versatile recognition systems at the cell surface contributing to the detection of symbionts and pathogens; and/or involved in monitoring of the cell wall structure and cell growth. PMID:28561754
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Plant Lectins and Lectin Receptor-Like Kinases: How Do They Sense the Outside?
Bellande, Kevin; Bono, Jean-Jacques; Savelli, Bruno; Jamet, Elisabeth; Canut, Hervé
2017-05-31
Lectins are fundamental to plant life and have important roles in cell-to-cell communication; development and defence strategies. At the cell surface; lectins are present both as soluble proteins (LecPs) and as chimeric proteins: lectins are then the extracellular domains of receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) and receptor-like proteins (LecRLPs). In this review; we first describe the domain architectures of proteins harbouring G-type; L-type; LysM and malectin carbohydrate-binding domains. We then focus on the functions of LecPs; LecRLKs and LecRLPs referring to the biological processes they are involved in and to the ligands they recognize. Together; LecPs; LecRLKs and LecRLPs constitute versatile recognition systems at the cell surface contributing to the detection of symbionts and pathogens; and/or involved in monitoring of the cell wall structure and cell growth.
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Atypical binding of the Swa2p UBA domain to ubiquitin.
Matta-Camacho, Edna; Kozlov, Guennadi; Trempe, Jean-François; Gehring, Kalle
2009-02-20
Swa2p is an auxilin-like yeast protein that is involved in vesicular transport and required for uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles. Swa2p contains a ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain, which is present in a variety of proteins involved in ubiquitin (Ub)-mediated processes. We have determined a structural model of the Swa2p UBA domain in complex with Ub using NMR spectroscopy and molecular docking. Ub recognition occurs predominantly through an atypical interaction in which UBA helix alpha1 and the N-terminal part of helix alpha2 bind to Ub. Mutation of Ala148, a key residue in helix alpha1, to polar residues greatly reduced the affinity of the UBA domain for Ub and revealed a second low-affinity Ub-binding site located on the surface formed by helices alpha1 and alpha3. Surface plasmon resonance showed that the Swa2p UBA domain binds K48- and K63-linked di-Ub in a non-linkage-specific manner. These results reveal convergent evolution of a Ub-binding site on helix alpha1 of UBA domains involved in membrane protein trafficking.
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DFT studies on the mechanism of the reaction of C2H5S with NO2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tang, Yi-Zhen; Sun, Hao; Pan, Ya-Ru; Pan, Xiu-Mei; Wang, Rong-Shun
The mechanisms for the reaction of C2H5S with NO2 are investigated at the QCISD(T)/6-311++G(d, p)//B3LYP/6-311++G(d, p) level on both single and triple potential energy surfaces. The geometries, vibrational frequencies and zero-point energy (ZPE) corrections of all stationary points involved in the title reaction are calculated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d, p) level. The results show that the reaction is more predominant on the single potential energy surface, while it is negligible on the triple potential energy surface. Without barrier height in the whole process, the major channel is R ? C2H5SONO (IM1 and IM2) ? P1 (C2H5SO+NO). With much heat released in the formation of C2H5SNO2 (IM3) and the transition state involved in the subsequent step more stable than reactants, P4 (CH3CHS + t-HONO) is subdominant product energetically.
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System for routine surface anthropometry using reprojection registration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sadleir, R. J.; Owens, R. A.; Hartmann, P. E.
2003-11-01
Range data measurement can be usefully applied to non-invasive monitoring of anthropometric changes due to disease, healing or during normal physiological processes. We have developed a computer vision system that allows routine capture of biological surface shapes and accurate measurement of anthropometric changes, using a structured light stripe triangulation system. In many applications involving relocation of soft tissue for image-guided surgery or anthropometry it is neither accurate nor practical to apply fiducial markers directly to the body. This system features a novel method of achieving subject re-registration that involves application of fiducials by a standard data projector. Calibration of this reprojector is achieved using a variation of structured lighting techniques. The method allows accurate and comparable repositioning of elastic surfaces. Tests of repositioning using the reprojector found a significant improvement in subject registration compared to an earlier method which used video overlay comparison only. It has a current application to the measurement of breast volume changes in lactating mothers, but may be extended to any application where repeatable positioning and measurement is required.
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Characterisation of CFRP surface contamination by laser induced fluorescence
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Malinowski, Pawel H.; Sawczak, Miroslaw; Wandowski, Tomasz; Ostachowicz, Wieslaw M.; Cenian, Adam
2014-03-01
The application of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) in aeronautics has been increasing. The CFRP elements are joint using rivets and adhesive bonding. The reliability of the bonding limits the use of adhesive bonding for primary aircraft structures, therefore it is important to assess the bond quality. The performance of adhesive bonds depends on the physico-chemical properties of the adhered surfaces. This research is focused on characterization of surfaces before bonding. In-situ examination of large surface materials, determine the group of methods that are preferred. The analytical methods should be non-destructive, enabling large surface analysis in relatively short time. In this work a spectroscopic method was tested that can be potentially applied for surface analysis. Four cases of surface condition were investigated that can be encountered either in the manufacturing process or during aircraft service. The first case is related to contamination of CFRP surface with hydraulic fluid. This fluid reacts with water forming a phosphoric acid that can etch the CFRP. Second considered case was related to silicone-based release agent contamination. These agents are used during the moulding process of composite panels. Third case involved moisture content in CFRP. Moisture content lowers the adhesion quality and leads to reduced performance of CFRP resulting in reduced performance of the adhesive bond. The last case concentrated on heat damage of CFRP. It was shown that laser induced fluorescence method can be useful for non-destructive evaluation of CFRP surface and some of the investigated contaminants can be easily detected.
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Shigella gets captured to gain entry.
McCormick, Beth A
2011-06-16
The type III secretion system-dependent epithelial invasion and dissemination of Shigella is stimulated by ATP released through hemichannels. Romero et al. (2011) show that prior to epithelial contact, Shigella is captured by nanometer-thin micropodial extensions at a distance from the cell surface, in a process involving ATP and connexin-mediated signaling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leffert, Beatrice G.
From the perspective of a reading consultant, the processes of thinking and reading apply to efficient learning. Language teachers should know: (1) the difference between surface structure and deep meaning of an utterance, (2) the importance of "affect" on learning: the reader's personal involvement with the material and with its presentation,…
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Process for control of cell division
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cone, C. D., Jr. (Inventor)
1977-01-01
A method of controlling mitosis of biological cells was developed, which involved inducing a change in the intracellular ionic hierarchy accompanying the cellular electrical transmembrane potential difference (Esubm) of the cells. The ionic hierarchy may be varied by imposing changes on the relative concentrations of Na(+), K(+) and Cl(-), or by directly imposing changes in the physical Esubm level across the cell surface.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nuttonson, M. Y., Ed.
Twelve papers were translated from Russian: Automation of Information Processing Involved in Experimental Studies of Atmospheric Diffusion, Micrometeorological Characteristics of Atmospheric Pollution Conditions, Study of theInfluence of Irregularities of the Earth's Surface on the Air Flow Characteristics in a Wind Tunnel, Use of Parameters of…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Houghton, Luke; Ruth, Alison
2010-01-01
Deep and shallow learner approaches are useful for different purposes. Shallow learning can be good where fact memorization is appropriate, learning how to swim or play the guitar for example. Deep learning is much more appropriate when the learning material present involves going beyond simple facts and into what lies below the surface. When…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ye, Liming; Yang, Guixia; Van Ranst, Eric; Tang, Huajun
2013-03-01
A generalized, structural, time series modeling framework was developed to analyze the monthly records of absolute surface temperature, one of the most important environmental parameters, using a deterministicstochastic combined (DSC) approach. Although the development of the framework was based on the characterization of the variation patterns of a global dataset, the methodology could be applied to any monthly absolute temperature record. Deterministic processes were used to characterize the variation patterns of the global trend and the cyclic oscillations of the temperature signal, involving polynomial functions and the Fourier method, respectively, while stochastic processes were employed to account for any remaining patterns in the temperature signal, involving seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models. A prediction of the monthly global surface temperature during the second decade of the 21st century using the DSC model shows that the global temperature will likely continue to rise at twice the average rate of the past 150 years. The evaluation of prediction accuracy shows that DSC models perform systematically well against selected models of other authors, suggesting that DSC models, when coupled with other ecoenvironmental models, can be used as a supplemental tool for short-term (˜10-year) environmental planning and decision making.
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Wang, Qian; Fujioka, Hisashi; Nussenzweig, Victor
2005-01-01
Plasmodium sporozoites develop within oocysts residing in the mosquito midgut. Mature sporozoites exit the oocysts, enter the hemolymph, and invade the salivary glands. The circumsporozoite (CS) protein is the major surface protein of salivary gland and oocyst sporozoites. It is also found on the oocyst plasma membrane and on the inner surface of the oocyst capsule. CS protein contains a conserved motif of positively charged amino acids: region II-plus, which has been implicated in the initial stages of sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes. We investigated the function of region II-plus by generating mutant parasites in which the region had been substituted with alanines. Mutant parasites produced normal numbers of sporozoites in the oocysts, but the sporozoites were unable to exit the oocysts. In in vitro as well, there was a profound delay, upon trypsin treatment, in the release of mutant sporozoites from oocysts. We conclude that the exit of sporozoites from oocysts is an active process that involves the region II-plus of CS protein. In addition, the mutant sporozoites were not infective to young rats. These findings provide a new target for developing reagents that interfere with the transmission of malaria. PMID:16201021
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Filippov, Alexander É; Wolff, Jonas O; Seiter, Michael; Gorb, Stanislav N
2017-10-07
Certain arachnids exhibit complex coatings of their exoskeleton, consisting of globular structures with complex surface features. This, so-called, cerotegument is formed by a multi-component colloidal secretion that self-assembles and cures on the body surface, and leads to high water repellency. Previous ultrastructural studies revealed the involvement of different glandular cells that contribute different components to the secretion mixture, but the overall process of self-assembly into the complex regular structures observed remained highly unclear. Here we study this process from a theoretical point of view, starting from the so-called Tammes-problem. We show that slight changes of simple parameters lead to a variety of morphologies that are highly similar to the ones observed in the species specific cerotegument structures of whip-spiders. These results are not only important for our understanding of the formation of globular hierarchical structures in nature, but also for the fabrication of novel surface coatings by colloidal lithography. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Thermal Convection on an Irradiated Target
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mehmedagic, Igbal; Thangam, Siva
2016-11-01
The present work involves the computational modeling of metallic targets subject to steady and high intensity heat flux. The ablation and associated fluid dynamics when metallic surfaces are exposed to high intensity laser fluence at normal atmospheric conditions is modelled. The incident energy from the laser is partly absorbed and partly reflected by the surface during ablation and subsequent vaporization of the melt. Computational findings based on effective representation and prediction of the heat transfer, melting and vaporization of the targeting material as well as plume formation and expansion are presented and discussed in the context of various ablation mechanisms, variable thermo-physical and optical properties, plume expansion and surface geometry. The energy distribution during the process between the bulk and vapor phase strongly depends on optical and thermodynamic properties of the irradiated material, radiation wavelength, and laser intensity. The relevance of the findings to various manufacturing processes as well as for the development of protective shields is discussed. Funded in part by U. S. Army ARDEC, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.
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Research on the Stress and Material Flow with Single Particle—Simulations and Experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, Tao; Jiang, Feng; Yan, Lan; Xu, Xipeng
2017-04-01
The scratching process of particle is a complex material removal process involving cutting, plowing, and rubbing. In this study, scratch experiments under different loads are performed on a multifunctional tester for material surface. Natural diamond and Fe-Cr-Ni stainless steel are chosen as indenter and workpiece material, respectively. The cutting depth and side flow height of scratch are measured using a white light interferometer. The finite element model is developed, and the numerical simulation of scratching is conducted using AdvantEdgeTM. The simulated forces and side flow height under different cutting depths correspond well with experimental results, validating the accuracy of the scratching simulation. The mises stress distribution of the particle is presented, with the maximum stress occurring inside the particle rather than on the surface. The pressure distribution of the particle is also given, and results show that the maximum pressure occurs on the contact surface of particle and workpiece. The material flow contour is presented, and material flow direction and velocity magnitude are analyzed.
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Mars Surface System Common Capabilities and Challenges for Human Missions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hoffman, Stephen J.; Toups, Larry
2016-01-01
NASA has begun a process to identify and evaluate candidate locations where humans could land, live and work on the martian surface. These locations are referred to as Exploration Zones (EZs). Given current mission concepts, an EZ is a collection of Regions of Interest (ROIs) that are located within approximately 100 kilometers of a centralized landing site. ROIs are areas that are relevant for scientific investigation and/or development/maturation of capabilities and resources necessary for a sustainable human presence. The EZ also contains a landing site and a habitation site that will be used by multiple human crews during missions to explore and utilize the ROIs within the EZ. In parallel with this process, NASA continues to make progress on the Evolvable Mars Campaign examining alternatives that can pioneer an extended human presence on Mars that is Earth independent. This involves ongoing assessments of surface systems and operations to enable a permanent, sustainable human presence. Because of the difficulty in getting equipment and supplies to the surface of Mars, part of these assessments involve identifying those systems and processes that can perform in multiple, sometimes completely unrelated, situations. These assessments have been performed in a very generic surface mission carried out at a very generic surface location. As specific candidate EZs are identified it becomes important to evaluate the current suite of surface systems and operations as they are likely to perform for the specific locations and for the types of operations - both scientific and development - that are proposed for these EZs. It is also important to evaluate the proposed EZs for their suitability to be explored or developed given the range of capabilities and constraints for the types of surface systems and operations being considered within the EMC. This means looking at setting up and operating a field station at a central location within the EZ as well as traversing to and exploring the scientific ROIs within the boundaries of the EZ. The proposed paper will describe the current status of common systems and operations as they can be applied to actual EZ locations on Mars. Initially these EZs will be the four locations identified MEPAG's Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG) that will be used as representative of the EZs that will emerge from the process that NASA has initiated. An example process that could be commonly applied is an approach for developing a field station site plan that would be demonstrated by applying this process to each of the four HEM-SAG sites. Examples of common systems include (a) mobility systems that can be used to off-load and move payloads to specific locations at the central field station location that could also be used to traverse long distances to reach some of the more remote ROIs or (b) robotic systems that can support various activities (such as system set up and maintenance) at the field station that could also be used to explore scientific ROIs and used to support site-specific ISRU production activities.
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Surface modification of ceramic and metallic alloy substrates by laser raster-scanning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramos Grez, Jorge Andres
This work describes the feasibility of continuous wave laser-raster scan-processing under controlled atmospheric conditions as employed in three distinct surface modification processes: (a) surface roughness reduction of indirect-Selective Laser Sintered 420 martensitic stainless steel-40 wt. % bronze infiltrated surfaces; (b) Si-Cr-Hf-C coating consolidation over 3D carbon-carbon composites cylinders; (c) dendritic solidification structures of Mar-M 247 confined powder precursor grown from polycrystalline Alloy 718 substrates. A heat transfer model was developed to illustrate that the aspect ratio of the laser scanned pattern and the density of scanning lines play a significant role in determining peak surface temperature, heating and cooling rates and melt resident times. Comprehensive characterization of the surface of the processed specimens was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), optical metallography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and, in certain cases, tactile profilometry. In Process (a), it was observed that a 24% to 37% roughness Ra reduction could be accomplished from the as-received value of 2.50+/-0.10 microns for laser energy densities ranging from 350 to 500 J/cm2. In Process (b), complete reactive wetting of carbon-carbon composite cylinders surface was achieved by laser melting a Si-Cr-Hf-C slurry. Coatings showed good thermal stability at 1000°C in argon, and, when tested in air, a percent weight reduction rate of -6.5 wt.%/hr was achieved. A soda-glass overcoat applied over the coated specimens by conventional means revealed a percent weight reduction rate between -1.4 to -2.2 wt.%/hr. Finally, in Process (c), microstructure of the Mar-M 247 single layer deposits, 1 mm in height, grown on Alloy 718 polycrystalline sheets, resulted in a sound metallurgical bond, low porosity, and uniform thickness. Polycrystalline dendrites grew preferentially along the [001] direction from the substrate up to 400 microns. Above that height, dendrites appear to shift towards the [100] growth direction driven by the thermal gradient and solidification front velocity. This research demonstrated that surface modification by high speed raster-scanning a high power laser beam under controlled atmospheric conditions is a feasible and versatile technique that can accomplish diverse purposes involving metallic as well as ceramic surfaces.
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Automated high-speed Mueller matrix scatterometer.
Delplancke, F
1997-08-01
A new scatterometer-polarimeter is described. It measures the angular distribution of intensity and of the complete Mueller matrix of light scattered by rough surfaces and particle suspensions. The measurement time is 1 s/scattering angle in the present configuration but can be reduced to a few milliseconds with modified electronics. The instrument uses polarization modulation and a Fourier analysis of four detected signals to obtain the 16 Mueller matrix elements. This method is particularly well suited to online, real time, industrial process control involving rough surfaces and large particle suspensions (an arithmetic roughness or particle diameter of >1 microm). Some results are given.
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LANDSAT 4 band 6 data evaluation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1983-01-01
Satellite data collected over Lake Ontario were processed to observed surface temperature values. This involved computing apparent radiance values for each point where surface temperatures were known from averaged digital count values. These radiance values were then converted by using the LOWTRAN 5A atmospheric propagation model. This model was modified by incorporating a spectral response function for the LANDSAT band 6 sensors. A downwelled radiance term derived from LOWTRAN was included to account for reflected sky radiance. A blackbody equivalent source radiance was computed. Measured temperatures were plotted against the predicted temperature. The RMS error between the data sets is 0.51K.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Qi, Bo; Gao, Chunjia; Sun, Zelai; Li, Chengrong
2017-11-01
Surface charge accumulation can incur changes in electric field distribution, involved in the electron propagation process, and result in a significant decrease in the surface flashover voltage. The existing 2D surface charge measurement fails to meet the actual needs in real engineering applications that usually adopt the 45° conical frustum insulators. The present research developed a novel 3D measurement platform to capture surface charge distribution on solid insulation under nanosecond pulse in a vacuum. The results indicate that all surface charges are positive under a positive pulse and negative under a negative pulse. Surface charges tend to accumulate more near the upper electrode. Surface charge density increases significantly with the increase in pulse counts and amplitudes. Accumulation of surface charge results in a certain decrease of flashover voltage. Taking consideration of the secondary electron emission for the surface charge accumulation, four materials were obtained to demonstrate the effects on surface charge. Combining the effect incurred by secondary electron emission and the weighty action taken by surface charge accumulation on the flashover phenomena, the discharge mechanism along the insulator surface under nanosecond pulse voltage was proposed.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Winnerl, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.winnerl@wsi.tum.de; Pereira, Rui N.; Stutzmann, Martin
2015-10-21
In this work, we use GaN with different deposited Pt nanostructures as a controllable model system to investigate the kinetics of photo-generated charge carriers in hybrid photocatalysts. We combine conductance and contact potential difference measurements to investigate the influence of Pt on the processes involved in the capture and decay of photo-generated charge carriers at and close to the GaN surface. We found that in the presence of Pt nanostructures the photo-excitation processes are similar to those found in Pt free GaN. However, in GaN with Pt nanostructures, photo-generated holes are preferentially trapped in surface states of the GaN coveredmore » with Pt and/or in electronic states of the Pt and lead to an accumulation of positive charge there, whereas negative charge is accumulated in localized states in a shallow defect band of the GaN covered with Pt. This preferential accumulation of photo-generated electrons close to the surface is responsible for a dramatic acceleration of the turn-off charge transfer kinetics and a stronger dependence of the surface photovoltage on light intensity when compared to a Pt free GaN surface. Our study shows that in hybrid photocatalysts, the metal nanostructures induce a spatially inhomogeneous surface band bending of the semiconductor that promotes a lateral drift of photogenerated charges towards the catalytic nanostructures.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Szabó, Judit Alexandra; Szabó, Boglárka; Centeri, Csaba; Józsa, Sándor; Szalai, Zoltán; Jakab, Gergely
2017-04-01
Soil surface conditions changes dynamically during a precipitation event. The changes involve compaction, aggregate detachment and of course transportation by runoff or drop erosion. Those processes together have an effect on the transport process of the soil particles and aggregates, and influences the roughness of the soil surface as well. How does surface roughness have an effect on the aggregate and particle size distribution of the sediment? How does the sediment connectivity change from precipitation event to precipitation event? Beside the previous questions on of the main aim of the present research is to apply rainfall simulators for the built-up of a complex approach, rather than to concentrate only on one of two factors. Hence four types of sample were collected during the simulation experiment sequences: 1) photos were taken about the surface before and after the rain, in order to build digital surface models; 2) all the runoff and eroded sediment was collected; 3) soil loss due to drop erosion was also sampled separately; and 4) undisturbed crust samples were collected for thin section analyses. Though the runoff ratio was smaller than what, the preliminary results suggest that the sediment connectivity covered bigger area on crusty surface, than on a rough one. These ambiguous data may be connected to the soil crust development. J. A. Szabó wish to acknowledge the support of NTP-NFTÖ-16-0203. G. Jakab wish to acknowledge the support of János Bolyai Fellowship.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Zhanwei; Huang, Xianfu; Xie, Huimin
2013-02-01
Deformed liquid surface directly involves the surface tension, which can always be used to account for the kinematics of aquatic insects in gas-liquid interface and the light metal floating on the water surface. In this paper a novel method based upon deformed transmission-virtual grating is proposed for determination of deformed liquid surface. By addressing an orthogonal grating (1-5 line/mm) under the transparent water groove and then capturing images from upset of the deformed water surface, a displacement vector of full-field which directly associates the 3-D deformed liquid surface then can be evaluated by processing the recorded deformed fringe pattern in the two directions (x- and y-direction). Theories and equations for the method are thoroughly delivered. Validation test to measure the deformed water surface caused by a Chinese 1-cent coin has been conducted to demonstrate the ability of the developed method. The obtained results show that the method is robust in determination of micro 3-D surface of deformed liquid with a submicron scale resolution and with a wide range application scope.
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Riedel, Damien; Bocquet, Marie-Laure; Lesnard, Hervé; Lastapis, Mathieu; Lorente, Nicolas; Sonnet, Philippe; Dujardin, Gérald
2009-06-03
Selective electron-induced reactions of individual biphenyl molecules adsorbed in their weakly chemisorbed configuration on a Si(100) surface are investigated by using the tip of a low-temperature (5 K) scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) as an atomic size source of electrons. Selected types of molecular reactions are produced, depending on the polarity of the surface voltage during STM excitation. At negative surface voltages, the biphenyl molecule diffuses across the surface in its weakly chemisorbed configuration. At positive surface voltages, different types of molecular reactions are activated, which involve the change of adsorption configuration from the weakly chemisorbed to the strongly chemisorbed bistable and quadristable configurations. Calculated reaction pathways of the molecular reactions on the silicon surface, using the nudge elastic band method, provide evidence that the observed selectivity as a function of the surface voltage polarity cannot be ascribed to different activation energies. These results, together with the measured threshold surface voltages and the calculated molecular electronic structures via density functional theory, suggest that the electron-induced molecular reactions are driven by selective electron detachment (oxidation) or attachment (reduction) processes.
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Sutak, Robert; Botebol, Hugo; Blaiseau, Pierre-Louis; Léger, Thibaut; Bouget, François-Yves; Camadro, Jean-Michel; Lesuisse, Emmanuel
2012-01-01
We investigated iron uptake mechanisms in five marine microalgae from different ecologically important phyla: the diatoms Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana, the prasinophyceae Ostreococcus tauri and Micromonas pusilla, and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Among these species, only the two diatoms were clearly able to reduce iron, via an inducible (P. tricornutum) or constitutive (T. pseudonana) ferrireductase system displaying characteristics similar to the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) flavohemoproteins proteins. Iron uptake mechanisms probably involve very different components according to the species, but the species we studied shared common features. Regardless of the presence and/or induction of a ferrireductase system, all the species were able to take up both ferric and ferrous iron, and iron reduction was not a prerequisite for uptake. Iron uptake decreased with increasing the affinity constants of iron-ligand complexes and with increasing ligand-iron ratios. Therefore, at least one step of the iron uptake mechanism involves a thermodynamically controlled process. Another step escapes to simple thermodynamic rules and involves specific and strong binding of ferric as well as ferrous iron at the cell surface before uptake of iron. Binding was paradoxically increased in iron-rich conditions, whereas uptake per se was induced in all species only after prolonged iron deprivation. We sought cell proteins loaded with iron following iron uptake. One such protein in O. tauri may be ferritin, and in P. tricornutum, Isip1 may be involved. We conclude that the species we studied have uptake systems for both ferric and ferrous iron, both involving specific iron binding at the cell surface. PMID:23033141
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Isotopic composition of water vapor near the air-water interface
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zannoni, Daniele; Bergamasco, Andrea; Peschiutta, Mirco; Rampazzo, Giancarlo; Stenni, Barbara
2017-04-01
Evaporation is a key process in water cycle that links liquid water to the atmosphere. In the last fifty years stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen have been intensively used to describe climate processes related to evaporation and precipitation, ranging in different spatial and temporal scales. Evaporation introduces large isotopic effects in the phases involved. The well known Craig-Gordon model (Craig & Gordon, 1965) describes those isotopic effects involving several steps and different processes, moving from the air-water interface to the free atmosphere. However, very few works in literature have tested the vertical behavior of the Craig-Gordon model in natural conditions on both fresh and marine waters. In this work we present the results from four field experiments aimed to describe the vertical variability of δ18O and δD in the first few meters over a large water body (the coastal lagoon of Venice, northern Italy) and to test the Craig-Gordon model in such conditions. Each experiment involved cryotrapping of water vapor at different height over the water surface (0.1m, 2m and 4m) and the sampling of the liquid water at two depth (surface and 0.5m). During the experiments, water vapor was also sampled in the nearest mainland (˜2.5 km from gradient measurements) to determine the isotopic composition of background water vapor. Liquid samples were then analyzed with a Picarro L1102-i and Thermo-Fisher Delta Plus Advantage for water vapor and lagoon water, respectively. The last two experiments have also involved simultaneous measurements of relative humidity using commercially-available humidity probes at each height. This approach was used to determine a reference scale in order to compare observations to modeled estimates. Despite the coarse time resolution due to cryotrapping method (measurements are averaged over 1.5 hours), preliminary results show measurable differences in the isotopic composition of water vapor along the vertical gradient and good agreement between observations and predicted values from the model. Even if this work is an exploratory phase it shows an interesting potential to grow our understanding of the processes involved as well as a useful implementation for future studies focused on fractionation of water isotopes due to evaporation in natural conditions. References Craig, H., & Gordon, L. I. (1965). Deuterium and oxygen 18 variations in the ocean and the marine atmosphere.
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Processing of zero-derived words in English: an fMRI investigation.
Pliatsikas, Christos; Wheeldon, Linda; Lahiri, Aditi; Hansen, Peter C
2014-01-01
Derivational morphological processes allow us to create new words (e.g. punish (V) to noun (N) punishment) from base forms. The number of steps from the basic units to derived words often varies (e.g., nationality
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Virtual laboratory for the study of transport processes in surface waterflows
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aguilar, C.; Egüen, M.; Contreras, E.; Polo, M. J.
2012-04-01
The equations involved in the study of transport processes depend on the spatial and temporal scale of the study and according to the required level of detail can become very difficult to solve analytically. Besides, experimentation of processes with any transport phenomena involved is complex due to their natural or forced occurrence in the environment (eg. Rainfall-runoff, sediment yield, controlled and uncontrolled pollutant loadings, etc.) and the great diversity of substances and components with an specific chemical behavior. However, due to the numerous fields of application of transport phenomena (basic and applied research, hydrology and associated fluxes, sediment transport, pollutant loadings to water flows, industrial processes, soil and water quality, atmospheric emissions, legislation, etc.), realistic studies of transport processes are required. In this context, case study application, an active methodology according to the structural implications of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), with the aid of computer tools constitute an interactive, instantaneous and flexible method with a new interplay between students and lecturers. Case studies allow the lecturer to design significant activities that generate knowledge in the students and motivates them to look for information, discuss, and be autonomous. This work presents the development of a graphical interface for the solution of different case studies for the acquisition of capacities and abilities in the autonomous apprenticeship of courses related to transport processes in Environmental Hydraulics. The interactive tool helps to develop and improve abilities in mixing and transport in surface water related courses. Thus, students clarify theoretical concepts and visualize processes with negative effects for the environment and that therefore, can only be reproduced in the laboratory or in the field under very controlled conditions and commonly with tracers instead of the real substances. The tool can be used for different case studies in terms of processes involved, governing variable, initial conditions, etc. (eg. Accidental spill of a conservative pollutant from a factory in a river stretch that constitutes a source of drinking water for a town downstream) and can be used as a virtual laboratory for the analysis of the influence of the different variables and parameters of the process. Thus, autonomous apprenticeship is fostered and therefore, the development of personal abilities and the analysis and summary of information related to the case study is stimulated.
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Ponz, Aurélie; Montant, Marie; Liegeois-Chauvel, Catherine; Silva, Catarina; Braun, Mario; Jacobs, Arthur M; Ziegler, Johannes C
2014-05-01
This study investigates the spatiotemporal brain dynamics of emotional information processing during reading using a combination of surface and intracranial electroencephalography (EEG). Two different theoretical views were opposed. According to the standard psycholinguistic perspective, emotional responses to words are generated within the reading network itself subsequent to semantic activation. According to the neural re-use perspective, brain regions that are involved in processing emotional information contained in other stimuli (faces, pictures, smells) might be in charge of the processing of emotional information in words as well. We focused on a specific emotion-disgust-which has a clear locus in the brain, the anterior insula. Surface EEG showed differences between disgust and neutral words as early as 200 ms. Source localization suggested a cortical generator of the emotion effect in the left anterior insula. These findings were corroborated through the intracranial recordings of two epileptic patients with depth electrodes in insular and orbitofrontal areas. Both electrodes showed effects of disgust in reading as early as 200 ms. The early emotion effect in a brain region (insula) that responds to specific emotions in a variety of situations and stimuli clearly challenges classic sequential theories of reading in favor of the neural re-use perspective.
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Effect of Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions on the Köhler Activation of Aqueous Organic Aerosols.
Djikaev, Yuri S; Ruckenstein, Eli
2018-05-03
We study some thermodynamic aspects of the activation of aqueous organic aerosols into cloud droplets considering the aerosols to consist of liquid solution of water and hydrophilic and hydrophobic organic compounds, taking into account the presence of reactive species in the air. The hydrophobic (surfactant) organic molecules on the surface of such an aerosol can be processed by chemical reactions with some atmospheric species; this affects the hygroscopicity of the aerosol and hence its ability to become a cloud droplet either via nucleation or via Köhler activation. The most probable pathway of such processing involves atmospheric hydroxyl radicals that abstract hydrogen atoms from hydrophobic organic molecules located on the aerosol surface (first step), the resulting radicals being quickly oxidized by ubiquitous atmospheric oxygen molecules to produce surface-bound peroxyl radicals (second step). These two reactions play a crucial role in the enhancement of the Köhler activation of the aerosol and its evolution into a cloud droplet. Taking them and a third reaction (next in the multistep chain of relevant heterogeneous reactions) into account, one can derive an explicit expression for the free energy of formation of a four-component aqueous droplet on a ternary aqueous organic aerosol as a function of four independent variables of state of a droplet. The results of numerical calculations suggest that the formation of cloud droplets on such (aqueous hydrophilic/hydrophobic organic) aerosols is most likely to occur as a Köhler activation-like process rather than via nucleation. The model allows one to determine the threshold parameters of the system necessary for the Köhler activation of such aerosols, which are predicted to be very sensitive to the equilibrium constant of the chain of three heterogeneous reactions involved in the chemical aging of aerosols.
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Time-Of-Flight Camera, Optical Tracker and Computed Tomography in Pairwise Data Registration.
Pycinski, Bartlomiej; Czajkowska, Joanna; Badura, Pawel; Juszczyk, Jan; Pietka, Ewa
2016-01-01
A growing number of medical applications, including minimal invasive surgery, depends on multi-modal or multi-sensors data processing. Fast and accurate 3D scene analysis, comprising data registration, seems to be crucial for the development of computer aided diagnosis and therapy. The advancement of surface tracking system based on optical trackers already plays an important role in surgical procedures planning. However, new modalities, like the time-of-flight (ToF) sensors, widely explored in non-medical fields are powerful and have the potential to become a part of computer aided surgery set-up. Connection of different acquisition systems promises to provide a valuable support for operating room procedures. Therefore, the detailed analysis of the accuracy of such multi-sensors positioning systems is needed. We present the system combining pre-operative CT series with intra-operative ToF-sensor and optical tracker point clouds. The methodology contains: optical sensor set-up and the ToF-camera calibration procedures, data pre-processing algorithms, and registration technique. The data pre-processing yields a surface, in case of CT, and point clouds for ToF-sensor and marker-driven optical tracker representation of an object of interest. An applied registration technique is based on Iterative Closest Point algorithm. The experiments validate the registration of each pair of modalities/sensors involving phantoms of four various human organs in terms of Hausdorff distance and mean absolute distance metrics. The best surface alignment was obtained for CT and optical tracker combination, whereas the worst for experiments involving ToF-camera. The obtained accuracies encourage to further develop the multi-sensors systems. The presented substantive discussion concerning the system limitations and possible improvements mainly related to the depth information produced by the ToF-sensor is useful for computer aided surgery developers.
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Lunar vertical-shaft mining system
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Introne, Steven D. (Editor); Krause, Roy; Williams, Erik; Baskette, Keith; Martich, Frederick; Weaver, Brad; Meve, Jeff; Alexander, Kyle; Dailey, Ron; White, Matt
1994-01-01
This report proposes a method that will allow lunar vertical-shaft mining. Lunar mining allows the exploitation of mineral resources imbedded within the surface. The proposed lunar vertical-shaft mining system is comprised of five subsystems: structure, materials handling, drilling, mining, and planning. The structure provides support for the exploration and mining equipment in the lunar environment. The materials handling subsystem moves mined material outside the structure and mining and drilling equipment inside the structure. The drilling process bores into the surface for the purpose of collecting soil samples, inserting transducer probes, or locating ore deposits. Once the ore deposits are discovered and pinpointed, mining operations bring the ore to the surface. The final subsystem is planning, which involves the construction of the mining structure.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Evsyukov, N. N.
1984-12-01
An approximate isolation algorithm for the isolation of multidimensional clusters is developed and applied in the construction of a three-dimensional diagram of the optical characteristics of the lunar surface. The method is somewhat analogous to that of Koontz and Fukunaga (1972) and involves isolating two-dimensional clusters, adding a new characteristic, and linearizing, a cycle which is repeated a limited number of times. The lunar-surface parameters analyzed are the 620-nm albedo, the 620/380-nm color index, and the 950/620-nm index. The results are presented graphically; the reliability of the cluster-isolation process is discussed; and some correspondences between known lunar morphology and the cluster maps are indicated.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Galparsoro, Oihana; Busnengo, Heriberto Fabio; Juaristi, Joseba Iñaki; Crespos, Cédric; Alducin, Maite; Larregaray, Pascal
2017-09-01
Adiabatic and non-adiabatic quasiclassical molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the role of the crystal face on hot-atom abstraction of H adsorbates by H scattering from covered W(100) and W(110). On both cases, hyperthermal diffusion is strongly affected by the energy dissipated into electron-hole pair excitations. As a result, the hot-atom abstraction is highly reduced in favor of adsorption at low incidence energy and low coverages, i.e., when the mean free path of the hyperthermal H is typically larger. Qualitatively, this reduction is rather similar on both surfaces, despite at such initial conditions, the abstraction process involves more subsurface penetration on W(100) than on W(110).
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Grundmeier, G.; Stratmann, M.
2005-08-01
The review highlights the state-of-the-art research regarding the application of modern in situ spectroscopic, microscopic, and electrochemical techniques to improve the understanding of the interaction of organic molecules with metal surfaces. We also consider the chemical and electrochemical processes that lead to a de-adhesion of polymers from metal surfaces. Spectroscopic techniques such as surface-enhanced infrared or Raman spectroscopy provide molecular understanding of organic molecules and water at buried metal surfaces. This information is complementary to adhesion studies by means of atomic force microscopy and de-adhesion studies of polymer layers from metals by means of a scanning Kelvin probe. Adhesion and de-adhesion mechanisms are discussed, especially those involving humid and corrosive environments, which are the predominant and most important for metal/polymer composites in engineering applications.
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Monitoring Earth Surface Dynamics With Optical Imagery
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Leprince, Sébastien; Berthier, Etienne; Ayoub, François; Delacourt, Christophe; Avouac, Jean-Philippe
2008-01-01
The increasing availability of high-quality optical satellite images should allow, in principle, continuous monitoring of Earth's surface changes due to geologic processes, climate change, or anthropic activity. For instance, sequential optical images have been used to measure displacements at Earth's surface due to coseismic ground deformation [e.g., Van Puymbroeck et al., 2000], ice flow [Scambos et al., 1992; Berthier et al., 2005], sand dune migration [Crippen, 1992], and landslides [Kääb, 2002; Delacourt et al., 2004]. Surface changes related to agriculture, deforestation, urbanization, and erosion-which do not involve ground displacement-might also be monitored, provided that the images can be registered with sufficient accuracy. Although the approach is simple in principle, its use is still limited, mainly because of geometric distortion of the images induced by the imaging system, biased correlation techniques, and implementation difficulties.
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Sputtered protective coatings for die casting dies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mirtich, M. J.; Nieh, C.-Y.; Wallace, J. F.
1981-01-01
Three experimental research designs investigating candidate materials and processes involved in protective die surface coating procedures by sputter deposition, using ion beam technologies, are discussed. Various pre-test results show that none of the coatings remained completely intact for 15,000 test cycles. The longest lifetime was observed for coatings such as tungsten, platinum, and molybdenum which reduced thermal fatigue, but exhibited oxidation and suppressed crack initiation only as long as the coating did not fracture. Final test results confirmed earlier findings and coatings with Pt and W proved to be the candidate materials to be used on a die surface to increase die life. In the W-coated specimens, which remained intact on the surface after thermal fatigue testing, no oxidation was found under the coating, although a few cracks formed on the surface where the coating broke down. Further research is planned.
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Coating Methods for Surface Modification of Ammonium Nitrate: A Mini-Review
Elzaki, Baha I.; Zhang, Yue Jun
2016-01-01
Using ammonium nitrate (AN) as a propellant oxidizer is limited due to its hygroscopicity. This review consolidated the available information of various issues pertaining to the coating methods of the surface modification of ammonium nitrate for reducing its hygroscopicity. Moreover this review summarizes the recent advances and issues involved in ammonium nitrate surface modification by physical, chemical and encapsulation coating methods to reduce the hygroscopicity. Furthermore, coating materials, process conditions, and the hygroscopicity test conditions are extensively discussed along, with summaries of the advantages and disadvantages of each coating method. Our findings indicated that the investigation and development of anti-hygroscopicity of AN, and the mechanisms of surface modification by coating urgently require further research in order to further reduce the hygroscopicity. Therefore, this review is useful to researchers concerned with the improvement of ammonium salts’ anti-hygroscopicity. PMID:28773625
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Analysis of energy flow during playground surface impacts.
Davidson, Peter L; Wilson, Suzanne J; Chalmers, David J; Wilson, Barry D; Eager, David; McIntosh, Andrew S
2013-10-01
The amount of energy dissipated away from or returned to a child falling onto a surface will influence fracture risk but is not considered in current standards for playground impact-attenuating surfaces. A two-mass rheological computer simulation was used to model energy flow within the wrist and surface during hand impact with playground surfaces, and the potential of this approach to provide insights into such impacts and predict injury risk examined. Acceleration data collected on-site from typical playground surfaces and previously obtained data from children performing an exercise involving freefalling with a fully extended arm provided input. The model identified differences in energy flow properties between playground surfaces and two potentially harmful surface characteristics: more energy was absorbed by (work done on) the wrist during both impact and rebound on rubber surfaces than on bark, and rubber surfaces started to rebound (return energy to the wrist) while the upper limb was still moving downward. Energy flow analysis thus provides information on playground surface characteristics and the impact process, and has the potential to identify fracture risks, inform the development of safer impact-attenuating surfaces, and contribute to development of new energy-based arm fracture injury criteria and tests for use in conjunction with current methods.
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Effect of natural and synthetic organics on the processing of ceramics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schulz, Brett M.
Dry pressing has been shown to be an efficient and cost effective method of manufacturing ceramic ware. Dry pressed parts are typically manufactured with a low moisture content which has the further advantage of eliminating the drying step that is necessary for plastic formed ware, i.e., jiggered or ram pressed. Problems associated with the use of dry pressing in an industrial setting involve the high loss rate during the bisque firing process and the poor surface finish of the green (unfired) ware. It was the goal of this research to improve the surface finish of dry pressed ware to a level that is satisfactory for decorating of the bisque fired ware. The adsorption of organic additives, specifically dispersants, on the surface of particles is an important aspect of ceramic processing. The interactions between organic additives, specifically sodium poly[acrylic acid] and poly[vinyl alcohol], have been demonstrated to result in phase separation into distinct domains during the spray-drying process. This phase separation leads to a poly[vinyl alcohol]-rich film on the surface of the granulate which will increase the P1 value, the pressure at the onset of granule deformation, of the granulate. This negative interaction between the organics increases the surface roughness of the dry pressed ware. The roughness of the industrially prepared ware was determined using an optical interferometer to set a baseline for improvements in the surface finish of the dry pressed ware. Blending of dried granulate was determined to significantly improve the surface finish of the ware. Alternative binders to replace a plasticized poly[vinyl alcohol] were observed to show improvements in the surface finish of the ware dry pressed in a semi-isostatic die. In summary the most important aspect to improving the surface finish of dry pressed ware, i.e. facilitating compaction, is the selection of the organic additives. Additives which are observed to have a negative interaction, i.e. to phase separate into distinct domains, will result in an organic rich film at the surface of the granule thus increasing the P1 value of the granulate.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vieceli, Nathália; Nogueira, Carlos A.; Pereira, Manuel F. C.; Durão, Fernando O.; Guimarães, Carlos; Margarido, Fernanda
2018-01-01
The recovery of lithium from hard rock minerals has received increased attention given the high demand for this element. Therefore, this study optimized an innovative process, which does not require a high-temperature calcination step, for lithium extraction from lepidolite. Mechanical activation and acid digestion were suggested as crucial process parameters, and experimental design and response-surface methodology were applied to model and optimize the proposed lithium extraction process. The promoting effect of amorphization and the formation of lithium sulfate hydrate on lithium extraction yield were assessed. Several factor combinations led to extraction yields that exceeded 90%, indicating that the proposed process is an effective approach for lithium recovery.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Moritzer, E., E-mail: elmar.moritzer@ktp.upb.de; Leister, C., E-mail: elmar.moritzer@ktp.upb.de
The industrial use of atmospheric pressure plasmas in the plastics processing industry has increased significantly in recent years. Users of this treatment process have the possibility to influence the target values (e.g. bond strength or surface energy) with the help of kinematic and electrical parameters. Until now, systematic procedures have been used with which the parameters can be adapted to the process or product requirements but only by very time-consuming methods. For this reason, the relationship between influencing values and target values will be examined based on the example of a pretreatment in the bonding process with the help ofmore » statistical experimental design. Because of the large number of parameters involved, the analysis is restricted to the kinematic and electrical parameters. In the experimental tests, the following factors are taken as parameters: gap between nozzle and substrate, treatment velocity (kinematic data), voltage and duty cycle (electrical data). The statistical evaluation shows significant relationships between the parameters and surface energy in the case of polypropylene. An increase in the voltage and duty cycle increases the polar proportion of the surface energy, while a larger gap and higher velocity leads to lower energy levels. The bond strength of the overlapping bond is also significantly influenced by the voltage, velocity and gap. The direction of their effects is identical with those of the surface energy. In addition to the kinematic influences of the motion of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet, it is therefore especially important that the parameters for the plasma production are taken into account when designing the pretreatment processes.« less
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Diamond thin film temperature and heat-flux sensors
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Aslam, M.; Yang, G. S.; Masood, A.; Fredricks, R.
1995-01-01
Diamond film temperature and heat-flux sensors are developed using a technology compatible with silicon integrated circuit processing. The technology involves diamond nucleation, patterning, doping, and metallization. Multi-sensor test chips were designed and fabricated to study the thermistor behavior. The minimum feature size (device width) for 1st and 2nd generation chips are 160 and 5 micron, respectively. The p-type diamond thermistors on the 1st generation test chip show temperature and response time ranges of 80-1270 K and 0.29-25 microseconds, respectively. An array of diamond thermistors, acting as heat flux sensors, was successfully fabricated on an oxidized Si rod with a diameter of 1 cm. Some problems were encountered in the patterning of the Pt/Ti ohmic contacts on the rod, due mainly to the surface roughness of the diamond film. The use of thermistors with a minimum width of 5 micron (to improve the spatial resolution of measurement) resulted in lithographic problems related to surface roughness of diamond films. We improved the mean surface roughness from 124 nm to 30 nm by using an ultra high nucleation density of 10(exp 11)/sq cm. To deposit thermistors with such small dimensions on a curved surface, a new 3-D diamond patterning technique is currently under development. This involves writing a diamond seed pattern directly on the curved surface by a computer-controlled nozzle.
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Involvement of vesicle coat material in casein secretion and surface regeneration
1976-01-01
The ultrastructure of the apical zone of lactating rat mammary epithelial cells was studied with emphasis on vesicle coat structures. Typical 40-60 nm ID "coated vesicles" were abundant, frequently associated with the internal filamentous plasma membrane coat or in direct continuity with secretory vesicles (SV) or plasma membrane proper. Bristle coats partially or totally covered membranes of secretory vesicles identified by their casein micelle content. This coat survived SV isolation. Exocytotic fusion of SV membranes and release of the casein micelles was observed. Frequently, regularly arranged bristle coat structures were identified in those regions of the plasma membrane that were involved in exocytotic processes. Both coated and uncoated surfaces of the casein-containing vesicles, as well as typical "coated vesicles", were frequently associated with microtubules and/or microfilaments. We suggest that coat materials of vesicles are related or identical to components of the internal coat of the surface membrane and that new plasma membrane and associated internal coat is produced concomitantly by fusion and integration of bristle coat moieties. Postexocytotic association of secreted casein micelles with the cell surface, mediated by finely filamentous extensions, provided a marker for the integrated vesicle membrane. An arrangement of SV with the inner surface of the plasma membrane is described which is characterized by regularly spaced, heabily stained membrane to membrane cross-bridges (pre-exocytotic attachment plaques). Such membrane-interconnecting elements may represent a form of coat structure important to recognition and interaction of membrane surfaces. PMID:1254641
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1993-04-15
Czyryca from the Naval Surface Warfare Center gave a Plenary Aodress on Lessons Learned in Metallurgical Failure Analyses of Naval Machinery. The...processing methods take many years to implement, because of the large capital investments and the learning process involved, we feel confident that they will...signals experienced by the self. Filters are an indistinguishable part of the self. As we learn about the causes of our failures, and see that we can
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Lin, S H; Sahai, R; Eyring, H
1971-04-01
A theoretical model for the accumulation of pesticides in soil has been proposed and discussed from the viewpoint of heterogeneous reaction kinetics with a basic aim to understand the complex nature of soil processes relating to the environmental pollution. In the bulk of soil, the pesticide disappears by diffusion and a chemical reaction; the rate processes considered on the surface of soil are diffusion, chemical reaction, vaporization, and regular pesticide application. The differential equations involved have been solved analytically by the Laplace-transform method.
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Lin, S. H.; Sahai, R.; Eyring, H.
1971-01-01
A theoretical model for the accumulation of pesticides in soil has been proposed and discussed from the viewpoint of heterogeneous reaction kinetics with a basic aim to understand the complex nature of soil processes relating to the environmental pollution. In the bulk of soil, the pesticide disappears by diffusion and a chemical reaction; the rate processes considered on the surface of soil are diffusion, chemical reaction, vaporization, and regular pesticide application. The differential equations involved have been solved analytically by the Laplace-transform method. PMID:5279519
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Fabrication process for a gradient index x-ray lens
Bionta, R.M.; Makowiecki, D.M.; Skulina, K.M.
1995-01-17
A process is disclosed for fabricating high efficiency x-ray lenses that operate in the 0.5-4.0 keV region suitable for use in biological imaging, surface science, and x-ray lithography of integrated circuits. The gradient index x-ray optics fabrication process broadly involves co-sputtering multi-layers of film on a wire, followed by slicing and mounting on block, and then ion beam thinning to a thickness determined by periodic testing for efficiency. The process enables the fabrication of transmissive gradient index x-ray optics for the 0.5-4.0 keV energy range. This process allows the fabrication of optical elements for the next generation of imaging and x-ray lithography instruments in the soft x-ray region. 13 figures.
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Fabrication process for a gradient index x-ray lens
Bionta, Richard M.; Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Skulina, Kenneth M.
1995-01-01
A process for fabricating high efficiency x-ray lenses that operate in the 0.5-4.0 keV region suitable for use in biological imaging, surface science, and x-ray lithography of integrated circuits. The gradient index x-ray optics fabrication process broadly involves co-sputtering multi-layers of film on a wire, followed by slicing and mounting on block, and then ion beam thinning to a thickness determined by periodic testing for efficiency. The process enables the fabrication of transmissive gradient index x-ray optics for the 0.5-4.0 keV energy range. This process allows the fabrication of optical elements for the next generation of imaging and x-ray lithography instruments m the soft x-ray region.
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Direct organocatalytic enantioselective functionalization of SiOx surfaces.
Parkin, John David; Chisholm, Ross; Frost, Aileen B; Bailey, Richard G; Smith, Andrew David; Hähner, Georg
2018-06-05
Traditional methods to prepare chiral surfaces involve either the adsorption of a chiral molecule onto an achiral surface, or adsorption of a species that forms a chiral template creating lattices with long range order. To date only limited alternative strategies to prepare chiral surfaces have been studied. In this manuscript a "bottom up" approach is developed that allows the preparation of chiral surfaces by direct enantioselective organocatalysis on a functionalized Si-oxide supported self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The efficient catalytic generation of enantiomerically enriched organic surfaces is achieved using a commercially available homogeneous isothiourea catalyst (HyperBTM) that promotes an enantioselective Michael-lactonization process upon a Si-oxide supported self-assembled monolayer functionalized with a reactive trifluoroenone group. Chiral atomic force microscopy (chi-AFM) is used to probe the enantiomeric enrichment of the organic films by measurement of the force distributions arising from interaction of D- or L-cysteine modified AFM tips and the organic films. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Strategies Toward Automation of Overset Structured Surface Grid Generation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chan, William M.
2017-01-01
An outline of a strategy for automation of overset structured surface grid generation on complex geometries is described. The starting point of the process consists of an unstructured surface triangulation representation of the geometry derived from a native CAD, STEP, or IGES definition, and a set of discretized surface curves that captures all geometric features of interest. The procedure for surface grid generation is decomposed into an algebraic meshing step, a hyperbolic meshing step, and a gap-filling step. This paper will focus primarily on the high-level plan with details on the algebraic step. The algorithmic procedure for the algebraic step involves analyzing the topology of the network of surface curves, distributing grid points appropriately on these curves, identifying domains bounded by four curves that can be meshed algebraically, concatenating the resulting grids into fewer patches, and extending appropriate boundaries of the concatenated grids to provide proper overlap. Results are presented for grids created on various aerospace vehicle components.
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Liang, Guoxing; Schmauder, Siegfried; Lyu, Ming; Schneider, Yanling; Zhang, Cheng; Han, Yang
2018-01-01
Friction and wear tests were performed on AISI 1045 steel specimens with different initial roughness parameters, machined by a creep-feed dry grinding process, to study the friction and wear behavior on a pin-on-disc tester in dry sliding conditions. Average surface roughness (Ra), root mean square (Rq), skewness (Rsk) and kurtosis (Rku) were involved in order to analyse the influence of the friction and wear behavior. The observations reveal that a surface with initial roughness parameters of higher Ra, Rq and Rku will lead to a longer initial-steady transition period in the sliding tests. The plastic deformation mainly concentrates in the depth of 20–50 μm under the worn surface and the critical plastic deformation is generated on the rough surface. For surfaces with large Ra, Rq, low Rsk and high Rku values, it is easy to lose the C element in, the reciprocating extrusion. PMID:29401703
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Surface conductance of graphene from non-contact resonant cavity.
Obrzut, Jan; Emiroglu, Caglar; Kirillov, Oleg; Yang, Yanfei; Elmquist, Randolph E
2016-06-01
A method is established to reliably determine surface conductance of single-layer or multi-layer atomically thin nano-carbon graphene structures. The measurements are made in an air filled standard R100 rectangular waveguide configuration at one of the resonant frequency modes, typically at TE 103 mode of 7.4543 GHz. Surface conductance measurement involves monitoring a change in the quality factor of the cavity as the specimen is progressively inserted into the cavity in quantitative correlation with the specimen surface area. The specimen consists of a nano-carbon-layer supported on a low loss dielectric substrate. The thickness of the conducting nano-carbon layer does not need to be explicitly known, but it is assumed that the lateral dimension is uniform over the specimen area. The non-contact surface conductance measurements are illustrated for a typical graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition process, and for a high quality monolayer epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide wafers for which we performed non-gated quantum Hall resistance measurements. The sequence of quantized transverse Hall resistance at the Landau filling factors ν = ±6 and ±2, and the absence of the Hall plateau at ν = 4 indicate that the epitaxially grown graphene is a high quality mono-layer. The resonant microwave cavity measurement is sensitive to the surface and bulk conductivity, and since no additional processing is required, it preserves the integrity of the conductive graphene layer. It allows characterization with high speed, precision and efficiency, compared to transport measurements where sample contacts must be defined and applied in multiple processing steps.
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Thematic orders and the comprehension of subject-extracted relative clauses in Mandarin Chinese
Lin, Chien-Jer Charles
2015-01-01
This study investigates the comprehension of three kinds of subject-extracted relative clauses (SRs) in Mandarin Chinese: standard SRs, relative clauses involving the disposal ba construction (“disposal SRs”), and relative clauses involving the long passive bei constructions (“passive SRs”). In a self-paced reading experiment, the regions before the relativizer (where the sentential fragments are temporarily ambiguous) showed reading patterns consistent with expectation-based incremental processing: standard SRs, with the highest constructional frequency and the least complex syntactic structure, were processed faster than the other two variants. However, in the regions after the relativizer and the head noun where the existence of a relative clause is unambiguously indicated, a top-down global effect of thematic ordering was observed: passive SRs, whose thematic role order conforms to the canonical thematic order of Chinese, were read faster than both the standard SRs and the disposal SRs. Taken together, these results suggest that two expectation-based processing factors are involved in the comprehension of Chinese relative clauses, including both the structural probabilities of pre-relativizer constituents and the overall surface thematic orders in the relative clauses. PMID:26441697
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On the factors affecting porosity dissolution in selective laser sintering process
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ly, H.-B.; Monteiro, E.; Dal, M.; Regnier, G.
2018-05-01
Selective Laser Sintering process is one of the additive manufacturing techniques in which parts are manufactured layer by layer. During such process, gas bubbles are formed in the melted polymer due to faster polymer grains coalescence at surface than deeper in the powder bed. Although gas diffusion is possible through the polymer melt, it's usual that some porosities remain in the final part if their initial sizes are too big and solidification time too short. In this contribution, a bubble dissolution model involving fluid dynamics and mass transport has been developed to study factors affecting porosity resorption kinetic. In this model, gas diffusion follows Fick's laws and the melted polymer is supposed Newtonian. At the polymer/gas interface, surface tension is considered and Henry's law is used to relate the partial pressure of gas with its concentration in the fluid. This problem is solved numerically by means of the finite element method in 1D. After validation of the numerical tool, the influence on dissolution time of several parameters (e.g. the initial size and form of gas porosities, the viscosity, the diffusion coefficient, the surface tension constant or the ambient pressure) has been examined.
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Fundamental Studies of Crystal Growth of Microporous Materials
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Singh, Ramsharan; Doolittle, John, Jr.; Payra, Pramatha; Dutta, Prabir K.; George, Michael A.; Ramachandran, Narayanan; Schoeman, Brian J.
2003-01-01
Microporous materials are framework structures with well-defined porosity, often of molecular dimensions. Zeolites contain aluminum and silicon atoms in their framework and are the most extensively studied amongst all microporous materials. Framework structures with P, Ga, Fe, Co, Zn, B, Ti and a host of other elements have also been made. Typical synthesis of microporous materials involve mixing the framework elements (or compounds, thereof) in a basic solution, followed by aging in some cases and then heating at elevated temperatures. This process is termed hydrothermal synthesis, and involves complex chemical and physical changes. Because of a limited understanding of this process, most synthesis advancements happen by a trial and error approach. There is considerable interest in understanding the synthesis process at a molecular level with the expectation that eventually new framework structures will be built by design. The basic issues in the microporous materials crystallization process include: (a) Nature of the molecular units responsible for the crystal nuclei formation; (b) Nature of the nuclei and nucleation process; (c) Growth process of the nuclei into crystal; (d) Morphological control and size of the resulting crystal; (e) Surface structure of the resulting crystals; and (f) Transformation of frameworks into other frameworks or condensed structures.
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Process Evaluation of AISI 4340 Steel Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jelis, Elias; Hespos, Michael R.; Ravindra, Nuggehalli M.
2018-01-01
Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) involves the consolidation of metal powder, layer by layer, through laser melting and solidification. In this study, process parameters are optimized for AISI 4340 steel to produce dense and homogeneous structures. The optimized process parameters produce mechanical properties at the center of the build plate that are comparable to wrought in the vertical and horizontal orientations after heat treatment and machining. Four subsequent builds are filled with specimens to evaluate the mechanical behavior as a function of location and orientation. Variations in the mechanical properties are likely due to recoater blade interactions with the powder and uneven gas flow. The results obtained in this study are analyzed to assess the reliability and reproducibility of the process. A different build evaluates the performance of near-net-shaped tensile specimens angled 35°-90° from the build plate surface (horizontal). Ductility measurements and surface roughness vary significantly as a function of the build angle. In the stress-relieved and as-built conditions, the mechanical behavior of vertically oriented specimens exhibits somewhat lower and more variable ductility than horizontally oriented specimens. Therefore, several process variables affect the mechanical properties of parts produced by the L-PBF process.
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Aluminum work function: Effect of oxidation, mechanical scraping and ion bombardment
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Vinet, P.; Lemogne, T.; Montes, H.
1985-01-01
Surface studies have been performed on aluminum polycrystalline surfaces which have been mechanically scraped. Such studies were initiated in order to understand surface effects occurring in tribological processes which involve rubbing surfaces and the effects of adsorption of oxygen. To characterize the surfaces, the following three different experimental approaches have been used: (1) X.P.S. (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), in order to check the cleanliness of the surfaces and follow the adsorption and oxidation kinetics; (2) Analysis of the work function changes by following the energy spectra of secondary electrons emitted under low energy electron bombardment; and (3) Analysis of photoemission intensities under U.V. excitation. The reference state being chosen to be the surface cleaned by ion bombardment and exposures to oxygen atmospheres have been shown to lower the work function of clean polycrystalline aluminum by 1.2 eV. The oxygen pressure is found to affect only the kinetics of these experiments. Mechanical scraping has been shown to induce a decrease ( 0.3 eV) in the work function, which could sharply modify the kinetics of adsorption on the surface.
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Flotation and flocculation chemistry of coal and oxidized coals
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Somasundaran, P.
1990-01-01
The objective of this research project is to understand the fundamentals involved in the flotation and flocculation of coal and oxidized coals and elucidate mechanisms by which surface interactions between coal and various reagents enhance coal beneficiation. An understanding of the nature of the heterogeneity of coal surfaces arising from the intrinsic distribution of chemical moieties is fundamental to the elucidation of mechanism of coal surface modification and its role in interfacial processes such as flotation, flocculation and agglomeration. A new approach for determining the distribution in surface properties of coal particles was developed in this study and various techniquesmore » capable of providing such information were identified. Distributions in surface energy, contact angle and wettability were obtained using novel techniques such as centrifugal immersion and film flotation. Changes in these distributions upon oxidation and surface modifications were monitored and discussed. An approach to the modelling of coal surface site distributions based on thermodynamic information obtained from gas adsorption and immersion calorimetry is proposed. Polyacrylamide and dodecane was used to alter the coal surface. Methanol adsorption was also studied. 62 figs.« less
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Mesoscale Elucidation of Surface Passivation in the Li-Sulfur Battery Cathode.
Liu, Zhixiao; Mukherjee, Partha P
2017-02-15
The cathode surface passivation caused by Li 2 S precipitation adversely affects the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Li 2 S precipitation is a complicated mesoscale process involving adsorption, desorption and diffusion kinetics, which are affected profoundly by the reactant concentration and operating temperature. In this work, a mesoscale interfacial model is presented to study the growth of Li 2 S film on carbon cathode surface. Li 2 S film growth experiences nucleation, isolated Li 2 S island growth and island coalescence. The slow adsorption rate at small S 2- concentration inhibits the formation of nucleation seeds and the lateral growth of Li 2 S islands, which deters surface passivation. An appropriate operating temperature, especially in the medium-to-high temperature range, can also defer surface passivation. Fewer Li 2 S nucleation seeds form in such an operating temperature range, thereby facilitating heterogeneous growth and potentially inhibiting the lateral growth of the Li 2 S film, which may ultimately result in reduced surface passivation. The high specific surface area of the cathode microstructure is expected to mitigate the surface passivation.
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Chagnot, Caroline; Zorgani, Mohamed A.; Astruc, Thierry; Desvaux, Mickaël
2013-01-01
Bacterial colonization of biotic or abiotic surfaces results from two quite distinct physiological processes, namely bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Broadly speaking, a biofilm is defined as the sessile development of microbial cells. Biofilm formation arises following bacterial adhesion but not all single bacterial cells adhering reversibly or irreversibly engage inexorably into a sessile mode of growth. Among molecular determinants promoting bacterial colonization, surface proteins are the most functionally diverse active components. To be present on the bacterial cell surface, though, a protein must be secreted in the first place. Considering the close association of secreted proteins with their cognate secretion systems, the secretome (which refers both to the secretion systems and their protein substrates) is a key concept to apprehend the protein secretion and related physiological functions. The protein secretion systems are here considered in light of the differences in the cell-envelope architecture between diderm-LPS (archetypal Gram-negative), monoderm (archetypal Gram-positive) and diderm-mycolate (archetypal acid-fast) bacteria. Besides, their cognate secreted proteins engaged in the bacterial colonization process are regarded from single protein to supramolecular protein structure as well as the non-classical protein secretion. This state-of-the-art on the complement of the secretome (the secretion systems and their cognate effectors) involved in the surface colonization process in diderm-LPS and monoderm bacteria paves the way for future research directions in the field. PMID:24133488
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Crystalline order of a water/glycine film coadsorbed on the (104) calcite surface.
Magdans, Uta; Torrelles, Xavier; Angermund, Klaus; Gies, Hermann; Rius, Jordi
2007-04-24
For biomineralization processes, the interaction of the surface of calcite crystals with organic molecules is of particular importance. Especially, biologically controlled biomineralization as in exoskeletons of mollusks and echinoderms, e.g., sea urchin with single-crystal-like spines and shells,1-3 requires molecular control of seed formation and growth process. So far, experiments showing the obvious influence of organic molecules on the morphology and habit of calcite crystals have demonstrated the molecular dimension of the interaction.4-7 Details of the kinetics of growth and dissolution of mineral surfaces influenced by additives are available,8,9 but other experimental data about the structure of the organic/inorganic interface on the atomic scale are rare. On the other hand, complicated organic macromolecules which are involved in biomineralization are numerous, with only a small fraction solved in structure and function so far.10-13 Therefore, model systems have to be designed to provide a basic understanding for the interaction process.14 Using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction combined with molecular modeling techniques, we show that glycine molecules order periodically on the calcite (104) face in competition with the solvent water when exposed to an aqueous solution of the most simple amino acid. In contrast to the general concept of the charge-matching fit of organic molecules on mineral surfaces,4,14 glycine is not attached to the calcite surface directly but substitutes for water molecules in the second hydration layer.
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Fractography: determining the sites of fracture initiation.
Mecholsky, J J
1995-03-01
Fractography is the analysis of fracture surfaces. Here, it refers to quantitative fracture surface analysis (FSA) in the context of applying the principles of fracture mechanics to the topography observed on the fracture surface of brittle materials. The application of FSA is based on the principle that encoded on the fracture surface of brittle materials is the entire history of the fracture process. It is our task to develop the skills and knowledge to decode this information. There are several motivating factors for applying our knowledge of FSA. The first and foremost is that there is specific, quantitative information to be obtained from the fracture surface. This information includes the identification of the size and location of the fracture initiating crack or defect, the stress state at failure, the existence, or not, of local or global residual stress, the existence, or not, of stress corrosion and a knowledge of local processing anomalies which affect the fracture process. The second motivating factor is that the information is free. Once a material is tested to failure, the encoded information becomes available. If we decide to observe the features produced during fracture then we are rewarded with much information. If we decide to ignore the fracture surface, then we are left to guess and/or reason as to the cause of the failure without the benefit of all of the possible information available. This paper addresses the application of quantitative fracture surface analysis to basic research, material and product development, and "trouble-shooting" of in-service failures. First, the basic principles involved will be presented. Next, the methodology necessary to apply the principles will be presented. Finally, a summary of the presentation will be made showing the applicability to design and reliability.
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Urokinase receptor expression involves tyrosine phosphorylation of phosphoglycerate kinase.
Shetty, Praveenkumar; Velusamy, Thirunavukkarasu; Bhandary, Yashodhar P; Liu, Ming C; Shetty, Sreerama
2010-02-01
The interaction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with its receptor, uPAR, plays a central role in several pathophysiological processes, including cancer. uPA induces its own cell surface receptor expression through stabilization of uPAR mRNA. The mechanism involves binding of a 51 nt uPAR mRNA coding sequence with phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) to down regulate cell surface uPAR expression. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PGK mediated by uPA treatment enhances uPAR mRNA stabilization. In contrast, inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation augments PGK binding to uPAR mRNA and attenuates uPA-induced uPAR expression. Mapping the specific peptide region of PGK indicated that its first quarter (amino acids 1-100) interacts with uPAR mRNA. To determine if uPAR expression by uPA is regulated through activation of tyrosine residues of PGK, we mutated the specific tyrosine residue and tested mutant PGK for its ability to interfere with uPAR expression. Inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation by mutating Y76 residue abolished uPAR expression induced by uPA treatment. These findings collectively demonstrate that Y76 residue present in the first quarter of the PGK molecule is involved in lung epithelial cell surface uPAR expression. This region can effectively mimic the function of a whole PGK molecule in inhibiting tumor cell growth.
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Study of role of meniscus and viscous forces during liquid-mediated contacts separation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dhital, Prabin
Menisci may form between two solid surfaces with the presence of an ultra-thin liquid film. When the separation operation is needed, meniscus and viscous forces contribute to an adhesion leading stiction, high friction, possibly high wear and potential failure of the contact systems, for instance microdevices, magnetic head disks and diesel fuel injectors. The situation may become more pronounced when the contacting surfaces are ultra-smooth and the normal load is small. Various design parameters, such as contact angle, initial separation height, surface tension and liquid viscosity, have been investigated during liquid-mediated contact separation. However, how the involved forces will change roles for various liquid is of interest and is necessary to be studied. In this study, meniscus and viscous forces due to water and liquid lubricants during separation of two flat surfaces are studied. Previously established mathematical model for meniscus and viscous forces during flat on flat contact separation is simulated. The effect of meniscus and viscous force on critical meniscus area at which those forces change role is studied with different liquid properties for flat on flat contact surfaces. The roles of the involved forces at various meniscus areas are analyzed. Experiments are done in concerns to studying the effect of surface roughness on contact angle. The impact of liquid properties, initial separation heights and contact angle on critical meniscus area for different liquid properties are analyzed. The study provides a fundamental understanding of the forces of the separation process and its value for the design of interfaces. The effect of surface roughness and liquid properties on contact angle are studied.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Koizumi, Kenichi; Boero, Mauro; Shigeta, Yasuteru; Oshiyama, Atsushi; Dept. of Applied Physics Team; Institute of Physics and Chemistry of Strasbourg (IPCMS) Collaboration; Department Of Materials Engineering Science Collaboration
2013-03-01
Oxygen plasma etching is a crucial step in the fabrication of electronic circuits and has recently received a renovated interest in view of the realization of carbon-based nanodevices. In an attempt at unraveling the atomic-scale details and to provide guidelines for the control of the etching processes mechanisms, we inspected the possible reaction pathways via reactive first principles simulations. These processes involve breaking and formation of several chemical bonds and are characterized by different free-energy barriers. Free-energy sampling techniques (metadynamics and blue moon), used to enhance the standard Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics, provide us a detailed microscopic picture of the etching of graphene surfaces and a comprehensive scenario of the activation barriers involved in the various steps. MEXT, Japan - contract N. 22104005
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Bessaire, Bastien; Mathieu, Maillard; Salles, Vincent; Yeghoyan, Taguhi; Celle, Caroline; Simonato, Jean-Pierre; Brioude, Arnaud
2017-01-11
A process to synthesize continuous conducting nanofibers were developed using PEDOT:PSS as a conducting polymer and an electrospinning method. Experimental parameters were carefully explored to achieve reproducible conductive nanofibers synthesis in large quantities. In particular, relative humidity during the electrospinning process was proven to be of critical importance, as well as doping post-treatment involving glycols and alcohols. The synthesized fibers were assembled as a mat on glass substrates, forming a conductive and transparent electrode and their optoelectronic have been fully characterized. This method produces a conformable conductive and transparent coating that is well-adapted to nonplanar surfaces, having very large aspect ratio features. A demonstration of this property was made using surfaces having deep trenches and high steps, where conventional transparent conductive materials fail because of a lack of conformability.
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US Army Corps of Engineers Section 404: permitting of valley fills - red flag or red tape?
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Thomas R. Johnston, Jr.
2009-03-15
Since 2001 the US Army Corps of Engineers has been permitting most surface coal mines as Individual Permits rather than Nationwide Permits under the Section 404 program. This was shown in a survey by Skelly & Loy of permits published by Huntingdon Crops District and the state of Kentucky. Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP21) authorises the filling of waters of the United States associated with surface coal mining and reclamation operations already authorised or currently being processed as part of the integrated permit processing procedure. NWP21 has received much opposition and two noticeable court cases involving it, in West Virginia andmore » Kentucy, are briefly reported. The article first appeared in Skelly & Loy's newsletter, Portal to the mining industry, Vol II, Issue 1. 4 photos.« less
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Adzic, Radoslav; Blyznakov, Stoyan; Vukmirovic, Miomir
2015-08-04
Elongated noble-metal nanoparticles and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. The method involves the formation of a plurality of elongated noble-metal nanoparticles by electrochemical deposition of the noble metal on a high surface area carbon support, such as carbon nanoparticles. Prior to electrochemical deposition, the carbon support may be functionalized by oxidation, thus making the manufacturing process simple and cost-effective. The generated elongated nanoparticles are covalently bound to the carbon support and can be used directly in electrocatalysis. The process provides elongated noble-metal nanoparticles with high catalytic activities and improved durability in combination with high catalyst utilization since the nanoparticles are deposited and covalently bound to the carbon support in their final position and will not change in forming an electrode assembly.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Lung-Chien; Lin, Wun-Wei; Liu, Te-Yu
2017-01-01
This study investigates the optoelectronic characteristics of gallium nitride (GaN)-based thin-film light-emitting diodes (TF-LEDs) that are formed by a two-step transfer process that involves wet etching and post-annealing. In the two-step transfer process, GaN LEDs were stripped from sapphire substrates by the laser lift-off (LLO) method using a KrF laser and then transferred onto ceramic substrates. Ga-K nanorods were formed on the surface of the GaN-based TF-LEDs following photo-assisted chemical etching and photo-enhanced post-annealing at 100 °C for 1 min. As a result, the light output power of GaN-based TF-LEDs with wet etching and post-annealing was over 72% more than that of LEDs that did not undergo these treatments.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ishikawa, Atsushi; Kato, Taiki; Takeyasu, Nobuyuki; Fujimori, Kazuhiro; Tsuruta, Kenji
2017-10-01
A technique of selective electroless plating onto PLA-ABS (Polylactic Acid-Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) composite structures fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing is demonstrated to construct 3D microwave metamaterials. The reducing activity of the PLA surface is selectively enhanced by the chemical modification involving Sn2+ in a simple wet process, thereby forming a highly conductive Ag-plated membrane only onto the PLA surface. The fabricated metamaterial composed of Ag-plated PLA and non-plated ABS parts is characterized experimentally and numerically to demonstrate the important bi-anisotropic microwave responses arising from the 3D nature of metallodielectric structures. Our approach based on a simple wet chemical process allows for the creation of highly complex 3D metal-insulator structures, thus paving the way toward the sophisticated microwave applications of the 3D printing technology.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Åström, Anders; Forchheimer, Robert
2012-03-01
Based on the Near-Sensor Image Processing (NSIP) concept and recent results concerning optical flow and Time-to- Impact (TTI) computation with this architecture, we show how these results can be used and extended for robot vision applications. The first case involves estimation of the tilt of an approaching planar surface. The second case concerns the use of two NSIP cameras to estimate absolute distance and speed similar to a stereo-matching system but without the need to do image correlations. Going back to a one-camera system, the third case deals with the problem to estimate the shape of the approaching surface. It is shown that the previously developed TTI method not only gives a very compact solution with respect to hardware complexity, but also surprisingly high performance.
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Machinability of Al 6061 Deposited with Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aldwell, Barry; Kelly, Elaine; Wall, Ronan; Amaldi, Andrea; O'Donnell, Garret E.; Lupoi, Rocco
2017-10-01
Additive manufacturing techniques such as cold spray are translating from research laboratories into more mainstream high-end production systems. Similar to many additive processes, finishing still depends on removal processes. This research presents the results from investigations into aspects of the machinability of aluminum 6061 tubes manufactured with cold spray. Through the analysis of cutting forces and observations on chip formation and surface morphology, the effect of cutting speed, feed rate, and heat treatment was quantified, for both cold-sprayed and bulk aluminum 6061. High-speed video of chip formation shows changes in chip form for varying material and heat treatment, which is supported by the force data and quantitative imaging of the machined surface. The results shown in this paper demonstrate that parameters involved in cold spray directly impact on machinability and therefore have implications for machining parameters and strategy.
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Superhydrophobic analyte concentration utilizing colloid-pillar array SERS substrates.
Wallace, Ryan A; Charlton, Jennifer J; Kirchner, Teresa B; Lavrik, Nickolay V; Datskos, Panos G; Sepaniak, Michael J
2014-12-02
The ability to detect a few molecules present in a large sample is of great interest for the detection of trace components in both medicinal and environmental samples. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a technique that can be utilized to detect molecules at very low absolute numbers. However, detection at trace concentration levels in real samples requires properly designed delivery and detection systems. The following work involves superhydrophobic surfaces that have as a framework deterministic or stochastic silicon pillar arrays formed by lithographic or metal dewetting protocols, respectively. In order to generate the necessary plasmonic substrate for SERS detection, simple and flow stable Ag colloid was added to the functionalized pillar array system via soaking. Native pillars and pillars with hydrophobic modification are used. The pillars provide a means to concentrate analyte via superhydrophobic droplet evaporation effects. A ≥ 100-fold concentration of analyte was estimated, with a limit of detection of 2.9 × 10(-12) M for mitoxantrone dihydrochloride. Additionally, analytes were delivered to the surface via a multiplex approach in order to demonstrate an ability to control droplet size and placement for scaled-up uses in real world applications. Finally, a concentration process involving transport and sequestration based on surface treatment selective wicking is demonstrated.
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Erosion measurement techniques for plasma-driven railgun barrels
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jamison, K. A.; Niiler, Andrus
1987-04-01
Plasma-driven railguns are now in operation at several locations throughout the world. All share common problems in barrel erosion arising from the fact that the bore surface must contain a high temperature plasma armature which transmits the acceleration force to a projectile. The plasma temperature at the core of the armature is estimated to be 30 000 K or higher. Such conditions are erosive to most materials even when the exposure time is 100 μs or less. We have adapted two accelerator based techniques to aid in the study of this erosion. The first technique involves the collection and analysis of material ablated and left behind by the plasma. This analysis is based on the unfolding of the Rutherford backscattered (RBS) spectra of 1 MeV deuterons incident on residue collected from a railgun bore. The second technique is an erosion measurement involving thin layer activation (TLA) of surfaces. In this process, the copper rail surface is activated by 2.4 MeV protons creating a relatively thin (3 m) layer sparsely seeded with a long lived zinc isotope. Monitoring the decay of the activated sample before and after a firing can detect surface wear of about 0. 1 m. Results from the RBS and TLA experiments on the BRL plasma driven railgun are described.
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Garcia, Guilherme J.M.; Boucher, Richard C.; Elston, Timothy C.
2013-01-01
Lung health and normal mucus clearance depend on adequate hydration of airway surfaces. Because transepithelial osmotic gradients drive water flows, sufficient hydration of the airway surface liquid depends on a balance between ion secretion and absorption by respiratory epithelia. In vitro experiments using cultures of primary human nasal epithelia and human bronchial epithelia have established many of the biophysical processes involved in airway surface liquid homeostasis. Most experimental studies, however, have focused on the apical membrane, despite the fact that ion transport across respiratory epithelia involves both cellular and paracellular pathways. In fact, the ion permeabilities of the basolateral membrane and paracellular pathway remain largely unknown. Here we use a biophysical model for water and ion transport to quantify ion permeabilities of all pathways (apical, basolateral, paracellular) in human nasal epithelia cultures using experimental (Ussing Chamber and microelectrode) data reported in the literature. We derive analytical formulas for the steady-state short-circuit current and membrane potential, which are for polarized epithelia the equivalent of the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation for single isolated cells. These relations allow parameter estimation to be performed efficiently. By providing a method to quantify all the ion permeabilities of respiratory epithelia, the model may aid us in understanding the physiology that regulates normal airway surface hydration. PMID:23442922
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Landlab: A numerical modeling framework for evolving Earth surfaces from mountains to the coast
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gasparini, N. M.; Adams, J. M.; Tucker, G. E.; Hobley, D. E. J.; Hutton, E.; Istanbulluoglu, E.; Nudurupati, S. S.
2016-02-01
Landlab is an open-source, user-friendly, component-based modeling framework for exploring the evolution of Earth's surface. Landlab itself is not a model. Instead, it is a computational framework that facilitates the development of numerical models of coupled earth surface processes. The Landlab Python library includes a gridding engine and process components, along with support functions for tasks such as reading in DEM data and input variables, setting boundary conditions, and plotting and outputting data. Each user of Landlab builds his or her own unique model. The first step in building a Landlab model is generally initializing a grid, either regular (raster) or irregular (e.g. delaunay or radial), and process components. This initialization process involves reading in relevant parameter values and data. The process components act on the grid to alter grid properties over time. For example, a component exists that can track the growth, death, and succession of vegetation over time. There are also several components that evolve surface elevation, through processes such as fluvial sediment transport and linear diffusion, among others. Users can also build their own process components, taking advantage of existing functions in Landlab such as those that identify grid connectivity and calculate gradients and flux divergence. The general nature of the framework makes it applicable to diverse environments - from bedrock rivers to a pile of sand - and processes acting over a range of spatial and temporal scales. In this poster we illustrate how a user builds a model using Landlab and propose a number of ways in which Landlab can be applied in coastal environments - from dune migration to channelization of barrier islands. We seek input from the coastal community as to how the process component library can be expanded to explore the diverse phenomena that act to shape coastal environments.
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Reverse engineering of aircraft wing data using a partial differential equation surface model
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Huband, Jacalyn Mann
Reverse engineering is a multi-step process used in industry to determine a production representation of an existing physical object. This representation is in the form of mathematical equations that are compatible with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) equipment. The four basic steps to the reverse engineering process are data acquisition, data separation, surface or curve fitting, and CAD/CAM production. The surface fitting step determines the design representation of the object, and thus is critical to the success or failure of the reverse engineering process. Although surface fitting methods described in the literature are used to model a variety of surfaces, they are not suitable for reversing aircraft wings. In this dissertation, we develop and demonstrate a new strategy for reversing a mathematical representation of an aircraft wing. The basis of our strategy is to take an aircraft design model and determine if an inverse model can be derived. A candidate design model for this research is the partial differential equation (PDE) surface model, proposed by Bloor and Wilson and used in the Rapid Airplane Parameter Input Design (RAPID) tool at the NASA-LaRC Geolab. There are several basic mathematical problems involved in reversing the PDE surface model: (i) deriving a computational approximation of the surface function; (ii) determining a radial parametrization of the wing; (iii) choosing mathematical models or classes of functions for representation of the boundary functions; (iv) fitting the boundary data points by the chosen boundary functions; and (v) simultaneously solving for the axial parameterization and the derivative boundary functions. The study of the techniques to solve the above mathematical problems has culminated in a reverse PDE surface model and two reverse PDE surface algorithms. One reverse PDE surface algorithm recovers engineering design parameters for the RAPID tool from aircraft wing data and the other generates a PDE surface model with spline boundary functions from an arbitrary set of grid points. Our numerical tests show that the reverse PDE surface model and the reverse PDE surface algorithms can be used for the reverse engineering of aircraft wing data.
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Single-Molecule Interfacial Electron Transfer
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lu, H. Peter
This project is focused on the use of single-molecule high spatial and temporal resolved techniques to study molecular dynamics in condensed phase and at interfaces, especially, the complex reaction dynamics associated with electron and energy transfer rate processes. The complexity and inhomogeneity of the interfacial ET dynamics often present a major challenge for a molecular level comprehension of the intrinsically complex systems, which calls for both higher spatial and temporal resolutions at ultimate single-molecule and single-particle sensitivities. Combined single-molecule spectroscopy and electrochemical atomic force microscopy approaches are unique for heterogeneous and complex interfacial electron transfer systems because the static andmore » dynamic inhomogeneities can be identified and characterized by studying one molecule at a specific nanoscale surface site at a time. The goal of our project is to integrate and apply these spectroscopic imaging and topographic scanning techniques to measure the energy flow and electron flow between molecules and substrate surfaces as a function of surface site geometry and molecular structure. We have been primarily focusing on studying interfacial electron transfer under ambient condition and electrolyte solution involving both single crystal and colloidal TiO 2 and related substrates. The resulting molecular level understanding of the fundamental interfacial electron transfer processes will be important for developing efficient light harvesting systems and broadly applicable to problems in fundamental chemistry and physics. We have made significant advancement on deciphering the underlying mechanism of the complex and inhomogeneous interfacial electron transfer dynamics in dyesensitized TiO 2 nanoparticle systems that strongly involves with and regulated by molecule-surface interactions. We have studied interfacial electron transfer on TiO 2 nanoparticle surfaces by using ultrafast single-molecule spectroscopy and electrochemical AFM metal tip scanning microscopy, focusing on understanding the interfacial electron transfer dynamics at specific nanoscale electron transfer sites with high-spatially and temporally resolved topographic-and-spectroscopic characterization at individual molecule basis, characterizing single-molecule rate processes, reaction driving force, and molecule-substrate electronic coupling. One of the most significant characteristics of our new approach is that we are able to interrogate the complex interfacial electron transfer dynamics by actively pin-point energetic manipulation of the surface interaction and electronic couplings, beyond the conventional excitation and observation.« less
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Controls on the Seafloor Exposure of Detachment Fault Surfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Olive, J. A. L.; Parnell-Turner, R. E.; Escartin, J.; Smith, D. K.; Petersen, S.
2017-12-01
Morphological and seismological evidence suggests that asymmetric accretion involving oceanic detachment faulting takes place along 40% of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. However, seafloor exposures of corrugated slip surfaces -a telltale sign of this kind of faulting- remain scarce and spatially limited according to multibeam bathymetric surveys. This raises the question of whether geomorphic processes can hinder the exposure of pristine fault surfaces during detachment growth. We address this problem by analyzing ≤2-m resolution bathymetry data from four areas where corrugated surfaces emerge from the seafloor (13º20'N, 16º25'N, 16º36'N, and TAG). We identify two key processes capable of degrading or masking a corrugated large-offset fault surface. The first is gravitational mass wasting of steep (>25º) slopes, which is widespread in the breakaway region of most normal faults. The second is blanketing of the shallow-dipping termination area by a thin apron of hanging wall-derived debris. We model this process using critical taper theory, and infer low effective friction coefficients ( 0.15) on the emerging portion of detachment faults. A corollary to this result is that faults emerging from the seafloor with an angle <10º are more likely to blanket themselves under an apron of hanging wall debris. Optimal exposure of detachment surfaces therefore occurs when the fault emerges at slopes between 10° and 25º. We generalize these findings into a simple model for the progressive exhumation and flexural rotation of detachment footwalls, which accounts for the continued action of seafloor geomorphic processes. Our model suggests that many moderate-offset `blanketed' detachments may exist along slow mid-ocean ridges, but their corrugated surfaces are unlikely to be detected in shipboard multibeam bathymetry (e.g., TAG). Furthermore, many `irregular massifs' may correspond to the degraded footwalls of detachment faults.
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Staat, R H; Peyton, J C
1984-01-01
It is proposed that binding of oral streptococci to saliva-coated hydroxylapatite (SHA) surfaces is a multifactorial process involving both specific and nonspecific receptors. In this context, specific binding is described as a high-affinity, saturable interaction between the cell and binding surface. Conversely, nonspecific binding is considered to be a nonsaturable, generalized, low-affinity reaction. Experimental differentiation of specific binding from nonspecific binding was achieved with a competition assay which utilized a large excess of nonradiolabeled bacteria to compete with the 3H-labeled cells for attachment to receptors on 1.5 mg of SHA crystals. Competition assays of Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mitis adhesion clearly demonstrated that the total binding isotherm was composed of a saturable specific binding reaction and a minor nonspecific binding component. This was further substantiated by analysis of nonlinear Scatchard plots of the total binding data. The competition data for Streptococcus mutans binding indicated that ca. 50% of the S. mutans binding appeared to be specific, although saturation of the SHA surfaces with bacterial cells could not be demonstrated. Experiments measuring desorption of radiolabeled cells from SHA crystals into buffer showed that ca. 50% of the bound S. mutans cells were removed after 4 h, whereas less than 5% of the S. sanguis cells were eluted from the SHA surfaces. The kinetics of attachment were studied by using an extract of Persea americana as a noncompetitive inhibitor of adherence. The total cell binding data for these experiments suggested a very rapid binding reaction followed by a slower rate of attachment. It was concluded from these three different experimental approaches that adherence of selected oral streptococci to SHA surfaces involves specific, high-affinity and nonspecific, low-affinity binding reactions. The concept is developed that in vitro streptococcal attachment to SHA can be described as a two-reaction process in which the low-affinity interaction of the cell with the SHA surface precedes the establishment of the stronger, specific bonds needed for the maintenance of streptococci in the oral cavity. PMID:6327530
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Process feasibility study in support of silicon material task 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Li, K. Y.; Hansen, K. C.; Yaws, C. L.
1978-01-01
Process system properties are analyzed for materials involved in the alternate processes under consideration for solar cell grade silicon. The following property data are reported for trichlorosilane: critical constants, vapor pressure, heat of vaporization, gas heat capacity, liquid heat capacity, density, surface tension, viscosity, thermal conductivity, heat of formation, and Gibb's free energy of formation. Work continued on the measurement of gas viscosity values of silicon source materials. Gas phase viscosity values for silicon tetrafluoride between 40 C and 200 C were experimentally determined. Major efforts were expended on completion of the preliminary economic analysis of the silane process. Cost, sensitivity and profitability analysis results are presented based on a preliminary process design of a plant to produce 1,000 metric tons/year of silicon by the revised process.
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Garibaldi, Silvano; Barisione, Chiara; Marengo, Barbara; Ameri, Pietro; Brunelli, Claudio; Balbi, Manrico; Ghigliotti, Giorgio
2017-01-10
Local accumulation of Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPP) induces pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic processes in kidneys and is an independent predictor of renal fibrosis and of rapid decline of eGFR in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition to kidney damage, circulating AOPP may be regarded as mediators of systemic oxidative stress and, in this capacity, they might play a role in the progression of atherosclerotic damage of arterial walls. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves activation of innate and adaptive immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key cells in this process, due to their role in antigen presentation, inflammation resolution and T cell activation. AOPP consist in oxidative modifications of proteins (such as albumin and fibrinogen) that mainly occur through myeloperoxidase (MPO)-derived hypochlorite (HOCl). HOCl modified proteins have been found in atherosclerotic lesions. The oxidizing environment and the shifts in cellular redox equilibrium trigger inflammation, activate immune cells and induce immune responses. Thus, surface thiol groups contribute to the regulation of immune functions. The aims of this work are: (1) to evaluate whether AOPP-proteins induce activation and differentiation of mature macrophages into dendritic cells in vitro; and (2) to define the role of cell surface thiol groups and of free radicals in this process. AOPP-proteins were prepared by in vitro incubation of human serum albumin (HSA) with HOCl. Mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 were treated with various concentrations of AOPP-HSA with or without the antioxidant N -acetyl cysteine (NAC). Following 48 h of HSA-AOPP treatment, RAW264.7 morphological changes were evaluated by microscopic observation, while markers of dendritic lineage and activation (CD40, CD86, and MHC class II) and allogeneic T cell proliferation were evaluated by flow cytometry. Cell surface thiols were measured by AlexaFluor-maleimide binding, and ROS production was assessed as DCF fluorescence by flow cytometry. HSA-AOPP induced the differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into a dendritic-like phenotype, as shown by morphological changes, by increased CD40, CD86 and MHC class II surface expression and by induction of T cell proliferation. The cell surface thiols dose dependently decreased following HSA-AOPP treatment, while ROS production increased. NAC pre-treatment enhanced the amount of cell surface thiols and prevented their reduction due to treatment with AOPP. Both ROS production and RAW264.7 differentiation into DC-like cells induced by HSA-AOPP were reduced by NAC. Our results highlight that oxidized plasma proteins modulate specific immune responses of macrophages through a process involving changes in the thiol redox equilibrium. We suggest that this mechanism may play a role in determining the rapid progression of the atherosclerotic process observed in CKD patients.
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Northerly surface winds over the eastern North Pacific Ocean in spring and summer
Taylor, S.V.; Cayan, D.R.; Graham, N.E.; Georgakakos, K.P.
2008-01-01
Persistent spring and summer northerly surface winds are the defining climatological feature of the western coast of North America, especially south of the Oregon coast. Northerly surface winds are important for upwelling and a vast array of other biological, oceanic, and atmospheric processes. Intermittence in northerly coastal surface wind is characterized and wind events are quantitatively defined using coastal buoy data south of Cape Mendocino on the northern California coast. The defined wind events are then used as a basis for composites in order to explain the spatial evolution of various atmospheric and oceanic processes. Wind events involve large-scale changes in the three-dimensional atmospheric circulation including the eastern North Pacific subtropical anticyclone and southeast trade winds. Composites of QSCAT satellite scatterometer wind estimates from 1999 to 2005 based on a single coastal buoy indicate that wind events typically last 72-96 h and result in anomalies in surface wind and Ekman pumping that extend over 1000 kin from the west coast of North America. It may be useful to consider ocean circulation and dependent ecosystem dynamics and the distribution of temperature, moisture, and aerosols in the atmospheric boundary layer in the context of wind events defined herein. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.
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Goswami, Prasenjit N; Mandal, Debranjan; Rath, Arup K
2018-01-18
Surface chemistry plays a crucial role in determining the electronic properties of quantum dot solids and may well be the key to mitigate loss processes involved in quantum dot solar cells. Surface ligands help to maintain the shape and size of the individual dots in solid films, to preserve the clean energy band gap of the individual particles and to control charge carrier conduction across solid films, in turn regulating their performance in photovoltaic applications. In this report, we show that the changes in size, shape and functional groups of small chain organic ligands enable us to modulate mobility, dielectric constant and carrier doping density of lead sulfide quantum dot solids. Furthermore, we correlate these results with performance, stability and recombination processes in the respective photovoltaic devices. Our results highlight the critical role of surface chemistry in the electronic properties of quantum dots. The role of the size, functionality and the surface coverage of the ligands in determining charge transport properties and the stability of quantum dot solids have been discussed. Our findings, when applied in designing new ligands with higher mobility and improved passivation of quantum dot solids, can have important implications for the development of high-performance quantum dot solar cells.
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Opposing effects of humidity on rhodochrosite surface oxidation.
Na, Chongzheng; Tang, Yuanzhi; Wang, Haitao; Martin, Scot T
2015-03-03
Rhodochrosite (MnCO3) is a model mineral representing carbonate aerosol particles containing redox-active elements that can influence particle surface reconstruction in humid air, thereby affecting the heterogeneous transformation of important atmospheric constituents such as nitric oxides, sulfur dioxides, and organic acids. Using in situ atomic force microscopy, we show that the surface reconstruction of rhodochrosite in humid oxygen leads to the formation and growth of oxide nanostructures. The oxidative reconstruction consists of two consecutive processes with distinctive time scales, including a long waiting period corresponding to slow nucleation and a rapid expansion phase corresponding to fast growth. By varying the relative humidity from 55 to 78%, we further show that increasing humidity has opposing effects on the two processes, accelerating nucleation from 2.8(±0.2) × 10(-3) to 3.0(±0.2) × 10(-2) h(-1) but decelerating growth from 7.5(±0.3) × 10(-3) to 3.1(±0.1) × 10(-3) μm(2) h(-1). Through quantitative analysis, we propose that nanostructure nucleation is controlled by rhodochrosite surface dissolution, similar to the dissolution-precipitation mechanism proposed for carbonate mineral surface reconstruction in aqueous solution. To explain nanostructure growth in humid oxygen, a new Cabrera-Mott mechanism involving electron tunneling and solid-state diffusion is proposed.
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Oxide nanostructures through self-assembly
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aggarwal, S.; Ogale, S. B.; Ganpule, C. S.; Shinde, S. R.; Novikov, V. A.; Monga, A. P.; Burr, M. R.; Ramesh, R.; Ballarotto, V.; Williams, E. D.
2001-03-01
A prominent theme in inorganic materials research is the creation of uniformly flat thin films and heterostructures over large wafers, which can subsequently be lithographically processed into functional devices. This letter proposes an approach that will lead to thin film topographies that are directly counter to the above-mentioned philosophy. Recent years have witnessed considerable research activity in the area of self-assembly of materials, stimulated by observations of self-organized behavior in biological systems. We have fabricated uniform arrays of nonplanar surface features by a spontaneous assembly process involving the oxidation of simple metals, especially under constrained conditions on a variety of substrates, including glass and Si. In this letter we demonstrate the pervasiveness of this process through examples involving the oxidation of Pd, Cu, Fe, and In. The feature sizes can be controlled through the grain size and thickness of the starting metal thin film. Finally, we demonstrate how such submicron scale arrays can serve as templates for the design and development of self-assembled, nanoelectronic devices.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kuo, Kenneth K.; Lu, Y. C.; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Harting, George C.
1994-01-01
An experimental study on the fundamental processes involved in fuel decomposition and boundary layer combustion in hybrid rocket motors is being conducted at the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory of the Pennsylvania State University. This research should provide an engineering technology base for development of large scale hybrid rocket motors as well as a fundamental understanding of the complex processes involved in hybrid propulsion. A high pressure slab motor has been designed for conducting experimental investigations. Oxidizer (LOX or GOX) is injected through the head-end over a solid fuel (HTPB) surface. Experiments using fuels supplied by NASA designated industrial companies will also be conducted. The study focuses on the following areas: measurement and observation of solid fuel burning with LOX or GOX, correlation of solid fuel regression rate with operating conditions, measurement of flame temperature and radical species concentrations, determination of the solid fuel subsurface temperature profile, and utilization of experimental data for validation of a companion theoretical study also being conducted at PSU.
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Receptor-mediated cell mechanosensing
Chen, Yunfeng; Ju, Lining; Rushdi, Muaz; Ge, Chenghao; Zhu, Cheng
2017-01-01
Mechanosensing describes the ability of a cell to sense mechanical cues of its microenvironment, including not only all components of force, stress, and strain but also substrate rigidity, topology, and adhesiveness. This ability is crucial for the cell to respond to the surrounding mechanical cues and adapt to the changing environment. Examples of responses and adaptation include (de)activation, proliferation/apoptosis, and (de)differentiation. Receptor-mediated cell mechanosensing is a multistep process that is initiated by binding of cell surface receptors to their ligands on the extracellular matrix or the surface of adjacent cells. Mechanical cues are presented by the ligand and received by the receptor at the binding interface; but their transmission over space and time and their conversion into biochemical signals may involve other domains and additional molecules. In this review, a four-step model is described for the receptor-mediated cell mechanosensing process. Platelet glycoprotein Ib, T-cell receptor, and integrins are used as examples to illustrate the key concepts and players in this process. PMID:28954860
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[INVITED] Computational intelligence for smart laser materials processing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Casalino, Giuseppe
2018-03-01
Computational intelligence (CI) involves using a computer algorithm to capture hidden knowledge from data and to use them for training ;intelligent machine; to make complex decisions without human intervention. As simulation is becoming more prevalent from design and planning to manufacturing and operations, laser material processing can also benefit from computer generating knowledge through soft computing. This work is a review of the state-of-the-art on the methodology and applications of CI in laser materials processing (LMP), which is nowadays receiving increasing interest from world class manufacturers and 4.0 industry. The focus is on the methods that have been proven effective and robust in solving several problems in welding, cutting, drilling, surface treating and additive manufacturing using the laser beam. After a basic description of the most common computational intelligences employed in manufacturing, four sections, namely, laser joining, machining, surface, and additive covered the most recent applications in the already extensive literature regarding the CI in LMP. Eventually, emerging trends and future challenges were identified and discussed.
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Physico-chemical foundations underpinning microarray and next-generation sequencing experiments
Harrison, Andrew; Binder, Hans; Buhot, Arnaud; Burden, Conrad J.; Carlon, Enrico; Gibas, Cynthia; Gamble, Lara J.; Halperin, Avraham; Hooyberghs, Jef; Kreil, David P.; Levicky, Rastislav; Noble, Peter A.; Ott, Albrecht; Pettitt, B. Montgomery; Tautz, Diethard; Pozhitkov, Alexander E.
2013-01-01
Hybridization of nucleic acids on solid surfaces is a key process involved in high-throughput technologies such as microarrays and, in some cases, next-generation sequencing (NGS). A physical understanding of the hybridization process helps to determine the accuracy of these technologies. The goal of a widespread research program is to develop reliable transformations between the raw signals reported by the technologies and individual molecular concentrations from an ensemble of nucleic acids. This research has inputs from many areas, from bioinformatics and biostatistics, to theoretical and experimental biochemistry and biophysics, to computer simulations. A group of leading researchers met in Ploen Germany in 2011 to discuss present knowledge and limitations of our physico-chemical understanding of high-throughput nucleic acid technologies. This meeting inspired us to write this summary, which provides an overview of the state-of-the-art approaches based on physico-chemical foundation to modeling of the nucleic acids hybridization process on solid surfaces. In addition, practical application of current knowledge is emphasized. PMID:23307556
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Field experimental observations of highly graded sediment plumes.
Jensen, Jacob Hjelmager; Saremi, Sina; Jimenez, Carlos; Hadjioannou, Louis
2015-06-15
A field experiment in the waters off the south-eastern coast of Cyprus was carried out to study near-field formation of sediment plumes from dumping. Different loads of sediment were poured into calm and limpid waters one at the time from just above the sea surface. The associated plumes, gravitating towards the seafloor, were filmed simultaneously by four divers situated at different depths in the water column, and facing the plume at different angles. The processes were captured using GoPro-Hero-series cameras. The high-quality underwater footage from near-surface, mid-depth and near-bed positions gives unique insight into the dynamics of the descending plume and near-field dispersion processes, and enables good understanding of flow and sediment transport processes involved from-release-to-deposition of the load in a non-scaled environment. The high resolution images and footages are available through the link provided herein. Observations support the development of a detailed multi-fractional sediment plume model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Williams, G. M.; Fraser, J. C.
1991-01-01
The objective was to examine state-of-the-art optical sensing and processing technology applied to control the motion of flexible spacecraft. Proposed large flexible space systems, such an optical telescopes and antennas, will require control over vast surfaces. Most likely distributed control will be necessary involving many sensors to accurately measure the surface. A similarly large number of actuators must act upon the system. The used technical approach included reviewing proposed NASA missions to assess system needs and requirements. A candidate mission was chosen as a baseline study spacecraft for comparison of conventional and optical control components. Control system requirements of the baseline system were used for designing both a control system containing current off-the-shelf components and a system utilizing electro-optical devices for sensing and processing. State-of-the-art surveys of conventional sensor, actuator, and processor technologies were performed. A technology development plan is presented that presents a logical, effective way to develop and integrate advancing technologies.
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Vogeleer, Philippe; Tremblay, Yannick D. N.; Mafu, Akier A.; Jacques, Mario; Harel, Josée
2014-01-01
Escherichia coli is a heterogeneous species that can be part of the normal flora of humans but also include strains of medical importance. Among pathogenic members, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) are some of the more prominent pathogenic E. coli within the public sphere. STEC disease outbreaks are typically associated with contaminated beef, contaminated drinking water, and contaminated fresh produce. These water- and food-borne pathogens usually colonize cattle asymptomatically; cows will shed STEC in their feces and the subsequent fecal contamination of the environment and processing plants is a major concern for food and public safety. This is especially important because STEC can survive for prolonged periods of time outside its host in environments such as water, produce, and farm soil. Biofilms are hypothesized to be important for survival in the environment especially on produce, in rivers, and in processing plants. Several factors involved in biofilm formation such as curli, cellulose, poly-N-acetyl glucosamine, and colanic acid are involved in plant colonization and adherence to different surfaces often found in meat processing plants. In food processing plants, contamination of beef carcasses occurs at different stages of processing and this is often caused by the formation of STEC biofilms on the surface of several pieces of equipment associated with slaughtering and processing. Biofilms protect bacteria against several challenges, including biocides used in industrial processes. STEC biofilms are less sensitive than planktonic cells to several chemical sanitizers such as quaternary ammonium compounds, peroxyacetic acid, and chlorine compounds. Increased resistance to sanitizers by STEC growing in a biofilm is likely to be a source of contamination in the processing plant. This review focuses on the role of biofilm formation by STEC as a means of persistence outside their animal host and factors associated with biofilm formation. PMID:25071733
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Atomic force microscopy study on topography of films produced by ion-based techniques
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, X.; Liu, X. H.; Zou, S. C.; Martin, P. J.; Bendavid, A.
1996-09-01
The evolution of surface morphologies of films prepared by ion-based deposition techniques has been investigated by atomic force microscopy. Two deposition processes, filtered arc deposition (FAD) and ion-beam-assisted deposition, where low-energy (<100 eV) ion irradiation and high-energy (several tens of keV) ion-beam bombardment concurrent with film growth were involved, respectively, have been employed to prepare TiN and Al films. Comparative studies on the effect of energetic ions on the development of topography have been performed between the low-ion-energy regime and high-ion-energy regime. In addition, the relationship between topography and mechanical properties of thin films has been revealed, by involving thin films prepared by thermal evaporation deposition (TED), where almost all depositing particles are neutral. In the images of the TED TiN and Al films, a large number of porous and deep boundaries between columnar grains was observed, suggesting a very rough and loose surface. In contrast, the FAD films exhibited much denser surface morphologies, although still columnar. The root-mean-square roughness of the FAD films was less than 1 Å. Hardness test and optical parameter measurement indicated that the FAD films were much harder and, in the case of optical films, much more transparent than the TED films, which was considered to arise from the denser surface morphologies rather than crystallization of the films. The high density and super smoothness of the FAD films, and the resultant mechanical and optical properties superior to those of the TED films, were attributed to the enhancement of surface migration of the deposited adatoms in the FAD process, which could provide intensive low-energy ion irradiation during film growth. As for topography modification by high-energy ion-beam bombardment concurrent with film growth, in addition to the increase of surface diffusion due to elastic collision and thermal spikes, physical sputtering must be considered while explaining the development of the film topography. Both surface migration enhancement and sputtering played important roles in the case of high-energy heavy-ion-beam bombardment, under which condition surface morphology characterized by dense columns with larger dimension and deep clean boundaries was formed. However, under high-energy light-ion-beam bombardment, the sputtering was dominant, and the variation of sputtering coefficient with position on the surface of growing film led to the formation of cones.
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Modelling Soil Heat and Water Flow as a Coupled Process in Land Surface Models
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
García González, Raquel; Verhoef, Anne; Vidale, Pier Luigi; Braud, Isabelle
2010-05-01
To improve model estimates of soil water and heat flow by land surface models (LSMs), in particular in the first few centimetres of the near-surface soil profile, we have to consider in detail all the relevant physical processes involved (see e.g. Milly, 1982). Often, thermal and iso-thermal vapour fluxes in LSMs are neglected and the simplified Richard's equation is used as a result. Vapour transfer may affect the water fluxes and heat transfer in LSMs used for hydrometeorological and climate simulations. Processes occurring in the top 50 cm soil may be relevant for water and heat flux dynamics in the deeper layers, as well as for estimates of evapotranspiration and heterotrophic respiration, or even for climate and weather predictions. Water vapour transfer, which was not incorporated in previous versions of the MOSES/JULES model (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator; Cox et al., 1999), has now been implemented. Furthermore, we also assessed the effect of the soil vertical resolution on the simulated soil moisture and temperature profiles and the effect of the processes occurring at the upper boundary, mainly in terms of infiltration rates and evapotranspiration. SiSPAT (Simple Soil Plant Atmosphere Transfer Model; Braud et al., 1995) was initially used to quantify the changes that we expect to find when we introduce vapour transfer in JULES, involving parameters such as thermal vapour conductivity and diffusivity. Also, this approach allows us to compare JULES to a more complete and complex numerical model. Water vapour flux varied with soil texture, depth and soil moisture content, but overall our results suggested that water vapour fluxes change temperature gradients in the entire soil profile and introduce an overall surface cooling effect. Increasing the resolution smoothed and reduced temperature differences between liquid (L) and liquid/vapour (LV) simulations at all depths, and introduced a temperature increase over the entire soil profile. Thermal gradients rather than soil water potential gradients seem to cause temporal and spatial (vertical) soil temperature variability. We conclude that a multi-soil layer configuration may improve soil water dynamics, heat transfer and coupling of these processes, as well as evapotranspiration estimates and land surface-atmosphere coupling. However, a compromise should be reached between numerical and process-simulation aspects. References: Braud I., A.C. Dantas-Antonino, M. Vauclin, J.L. Thony and P. Ruelle, 1995b: A Simple Soil Plant Atmo- sphere Transfer model (SiSPAT), Development and field verification, J. Hydrol, 166: 213-250 Cox, P.M., R.A. Betts, C.B. Bunton, R.L.H. Essery, P.R. Rowntree, and J. Smith (1999), The impact of new land surface physics on the GCM simulation of climate and climate sensitivity. Clim. Dyn., 15, 183-203. Milly, P.C.D., 1982. Moisture and heat transport in hysteric inhomogeneous porous media: a matric head- based formulation and a numerical model, Water Resour. Res., 18:489-498
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Surface treatments for controlling corrosion rate of biodegradable Mg and Mg-based alloy implants
Uddin, M S; Hall, Colin; Murphy, Peter
2015-01-01
Due to their excellent biodegradability characteristics, Mg and Mg-based alloys have become an emerging material in biomedical implants, notably for repair of bone as well as coronary arterial stents. However, the main problem with Mg-based alloys is their rapid corrosion in aggressive environments such as human bodily fluids. Previously, many approaches such as control of alloying materials, composition and surface treatments, have been attempted to regulate the corrosion rate. This article presents a comprehensive review of recent research focusing on surface treatment techniques utilised to control the corrosion rate and surface integrity of Mg-based alloys in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Surface treatments generally involve the controlled deposition of thin film coatings using various coating processes, and mechanical surfacing such as machining, deep rolling or low plasticity burnishing. The aim is to either make a protective thin layer of a material or to change the micro-structure and mechanical properties at the surface and sub-surface levels, which will prevent rapid corrosion and thus delay the degradation of the alloys. We have organised the review of past works on coatings by categorising the coatings into two classes—conversion and deposition coatings—while works on mechanical treatments are reviewed based on the tool-based processes which affect the sub-surface microstructure and mechanical properties of the material. Various types of coatings and their processing techniques under two classes of coating and mechanical treatment approaches have been analysed and discussed to investigate their impact on the corrosion performance, biomechanical integrity, biocompatibility and cell viability. Potential challenges and future directions in designing and developing the improved biodegradable Mg/Mg-based alloy implants were addressed and discussed. The literature reveals that no solutions are yet complete and hence new and innovative approaches are required to leverage the benefit of Mg-based alloys. Hybrid treatments combining innovative biomimetic coating and mechanical processing would be regarded as a potentially promising way to tackle the corrosion problem. Synergetic cutting-burnishing integrated with cryogenic cooling may be another encouraging approach in this regard. More studies focusing on rigorous testing, evaluation and characterisation are needed to assess the efficacy of the methods. PMID:27877829
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Squeglia, Flavia; Berisio, Rita; Shibuya, Naoto; Kaku, Hanae
2017-11-24
Pattern recognition receptors on the plant cell surface mediate the recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns, in a process which activates downstream immune signaling. These receptors are plasma membrane-localized kinases which need to be autophosphorylated to activate downstream responses. Perception of attacks from fungi occurs through recognition of chitin, a polymer of an N-acetylglucosamine which is a characteristic component of the cell walls of fungi. This process is regulated in Arabidopsis by chitin elicitor receptor kinase CERK1. A more complex process characterizes rice, in which regulation of chitin perception is operated by a complex composed of OsCERK1, a homolog of CERK1, and the chitin elicitor binding protein OsCEBiP. Recent literature has provided a mechanistic description of the complex regulation of activation of innate immunity in rice and an advance in the structural description of molecular players involved in this process. This review describes the current status of the understanding of molecular events involved in innate immunity activation in rice. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.
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Thermomechanical Simulation of the Splashing of Ceramic Droplets on a Rigid Substrate
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bertagnolli, Mauro; Marchese, Maurizio; Jacucci, Gianni; St. Doltsinis, Ioannis; Noelting, Swen
1997-05-01
Finite element simulation techniques have been applied to the spreading process of single ceramic liquid droplets impacting on a flat cold surface under plasma-spraying conditions. The goal of the present investigation is to predict the geometrical form of the splat as a function of technological process parameters, such as initial temperature and velocity, and to follow the thermal field developing in the droplet up to solidification. A non-linear finite element programming system has been utilized in order to model the complex physical phenomena involved in the present impact process. The Lagrangean description of the motion of the viscous melt in the drops, as constrained by surface tension and the developing contact with the target, has been coupled to an analysis of transient thermal phenomena accounting also for the solidification of the material. The present study refers to a parameter spectrum as from experimental data of technological relevance. The significance of process parameters for the most pronounced physical phenomena is discussed as are also the consequences of modelling. We consider the issue of solidification as well and touch on the effect of partially unmelted material.
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Precision replenishable grinding tool and manufacturing process
Makowiecki, D.M.; Kerns, J.A.; Blaedel, K.L.; Colella, N.J.; Davis, P.J.; Juntz, R.S.
1998-06-09
A reusable grinding tool consisting of a replaceable single layer of abrasive particles intimately bonded to a precisely configured tool substrate, and a process for manufacturing the grinding tool are disclosed. The tool substrate may be ceramic or metal and the abrasive particles are preferably diamond, but may be cubic boron nitride. The manufacturing process involves: coating a configured tool substrate with layers of metals, such as titanium, copper and titanium, by physical vapor deposition (PVD); applying the abrasive particles to the coated surface by a slurry technique; and brazing the abrasive particles to the tool substrate by alloying the metal layers. The precision control of the composition and thickness of the metal layers enables the bonding of a single layer or several layers of micron size abrasive particles to the tool surface. By the incorporation of an easily dissolved metal layer in the composition such allows the removal and replacement of the abrasive particles, thereby providing a process for replenishing a precisely machined grinding tool with fine abrasive particles, thus greatly reducing costs as compared to replacing expensive grinding tools. 11 figs.
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Precision replenishable grinding tool and manufacturing process
Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Kerns, John A.; Blaedel, Kenneth L.; Colella, Nicholas J.; Davis, Pete J.; Juntz, Robert S.
1998-01-01
A reusable grinding tool consisting of a replaceable single layer of abrasive particles intimately bonded to a precisely configured tool substrate, and a process for manufacturing the grinding tool. The tool substrate may be ceramic or metal and the abrasive particles are preferably diamond, but may be cubic boron nitride. The manufacturing process involves: coating a configured tool substrate with layers of metals, such as titanium, copper and titanium, by physical vapor deposition (PVD); applying the abrasive particles to the coated surface by a slurry technique; and brazing the abrasive particles to the tool substrate by alloying the metal layers. The precision control of the composition and thickness of the metal layers enables the bonding of a single layer or several layers of micron size abrasive particles to the tool surface. By the incorporation of an easily dissolved metal layer in the composition such allows the removal and replacement of the abrasive particles, thereby providing a process for replenishing a precisely machined grinding tool with fine abrasive particles, thus greatly reducing costs as compared to replacing expensive grinding tools.
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Ru-decorated Pt surfaces as model fuel cell electrocatalysts for CO electrooxidation.
Maillard, F; Lu, G-Q; Wieckowski, A; Stimming, U
2005-09-01
This feature article concerns Pt surfaces modified (decorated) by ruthenium as model fuel cell electrocatalysts for electrooxidation processes. This work reveals the role of ruthenium promoters in enhancing electrocatalytic activity toward organic fuels for fuel cells, and it particularly concerns the methanol decomposition product, surface CO. A special focus is on surface mobility of the CO as it is catalytically oxidized to CO(2). Different methods used to prepare Ru-decorated Pt single crystal surfaces as well as Ru-decorated Pt nanoparticles are reviewed, and the methods of characterization and testing of their activity are discussed. The focus is on the origin of peak splitting involved in the voltammetric electrooxidation of CO on Ru-decorated Pt surfaces, and on the interpretative consequences of the splitting for single crystal and nanoparticle Pt/Ru bimetallic surfaces. Apparently, screening through the literature allows formulating several models of the CO stripping reaction, and the validity of these models is discussed. Major efforts are made in this article to compare the results reported by the Urbana-Champaign group and the Munich group, but also by other groups. As electrocatalysis is progressively more and more driven by theory, our review of the experimental findings may serve to summarize the state of the art and clarify the roads ahead. Future studies will deal with highly dispersed and reactive nanoscale surfaces and other more advanced catalytic materials for fuel cell catalysis and related energy applications. It is expected that the metal/metal and metal/substrate interactions will be increasingly investigated on atomic and electronic levels, with likewise increasing participation of theory, and the structure and reactivity of various monolayer catalytic systems involving more than two metals (that is ternary and quaternary systems) will be interrogated.
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Coastal groundwater/surface-water interactions: a Great Lakes case study
Neff, Brian P.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Rosenberry, Donald O.; Savino, Jacqueline F.; Lundstrom, Scott C.
2006-01-01
Key similarities exist between marine and Great Lakes coastal environments. Water and nutrient fluxes across lakebeds in the Great Lakes are influenced by seiche and wind set-up and set-down, analogous to tidal influence in marine settings. Groundwater/surface-water interactions also commonly involve a saline-fresh water interface, although in the Great-Lakes cases, it is groundwater that is commonly saline and surface water that is fresh. Evapotranspiration also affects nearshore hydrology in both settings. Interactions between groundwater and surface water have recently been identified as an important component of ecological processes in the Great Lakes. Water withdrawals and the reversal of the groundwater/surface water seepage gradient are also common to many coastal areas around the Great Lakes. As compared to surface water, regional groundwater that discharges to western Lake Erie from Michigan is highly mineralized. Studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at Erie State Game Area in southeastern Michigan, describe groundwater flow dynamics and chemistry, shallow lake-water chemistry, and fish and invertebrate communities. Results presented here provide an overview of recent progress of ongoing interdisciplinary studies of Great Lakes nearshore systems and describe a conceptual model that identifies relations among geologic, hydrologic, chemical, and biological processes in the coastal habitats of Lake Erie. This conceptual model is based on analysis of hydraulic head in piezometers at the study site and chemical analysis of deep and shallow coastal groundwater.
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Zell, Zachary A; Isa, Lucio; Ilg, Patrick; Leal, L Gary; Squires, Todd M
2014-01-14
The self-assembly of polymer-based surfactants and nanoparticles on fluid-fluid interfaces is central to many applications, including dispersion stabilization, creation of novel 2D materials, and surface patterning. Very often these processes involve compressing interfacial monolayers of particles or polymers to obtain a desired material microstructure. At high surface pressures, however, even highly interfacially active objects can desorb from the interface. Methods of directly measuring the energy which keeps the polymer or particles bound to the interface (adsorption/desorption energies) are therefore of high interest for these processes. Moreover, though a geometric description linking adsorption energy and wetting properties through the definition of a contact angle can be established for rigid nano- or microparticles, such a description breaks down for deformable or aggregating objects. Here, we demonstrate a technique to quantify desorption energies directly, by comparing surface pressure-density compression measurements using a Wilhelmy plate and a custom-microfabricated deflection tensiometer. We focus on poly(ethylene oxide)-based polymers and nanoparticles. For PEO-based homo- and copolymers, the adsorption energy of PEO chains scales linearly with molecular weight and can be tuned by changing the subphase composition. Moreover, the desorption surface pressure of PEO-stabilized nanoparticles corresponds to the saturation surface pressure for spontaneously adsorbed monolayers, yielding trapping energies of ∼10(3) k(B)T.
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Spectroscopic Visualization of Inversion and Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking Weyl Semi-metals
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Beidenkopf, Haim
A defining property of a topological material is the existence of surface bands that cannot be realized but as the termination of a topological bulk. In a Weyl semi-metal these surface states are in the form of Fermi-arcs. Their open-contour Fermi-surface curves between pairs of surface projections of bulk Weyl cones. Such Dirac-like bulk bands, as opposed to the gapped bulk of topological insulators, land a unique opportunity to examine the deep notion of bulk to surface correspondence. We study the intricate properties both of inversion symmetry broken and of time-reversal symmetry broken Weyl semimetals using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We visualize the Fermi arc states on the surface of the non-centrosymmetric Weyl semi-metal TaAs. Using the distinct structure and spatial distribution of the wavefunctions associated with the different topological and trivial bands we detect the scattering processes that involve Fermi arcs. Each of these imaged scattering processes entails information on the unique nature of Fermi arcs and their correspondence to the topological bulk. We further visualize the magnetic response of the candidate magnetic Weyl semimetal GdPtBi in which the magnetic order parameter is coupled to the topological classification. European Research Council (ERC-StG no. 678702, TOPO-NW\\x9D), the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
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Protein-diazonium adduct direct electrografting onto SPRi-biochip.
Corgier, Benjamin P; Bellon, Sophie; Anger-Leroy, Marielle; Blum, Loïc J; Marquette, Christophe A
2009-08-18
A direct protein immobilization method for surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) gold chip arraying is exposed. The biomolecule electroaddressing strategy, previously demonstrated by our team on carbon surfaces, is here valuably involved and adapted to create a straightforward and efficient protein immobilization process onto SPRi-biochips. The proteins, modified with an aryl-diazonium adduct, are addressed to the SPRi chip surface through the electroreduction of the aryl-diazonium. The biomolecule deposition was followed through SPRi live measurements during the electrografting process. A specially designed setup enabled us to directly observe the mass increasing at the sensor surface while the proteins were electrografted. A pin electrospotting method, allowing the achievement of distinct sensing layers on gold SPRi-biochips, was used to generate microarray biochips. The integrity of the immobilized proteins and the specificity of the detection, based on antigen/antibody interactions, were demonstrated for the detection of specific antibodies and ovalbumin. The SPRi detection limit of ovalbumin using the electroaddressing of anti-ovalbumin IgG was compared with two other immobilization procedures, cystamine-glutaraldehyde self-assembled monolayer and pyrrole, and was found to be a decade lower than these ones (100 ng/mL, i.e., 2 nM).
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Glass composition development for stabilization of lead based paints
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Marra, J.C.
1996-10-01
Exposure to lead can lead to adverse health affects including permanent damage to the central nervous system. Common means of exposure to lead are from ingestion of lead paint chips or breathing of dust from deteriorating painted surfaces. The U.S. Army has over 101 million square feet of buildings dating to World War II or earlier. Many of these structures were built before the 1978 ban on lead based paints. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CERL is developing technologies to remove and stabilize lead containing organic coatings. Promising results have been achieved using a patented flame spray process thatmore » utilizes a glass frit to stabilize the hazardous constituents. When the glass frit is sprayed onto the paint containing substrate, differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the frit and the paint results in spalling of the paint from the substrate surface. The removed fragments are then collected and remelted to stabilize the hazardous constituents and allow for disposal as non-hazardous waste. Similar successful results using a patented process involving microwave technology for paint removal have also been achieved. In this process, the painted surface is coated with a microwave coupling compound that when exposed to microwave energy results in the spalling of the hazardous paint from the surface. The fragments can again be accumulated and remelted for stabilization and disposal.« less
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Electrochemistry of LB films of mixed MGDG:UQ on ITO.
Hoyo, Javier; Guaus, Ester; Torrent-Burgués, Juan; Sanz, Fausto
2015-08-01
The electrochemical behaviour of biomimetic monolayers of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) incorporating ubiquinone-10 (UQ) has been investigated. MGDG is the principal component in the thylakoid membrane and UQ seems a good substitute for plastoquinone-9, involved in photosynthesis chain. The monolayers have been performed using the Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) techniques and the redox behaviour of the LB films, transferred at several surface pressures on a glass covered with indium-tin oxide (ITO), has been characterized by cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammograms show that UQ molecules present two redox processes (I and II) at high UQ content and high surface pressures, and only one redox process (I) at low UQ content and low surface pressures. The apparent rate constants calculated for processes I and II indicate a different kinetic control for the reduction and the oxidation of UQ/UQH2 redox couple, being k(Rapp)(I) = 2.2 · 10(-5) s(-1), k(Rapp)(II) = 5.1 · 10(-14) k(Oapp)(I) = 3.3 · 10(-3) s(-1) and k(Oapp)(II) = 6.1 · 10(-6) s(-1), respectively. The correlation of the redox response with the physical states of the LB films allows determining the positions of the UQ molecules in the biomimetic monolayer, which change with the surface pressure and the UQ content. These positions are known as diving and swimming. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Use of radiation in biomaterials science
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Benson, Roberto S.
2002-05-01
Radiation is widely used in the biomaterials science for surface modification, sterilization and to improve bulk properties. Radiation is also used to design of biochips, and in situ photopolymerizable of bioadhesives. The energy sources most commonly used in the irradiation of biomaterials are high-energy electrons, gamma radiation, ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. Surface modification involves placement of selective chemical moieties on the surface of a material by chemical reactions to improve biointeraction for cell adhesion and proliferation, hemocompatibility and water absorption. The exposure of a polymer to radiation, especially ionizing radiation, can lead to chain scission or crosslinking with changes in bulk and surface properties. Sterilization by irradiation is designed to inactivate most pathogens from the surface of biomedical devices. An overview of the use of gamma and UV radiation to improve surface tissue compatibility, bulk properties and surface properties for wear resistance, formation of hydrogels and curing dental sealants and bone adhesives is presented. Gamma and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiated ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) exhibit improvement in surface modulus and hardness. The surface modulus and hardness of UHMWPE showed a dependence on type of radiation, dosage and processing. VUV surface modified e-PTFE vascular grafts exhibit increases in hydrophilicity and improvement towards adhesion of fibrin glue.
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Mars Sulfur: A Review of Landed Mission Data (Invited)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sutter, B.; Ming, D. W.; Niles, P. B.
2013-12-01
Sulfur (S) has been detected (1.0 - 36 wt. % SO3) in martian surface materials at the Viking, Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), Phoenix, and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) landing sites. The accumulation of S at these landing sites is attributed to the hyperarid martian climate that inhibits dissolution and leaching of surface S into the subsurface. The S cycle involving sources, sinks, and the processes involved in redistributing S after initial deposition are not well constrained. This work reviews the state of knowledge of S as derived from landed missions. Results suggest that aqueous processes have been involved in the S cycling suggesting that conditions may have been favorable microbiology. Chemical data and the apparent oxidizing condition of the soil suggest that the Viking and Pathfinder soils consist of Mg-sulfate and possible Fe-sulfate. Sulfur-rich soils (up to 36 wt. % SO3) in Gusev crater examined by MER Spirit consist of mixed Fe3+)-, Mg- , and Ca-sulfates. Meridiani Plenum explored by MER Opportunity is dominated by outcrops of mixed Fe-, Mg- and Ca-sulfate while rocks stratigraphically below this at Endeavor Crater contain veins composed of calcium sulfate. Soil solutions evaluated at the Phoenix Landing site were consistent with the presence of Mg-sulfate, while the thermal and evolved gas data collected from this site suggested that Ca-sulfate could also be present. X-ray diffraction analysis of the Rocknest sand shadow in Gale Crater detected anhydrite (CaSO4)(~1 wt.%) The source of S on the martian surface may be derived from S-bearing volcanic aerosols and/or from subsurface hydrothermal fluids that have interacted with sulfide minerals in the crust. For example, volcanic derived S aerosols in water or ice have been proposed to alter basaltic material where acidic fluids evaporated or ice sublimed leaving behind the large-scale Meridiani sulfate outcrops. On the other hand, local small-scale hydrothermal processes may be responsible for locally concentrated S in the Paso Robles soils in the Columbia Hills encountered by Spirit. Subsequent to deposition, redistribution of S by aqueous or eolian processes is possible. Physical erosion of S deposits detected elsewhere on Mars followed by eolian redistribution of S bearing dust could contribute to soil S. Downward water flow has been proposed to have leached sulfates in select Gusev soils and may be involved in sulfate redistribution in the Meridiani deposits. Sources of downward water flow could be caused by percolating snow melt that occurs during periods of high obliquity. Subsequent to deposition, groundwater interactions are also proposed as a mechanism for the redistributed the Meridiani sulfates. The evaluation of martian of the S cycle should shed light on the past martian climate and indicate the types of aqueous geochemical conditions that were encountered by potential microbiology. Aqueous processes involved the S cycle appear to span a wide pH range from acidic (Fe-sulfates) to more neutral (Fe-sulfate limiting). This range of pH suggests that martian microbiology, if ever present, was diverse and consisted of species that thrived in low pH solutions (e.g., acidophilles) along with species that thrived in more neutral pH solutions.
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Sintering of catalytic nanoparticles: particle migration or Ostwald ripening?
Hansen, Thomas W; Delariva, Andrew T; Challa, Sivakumar R; Datye, Abhaya K
2013-08-20
Metal nanoparticles contain the active sites in heterogeneous catalysts, which are important for many industrial applications including the production of clean fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and the cleanup of exhaust from automobiles and stationary power plants. Sintering, or thermal deactivation, is an important mechanism for the loss of catalyst activity. This is especially true for high temperature catalytic processes, such as steam reforming, automotive exhaust treatment, or catalytic combustion. With dwindling supplies of precious metals and increasing demand, fundamental understanding of catalyst sintering is very important for achieving clean energy and a clean environment, and for efficient chemical conversion processes with atom selectivity. Scientists have proposed two mechanisms for sintering of nanoparticles: particle migration and coalescence (PMC) and Ostwald ripening (OR). PMC involves the mobility of particles in a Brownian-like motion on the support surface, with subsequent coalescence leading to nanoparticle growth. In contrast, OR involves the migration of adatoms or mobile molecular species, driven by differences in free energy and local adatom concentrations on the support surface. In this Account, we divide the process of sintering into three phases. Phase I involves rapid loss in catalyst activity (or surface area), phase II is where sintering slows down, and phase III is where the catalyst may reach a stable performance. Much of the previous work is based on inferences from catalysts that were observed before and after long term treatments. While the general phenomena can be captured correctly, the mechanisms cannot be determined. Advancements in the techniques of in situ TEM allow us to observe catalysts at elevated temperatures under working conditions. We review recent evidence obtained via in situ methods to determine the relative importance of PMC and OR in each of these phases of catalyst sintering. The evidence suggests that, in phase I, OR is responsible for the rapid loss of activity that occurs when particles are very small. Surprisingly, very little PMC is observed in this phase. Instead, the rapid loss of activity is caused by the disappearance of the smallest particles. These findings are in good agreement with representative atomistic simulations of sintering. In phase II, sintering slows down since the smallest particles have disappeared. We now see a combination of PMC and OR, but do not fully understand the relative contribution of each of these processes to the overall rates of sintering. In phase III, the particles have grown large and other parasitic phenomena, such as support restructuring, can become important, especially at high temperatures. Examining the evolution of particle size and surface area with time, we do not see a stable or equilibrium state, especially for catalysts operating at elevated temperatures. In conclusion, the recent literature, especially on in situ studies, shows that OR is the dominant process causing the growth of nanoparticle size. Consequently, this leads to the loss of surface area and activity. While particle migration could be controlled through suitable structuring of catalyst supports, it is more difficult to control the mobility of atomically dispersed species. These insights into the mechanisms of sintering could help to develop sinter-resistant catalysts, with the ultimate goal of designing catalysts that are self-healing.
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The quantum dynamics of electronically nonadiabatic chemical reactions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Truhlar, Donald G.
1993-01-01
Considerable progress was achieved on the quantum mechanical treatment of electronically nonadiabatic collisions involving energy transfer and chemical reaction in the collision of an electronically excited atom with a molecule. In the first step, a new diabatic representation for the coupled potential energy surfaces was created. A two-state diabatic representation was developed which was designed to realistically reproduce the two lowest adiabatic states of the valence bond model and also to have the following three desirable features: (1) it is more economical to evaluate; (2) it is more portable; and (3) all spline fits are replaced by analytic functions. The new representation consists of a set of two coupled diabatic potential energy surfaces plus a coupling surface. It is suitable for dynamics calculations on both the electronic quenching and reaction processes in collisions of Na(3p2p) with H2. The new two-state representation was obtained by a three-step process from a modified eight-state diatomics-in-molecules (DIM) representation of Blais. The second step required the development of new dynamical methods. A formalism was developed for treating reactions with very general basis functions including electronically excited states. Our formalism is based on the generalized Newton, scattered wave, and outgoing wave variational principles that were used previously for reactive collisions on a single potential energy surface, and it incorporates three new features: (1) the basis functions include electronic degrees of freedom, as required to treat reactions involving electronic excitation and two or more coupled potential energy surfaces; (2) the primitive electronic basis is assumed to be diabatic, and it is not assumed that it diagonalizes the electronic Hamiltonian even asymptotically; and (3) contracted basis functions for vibrational-rotational-orbital degrees of freedom are included in a very general way, similar to previous prescriptions for locally adiabatic functions in various quantum scattering algorithms.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sulyma, Christopher Michael
This report will investigate fundamental properties of materials involved in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. Individual materials (one at a time) are studied in different electrochemical environmental solutions to better understand the kinetics associated with the polishing process. Each system tries to simulate a real CMP environment in order to compare our findings with what is currently used in industry. To accomplish this, a variety of techniques are used. The voltage pulse modulation technique is useful for electrochemical processing of metal and alloy surfaces by utilizing faradaic reactions like electrodeposition and electrodissolution. A theoretical framework is presented in chapter 4 to facilitate quantitative analysis of experimental data (current transients) obtained in this approach. A typical application of this analysis is demonstrated for an experimental system involving electrochemical removal of copper surface layers, a relatively new process for abrasive-free electrochemical mechanical planarization of copper lines used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Voltage pulse modulated electrodissolution of Cu in the absence of mechanical polishing is activated in an acidic solution of oxalic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The current generated by each applied voltage step shows a sharp spike, followed by a double-exponential decay, and eventually attains the rectangular shape of the potential pulses. For the second system in chapter 5, open-circuit potential measurements, cyclic voltammetry and Fourier transform impedance spectroscopy have been used to study pH dependent surface reactions of Cu and Ta rotating disc electrodes (RDEs) in aqueous solutions of succinic acid (SA, a complexing agent), hydrogen peroxide (an oxidizer), and ammonium dodecyl sulfate (ADS, a corrosion inhibitor for Cu). The surface chemistries of these systems are relevant for the development of a single-slurry approach to chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of Cu lines and Ta barriers in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. It is shown that in non-alkaline solutions of H2O2, the SA-promoted surface complexes of Cu and Ta can potentially support chemically enhanced material removal in low-pressure CMP of surface topographies overlying fragile low-k dielectrics. ADS can suppress Cu dissolution without significantly affecting the surface chemistry of Ta. Chapter 6 discusses anodic corrosion of Ta, which is examined as a possible route to voltage induced removal of Ta for potential applications in electrochemical mechanical planarization (ECMP) of diffusion barriers. This strategy involves electro-oxidation of Ta in the presence of NO3- anions to form mechanically weak surface oxide films, followed by removal of the oxide layers by moderate mechanical abrasion. This NO3 - system is compared with a reference solution of Br -. In both electrolytes, the voltammetric currents of anodic oxidation exhibit oscillatory behaviors in the initial cycles of slow (5 mV s-1) voltage scans. The frequencies of these current oscillations are show signature attributes of localized pitting or general surface corrosion caused by Br- or NO3 -, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, polarization resistance measurements, and time resolved Fourier transform impedance spectroscopy provide additional details about these corrosion mechanism. Apart from their relevance in the context of ECMP, the results also address certain fundamental aspects of pitting and general corrosions. The general protocols necessary to combine and analyze the results of D.C. and A.C. electrochemical measurements involving such valve metal corrosion systems are discussed in detail. In chapter 7 potassium salts of certain oxyanions (nitrate, sulfate and phosphate in particular) are shown to serve as effective surface-modifying agents in chemically enhanced, low-pressure chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of Ta and TaN barrier layers for interconnect structures. The surface reactions that form the basis of this CMP strategy are investigated here in detail using the electrochemical techniques of cyclic voltammetry, open circuit potential analysis, polarization resistance measurements, and Fourier transform impedance spectroscopy. The results suggest that forming structurally weak oxide layers on the CMP samples is a key to achieving the goal of chemically controlled CMP of Ta/TaN at low down-pressures. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)