Assessing the effect of sodium dichloroisocyanurate concentration on transfer of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in wash water for production of minimally processed iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

PubMed

Maffei, D F; Sant'Ana, A S; Monteiro, G; Schaffner, D W; Franco, B D G M

2016-06-01

This study evaluated the impact of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 250 mg l(-1) ) in wash water on transfer of Salmonella Typhimurium from contaminated lettuce to wash water and then to other noncontaminated lettuces washed sequentially in the same water. Experiments were designed mimicking the conditions commonly seen in minimally processed vegetable (MPV) processing plants in Brazil. The scenarios were as follows: (1) Washing one inoculated lettuce portion in nonchlorinated water, followed by washing 10 noninoculated portions sequentially. (2) Washing one inoculated lettuce portion in chlorinated water followed by washing five noninoculated portions sequentially. (3) Washing five inoculated lettuce portions in chlorinated water sequentially, followed by washing five noninoculated portions sequentially. (4) Washing five noninoculated lettuce portions in chlorinated water sequentially, followed by washing five inoculated portions sequentially and then by washing five noninoculated portions sequentially in the same water. Salm. Typhimurium transfer from inoculated lettuce to wash water and further dissemination to noninoculated lettuces occurred when nonchlorinated water was used (scenario 1). When chlorinated water was used (scenarios 2, 3 and 4), no measurable Salm. Typhimurium transfer occurred if the sanitizer was ≥10 mg l(-1) . Use of sanitizers in correct concentrations is important to minimize the risk of microbial transfer during MPV washing. In this study, the impact of sodium dichloroisocyanurate in the wash water on transfer of Salmonella Typhimurium from inoculated lettuce to wash water and then to other noninoculated lettuces washed sequentially in the same water was evaluated. The use of chlorinated water, at concentration above 10 mg l(-1) , effectively prevented Salm. Typhimurium transfer under several different washing scenarios. Conversely, when nonchlorinated water was used, Salm. Typhimurium transfer occurred in up to at least 10 noninoculated batches of lettuce washed sequentially in the same water. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Intercellular Transfer of a Soluble Viral Superantigen

PubMed Central

Reilly, Melissa; Mix, Denise; Reilly, Andrew A.; Yang Ye, Xiang; Winslow, Gary M.

2000-01-01

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) superantigens (vSAgs) can undergo intercellular transfer in vivo and in vitro such that a vSAg can be presented to T cells by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II proteins on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that do not express the superantigen. This process may allow T-cell activation to occur prior to viral infection. Consistent with these findings, vSAg produced by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was readily transferred to class II IE and IA (H-2k and H-2d) proteins on a B-cell lymphoma or mouse splenocytes. Fixed class II-expressing acceptor cells were used to demonstrate that the vSAg, but not the class II proteins, underwent intercellular transfer, indicating that vSAg binding to class II MHC could occur directly at the cell surface. Intercellular transfer also occurred efficiently to splenocytes from endogenous retrovirus-free mice, indicating that other proviral proteins were not involved. Presentation of vSAg7 produced by a class II-negative, furin protease-deficient CHO variant (FD11) was unsuccessful, indicating that proteolytic processing was a requisite event and that proteolytic activity could not be provided by an endoprotease on the acceptor APC. Furthermore, vSAg presentation was effected using cell-free supernatant from class II-negative, vSAg-positive cells, indicating that a soluble molecule, most likely produced by proteolytic processing, was sufficient to stimulate T cells. Because the membrane-proximal endoproteolytic cleavage site in the vSAg (residues 68 to 71) was not necessary for intercellular transfer, the data support the notion that the carboxy-terminal endoproteolytic cleavage product is an active vSAg moiety. PMID:10954523

Signatures of Förster and Dexter transfer processes in coupled nanostructures for linear and two-dimensional coherent optical spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Specht, Judith F.; Richter, Marten

2015-03-01

In this manuscript, we study the impact of the two Coulomb induced resonance energy transfer processes, Förster and Dexter coupling, on the spectral signatures obtained by double quantum coherence spectroscopy. We show that the specific coupling characteristics allow us to identify the underlying excitation transfer mechanism by means of specific signatures in coherent spectroscopy. Therefore, we control the microscopic calculated coupling strength of spin preserving and spin flipping Förster transfer processes by varying the mutual orientation of the two quantum emitters. The calculated spectra reveal the optical selection rules altered by Förster and Dexter coupling between two semiconductor quantum dots. We show that Dexter coupling between bright and dark two-exciton states occurs.

Using dual-process theory and analogical transfer to explain facilitation on a hypothetico-deductive reasoning task.

PubMed

Koenig, Cynthia S; Platt, Richard D; Griggs, Richard A

2007-07-01

Using the analogical transfer paradigm, the present study investigated the competing explanations of Girotto and Legrenzi (Psychological Research 51: 129-135, 1993) and Griggs, Platt, Newstead, and Jackson (Thinking and Reasoning 4: 1-14, 1998) for facilitation on the SARS version of the THOG problem, a hypothetico-deductive reasoning task. Girotto and Legrenzi argue that facilitation is based on logical analysis of the task [System 2 reasoning in Evans's (Trends in Cognitive Sciences 7: 454-459, 2003) dual-process account of reasoning] while Griggs et al. maintain that facilitation is due to an attentional heuristic produced by the wording of the problem (System 1 reasoning). If Girotto and Legrenzi are correct, then System 2 reasoning, which is volitional and responsible for deductive reasoning, should be elicited, and participants should comprehend the solution principle of the THOG task and exhibit analogical transfer. However, if Griggs et al. are correct, then System 1 reasoning, which is responsible for heuristic problem solving strategies such as an attentional heuristic, should occur, and participants should not abstract the solution principle and transfer should not occur. Significant facilitation (68 and 82% correct) was only observed for the two SARS source problems, but significant analogical transfer did not occur. This lack of transfer suggests that System 1 reasoning was responsible for the facilitation observed in the SARS problem, supporting Griggs et al.'s attentional heuristic explanation. The present results also underscore the explanatory value of using analogical transfer rather than facilitation as the criterion for problem understanding.

Multisensory perceptual learning of temporal order: audiovisual learning transfers to vision but not audition.

PubMed

Alais, David; Cass, John

2010-06-23

An outstanding question in sensory neuroscience is whether the perceived timing of events is mediated by a central supra-modal timing mechanism, or multiple modality-specific systems. We use a perceptual learning paradigm to address this question. Three groups were trained daily for 10 sessions on an auditory, a visual or a combined audiovisual temporal order judgment (TOJ). Groups were pre-tested on a range TOJ tasks within and between their group modality prior to learning so that transfer of any learning from the trained task could be measured by post-testing other tasks. Robust TOJ learning (reduced temporal order discrimination thresholds) occurred for all groups, although auditory learning (dichotic 500/2000 Hz tones) was slightly weaker than visual learning (lateralised grating patches). Crossmodal TOJs also displayed robust learning. Post-testing revealed that improvements in temporal resolution acquired during visual learning transferred within modality to other retinotopic locations and orientations, but not to auditory or crossmodal tasks. Auditory learning did not transfer to visual or crossmodal tasks, and neither did it transfer within audition to another frequency pair. In an interesting asymmetry, crossmodal learning transferred to all visual tasks but not to auditory tasks. Finally, in all conditions, learning to make TOJs for stimulus onsets did not transfer at all to discriminating temporal offsets. These data present a complex picture of timing processes. The lack of transfer between unimodal groups indicates no central supramodal timing process for this task; however, the audiovisual-to-visual transfer cannot be explained without some form of sensory interaction. We propose that auditory learning occurred in frequency-tuned processes in the periphery, precluding interactions with more central visual and audiovisual timing processes. Functionally the patterns of featural transfer suggest that perceptual learning of temporal order may be optimised to object-centered rather than viewer-centered constraints.

Succession Planning and Knowledge Transfer in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossman, Connie S.

2014-01-01

A leadership gap is occurring as the result of Baby Boomer retirements coupled with the lack of academic succession planning. Transferring organizational knowledge from leadership to successors is a challenging task during leadership change. Succession planning processes are designed for present and future organizational needs by facilitating…

Implementing AORN recommended practices for transfer of patient care information.

PubMed

Seifert, Patricia C

2012-11-01

The Joint Commission estimates that 80% of serious medical errors are associated with miscommunication during patient transfers. Patient transfers may occur between a wide array of settings: between physicians' offices or preoperative areas and traditional ORs or ambulatory settings, between emergency departments or interventional suites and the OR, and between other areas where the exchange of patient information occurs. AORN's "Recommended practices for transfer of patient care information" serves as a guide for establishing achievable practices that promote a safe level of care during perioperative patient transfers. Strategies for the successful implementation of the recommended practices include promoting teamwork, including with the patient and the patient's family members; developing effective communication skills; documenting processes; creating and adhering to policies and procedures; and establishing quality management programs. Copyright © 2012 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Terminal zone glacial sediment transfer at a temperate overdeepened glacier system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swift, D. A.; Cook, S. J.; Graham, D. J.; Midgley, N. G.; Fallick, A. E.; Storrar, R.; Toubes Rodrigo, M.; Evans, D. J. A.

2018-01-01

Continuity of sediment transfer through glacial systems is essential to maintain subglacial bedrock erosion, yet transfer at temperate glaciers with overdeepened beds, where subglacial fluvial sediment transport should be greatly limited by adverse slopes, remains poorly understood. Complex multiple transfer processes in temperate overdeepened systems has been indicated by the presence of large frontal moraine systems, supraglacial debris of mixed transport origin, thick basal ice sequences, and englacial thrusts and eskers. At Svínafellsjökull, thrusts comprising decimetre-thick debris-rich bands of stratified facies ice of basal origin, with a coarser size distribution and higher clast content than that observed in basal ice layers, contribute substantially to the transfer of subglacial material in the terminal zone. Entrainment and transfer of material occurs by simple shear along the upper surface of bands and by strain-induced deformation of stratified and firnified glacier ice below. Thrust material includes rounded and well-rounded clasts that are also striated, indicating that fluvial bedload is deposited as subglacial channels approach the overdeepening and then entrained along thrusts. Substantial transfer also occurs within basal ice, with facies type and debris content dependent on the hydrological connectedness of the adverse slope. A process model of transfer at glaciers with terminal overdeepenings is proposed, in which the geometry of the overdeepening influences spatial patterns of ice deformation, hydrology, and basal ice formation. We conclude that the significance of thrusting in maintaining sediment transfer continuity has likely been overlooked by glacier sediment budgets and glacial landscape evolution studies.

'Best practice' development and transfer in the NHS: the importance of process as well as product knowledge.

PubMed

Newell, Sue; Edelman, Linda; Scarbrough, Harry; Swan, Jacky; Bresnen, Mike

2003-02-01

A core prescription from the knowledge management movement is that the successful management of organizational knowledge will prevent firms from 'reinventing the wheel', in particular through the transfer of 'best practices'. Our findings challenge this logic. They suggest instead that knowledge is emergent and enacted in practice, and that normally those involved in a given practice have only a partial understanding of the overall practice. Generating knowledge about current practice is therefore a precursor to changing that practice. In this sense, knowledge transfer does not occur independently of or in sequence to knowledge generation, but instead the process of knowledge generation and its transfer are inexorably intertwined. Thus, rather than transferring 'product' knowledge about the new 'best practice' per se, our analysis suggests that it is more useful to transfer 'process' knowledge about effective ways to generate the knowledge of existing practice, which is the essential starting point for attempts to change that practice.

Fuel conditioning facility zone-to-zone transfer administrative controls.

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

Pope, C. L.

2000-06-21

The administrative controls associated with transferring containers from one criticality hazard control zone to another in the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) are described. FCF, located at the ANL-West site near Idaho Falls, Idaho, is used to remotely process spent sodium bonded metallic fuel for disposition. The process involves nearly forty widely varying material forms and types, over fifty specific use container types, and over thirty distinct zones where work activities occur. During 1999, over five thousand transfers from one zone to another were conducted. Limits are placed on mass, material form and type, and container typesmore » for each zone. Ml material and containers are tracked using the Mass Tracking System (MTG). The MTG uses an Oracle database and numerous applications to manage the database. The database stores information specific to the process, including material composition and mass, container identification number and mass, transfer history, and the operators involved in each transfer. The process is controlled using written procedures which specify the zone, containers, and material involved in a task. Transferring a container from one zone to another is called a zone-to-zone transfer (ZZT). ZZTs consist of four distinct phases, select, request, identify, and completion.« less

Cognitive Process in Second Language Reading: Transfer of L1 Reading Skills and Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koda, Keiko

1988-01-01

Experiments with skilled readers (N=83) from four native-language orthographic backgrounds examined the effects of: (1) blocked visual or auditory information on lexical decision-making; and (2) heterographic homophones on reading comprehension. Native and second language transfer does occur in second language reading, and orthographic structure…

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

Lobo, R.; Revah, S.; Viveros-Garcia, T.

An analysis of the local processes occurring in a trickle-bed bioreactor (TBB) with a first-order bioreaction shows that the identification of the TBB operating regime requires knowledge of the substrate concentration in the liquid phase. If the substrate liquid concentration is close to 0, the rate-controlling step is mass transfer at the gas-liquid interface; when it is close to the value in equilibrium with the gas phase, the controlling step is the phenomena occurring in the biofilm, CS{sub 2} removal rate data obtained in a TBB with a Thiobacilii consortia biofilm are analyzed to obtain the mass transfer and kineticmore » parameters, and to show that the bioreactor operates in a regime mainly controlled by mass transfer. A TBB model with two experimentally determined parameters is developed and used to show how the bioreactor size depends on the rate-limiting step, the absorption factor, the substrate fractional conversion, and on the gas and liquid contact pattern. Under certain conditions, the TBB size is independent of the flowing phases` contact pattern. The model effectively describes substrate gas and liquid concentration data for mass transfer and biodegradation rate controlled processes.« less

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

Bhattacharyya, K.; Das, P.K.

In the course of benzophenone triplet quenching by triethylamine (TEA) at high concentrations in alkaline aqueous acetonitrile, two temporally distinct processes are observed for ketyl radical anion formation. The fast component occurs on a nanosecond time scale, has kinetics sensitive to basicity and water content of the medium, and is ascribed to the deprotonation of the diphenylhydroxymethyl radical initially produced as a result of subnanosecond intra-ion-pair proton transfer. The slow process occurs on a microsecond time scale and is characterized by pseudo-first-order rate constants linearly dependent on ketone ground-state concentration; this is assigned to the one-electron reduction of the ketonemore » by the methyl(diethylamino)methyl radical (derived from TEA). Substituent effects on the kinetics of the two processes follow trends expected from those of the acidity of diarylhydroxymethyl radicals and of the behavior of diaryl ketones as oxidants. Neither of the two processes is observed with N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) and 1,4-diazabicyclo(2.2.2)octane (DABCO) as quenchers. The electron or hydrogen transfer yields in the course of diaryl ketone triplet quenching by the three amines are all close to unity, suggesting that the back electron transfer in the triplet ion pairs is relatively unimportant.« less

Acquiring skill at medical image inspection: learning localized in early visual processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowden, Paul T.; Davies, Ian R. L.; Roling, Penny; Watt, Simon J.

1997-04-01

Acquisition of the skill of medical image inspection could be due to changes in visual search processes, 'low-level' sensory learning, and higher level 'conceptual learning.' Here, we report two studies that investigate the extent to which learning in medical image inspection involves low- level learning. Early in the visual processing pathway cells are selective for direction of luminance contrast. We exploit this in the present studies by using transfer across direction of contrast as a 'marker' to indicate the level of processing at which learning occurs. In both studies twelve observers trained for four days at detecting features in x- ray images (experiment one equals discs in the Nijmegen phantom, experiment two equals micro-calcification clusters in digitized mammograms). Half the observers examined negative luminance contrast versions of the images and the remainder examined positive contrast versions. On the fifth day, observers swapped to inspect their respective opposite contrast images. In both experiments leaning occurred across sessions. In experiment one, learning did not transfer across direction of luminance contrast, while in experiment two there was only partial transfer. These findings are consistent with the contention that some of the leaning was localized early in the visual processing pathway. The implications of these results for current medical image inspection training schedules are discussed.

The half-wave rectifier response of the magnetosphere and antiparallel merging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crooker, N. U.

1980-01-01

In some ways the magnetosphere behaves as if merging occurs only when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is southward, and in other ways it behaves as if merging occurs for all IMF orientations. An explanation of this duality is offered in terms of a geometrical antiparallel merging model which predicts merging for all IMF orientations but magnetic flux transfer to the tail only for southward IMF. This is in contrast to previous models of component merging, where merging and flux transfer occur together for nearly all IMF orientations. That the problematic duality can be explained by the model is compelling evidence that antiparallel merging should be seriously considered in constructing theories of the merging process.

Long-lived, charge-shift states in heterometallic, porphyrin-based dendrimers formed via click chemistry.

PubMed

Le Pleux, Loïc; Pellegrin, Yann; Blart, Errol; Odobel, Fabrice; Harriman, Anthony

2011-05-26

A series of multiporphyrin clusters has been synthesized and characterized in which there exists a logical gradient for either energy or electron transfer between the porphyrins. A central free-base porphyrin (FbP), for example, is equipped with peripheral zinc(II) porphyrins (ZnP) which act as ancillary light harvesters and transfer excitation energy to the FbP under visible light illumination. Additional energy-transfer steps occur at the triplet level, and the series is expanded by including magnesium(II) porphyrins and/or tin(IV) porphyrins as chromophores. Light-induced electron transfer is made possible by incorporating a gold(III) porphyrin (AuP(+)) into the array. Although interesting by themselves, these clusters serve as control compounds by which to understand the photophysical processes occurring within a three-stage dendrimer comprising an AuP(+) core, a second layer formed from four FbP units, and an outer layer containing 12 ZnP residues. Here, illumination into a peripheral ZnP leads to highly efficient electronic energy transfer to FbP, followed by charge transfer to the central AuP(+). Charge recombination within the resultant charge-shift state is intercepted by secondary hole transfer to the ZnP, which occurs with a quantum yield of around 20%. The final charge-shift state survives for some microseconds in fluid solution at room temperature.

Resolving components of wind accreting systems: a case study of Mira AB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karovska, M.

2004-12-01

Mass transfer in many systems occurs by wind interaction rather then by tidal interaction, because the primary does not fill its Roche surface. The nearby detached binary Mira AB provides a unique laboratory for studying wind accretion processes because this system can be resolved and the interacting components can be studied individually, which is not possible in most accreting systems. The study of Mira AB wind accretion and mass transfer may therefore help understand the accretion processes in many other astronomical systems.

Transfer and scaffolding of perceptual grouping occurs across organizing principles in 3- to 7-month-old infants.

PubMed

Quinn, Paul C; Bhatt, Ramesh S

2009-08-01

Previous research has demonstrated that organizational principles become functional over different time courses of development: Lightness similarity is available at 3 months of age, but form similarity is not readily in evidence until 6 months of age. We investigated whether organization would transfer across principles and whether perceptual scaffolding can occur from an already functional principle to a not-yet-operational principle. Six- to 7-month-old infants (Experiment 1) and 3- to 4-month-old infants (Experiment 2) who were familiarized with arrays of elements organized by lightness similarity displayed a subsequent visual preference for a novel organization defined by form similarity. Results with the older infants demonstrate transfer in perceptual grouping: The organization defined by one grouping principle can direct a visual preference for a novel organization defined by a different grouping principle. Findings with the younger infants suggest that learning based on an already functional organizational process enables an organizational process that is not yet functional through perceptual scaffolding.

Efficient Auger Charge-Transfer Processes in ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stehr, J. E.; Chen, S. L.; Svensson, B. G.; Buyanova, I. A.; Chen, W. M.

2018-05-01

Photoluminescence and magneto-optical measurements are performed on a line peaking at 3.354 eV (labeled as NBX) in electron-irradiated ZnO. Even though the energy position of the NBX line is close to that for bound excitons in ZnO, it has distinctively different magneto-optical properties. Photoelectron paramagnetic resonance measurements reveal a connection and a charge-transfer process involving NBX and Fe and Al centers. The experimental results are explained within a model which assumes that the NBX is a neutral donor bound exciton at a defect center located near a Fe impurity and an Auger-type charge-transfer process occurs between NBX and Fe3 + . While the NBX dissociates, its hole is captured by an excited state of Fe3 + and the released energy is transferred to the NBX electron, which is excited to the conduction band and subsequently trapped by a substitutional AlZn shallow donor.

Modeling time-coincident ultrafast electron transfer and solvation processes at molecule-semiconductor interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lesheng; Giokas, Paul G.; Kanai, Yosuke; Moran, Andrew M.

2014-06-01

Kinetic models based on Fermi's Golden Rule are commonly employed to understand photoinduced electron transfer dynamics at molecule-semiconductor interfaces. Implicit in such second-order perturbative descriptions is the assumption that nuclear relaxation of the photoexcited electron donor is fast compared to electron injection into the semiconductor. This approximation breaks down in systems where electron transfer transitions occur on 100-fs time scale. Here, we present a fourth-order perturbative model that captures the interplay between time-coincident electron transfer and nuclear relaxation processes initiated by light absorption. The model consists of a fairly small number of parameters, which can be derived from standard spectroscopic measurements (e.g., linear absorbance, fluorescence) and/or first-principles electronic structure calculations. Insights provided by the model are illustrated for a two-level donor molecule coupled to both (i) a single acceptor level and (ii) a density of states (DOS) calculated for TiO2 using a first-principles electronic structure theory. These numerical calculations show that second-order kinetic theories fail to capture basic physical effects when the DOS exhibits narrow maxima near the energy of the molecular excited state. Overall, we conclude that the present fourth-order rate formula constitutes a rigorous and intuitive framework for understanding photoinduced electron transfer dynamics that occur on the 100-fs time scale.

Electron Transfer from Triplet State of TIPS-Pentacene Generated by Singlet Fission Processes to CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite.

PubMed

Lee, Sangsu; Hwang, Daesub; Jung, Seok Il; Kim, Dongho

2017-02-16

To reveal the applicability of singlet fission processes in perovskite solar cell, we investigated electron transfer from TIPS-pentacene to CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (MAPbI 3 ) perovskite in film phase. Through the observation of the shorter fluorescence lifetime in TIPS-pentacene/MAPbI 3 perovskite bilayer film (5 ns) compared with pristine MAPbI 3 perovskite film (20 ns), we verified electron-transfer processes between TIPS-pentacene and MAPbI 3 perovskite. Furthermore, the observation of singlet fission processes, a faster decay rate, TIPS-pentacene cations, and the analysis of kinetic profiles of the intensity ratio between 500 and 525 nm in the TA spectra of the TIPS-pentacene/MAPbI 3 perovskite bilayer film indicate that electron transfer occurs from triplet state of TIPS-pentacene generated by singlet fission processes to MAPbI 3 perovskite conduction band. We believe that our results can provide useful information on the design of solar cells sensitized by singlet fission processes and pave the way for new types of perovskite solar cells.

Should copyright be transferred before a manuscript is accepted?

PubMed

Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A

2017-10-01

Academic journals that undergo a process of academic scrutiny often pass a stage of peer review and subsequent editorial approval. In a process that can take weeks or months (in some cases, even years), an author aims to satisfy the requirements of peer reviewer and editorial scrutiny that would merit publication of their work. It is customary to, in traditional, non-open access journals, to then sign over copyright to the publisher, upon which the publisher then issues a proof, and the manuscript is then published. Even though it is obvious that an author would not submit to a journal with the objective of having it rejected, the issue of the timing of copyright transfer is one which does not appear to have been discussed in the literature, possibly because the order of transfer, i.e., after acceptance of a paper for publication, seems naturally logical. With the modernization of online submission systems, the transfer of copyright tends to occur online, after acceptance. However, on occasion, some journals request the transfer of copyright before peer review and editorial processing occurs, i.e., upon the act of submission. This letter examines three cases of Springer Nature plant science journals that demand the transfer of copyright to the journal's society upon submission, in direct violation of their instructions for authors. Authors have no right to challenge this discrepancy, nor can they complete submission in accordance with the instructions for authors because they are forced to submit copyright upon submission. Not only does transfer of copyright at such an early stage of the publishing process constitute a waste of authors' time-a precious commodity in a cut-throat field of science-in the three cases indicated in this paper, they may constitute a violation of authors' rights. The ethics of this request by the journals and publisher need to be debated.

Energy transfer dynamics in Light-Harvesting Dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melinger, Joseph S.; McMorrow, Dale; Kleiman, Valeria D.

2002-03-01

We explore energy transfer dynamics in light-harvesting phenylacetylene symmetric and asymmetric dendrimers. Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy is used to probe the ultrafast dynamics of electronic excitations in these dendrimers. The backbone of the macromolecule consists of branches of increasing conjugation length, creating an energy gradient, which funnels energy to an accepting perylene trap. In the case of the symmetric dendrimer (nanostar), the energy transfer efficiency is known to approach nearly unity, although the nature and timescale of the energy transfer process is still unknown. For the asymmetric dendrimers, energy transfer efficiencies are very high, with the possibility of more complex transfer processes. We experimentally monitor the transport of excitons through the light-harvesting dendrimer. The transients show a number of components, with timescales ranging from <300fs to several tens of picoseconds, revealing the complex photophysics taking place in these macromolecules. We interpret our results in terms of the Förster mechanism in which energy transfer occurs through dipole-dipole interactions.

Copper-containing monooxygenases: enzymatic and biomimetic studies of the O-atom transfer catalysis.

PubMed

Blain, Ingrid; Slama, Patrick; Giorgi, Michel; Tron, Thierry; Réglier, Marius

2002-04-01

This review reports our recent studies or the mechanism of O-atom transfer to a benzylic C-H bond promoted by Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase (DBH) and its biomimetic models. We demonstrate that it is possible to carry out parallel and comparative studies on this enzyme (DBH) and its biomimetic models with the same substrate: 2-aminoindane (3). It was chosen because its two stereogenic centers, both in benzylic positions, make it very powerful for studying the stereochemistry of an O-atom transfer reaction. DBH-catalyzed hydroxylation of 3 produced exclusively 14% of trans-(1S,2S)-2-amino-1-indanol (4) (93% ee). Studies with stereospecifically deuterium-labeled 2-aminoindanes (1R,2S)-3b and (1S,2S)-3a showed that the formation of 4 was the rcsult of an overall process with retention of configuration where an O-atom is stereospecifically inserted in the trans pro-S position of the substrate. With copper(I) and (II) complexes of IndPY2 ligands we studied the reaction with dioxygen and observed an O-atom transfer to a benzylic C-H bond which was performed in the same manner as that of DBH. With the deuterium-labeled cis-2-d-IndPY2 ligand, we demonstrated that the reaction occurs by a stereospecific process with retention of configuration. In both cases (enzymatic vs. biomimetic) the O-atom transfers occur in a two-step process involving radical intermediates.

How pinning and contact angle hysteresis govern quasi-static liquid drop transfer.

PubMed

Chen, H; Tang, T; Zhao, H; Law, K-Y; Amirfazli, A

2016-02-21

This paper presents both experimental and numerical simulations of liquid transfer between two solid surfaces with contact angle hysteresis (CAH). Systematic studies on the role of the advancing contact angle (θa), receding contact angle (θr) and CAH in determining the transfer ratio (volume of the liquid transferred onto the acceptor surface over the total liquid volume) and the maximum adhesion force (Fmax) were performed. The transfer ratio was found to be governed by contact line pinning at the end of the transfer process caused by CAH of surfaces. A map based on θr of the two surfaces was generated to identify the three regimes for liquid transfer: (I) contact line pinning occurs only on the donor surface, (II) contact line pinning occurs on both surfaces, and (III) contact line pinning occurs only on the acceptor surface. With this map, an empirical equation is provided which is able to estimate the transfer ratio by only knowing θr of the two surfaces. The value of Fmax is found to be strongly influenced by the contact line pinning in the early stretching stage. For symmetric liquid bridges between two identical surfaces, Fmax may be determined only by θa, only by θr, or by both θa and θr, depending on the magnitude of the contact angles. For asymmetric bridges, Fmax is found to be affected by the period when contact lines are pinned on both surfaces.

Spectral kinetic energy transfer in turbulent premixed reacting flows.

PubMed

Towery, C A Z; Poludnenko, A Y; Urzay, J; O'Brien, J; Ihme, M; Hamlington, P E

2016-05-01

Spectral kinetic energy transfer by advective processes in turbulent premixed reacting flows is examined using data from a direct numerical simulation of a statistically planar turbulent premixed flame. Two-dimensional turbulence kinetic-energy spectra conditioned on the planar-averaged reactant mass fraction are computed through the flame brush and variations in the spectra are connected to terms in the spectral kinetic energy transport equation. Conditional kinetic energy spectra show that turbulent small-scale motions are suppressed in the burnt combustion products, while the energy content of the mean flow increases. An analysis of spectral kinetic energy transfer further indicates that, contrary to the net down-scale transfer of energy found in the unburnt reactants, advective processes transfer energy from small to large scales in the flame brush close to the products. Triadic interactions calculated through the flame brush show that this net up-scale transfer of energy occurs primarily at spatial scales near the laminar flame thermal width. The present results thus indicate that advective processes in premixed reacting flows contribute to energy backscatter near the scale of the flame.

Heat transfer, diffusion, and evaporation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nusselt, Wilhelm

1954-01-01

Although it has long been known that the differential equations of the heat-transfer and diffusion processes are identical, application to technical problems has only recently been made. In 1916 it was shown that the speed of oxidation of the carbon in iron ore depends upon the speed with which the oxygen of the combustion air diffuses through the core of gas surrounding the carbon surface. The identity previously referred to was then used to calculate the amount of oxygen diffusing to the carbon surface on the basis of the heat transfer between the gas stream and the carbon surface. Then in 1921, H. Thoma reversed that procedure; he used diffusion experiments to determine heat-transfer coefficients. Recently Lohrisch has extended this work by experiment. A technically very important application of the identity of heat transfer and diffusion is that of the cooling tower, since in this case both processes occur simultaneously.

Organic solar cells: understanding the role of Förster resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Feron, Krishna; Belcher, Warwick J; Fell, Christopher J; Dastoor, Paul C

2012-12-12

Organic solar cells have the potential to become a low-cost sustainable energy source. Understanding the photoconversion mechanism is key to the design of efficient organic solar cells. In this review, we discuss the processes involved in the photo-electron conversion mechanism, which may be subdivided into exciton harvesting, exciton transport, exciton dissociation, charge transport and extraction stages. In particular, we focus on the role of energy transfer as described by F¨orster resonance energy transfer (FRET) theory in the photoconversion mechanism. FRET plays a major role in exciton transport, harvesting and dissociation. The spectral absorption range of organic solar cells may be extended using sensitizers that efficiently transfer absorbed energy to the photoactive materials. The limitations of F¨orster theory to accurately calculate energy transfer rates are discussed. Energy transfer is the first step of an efficient two-step exciton dissociation process and may also be used to preferentially transport excitons to the heterointerface, where efficient exciton dissociation may occur. However, FRET also competes with charge transfer at the heterointerface turning it in a potential loss mechanism. An energy cascade comprising both energy transfer and charge transfer may aid in separating charges and is briefly discussed. Considering the extent to which the photo-electron conversion efficiency is governed by energy transfer, optimisation of this process offers the prospect of improved organic photovoltaic performance and thus aids in realising the potential of organic solar cells.

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

N.D. Francis

The objective of this calculation is to develop a time dependent in-drift effective thermal conductivity parameter that will approximate heat conduction, thermal radiation, and natural convection heat transfer using a single mode of heat transfer (heat conduction). In order to reduce the physical and numerical complexity of the heat transfer processes that occur (and must be modeled) as a result of the emplacement of heat generating wastes, a single parameter will be developed that approximates all forms of heat transfer from the waste package surface to the drift wall (or from one surface exchanging heat with another). Subsequently, with thismore » single parameter, one heat transfer mechanism (e.g., conduction heat transfer) can be used in the models. The resulting parameter is to be used as input in the drift-scale process-level models applied in total system performance assessments for the site recommendation (TSPA-SR). The format of this parameter will be a time-dependent table for direct input into the thermal-hydrologic (TH) and the thermal-hydrologic-chemical (THC) models.« less

Bacteriophage-associated gene transfer in pneumococcus: transduction or pseudotransduction?

PubMed Central

Porter, R D; Shoemaker, N B; Rampe, G; Guild, W R

1979-01-01

Lysates of pneumococcal phage PG24 transferred genes from one host to another in a process with many of the properties of generalized transduction, in that the host genes were packaged in DNase-resistant particles that closely resembled infectious phage in physical properties, adsorbed to the recipient cells like phage, and were inhibited by antisera to the phage and by trypsin. However, phage processes did not complete the transfer of host DNA as they did phage DNA. Instead, gene transfer required development of competence and entry of the host DNA by the endonuclease-dependent pathway used for transforming and transfecting DNA. This process often occurred on the assay plate hours after adsorption of the particles to the cells, and the transfer was DNase sensitive if challenged at this time. Phenotypic expression was therefore also delayed. The product of entry was like that in transformation, a single strand of DNA that integrates by formation of a hex-sensitive donor-recipient heteroduplex. Whether this gene transfer process is unique to this system or is only the first one described is not clear. The term "pseudotransduction" may be useful in calling attention to its unexpected features. The DNA of PG24 phage has anomalous physical properties reflecting unusual bases. Images PMID:33154

Electroluminescence Properties of IrQ(ppy)2 Dual-Emitter Organometallic Compound in Organic Light-Emitting Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciobotaru, Constantin Claudiu; Polosan, Silviu; Ciobotaru, Iulia Corina

2018-02-01

This paper reports the influence of the charge carrier mobility on the electroluminescent properties of a dual-emitter organometallic compound dispersed in two conjugated organic small-molecule host materials and embedded in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). The electroluminescent processes in OLEDs are strongly influenced by the host-guest interaction. The charge carrier mobility in the host material plays an important role in the electroluminescent processes but also depends on the triplet-triplet interaction with the organometallic compound. The low charge carrier mobility in 4,4'-bis( N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) host material reduces the electroluminescent processes, but they are slightly enhanced by the triplet-triplet exothermic charge transfer. The higher charge carrier mobility in the case of N, N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)- N, N'-diphenylbenzidine (TPD) host material influences the electroluminescent processes by the endothermic energy transfer at room temperature, which facilitates the triplet-triplet harvesting in the host-guest system. The excitation is transferred to the guest molecules by triplet-triplet interaction as a Dexter transfer, which occurs by endothermic transfer from the triplet exciton in the host to the triplet exciton in the guest.

HDL particles incorporate into lipid bilayers - a combined AFM and single molecule fluorescence microscopy study.

PubMed

Plochberger, Birgit; Röhrl, Clemens; Preiner, Johannes; Rankl, Christian; Brameshuber, Mario; Madl, Josef; Bittman, Robert; Ros, Robert; Sezgin, Erdinc; Eggeling, Christian; Hinterdorfer, Peter; Stangl, Herbert; Schütz, Gerhard J

2017-11-21

The process, how lipids are removed from the circulation and transferred from high density lipoprotein (HDL) - a main carrier of cholesterol in the blood stream - to cells, is highly complex. HDL particles are captured from the blood stream by the scavenger receptor, class B, type I (SR-BI), the so-called HDL receptor. The details in subsequent lipid-transfer process, however, have not yet been completely understood. The transfer has been proposed to occur directly at the cell surface across an unstirred water layer, via a hydrophobic channel in the receptor, or after HDL endocytosis. The role of the target lipid membrane for the transfer process, however, has largely been overlooked. Here, we studied at the single molecule level how HDL particles interact with synthetic lipid membranes. Using (high-speed) atomic force microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) we found out that, upon contact with the membrane, HDL becomes integrated into the lipid bilayer. Combined force and single molecule fluorescence microscopy allowed us to directly monitor the transfer process of fluorescently labelled amphiphilic lipid probe from HDL particles to the lipid bilayer upon contact.

Postphloem, Nonvascular Transfer in Citrus

PubMed Central

Koch, Karen E.; Avigne, Wayne T.

1990-01-01

Postphloem, nonvascular assimilate transport occurs over an unusually long area in citrus fruit and thus facilitates investigation of this process relative to sugar entry into many sink structures. Labeled photosynthates moving into juice tissues of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) slowed dramatically after entering the postphloem transport path (parenchyma cells, narrow portions of segment epidermis, and hair-like, parenchymatous stalks of juice sacs). Kinetic, metabolic, and compositional data indicated that transfer through the nonvascular area was delayed many hours by temporary storage and/or equilibration with sugars in compartments along the postphloem path. Labeled assimilates were generally recovered as sucrose throughout the path, and extent of hexose formation enroute bore no apparent relationship to the assimilate transfer process. Even after 24 hours, radiolabel was restricted to discrete, highly localized areas directly between vascular bundles and juice sacs. Postphloem transfer occurred against an ascending sucrose concentration gradient in young fruit, whereas a descending gradient (favoring diffusion/cytoplasmic streaming) developed only later in maturation. Involvement of a postphloem bulk flow is complicated in the present instance by the extremely limited water loss from juice sacs either via transpiration or fluid backflow. Nonetheless, tissue expansion can account for a collective water inflow of at least 1.0 milliliter per day throughout the majority of juice sac development, thus providing a modest, but potentially important means of nonvascular solution flow. Overall, data indicate postphloem transfer (a) can follow highly localized paths through sizable nonvascular areas (up to 3.0 centimeters total), (b) appears to involve temporary storage and/or equilibration with compartmentalized sugars enroute, (c) can occur either against an overall up-hill sugar gradient (young tissues) or along a descending gradient (near full expansion), and (d) appears to involve at least some contribution by nonvascular mass flow accommodated by tissue expansion. Images Figure 1 Figure 4 PMID:16667632

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

Peters, K.S.

The mechanism of the photoreduction of aromatic ketones by amines has been investigated using picosecond absorption spectroscopy. The experiments reveal that the process involves complete electron transfer occurring within a half-life of 20 picoseconds for benzophenone/Dabco and fluorenone/Dabco.

Double proton transfer behavior and one-electron oxidation effect in double H-bonded glycinamide-formic acid complex.

PubMed

Li, Ping; Bu, Yuxiang

2004-11-22

The behavior of double proton transfer occurring in a representative glycinamide-formic acid complex has been investigated at the B3LYP/6-311 + + G( * *) level of theory. Thermodynamic and, especially, kinetic parameters, such as tautomeric energy, equilibrium constant, and barrier heights have been discussed, respectively. The relevant quantities involved in the double proton transfer process, such as geometrical changes, interaction energies, and intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations have also been studied. Computational results show that the participation of a formic acid molecule favors the proceeding of the proton transfer for glycinamide compared with that without mediate-assisted case. The double proton transfer process proceeds with a concerted mechanism rather than a stepwise one since no ion-pair complexes have been located during the proton transfer process. The calculated barrier heights are 11.48 and 0.85 kcal/mol for the forward and reverse directions, respectively. However, both of them have been reduced by 2.95 and 2.61 kcal/mol to 8.53 and -1.76 kcal/mol if further inclusion of zero-point vibrational energy corrections, where the negative barrier height implies that the reverse reaction should proceed with barrierless spontaneously, analogous to that occurring between glycinamide and formamide. Furthermore, solvent effects on the thermodynamic and kinetic processes have also been predicted qualitatively employing the isodensity surface polarized continuum model within the framework of the self-consistent reaction field theory. Additionally, the oxidation process for the double H-bonded glycinamide-formic acid complex has also been investigated. Contrary to that neutral form possessing a pair of two parallel intermolecular H bonds, only a single H bond with a comparable strength has been found in its ionized form. The vertical and adiabatic ionization potentials for the neutral complex have been determined to be about 9.40 and 8.69 eV, respectively, where ionization is mainly localized on the glycinamide fragment. Like that ionized glycinamide-formamide complex, the proton transfer in the ionized complex is characterized by a single-well potential, implying that the proton initially attached to amide N4 in the glycinamide fragment cannot be transferred to carbonyl O13 in the formic acid fragment at the geometry of the optimized complex. Copyright 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Melanosome transfer to and translocation in the keratinocyte.

PubMed

Boissy, Raymond E

2003-01-01

Complexion coloration in humans is primarily regulated by the amount and type of melanin synthesized by the epidermal melanocyte. However, additional and equally contributing factors consist of (1) efficient transfer of melanin from the melanocytes to the neighboring keratinocytes and (2) distribution and degradation of the transferred melanosomes by the recipient keratinocytes. Once synthesized in the cell body of the epidermal melanocyte, pigmented melanosomes are translocated down the dendrites and captured at the dendritic tips via various cytoskeletal elements. Molecules recently identified that participate in this process consist of Rab27a, myosin-Va and melanophilin. Eventually, these peripherally localized melanosomes are transferred to keratinocytes by a presently undefined mechanism. The protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) and unidentified surface lectins and glycoproteins facilitate this transfer process. Once incorporated into the keratinocytes, melanosomes are distributed individually or as clusters, aggregated towards the apical pole of the nucleus, and degraded as the keratinocytes undergo terminal differentiation and desquamation. Ultraviolet irradiation (UVR) can modulate the process of melanosome transfer from the melanocytes to the keratinocytes. UVR can upregulate expression of PAR-2 and lectin-binding receptors and increase phagocytic activity of cultured keratinocytes. Therefore, many cellular and molecular events that occur after melanogenesis contribute to skin color.

Quantifying electron transfer reactions in biological systems: what interactions play the major role?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sjulstok, Emil; Olsen, Jógvan Magnus Haugaard; Solov'Yov, Ilia A.

2015-12-01

Various biological processes involve the conversion of energy into forms that are usable for chemical transformations and are quantum mechanical in nature. Such processes involve light absorption, excited electronic states formation, excitation energy transfer, electrons and protons tunnelling which for example occur in photosynthesis, cellular respiration, DNA repair, and possibly magnetic field sensing. Quantum biology uses computation to model biological interactions in light of quantum mechanical effects and has primarily developed over the past decade as a result of convergence between quantum physics and biology. In this paper we consider electron transfer in biological processes, from a theoretical view-point; namely in terms of quantum mechanical and semi-classical models. We systematically characterize the interactions between the moving electron and its biological environment to deduce the driving force for the electron transfer reaction and to establish those interactions that play the major role in propelling the electron. The suggested approach is seen as a general recipe to treat electron transfer events in biological systems computationally, and we utilize it to describe specifically the electron transfer reactions in Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome-a signaling photoreceptor protein that became attractive recently due to its possible function as a biological magnetoreceptor.

Organic light-emitting diodes for lighting: High color quality by controlling energy transfer processes in host-guest-systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weichsel, Caroline; Reineke, Sebastian; Furno, Mauro; Lüssem, Björn; Leo, Karl

2012-02-01

Exciton generation and transfer processes in a multilayer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) are studied in order to realize OLEDs with warm white color coordinates and high color-rendering index (CRI). We investigate a host-guest-system containing four phosphorescent emitters and two matrix materials with different transport properties. We show, by time-resolved spectroscopy, that an energy back-transfer from the blue emitter to the matrix materials occurs, which can be used to transport excitons to the other emitter molecules. Furthermore, we investigate the excitonic and electronic transfer processes by designing suitable emission layer stacks. As a result, we obtain an OLED with Commission Internationale de lÉclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.444;0.409), a CRI of 82, and a spectrum independent of the applied current. The OLED shows an external quantum efficiency of 10% and a luminous efficacy of 17.4 lm/W at 1000 cd/m2.

Metal-to-metal charge transfer between dopant and host ions: Photoconductivity of Yb-doped CaF{sub 2} and SrF{sub 2} crystals

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

Barandiarán, Zoila, E-mail: zoila.barandiaran@uam.es; Seijo, Luis; Instituto Universitario de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center

2015-10-14

Dopant-to-host electron transfer is calculated using ab initio wavefunction-based embedded cluster methods for Yb/Ca pairs in CaF{sub 2} and Yb/Sr pairs in SrF{sub 2} crystals to investigate the mechanism of photoconductivity. The results show that, in these crystals, dopant-to-host electron transfer is a two-photon process mediated by the 4f{sup N−1}5d excited states of Y b{sup 2+}: these are reached by the first photon excitation; then, they absorb the second photon, which provokes the Y b{sup 2+} + Ca{sup 2+} (Sr{sup 2+}) → Y b{sup 3+} + Ca{sup +} (Sr{sup +}) electron phototransfer. This mechanism applies to all the observed Ymore » b{sup 2+} 4f–5d absorption bands with the exception of the first one: Electron transfer cannot occur at the first band wavelengths in CaF{sub 2}:Y b{sup 2+} because the Y b{sup 3+}–Ca{sup +} states are not reached by the two-photon absorption. In contrast, Yb-to-host electron transfer is possible in SrF{sub 2}:Y b{sup 2+} at the wavelengths of the first 4f–5d absorption band, but the mechanism is different from that described above: first, the two-photon excitation process occurs within the Y b{sup 2+} active center, then, non-radiative Yb-to-Sr electron transfer can occur. All of these features allow to interpret consistently available photoconductivity experiments in these materials, including the modulation of the photoconductivity by the absorption spectrum, the differences in photoconductivity thresholds observed in both hosts, and the peculiar photosensitivity observed in the SrF{sub 2} host, associated with the lowest 4f–5d band.« less

Organic Solar Cells: Understanding the Role of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

PubMed Central

Feron, Krishna; Belcher, Warwick J.; Fell, Christopher J.; Dastoor, Paul C.

2012-01-01

Organic solar cells have the potential to become a low-cost sustainable energy source. Understanding the photoconversion mechanism is key to the design of efficient organic solar cells. In this review, we discuss the processes involved in the photo-electron conversion mechanism, which may be subdivided into exciton harvesting, exciton transport, exciton dissociation, charge transport and extraction stages. In particular, we focus on the role of energy transfer as described by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) theory in the photoconversion mechanism. FRET plays a major role in exciton transport, harvesting and dissociation. The spectral absorption range of organic solar cells may be extended using sensitizers that efficiently transfer absorbed energy to the photoactive materials. The limitations of Förster theory to accurately calculate energy transfer rates are discussed. Energy transfer is the first step of an efficient two-step exciton dissociation process and may also be used to preferentially transport excitons to the heterointerface, where efficient exciton dissociation may occur. However, FRET also competes with charge transfer at the heterointerface turning it in a potential loss mechanism. An energy cascade comprising both energy transfer and charge transfer may aid in separating charges and is briefly discussed. Considering the extent to which the photo-electron conversion efficiency is governed by energy transfer, optimisation of this process offers the prospect of improved organic photovoltaic performance and thus aids in realising the potential of organic solar cells. PMID:23235328

Connecting the Library's Patron Database to Campus Administrative Software: Simplifying the Library's Accounts Receivable Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Astrid; Dahlquist, Janet; Tankersley, Jan; Emrich, Beth

2010-01-01

This article discusses the processes that occurred when the Library, Controller's Office, and Information Technology Department agreed to create an interface between the Library's Innovative Interfaces patron database and campus administrative software, Banner, using file transfer protocol, in an effort to streamline the Library's accounts…

Hardwiring microbes via direct interspecies electron transfer: mechanisms and applications.

PubMed

Cheng, Qiwen; Call, Douglas F

2016-08-10

Multicellular microbial communities are important catalysts in engineered systems designed to treat wastewater, remediate contaminated sediments, and produce energy from biomass. Understanding the interspecies interactions within them is therefore essential to design effective processes. The flow of electrons within these communities is especially important in the determination of reaction possibilities (thermodynamics) and rates (kinetics). Conventional models of electron transfer incorporate the diffusion of metabolites generated by one organism and consumed by a second, frequently referred to as mediated interspecies electron transfer (MIET). Evidence has emerged in the last decade that another method, called direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), may occur between organisms or in conjunction with electrically conductive materials. Recent research has suggested that DIET can be stimulated in engineered systems to improve desired treatment goals and energy recovery in systems such as anaerobic digesters and microbial electrochemical technologies. In this review, we summarize the latest understanding of DIET mechanisms, the associated microorganisms, and the underlying thermodynamics. We also critically examine approaches to stimulate DIET in engineered systems and assess their effectiveness. We find that in most cases attempts to promote DIET in mixed culture systems do not yield the improvements expected based on defined culture studies. Uncertainties of other processes that may be co-occurring in real systems, such as contaminant sorption and biofilm promotion, need to be further investigated. We conclude by identifying areas of future research related to DIET and its application in biological treatment processes.

Probing the rate-limiting step for intramolecular transfer of a transcription factor between specific sites on the same DNA molecule by (15)Nz-exchange NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ryu, Kyoung-Seok; Tugarinov, Vitali; Clore, G Marius

2014-10-15

The kinetics of translocation of the homeodomain transcription factor HoxD9 between specific sites of the same or opposite polarities on the same DNA molecule have been studied by (15)Nz-exchange NMR spectroscopy. We show that exchange occurs by two facilitated diffusion mechanisms: a second-order intermolecular exchange reaction between specific sites located on different DNA molecules without the protein dissociating into free solution that predominates at high concentrations of free DNA, and a first-order intramolecular process involving direct transfer between specific sites located on the same DNA molecule. Control experiments using a mixture of two DNA molecules, each possessing only a single specific site, indicate that transfer between specific sites by full dissociation of HoxD9 into solution followed by reassociation is too slow to measure by z-exchange spectroscopy. Intramolecular transfer with comparable rate constants occurs between sites of the same and opposing polarity, indicating that both rotation-coupled sliding and hopping/flipping (analogous to geminate recombination) occur. The half-life for intramolecular transfer (0.5-1 s) is many orders of magnitude larger than the calculated transfer time (1-100 μs) by sliding, leading us to conclude that the intramolecular transfer rates measured by z-exchange spectroscopy represent the rate-limiting step for a one-base-pair shift from the specific site to the immediately adjacent nonspecific site. At zero concentration of added salt, the intramolecular transfer rate constants between sites of opposing polarity are smaller than those between sites of the same polarity, suggesting that hopping/flipping may become rate-limiting at very low salt concentrations.

Research to practice in addiction treatment: key terms and a field-driven model of technology transfer.

PubMed

2011-09-01

The transfer of new technologies (e.g., evidence-based practices) into substance abuse treatment organizations often occurs long after they have been developed and shown to be effective. Transfer is slowed, in part, due to a lack of clear understanding about all that is needed to achieve full implementation of these technologies. Such misunderstanding is exacerbated by inconsistent terminology and overlapping models of an innovation, including its development and validation, dissemination to the public, and implementation or use in the field. For this reason, a workgroup of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network developed a field-driven conceptual model of the innovation process that more precisely defines relevant terms and concepts and integrates them into a comprehensive taxonomy. The proposed definitions and conceptual framework will allow for improved understanding and consensus regarding the distinct meaning and conceptual relationships between dimensions of the technology transfer process and accelerate the use of evidence-based practices. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of vibrational energy dissipation of free OH groups at the air-water interface.

PubMed

Hsieh, Cho-Shuen; Campen, R Kramer; Okuno, Masanari; Backus, Ellen H G; Nagata, Yuki; Bonn, Mischa

2013-11-19

Interfaces of liquid water play a critical role in a wide variety of processes that occur in biology, a variety of technologies, and the environment. Many macroscopic observations clarify that the properties of liquid water interfaces significantly differ from those of the bulk liquid. In addition to interfacial molecular structure, knowledge of the rates and mechanisms of the relaxation of excess vibrational energy is indispensable to fully understand physical and chemical processes of water and aqueous solutions, such as chemical reaction rates and pathways, proton transfer, and hydrogen bond dynamics. Here we elucidate the rate and mechanism of vibrational energy dissipation of water molecules at the air-water interface using femtosecond two-color IR-pump/vibrational sum-frequency probe spectroscopy. Vibrational relaxation of nonhydrogen-bonded OH groups occurs at a subpicosecond timescale in a manner fundamentally different from hydrogen-bonded OH groups in bulk, through two competing mechanisms: intramolecular energy transfer and ultrafast reorientational motion that leads to free OH groups becoming hydrogen bonded. Both pathways effectively lead to the transfer of the excited vibrational modes from free to hydrogen-bonded OH groups, from which relaxation readily occurs. Of the overall relaxation rate of interfacial free OH groups at the air-H2O interface, two-thirds are accounted for by intramolecular energy transfer, whereas the remaining one-third is dominated by the reorientational motion. These findings not only shed light on vibrational energy dynamics of interfacial water, but also contribute to our understanding of the impact of structural and vibrational dynamics on the vibrational sum-frequency line shapes of aqueous interfaces.

Mechanism of vibrational energy dissipation of free OH groups at the air–water interface

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Cho-Shuen; Campen, R. Kramer; Okuno, Masanari; Backus, Ellen H. G.; Nagata, Yuki; Bonn, Mischa

2013-01-01

Interfaces of liquid water play a critical role in a wide variety of processes that occur in biology, a variety of technologies, and the environment. Many macroscopic observations clarify that the properties of liquid water interfaces significantly differ from those of the bulk liquid. In addition to interfacial molecular structure, knowledge of the rates and mechanisms of the relaxation of excess vibrational energy is indispensable to fully understand physical and chemical processes of water and aqueous solutions, such as chemical reaction rates and pathways, proton transfer, and hydrogen bond dynamics. Here we elucidate the rate and mechanism of vibrational energy dissipation of water molecules at the air–water interface using femtosecond two-color IR-pump/vibrational sum-frequency probe spectroscopy. Vibrational relaxation of nonhydrogen-bonded OH groups occurs at a subpicosecond timescale in a manner fundamentally different from hydrogen-bonded OH groups in bulk, through two competing mechanisms: intramolecular energy transfer and ultrafast reorientational motion that leads to free OH groups becoming hydrogen bonded. Both pathways effectively lead to the transfer of the excited vibrational modes from free to hydrogen-bonded OH groups, from which relaxation readily occurs. Of the overall relaxation rate of interfacial free OH groups at the air–H2O interface, two-thirds are accounted for by intramolecular energy transfer, whereas the remaining one-third is dominated by the reorientational motion. These findings not only shed light on vibrational energy dynamics of interfacial water, but also contribute to our understanding of the impact of structural and vibrational dynamics on the vibrational sum-frequency line shapes of aqueous interfaces. PMID:24191016

Cyclopropyl conjugation and ketyl anions: when do things begin to fall apart?

PubMed

Tanko, J M; Li, Xiangzhong; Chahma, M'hamed; Jackson, Woodward F; Spencer, Jared N

2007-04-11

Results pertaining to the electrochemical reduction of 1,2-diacetylcyclopropane (5), 1-acetyl-2-phenylcyclopropane (6), 1-acetyl-2-benzoylcyclopropane (7), and 1,2-dibenzoylcyclopropane (8) are reported. While 6*- exists as a discrete species, the barrier to ring opening is very small (<1 kcal/mol) and the rate constant for ring opening is >10(7) s(-1). For 7 and 8, the additional resonance stabilization afforded by the benzoyl moieties results in significantly lower rate constants for ring opening, on the order of 10(5)-10(6) s(-1). Electron transfer to 8 serves to initiate an unexpected vinylcyclopropane --> cyclopentene type rearrangement, which occurs via a radical ion chain mechanism. The results for reduction of 5 are less clear-cut: The experimental results suggest that the reduction is unexceptional, with a symmetry coefficient alpha

Spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles.

PubMed

Richens, Joanna L; Tyler, Arwen I I; Barriga, Hanna M G; Bramble, Jonathan P; Law, Robert V; Brooks, Nicholas J; Seddon, John M; Ces, Oscar; O'Shea, Paul

2017-10-03

An assay to study the spontaneous charged lipid transfer between lipid vesicles is described. A donor/acceptor vesicle system is employed, where neutrally charged acceptor vesicles are fluorescently labelled with the electrostatic membrane probe Fluoresceinphosphatidylethanolamine (FPE). Upon addition of charged donor vesicles, transfer of negatively charged lipid occurs, resulting in a fluorescently detectable change in the membrane potential of the acceptor vesicles. Using this approach we have studied the transfer properties of a range of lipids, varying both the headgroup and the chain length. At the low vesicle concentrations chosen, the transfer follows a first-order process where lipid monomers are transferred presumably through the aqueous solution phase from donor to acceptor vesicle. The rate of transfer decreases with increasing chain length which is consistent with energy models previously reported for lipid monomer vesicle interactions. Our assay improves on existing methods allowing the study of a range of unmodified lipids, continuous monitoring of transfer and simplified experimental procedures.

Assimilation of granite by basaltic magma at Burnt Lava flow, Medicine Lake volcano, northern California: Decoupling of heat and mass transfer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grove, T.L.; Kinzler, R.J.; Baker, M.B.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Lesher, C.E.

1988-01-01

At Medicine Lake volcano, California, andesite of the Holocene Burnt Lava flow has been produced by fractional crystallization of parental high alumina basalt (HAB) accompanied by assimilation of granitic crustal material. Burnt Lava contains inclusions of quenched HAB liquid, a potential parent magma of the andesite, highly melted granitic crustal xenoliths, and xenocryst assemblages which provide a record of the fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation process. Samples of granitic crustal material occur as xenoliths in other Holocene and Pleistocene lavas, and these xenoliths are used to constrain geochemical models of the assimilation process. A large amount of assimilation accompanied fractional crystallization to produce the contaminated Burnt lava andesites. Models which assume that assimilation and fractionation occurred simultaneously estimate the ratio of assimilation to fractional crystallization (R) to be >1 and best fits to all geochemical data are at an R value of 1.35 at F=0.68. Petrologic evidence, however, indicates that the assimilation process did not involve continuous addition of granitic crust as fractionation occurred. Instead, heat and mass transfer were separated in space and time. During the assimilation process, HAB magma underwent large amounts of fractional crystallization which was not accompanied by significant amounts of assimilation. This fractionation process supplied heat to melt granitic crust. The models proposed to explain the contamination process involve fractionation, replenishment by parental HAB, and mixing of evolved and parental magmas with melted granitic crust. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Spectroscopy and energy transfer in lead borate glasses doubly doped with Dy(3)(+)-Tb(3+) and Tb(3)(+)-Eu(3+) ions.

PubMed

Pisarska, Joanna; Kos, Agnieszka; Pisarski, Wojciech A

2014-08-14

Lead borate glasses doubly doped with Dy(3)(+)-Tb(3+) and Tb(3+)-Eu(3+) were investigated using optical spectroscopy. Luminescence spectra of rare earths were detected under various excitation wavelengths. The main green emission band due to (5)D4→(7)F5 transition of Tb(3+) is observed under excitation of Dy(3+), whereas the main red emission band related to (5)D0→(7)F2 transition of Eu(3+) is successfully observed under direct excitation of Tb(3+). In both cases, the energy transfer processes from Dy(3+) to Tb(3+) and from Tb(3+) to Eu(3+) in lead borate glasses occur through a nonradiative processes with efficiencies up to 16% and 18%, respectively. The presence of energy transfer process was also confirmed by excitation spectra measurements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Final Technical Report for the Energy Frontier Research Center Understanding Charge Separation and Transfer at Interfaces in Energy Materials (EFRC:CST)

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

Vanden Bout, David A.

2015-09-14

Our EFRC was founded with the vision of creating a broadly collaborative and synergistic program that would lead to major breakthroughs in the molecular-level understanding of the critical interfacial charge separation and charge transfer (CST) processes that underpin the function of candidate materials for organic photovoltaic (OPV) and electrical-energy-storage (EES) applications. Research in these energy contexts shares an imposing challenge: How can we understand charge separation and transfer mechanisms in the presence of immense materials complexity that spans multiple length scales? To address this challenge, our 50-member Center undertook a total of 28 coordinated research projects aimed at unraveling themore » CST mechanisms that occur at interfaces in these nanostructured materials. This rigorous multi-year study of CST interfaces has greatly illuminated our understanding of early-timescale processes (e.g., exciton generation and dissociation dynamics at OPV heterojunctions; control of Li+-ion charging kinetics by surface chemistry) occurring in the immediate vicinity of interfaces. Program outcomes included: training of 72 graduate student and postdoctoral energy researchers at 5 institutions and spanning 7 academic disciplines in science and engineering; publication of 94 peer-reviewed journal articles; and dissemination of research outcomes via 340 conference, poster and other presentations. Major scientific outcomes included: implementation of a hierarchical strategy for understanding the electronic communication mechanisms and ultimate fate of charge carriers in bulk heterojunction OPV materials; systematic investigation of ion-coupled electron transfer processes in model Li-ion battery electrode/electrolyte systems; and the development and implementation of 14 unique technologies and instrumentation capabilities to aid in probing sub-ensemble charge separation and transfer mechanisms.« less

Efficient Nd3+→Yb3+ energy transfer processes in high phonon energy phosphate glasses for 1.0 μm Yb3+ laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera-López, F.; Babu, P.; Basavapoornima, Ch.; Jayasankar, C. K.; Lavín, V.

2011-06-01

Efficient Nd3+→Yb3+ resonant and phonon-assisted energy transfer processes have been observed in phosphate glasses and have been studied using steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopies. Results indicate that the energy transfer occurs via nonradiative electric dipole-dipole processes and is enhanced with the concentration of Yb3+ acceptor ions, having an efficiency higher than 75% for the glass doped with 1 mol% of Nd2O3 and 4 mol% of Yb2O3. The luminescence decay curves show a nonexponential character and the energy transfer microscopic parameter calculated with the Inokuti-Hirayama model gives a value of 240 × 10-40 cm6 s-1, being one of the highest reported in the literature for Nd3+-Yb3+ co-doped matrices. From the steady-state experimental absorption and emission cross-sections, a general expression for estimating the microscopic energy transfer parameter is proposed based upon the theoretical methods developed by Miyakawa and Dexter and Tarelho et al. This expression takes into account all the resonant mechanisms involved in an energy transfer processes together with other phonon-assisted nonvanishing overlaps. The value of the Nd3+→Yb3+ energy transfer microscopic parameter has been calculated to be 200 × 10-40 cm6 s-1, which is in good agreement with that obtained from the Inokuti-Hirayama fitting. These results show the importance of the nonresonant phonon-assisted Nd3+→Yb3+ energy transfer processes and the great potential of these glasses as active matrices in the development of multiple-pump-channel Yb3+ lasers.

Improving 130nm node patterning using inverse lithography techniques for an analog process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Can; Jessen, Scott; Ziger, David; Watanabe, Mizuki; Prins, Steve; Ho, Chi-Chien; Shu, Jing

2018-03-01

Developing a new lithographic process routinely involves usage of lithographic toolsets and much engineering time to perform data analysis. Process transfers between fabs occur quite often. One of the key assumptions made is that lithographic settings are equivalent from one fab to another and that the transfer is fluid. In some cases, that is far from the truth. Differences in tools can change the proximity effect seen in low k1 imaging processes. If you use model based optical proximity correction (MBOPC), then a model built in one fab will not work under the same conditions at another fab. This results in many wafers being patterned to try and match a baseline response. Even if matching is achieved, there is no guarantee that optimal lithographic responses are met. In this paper, we discuss the approach used to transfer and develop new lithographic processes and define MBOPC builds for the new lithographic process in Fab B which was transferred from a similar lithographic process in Fab A. By using PROLITHTM simulations to match OPC models for each level, minimal downtime in wafer processing was observed. Source Mask Optimization (SMO) was also used to optimize lithographic processes using novel inverse lithography techniques (ILT) to simultaneously optimize mask bias, depth of focus (DOF), exposure latitude (EL) and mask error enhancement factor (MEEF) for critical designs for each level.

Förster resonance energy transfer as a tool to study photoreceptor biology

PubMed Central

Hovan, Stephanie C.; Howell, Scott; Park, Paul S.-H.

2010-01-01

Vision is initiated in photoreceptor cells of the retina by a set of biochemical events called phototransduction. These events occur via coordinated dynamic processes that include changes in secondary messenger concentrations, conformational changes and post-translational modifications of signaling proteins, and protein-protein interactions between signaling partners. A complete description of the orchestration of these dynamic processes is still unavailable. Described in this work is the first step in the development of tools combining fluorescent protein technology, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and transgenic animals that have the potential to reveal important molecular insights about the dynamic processes occurring in photoreceptor cells. We characterize the fluorescent proteins SCFP3A and SYFP2 for use as a donor-acceptor pair in FRET assays, which will facilitate the visualization of dynamic processes in living cells. We also demonstrate the targeted expression of these fluorescent proteins to the rod photoreceptor cells of Xenopus laevis, and describe a general method for detecting FRET in these cells. The general approaches described here can address numerous types of questions related to phototransduction and photoreceptor biology by providing a platform to visualize dynamic processes in molecular detail within a native context. PMID:21198205

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

Kim, J.; Moon, T.J.; Howell, J.R.

This paper presents an analysis of the heat transfer occurring during an in-situ curing process for which infrared energy is provided on the surface of polymer composite during winding. The material system is Hercules prepreg AS4/3501-6. Thermoset composites have an exothermic chemical reaction during the curing process. An Eulerian thermochemical model is developed for the heat transfer analysis of helical winding. The model incorporates heat generation due to the chemical reaction. Several assumptions are made leading to a two-dimensional, thermochemical model. For simplicity, 360{degree} heating around the mandrel is considered. In order to generate the appropriate process windows, the developedmore » heat transfer model is combined with a simple winding time model. The process windows allow for a proper selection of process variables such as infrared energy input and winding velocity to give a desired end-product state. Steady-state temperatures are found for each combination of the process variables. A regression analysis is carried out to relate the process variables to the resulting steady-state temperatures. Using regression equations, process windows for a wide range of cylinder diameters are found. A general procedure to find process windows for Hercules AS4/3501-6 prepreg tape is coded in a FORTRAN program.« less

Optical and electrical measurement of energy transfer between nanocrystalline quantum dots and photosystem I.

PubMed

Jung, Hyeson; Gulis, Galina; Gupta, Subhadra; Redding, Kevin; Gosztola, David J; Wiederrecht, Gary P; Stroscio, Michael A; Dutta, Mitra

2010-11-18

In the natural photosynthesis process, light harvesting complexes (LHCs) absorb light and pass excitation energy to photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). In this study, we have used nanocrystalline quantum dots (NQDs) as an artificial LHC by integrating them with PSI to extend their spectral range. We have performed photoluminescence (PL) and ultrafast time-resolved absorption measurements to investigate this process. Our PL experiments showed that emission from the NQDs is quenched, and the fluorescence from PSI is enhanced. Transient absorption and bleaching results can be explained by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the NQDs to the PSI. This nonradiative energy transfer occurs in ∼6 ps. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements on the composite NQD-PSI samples demonstrate a clear photoresponse.

Beyond Language Orders: Orthographic Processing and Word Reading in Spanish-English Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deacon, S. Helene; Chen, Xi; Luo, Yang; Ramirez, Gloria

2013-01-01

We present the results of an empirical test of the hypothesis that transfer of orthographic processing to reading occurs when the scripts under acquisition are written with the same unit (specifically, the same alphabet). We tested 97 Spanish-English bilingual children in Grades 4 and 7. We measured mother's education level, verbal and nonverbal…

Conceptual models governing leaching behavior and their long-term predictive capability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Claassen, Hans C.

1981-01-01

Six models that may be used to describe the interaction of radioactive waste solids with aqueous solutions are as follows:Simple linear mass transfer;Simple parabolic mass transfer;Parabolic mass transfer with the formation of a diffusion-limiting surface layer at an arbitrary time;Initial parabolic mass transfer followed by linear mass transfer at an arbitrary time;Parabolic (or linear) mass transfer and concomitant surface sorption; andParabolic (or linear) mass transfer and concomitant chemical precipitation.Some of these models lead to either illogical or unrealistic predictions when published data are extrapolated to long times. These predictions result because most data result from short-term experimentation. Probably for longer times, processes will occur that have not been observed in the shorter experiments. This hypothesis has been verified by mass-transfer data from laboratory experiments using natural volcanic glass to predict the composition of groundwater. That such rate-limiting mechanisms do occur is reassuring, although now it is not possible to deduce a single mass-transfer limiting mechanism that could control the solution concentration of all components of all waste forms being investigated. Probably the most reasonable mechanisms are surface sorption and chemical precipitation of the species of interest. Another is limiting of mass transfer by chemical precipitation on the waste form surface of a substance not containing the species of interest, that is, presence of a diffusion-limiting layer. The presence of sorption and chemical precipitation as factors limiting mass transfer has been verified in natural groundwater systems, whereas the diffusion-limiting mechanism has not been verified yet.

A conceptual model of transference and its psychotherapeutic application.

PubMed

Corradi, Richard B

2006-01-01

The tendency to repeat formative human relationships in later life, a universal developmental characteristic, is referred to as transference when it occurs in the doctor-patient relationship. Its systematic therapeutic application in psychiatry has historically been associated with classical psychoanalysis. As psychoanalysis has lost its cachet, and as drug treatment has replaced psychotherapy as psychiatry's major treatment modality, the therapeutic potential of transference risks being neglected. This is to the great detriment of psychiatric patients. Knowledge of the power of transference and expertise in its clinical use in psychotherapy should be the most powerful tool in the psychiatric therapeutic armamentarium. This article discusses a concept of transference that the author has found effective, both in clinical practice and in teaching about transference to psychiatric residents. The article delineates a psychology of transference, discusses its universal applicability to the whole of the psychotherapeutic process, and utilizes case material to illustrate principles of its application.

Electrochemical Behavior of Sulfur in Aqueous Alkaline Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamyrbekova, Aigul; Mamitova, A. D.; Mamyrbekova, Aizhan

2018-03-01

The kinetics and mechanism of the electrode oxidation-reduction of sulfur on an electrically conductive sulfur-graphite electrode in an alkaline solution was studied by the potentiodynamic method. To examine the mechanism of electrode processes occurring during AC polarization on a sulfur-graphite electrode, the cyclic polarization in both directions and anodic polarization curves were recorded. The kinetic parameters: charge transfer coefficients (α), diffusion coefficients ( D), heterogeneous rate constants of electrode process ( k s), and effective activation energies of the process ( E a) were calculated from the results of polarization measurements. An analysis of the results and calculated kinetic parameters of electrode processes showed that discharge ionization of sulfur in alkaline solutions occurs as a sequence of two stages and is a quasireversible process.

Energy and charge transfer in ionized argon coated water clusters.

PubMed

Kočišek, J; Lengyel, J; Fárník, M; Slavíček, P

2013-12-07

We investigate the electron ionization of clusters generated in mixed Ar-water expansions. The electron energy dependent ion yields reveal the neutral cluster composition and structure: water clusters fully covered with the Ar solvation shell are formed under certain expansion conditions. The argon atoms shield the embedded (H2O)n clusters resulting in the ionization threshold above ≈15 eV for all fragments. The argon atoms also mediate more complex reactions in the clusters: e.g., the charge transfer between Ar(+) and water occurs above the threshold; at higher electron energies above ~28 eV, an excitonic transfer process between Ar(+)* and water opens leading to new products Ar(n)H(+) and (H2O)(n)H(+). On the other hand, the excitonic transfer from the neutral Ar* state at lower energies is not observed although this resonant process was demonstrated previously in a photoionization experiment. Doubly charged fragments (H2O)(n)H2(2+) and (H2O)(n)(2+) ions are observed and Intermolecular Coulomb decay (ICD) processes are invoked to explain their thresholds. The Coulomb explosion of the doubly charged cluster formed within the ICD process is prevented by the stabilization effect of the argon solvent.

America Makes: National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) Project 1: Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Complex Metallic Additive Manufactured (AM) Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

layer-by-layer manufacturing of a component by using PBF processes is accompanied by the establishment of a unidirectional heat transfer along the build...direction. Because grain growth during solidification preferably occurs in the opposite direction of heat transfer , the formation of elongated...development and deployment of phased array technology.[69] Phased array ultrasonic (PAUT) sensors use multiple elements instead of a single element

Technology transfer for adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biagini, Bonizella; Kuhl, Laura; Gallagher, Kelly Sims; Ortiz, Claudia

2014-09-01

Technology alone will not be able to solve adaptation challenges, but it is likely to play an important role. As a result of the role of technology in adaptation and the importance of international collaboration for climate change, technology transfer for adaptation is a critical but understudied issue. Through an analysis of Global Environment Facility-managed adaptation projects, we find there is significantly more technology transfer occurring in adaptation projects than might be expected given the pessimistic rhetoric surrounding technology transfer for adaptation. Most projects focused on demonstration and early deployment/niche formation for existing technologies rather than earlier stages of innovation, which is understandable considering the pilot nature of the projects. Key challenges for the transfer process, including technology selection and appropriateness under climate change, markets and access to technology, and diffusion strategies are discussed in more detail.

Study of the Charge Transfer Process of LaNi5 Type Electrodes in Ni-MH Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Xuan Que; Nguyen, Phu Thuy

2002-12-01

As a result of the charge process of LaNi5 type electrode, hydrogen is reversibly absorbed on the electrode surface. The process consists two principal steps. During the both processes, the first reaction step occurs in the interface solid/liquid, negatively charged, with high static electric field, where the double layer structure became more compact. The transfer of charge under high electric field depends on many factors, principally on compositions of the electrode materials. Effects on that of Co, Fe, Mn substitutes, with different concentrations, have been comparatively studied using electrochemical technique. The analyse of interface C -.V study results has been realised, respecting Mott-Schottky relation. Optimal contents of some additives have been discussed. Some advantages of the applied electrochemical methods have been confirmed. The mechanism of the charges transfer and of the hydrogen reversible storage in the crystal structure in the batteries has been discussed. With the proposed mechanism, one can more explicitly understand the difference of the magnetic effect of the electrode materials before and after charge-discharge process can be explained.

The effect of packaging, branding and labeling on the experience of unhealthy food and drink: A review.

PubMed

Skaczkowski, Gemma; Durkin, Sarah; Kashima, Yoshihisa; Wakefield, Melanie

2016-04-01

Extrinsic information, such as packaging, branding and labeling, can significantly alter our experience of food and drink through a process of 'sensation transfer', in which extrinsic attributes are transferred to our sensory perception of a product. The aim of this review was to summarize the literature on sensation transfer for unhealthy food and drink and to investigate personal factors that may influence its occurrence. Seventy-eight studies in 69 articles, published between 1966 and 2014 were identified which evaluated sensation transfer. Sixty-five of the 78 studies found an effect of extrinsic information on taste and/or hedonic outcomes, providing strong evidence for sensation transfer. The majority of studies identified that specific extrinsic information influenced particular products or specific sensory outcomes. Study designs incorporating a measure of expectation allowed a tighter assessment of sensation transfer. The results of such studies confirm the hypothesis that these effects occur when extrinsic information elicits an expectation of product taste, which then forms a framework to guide sensory perception. These studies also support the hypothesis that where sensation transfer does not occur, this is likely due to a mismatch between the expectations elicited by the extrinsic information and the sensory characteristics being measured, or the failure of the extrinsic information to elicit an expectation of taste for that product. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Analysis of HIV-1 Preintegration Complexes

PubMed Central

Engelman, Alan; Oztop, Ilker; Vandegraaff, Nick; Raghavendra, Nidhanapati K.

2009-01-01

Retroviral replication proceeds through the formation of a provirus, an integrated DNA copy of the viral RNA genome. The linear cDNA product of reverse transcription is the integration substrate and two different integrase activities, 3′ processing and DNA strand transfer, are required for provirus formation. Integrase nicks the cDNA ends adjacent to phylogenetically-conserved CA dinucleotides during 3′ processing. After nuclear entry and locating a suitable chromatin acceptor site, integrase joins the recessed 3′-OHs to the 5′-phosphates of a double-stranded staggered cut in the DNA target. Integrase functions in the context of a large nucleoprotein complex, called the preintegration complex (PIC), and PICs are analyzed to determine levels of integrase 3′ processing and DNA strand transfer activities that occur during acute virus infection. Denatured cDNA end regions are monitored by indirect end-labeling to measure the extent of 3′ processing. Native PICs can efficiently integrate their viral cDNA into exogenously added target DNA in vitro, and Southern blotting or nested PCR assays are used to quantify the resultant DNA strand transfer activity. This study details HIV-1 infection, PIC extraction, partial purification, and quantitative analyses of integrase 3′ processing and DNA strand transfer activities. PMID:19233280

Mapping the Limitations of Breakthrough Analysis in Fixed-Bed Adsorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James Clinton

2017-01-01

The separation of gases through adsorption plays an important role in the chemical processing industry, where the separation step is often the costliest part of a chemical process and thus worthy of careful study and optimization. This work developed a number of new, archival aspects on the computer simulations used for the refinement and design of these gas adsorption processes: 1. Presented a new approach to fit the undetermined heat and mass transfer coefficients in the axially dispersed plug flow equation and associated balance equations 2. Examined and described the conditions where non-physical simulation results can arise 3. Presented an approach to determine the limits of the axial dispersion and LDF mass transfer terms above which non-physical simulation results occur.

Modeling CO2 mass transfer in amine mixtures: PZ-AMP and PZ-MDEA.

PubMed

Puxty, Graeme; Rowland, Robert

2011-03-15

The most common method of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) capture is the absorption of CO(2) into a falling thin film of an aqueous amine solution. Modeling of mass transfer during CO(2) absorption is an important way to gain insight and understanding about the underlying processes that are occurring. In this work a new software tool has been used to model CO(2) absorption into aqueous piperazine (PZ) and binary mixtures of PZ with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) or methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). The tool solves partial differential and simultaneous equations describing diffusion and chemical reaction automatically derived from reactions written using chemical notation. It has been demonstrated that by using reactions that are chemically plausible the mass transfer in binary mixtures can be fully described by combining the chemical reactions and their associated parameters determined for single amines. The observed enhanced mass transfer in binary mixtures can be explained through chemical interactions occurring in the mixture without need to resort to using additional reactions or unusual transport phenomena such as the "shuttle mechanism".

Computer Simulation of the Continuous TNT Process. Volume 1: The Nitration Section

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

isomerism and oxidation account for a yield lose of about 8 to 10% based on molar feed of toluene. PROCESS DESCRIPTION The continuous TNT process, which is...nitration section of the process in terms of the kinetic and mass transfer phenomena which are believed to occur there and account for most of the process...Reaction 10) It it pointed out that Reactions 1 through 10 are not mechanistic equations but rather stoichiometric equations which account for the

Natural Transformation of Campylobacter jejuni Occurs Beyond Limits of Growth

PubMed Central

Vegge, Christina S.; Brøndsted, Lone; Ligowska-Marzęta, Małgorzata; Ingmer, Hanne

2012-01-01

Campylobacter jejuni is a human bacterial pathogen. While poultry is considered to be a major source of food borne campylobacteriosis, C. jejuni is frequently found in the external environment, and water is another well-known source of human infections. Natural transformation is considered to be one of the main mechanisms for mediating transfer of genetic material and evolution of the organism. Given the diverse habitats of C. jejuni we set out to examine how environmental conditions and physiological processes affect natural transformation of C. jejuni. We show that the efficiency of transformation is correlated to the growth conditions, but more importantly that transformation occurs at growth-restrictive conditions as well as in the late stationary phase; hence revealing that growth per se is not required for C. jejuni to be competent. Yet, natural transformation of C. jejuni is an energy dependent process, that occurs in the absence of transcription but requires an active translational machinery. Moreover, we show the ATP dependent ClpP protease to be important for transformation, which possibly could be associated with reduced protein glycosylation in the ClpP mutant. In contrast, competence of C. jejuni was neither found to be involved in DNA repair following DNA damage nor to provide a growth benefit. Kinetic studies revealed that several transformation events occur per cell cycle indicating that natural transformation of C. jejuni is a highly efficient process. Thus, our findings suggest that horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation takes place in various habitats occupied by C. jejuni. PMID:23049803

High-frequency flux transfer events detected near Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2013-01-01

The physical process that creates connections between the magnetic fields emanating from the Sun and a planet—a process known as magnetic reconnection—creates a portal through which solar plasma can penetrate the planetary magnetic field. The opening of these portals, known as flux transfer events (FTEs), takes place roughly every 8 minutes at Earth and spawns a rope of streaming plasma that is typically about half of the radius of the Earth. As early as 1985, scientists analyzing the Mariner 10 observations, collected during their 1974-1975 flybys, have known that FTEs also occur at Mercury. However, using the measurements returned from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury, Slavin et al. found that Mercurial flux transfer events are proportionally much larger, stronger, and more frequent than those at Earth.

Evaluation of the mass transfer process on thin layer drying of papaya seeds from the perspective of diffusive models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotto, Guilherme Luiz; Meili, Lucas; Tanabe, Eduardo Hiromitsu; Chielle, Daniel Padoin; Moreira, Marcos Flávio Pinto

2018-02-01

The mass transfer process that occurs in the thin layer drying of papaya seeds was studied under different conditions. The external mass transfer resistance and the dependence of effective diffusivity ( D EFF ) in relation to the moisture ratio ( \\overline{MR} ) and temperature ( T) were investigated from the perspective of diffusive models. It was verified that the effective diffusivity was affected by the moisture content and temperature. A new correlation was proposed for drying of papaya seeds in order to describe these influences. Regarding the use of diffusive models, the results showed that, at conditions of low drying rates ( T ≤ 70 °C), the external mass transfer resistance, as well as the dependence of the effective diffusivity with respect to the temperature and moisture content should be considered. At high drying rates ( T > 90 °C), the dependence of the effective diffusivity with respect to the temperature and moisture content can be neglected, but the external mass transfer resistance was still considerable in the range of air velocities used in this work.

Quantitative Global Heat Transfer in a Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, John P.; Schneider, Steven P.; Liu, Tianshu; Rubal, Justin; Ward, Chris; Dussling, Joseph; Rice, Cody; Foley, Ryan; Cai, Zeimin; Wang, Bo;

You can go your own way: Effectiveness of participant-driven versus experimenter-driven processing strategies in memory training and transfer

PubMed Central

Flegal, Kristin E.; Lustig, Cindy

2016-01-01

Cognitive training programs that instruct specific strategies frequently show limited transfer. Open-ended approaches can achieve greater transfer, but may fail to benefit many older adults due to age deficits in self-initiated processing. We examined whether a compromise that encourages effort at encoding without an experimenter-prescribed strategy might yield better results. Older adults completed memory training under conditions that either 1) mandated a specific strategy to increase deep, associative encoding, 2) attempted to suppress such encoding by mandating rote rehearsal, or 3) encouraged time and effort towards encoding but allowed for strategy choice. The experimenter-enforced associative encoding strategy succeeded in creating integrated representations of studied items, but training-task progress was related to pre-existing ability. Independent of condition assignment, self-reported deep encoding was associated with positive training and transfer effects, suggesting that the most beneficial outcomes occur when environmental support guiding effort is provided but participants generate their own strategies. PMID:26549616

You can go your own way: effectiveness of participant-driven versus experimenter-driven processing strategies in memory training and transfer.

PubMed

Flegal, Kristin E; Lustig, Cindy

2016-07-01

Cognitive training programs that instruct specific strategies frequently show limited transfer. Open-ended approaches can achieve greater transfer, but may fail to benefit many older adults due to age deficits in self-initiated processing. We examined whether a compromise that encourages effort at encoding without an experimenter-prescribed strategy might yield better results. Older adults completed memory training under conditions that either (1) mandated a specific strategy to increase deep, associative encoding, (2) attempted to suppress such encoding by mandating rote rehearsal, or (3) encouraged time and effort toward encoding but allowed for strategy choice. The experimenter-enforced associative encoding strategy succeeded in creating integrated representations of studied items, but training-task progress was related to pre-existing ability. Independent of condition assignment, self-reported deep encoding was associated with positive training and transfer effects, suggesting that the most beneficial outcomes occur when environmental support guiding effort is provided but participants generate their own strategies.

Optical and thermal charge-transfer processes occurring in a series of three-centered, cyanide-bridged intervalent charge-transfer complexes

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

Pfennig, B.W.; Bocarsly, A.B.

1992-01-09

The mixed-valent compound (Pt(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}){sub 2}((NC){sub 5}Fe-CN-Pt(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}-NC-Fe(CN){sub 5} was used as the starting point for the synthesis and characterization of two series of trinuclear {open_quotes}M-Pt-M{close_quotes} compounds. The first group of complexes have the general formula Na{sub 2}(L(NC){sub 4}Fe-CN-Pt(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}-NC-Fe(CN){sub 4}L) (where the sixth coordination site on the terminal iron units has been varied using six different substituted pyridine or pyrazine ligands, L), and the secondary group of compounds have the general formula (Pt(NH){sub 3}){sub 4}){sub 2}((NC){sub 5}M-CN-Pt(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}-NC-M(CN){sub 5}) (where M = Fe, Ru, and Os). All of the compounds yielded an absorption spectrum containingmore » an intervalent charge-transfer (IT) band in the visible. Both series of complexes were modeled using Marcus-Hush theory to estimate the reorganization energies for the optical electron-transfer processes, electron-transfer rate constants, thermal-activation barriers, and the degrees of delocalization of these species. In addition, the kinetics of formation, photochemical decomposition, and a novel solvent-gated charge-transfer process are discussed. 26 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Mathematical simulation of water and salt transfer in geosystems of solonetzic soils in the Northern Caspian region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovanov, A. I.; Sotneva, N. I.

2009-03-01

The Dzhanybek two-dimensional radial-axial mathematical model was developed for water and salt transfer in geosystems of solonetzic complexes of the Northern Caspian region; the model is capable of considering the geochemical links and revealing the features of migration processes between the conjugated elements of the microcatena. The simulation results suggested that the stabilization of salinization-desalinization processes occurs under stable weather conditions within approximately 100 years. When the weather conditions changed (the total moisture pool of the area increased from 1978), the simulation results indicated a tendency toward salinization of dark-colored soils in microdepressions and removal of salts in the upper 1-m thick soil layer on microhighs and microslopes. Predictions for 2040 showed that a deep accumulation of salts in microdepressions and desalinization of soils of microhighs and microslopes will occur under the current weather conditions. Thus, the changes in the halogeochemical capacity of geosystems of solonetzic complexes primarily depend on the climatic conditions, although the capacity value remains almost constant with increasing total water reserves; the changes occur only between the conjugated soils of solonetzic complexes, which is of great importance for predicting the soil-geochemical status of the entire landscape.

Diapiric transfer of melt in Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii: a quick, efficient process of igneous differentiation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helz, R.T.; Kirschenbaum, H.; Marinenko, J.W.

1989-01-01

Kilauea Iki lava lake, formed in 1959, is a large pond of picritic basalt (average MgO content = 15.34% by weight), which has cooled and crystallized as a small, self-roofed magma chamber. Differentiation processes recognized as active in the lake include rather inefficient settling of the larger (2-10 mm) olivine phenocrysts, formation of segregation veins, and formation of diapir-like vertical olivine-rich bodies, all processes which occur in one or more of the other Kilauean lava lakes as well. In addition, most of the central part of Kilauea Iki has been affected by diapiric melt transfer. Diapiric melt transfer was active from 1960 to 1971 and has affected most of the central part of the lake from 13 m to at least 80 m. The process ran simultaneously with the other three main differentiation processes but started and stopped independently of the others. Calculations suggest that between 21 and 42 wt % liquid has been extracted from the depleted zone at 56-78 m in the center of the lake, making this a very efficient process of chemical differentiation. -from Authors

Numerical modeling of the effect of heat and mass transfer in porous low-temperature heat insulation in composite material structures on the magnitude of stresses which develop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, G. V.; Rudzinskaya, N. V.

1997-05-01

The stressed state of multilayer low-temperature heat insulation for a cryogenic fuel tank is considered. Account is taken of heat and mass transfer in foam plastic (the main heat insulation material) occurring at cryogenic temperatures. A method is developed for solving a set of differential equations and boundary conditions. Numerical studies of the main features of these processes are performed. It is established that below 200 K the stresses which arise in foam plastic markedly exceed the ultimate strength for this material. Stresses develop as a result of both a reduction in temperature and a drop in pressure in the foam plastic pores connected with material cooling. On the basis of the results obtained it is established that the combination of thermophysical processes which occur in foam plastic during cooling to cryogenic temperatures leads to changes in the stress-strained state of structure, which should be considered in planning aerospace technology.

Observation of correlated electronic decay in expanding clusters triggered by near-infrared fields

PubMed Central

Schütte, B.; Arbeiter, M.; Fennel, T.; Jabbari, G.; Kuleff, A.I.; Vrakking, M.J.J.; Rouzée, A.

2015-01-01

When an excited atom is embedded into an environment, novel relaxation pathways can emerge that are absent for isolated atoms. A well-known example is interatomic Coulombic decay, where an excited atom relaxes by transferring its excess energy to another atom in the environment, leading to its ionization. Such processes have been observed in clusters ionized by extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray lasers. Here, we report on a correlated electronic decay process that occurs following nanoplasma formation and Rydberg atom generation in the ionization of clusters by intense, non-resonant infrared laser fields. Relaxation of the Rydberg states and transfer of the available electronic energy to adjacent electrons in Rydberg states or quasifree electrons in the expanding nanoplasma leaves a distinct signature in the electron kinetic energy spectrum. These so far unobserved electron-correlation-driven energy transfer processes may play a significant role in the response of any nano-scale system to intense laser light. PMID:26469997

Molecular level energy and electron transfer processes at nanocrystalline titanium dioxide interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farzad, Fereshteh

This thesis describes photo-induced molecular electron and energy transfer processes occurring at nanocrystalline semiconductor interfaces. The Introductory Chapter provides background and describes how these materials may be useful for solar energy conversion. In Chapter 2, results describing excitation of Ru(deeb)(bpy)2 2+, bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(2,2'-bipyridine-4,4 '-diethylester)ruthenium(II) hexafluorophosphate, bound to nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films, immersed in an acetonitrile bath are presented. The data indicates that light excitation forms predominately long-lived metal-to-ligand charge-transfer, MLCT, excited states under these conditions. Modeling of the data as a function of irradiance has been accomplished assuming parallel unimolecular and bimolecular excited state deactivation processes. The quantum yield for excited state formation depends on the excitation irradiance, consistent with triplet-triplet annihilation processes that occur with k > 1 x 108 s-1. Chapter 3 extends the work described in Chapter 2 to LiClO4 acetonitrile solutions. Li+ addition results in a red shift in the MLCT absorption and photoluminescence, PL, and a concentration dependent quenching of the PL intensity on TiO2. The Li+ induced spectroscopic changes were found to be reversible by varying the electrolyte composition. A second-order kinetic model quantified charge recombination transients. A model is proposed wherein Li+ ion adsorption stabilizes TiO2 acceptor states resulting in energetically more favorable interfacial electron transfer. The photophysical and photoelectrochemical properties of porous nanocrystalline anatase TiO2 electrodes modified with Ru(deeb)(bpy)2 2+, Os(deeb)(bpy)22+, and mixtures of both are described in Chapters 4 and 5. In regenerative solar cells with 0.5 M LiI/0.05 M I2 acetonitrile electrolyte, both compounds efficiently inject electrons into TiO2 producing monochromatic incident photon-to-current efficiencies (IPCE), IPCE (460 nm) = 0.70 + 0.05 for Ru(dcb)(bpy)2 2+/TiO2 and 0. 10 + 0.05 for Os(dcb)(bpy)2 2+/TiO2. Os(dcb)(bpy)22+ extends the spectral sensitivity of the TiO2 material beyond 700 rim. Application of a negative bias to the derivatized TiO2 surfaces results in inefficient interfacial electron transfer and no significant photocurrent. Instead, lateral energy transfer cross the nanocrystalline TiO2 surface from Ru(dcb)(bpy)22+* to Os(dcb)(bpy) 22+ is observed. The energy transfer process can be switched off with a positive applied bias ten times with no significant deterioration. The results demonstrate control of molecular excited states at nanostructured interfaces.

Impact of a transfer center on interhospital referrals and transfers to a tertiary care center.

PubMed

Southard, Patricia A; Hedges, Jerris R; Hunter, John G; Ungerleider, Ross M

2005-07-01

The partnership of faculty physicians and senior clinical hospital administrators in the decision to accept interhospital transfers has not been fully studied. Transfers to academic medical centers on the basis of economics have been of particular concern. To evaluate the impact of joint decision making on transfer acceptance, and to evaluate the basis for decisions to transfer patients to an academic medical center. This was a database study of requested adult interhospital transfers, excluding psychiatric transfers, occurring between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2003, by using data from a computerized patient-tracking system. Where possible, comparisons with the prior calendar year (i.e., prior to implementation of the administrative review process) were made. Incidence of refusal to accept requested transfers and payer mix of transfer patients were the main outcomes of interest. More than 90% of the adult patients were transferred for conditions that required tertiary care or met Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requirements. The patient conditions that did not meet tertiary care needs included obstetric patients who did not have prenatal care, patients who had hand and facial trauma, and patients who weighed more than 300 pounds. The payer mix of transfer patients remained stable when using the administrator and physician team to determine acceptance of transfers. During the evaluation period, approximately 91,500 patients statewide lost some level of Medicaid coverage. The value of an administrator and physician team as partners in the interhospital transfer process was demonstrated. Active management of interhospital transfers supports transfer of patients who require tertiary care or who meet EMTALA criteria, thus conserving limited bed capacity and ensuring financial equity, while caring for the uninsured and underinsured patients throughout the state.

Manufacturing Process Applications Team (MATeam)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The activities of the Manufacturing Process Applications Team concerning the promotion of joint Industry/Federal Agency/NASA funded research and technology operating plan (RTOP) programs are reported. Direct transfers occurred in cutting tools, laser wire stripping, soldering, and portable X-ray unit technology. TROP program funding approval was obtained for the further development of the cutting tool Sialon and development of an automated nondestructive fracture toughness testing system.

The effects of work-related values on communication between R and D groups, part 1. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douds, C. F.

1970-01-01

The research concerned with the liaison, interface, coupling, and technology transfer processes that occur in research and development is reported. Overviews of the functions of communication and coupling in the R and D processes, and the theoretical considerations of coupling, communication, and values are presented along with descriptions of the field research program and the instrumentation.

Image Processing, Coding, and Compression with Multiple-Point Impulse Response Functions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stossel, Bryan Joseph

1995-01-01

Aspects of image processing, coding, and compression with multiple-point impulse response functions are investigated. Topics considered include characterization of the corresponding random-walk transfer function, image recovery for images degraded by the multiple-point impulse response, and the application of the blur function to image coding and compression. It is found that although the zeros of the real and imaginary parts of the random-walk transfer function occur in continuous, closed contours, the zeros of the transfer function occur at isolated spatial frequencies. Theoretical calculations of the average number of zeros per area are in excellent agreement with experimental results obtained from computer counts of the zeros. The average number of zeros per area is proportional to the standard deviations of the real part of the transfer function as well as the first partial derivatives. Statistical parameters of the transfer function are calculated including the mean, variance, and correlation functions for the real and imaginary parts of the transfer function and their corresponding first partial derivatives. These calculations verify the assumptions required in the derivation of the expression for the average number of zeros. Interesting results are found for the correlations of the real and imaginary parts of the transfer function and their first partial derivatives. The isolated nature of the zeros in the transfer function and its characteristics at high spatial frequencies result in largely reduced reconstruction artifacts and excellent reconstructions are obtained for distributions of impulses consisting of 25 to 150 impulses. The multiple-point impulse response obscures original scenes beyond recognition. This property is important for secure transmission of data on many communication systems. The multiple-point impulse response enables the decoding and restoration of the original scene with very little distortion. Images prefiltered by the random-walk transfer function yield greater compression ratios than are obtained for the original scene. The multiple-point impulse response decreases the bit rate approximately 40-70% and affords near distortion-free reconstructions. Due to the lossy nature of transform-based compression algorithms, noise reduction measures must be incorporated to yield acceptable reconstructions after decompression.

High energy phosphate transfer by NDPK B/Gbetagammacomplexes--an alternative signaling pathway involved in the regulation of basal cAMP production.

PubMed

Hippe, Hans-Joerg; Wieland, Thomas

2006-08-01

The activation of heterotrimeric G proteins induced by G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) is generally believed to occur by a GDP/GTP exchange at the G protein alpha -subunit. Nevertheless, nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) and the beta-subunit of G proteins (Gbeta) participate in G protein activation by phosphate transfer reactions leading to the formation of GTP from GDP. Recent work elucidated the role of these reactions. Apparently, the NDPK isoform B (NDPK B) forms a complex with Gbetagamma dimers in which NDPK B acts as a histidine kinase phosphorylating Gbeta at His266. Out of this high energetic phosphoamidate bond the phosphate can be transferred specifically onto GDP. The formed GTP binds to the G protein alpha-subunit and thus activates the respective G protein. Evidence is presented, that this process occurs independent of the classical GPCR-induced GTP/GTP exchange und thus contributes, e.g. to the regulation of basal cAMP synthesis in cells.

Contact versus feeding intoxication by fipronil in Reticulitermes termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): laboratory evaluation of toxicity, uptake, clearance, and transfer among individuals.

PubMed

Bagnères, A G; Pichon, A; Hope, J; Davis, R W; Clément, J L

2009-02-01

The susceptibility to fipronil of U.S. and French populations of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was evaluated in two types of laboratory bioassays: contact intoxication with 0.01-1 ppm treated sand and feeding intoxication with 0.1-10 ppm treated filter paper. Contact intoxication with 0.01 ppm fipronil caused 60% mortality after 55 and 64 h in the French and U.S. populations, respectively, whereas in the 5 ppm feeding assay 70 and 60% mortality was observed after 7 d in the French and U.S. populations, respectively. We evaluated the uptake, clearance, and transfer of fipronil among workers of French R. flavipes using [14C] fipronil in contact (0.01 ppm) and feeding (3 ppm) bioassays. Fipronil amounts were measured on their cuticle and in their bodies. Maximal uptake was observed in the contact assay. A significant uptake of fipronil occurred in the feeding assay. Transfer from exposed donors to unexposed recipients occurred within 24 h. Frequent horizontal transfer resulted in a significant uptake in recipients, particularly when donor fipronil acquisition was by feeding. Donors transferred approximately 46% of the toxicant to recipients. Social behaviors such as contact and grooming, together with internalization of the biocide, may be components of the horizontal transfer process and contribute to the efficacy of fipronil in the field.

Future fundamental combustion research for aeropropulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularz, E. J.

1985-01-01

Physical fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and chemical kinetic processes which occur in the combustion chamber of aeropropulsion systems were investigated. With the component requirements becoming more severe for future engines, the current design methodology needs the new tools to obtain the optimum configuration in a reasonable design and development cycle. Research efforts in the last few years were encouraging but to achieve these benefits research is required into the fundamental aerothermodynamic processes of combustion. It is recommended that research continues in the areas of flame stabilization, combustor aerodynamics, heat transfer, multiphase flow and atomization, turbulent reacting flows, and chemical kinetics. Associated with each of these engineering sciences is the need for research into computational methods to accurately describe and predict these complex physical processes. Research needs in each of these areas are highlighted.

Probing resonant energy transfer in collisions of ammonia with Rydberg helium atoms by microwave spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhelyazkova, V.; Hogan, S. D.

2017-12-01

We present the results of experiments demonstrating the spectroscopic detection of Förster resonance energy transfer from NH3 in the X1A1 ground electronic state to helium atoms in 1sns 3S1 Rydberg levels, where n = 37 and n = 40. For these values of n, the 1sns 3S1 → 1snp 3PJ transitions in helium lie close to resonance with the ground-state inversion transitions in NH3 and can be tuned through resonance using electric fields of less than 10 V/cm. In the experiments, energy transfer was detected by direct state-selective electric field ionization of the 3S1 and 3PJ Rydberg levels and by monitoring the population of the 3DJ levels following pulsed microwave transfer from the 3PJ levels. Detection by microwave spectroscopic methods represents a highly state selective, low-background approach to probing the collisional energy transfer process and the environment in which the atom-molecule interactions occur. The experimentally observed electric-field dependence of the resonant energy transfer process, probed both by direct electric field ionization and by microwave transfer, agrees well with the results of calculations performed using a simple theoretical model of the energy transfer process. For measurements performed in zero electric field with atoms prepared in the 1s40s 3S1 level, the transition from a regime in which a single energy transfer channel can be isolated for detection to one in which multiple collision channels begin to play a role has been identified as the NH3 density was increased.

Effect of collisions on amplification of laser beams by Brillouin scattering in plasmas

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

Humphrey, K. A.; Speirs, D. C.; Trines, R. M. G. M.

2013-10-15

We report on particle in cell simulations of energy transfer between a laser pump beam and a counter-propagating seed beam using the Brillouin scattering process in uniform plasma including collisions. The results presented show that the ion acoustic waves excited through naturally occurring Brillouin scattering of the pump field are preferentially damped without affecting the driven Brillouin scattering process resulting from the beating of the pump and seed fields together. We find that collisions, including the effects of Landau damping, allow for a more efficient transfer of energy between the laser beams, and a significant reduction in the amount ofmore » seed pre-pulse produced.« less

Simulating the heat budget for waste as it is placed within a landfill operating in a northern climate.

PubMed

Megalla, Dina; Van Geel, Paul J; Doyle, James T

2016-09-01

A landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) facility in Ste. Sophie, Quebec was instrumented with sensors which measure temperature, oxygen, moisture content, settlement, total earth pressure, electrical conductivity and mounding of leachate. These parameters were monitored during the operating phase of the landfill in order to better understand the biodegradation and waste stabilization processes occurring within a LFGTE facility. Conceptual and numerical models were created to describe the heat transfer processes which occur within five waste lifts placed over a two-year period. A finite element model was created to simulate the temperatures within the waste and estimate the heat budget over a four and a half year period. The calibrated model was able to simulate the temperatures measured to date within the instrumented waste profile at the site. The model was used to evaluate the overall heat budget for the waste profile. The model simulations and heat budget provide a better understanding of the heat transfer processes occurring within the landfill and the relative impact of the various heat source/sink and storage terms. Aerobic biodegradation appears to play an important role in the overall heat budget at this site generating 36% of the total heat generated within the waste profile during the waste placement stages of landfill operations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micro-oxygenation of red wine: techniques, applications, and outcomes.

PubMed

Schmidtke, Leigh M; Clark, Andrew C; Scollary, Geoff R

2011-02-01

Wine micro-oxygenation (MOX) is the controlled addition of oxygen to wine in a manner designed to ensure that complete mass transfer of molecular oxygen from gaseous to dissolved state occurs. MOX was initially developed to improve the body, structure, and fruitfulness in red wines with high concentrations of tannins and anthocyanins, by replicating the ingress of oxygen thought to arise from barrel maturation, but without the need for putting all wine to barrel. This review describes the operational parameters essential for the effective performance of the micro-oxidation process as well as the chemical and microbiological outcomes. The methodologies for introducing oxygen into the wine, the rates of oxygen addition, and their relationship to oxygen solubility in the wine matrix are examined. The review focuses on the techniques used for monitoring the MOX process, including sensory assessment, physicochemical properties, and the critical balance of the rate of oxygen addition in relation to maintaining the sulfur dioxide concentration. The chemistry of oxygen reactivity with wine components, the changes in wine composition that occur as a consequence of MOX, and the potential for wine spoilage if proper monitoring is not adopted are examined. Gaps in existing knowledge are addressed focusing on the limitations associated with the transfer of concepts from research trials in small volume tanks to commercial practice, and the dearth of kinetic data for the various chemical and physical processes that are claimed to occur during MOX.

Effects of Convection During the Photodeposition of Polydiacetylene Thin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazier, D. O.; Hung, R. J.; Paley, M. S.; Long, Y. T.

1997-01-01

In this work, we describe a preliminary investigation of buoyancy-driven heat transfer during the growth of thin films from solution following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Irradiation of the growth cell occurs at various directions relative to gravitational acceleration. Through numerical computations, the steady-state flow and temperature profiles are simulated during the course of light exposure. Light-induced polymerization accompanies a heat transfer process through a fairly complicated recirculating flow pattern. A scaling analysis shows that buoyancy-driven velocities only reduce by a factor of 10 for gravity levels as low as 10(exp -2)g(sub 0). Paley et al. observe what appears to be gravitationally sensitive particle development and inclusion in thin films using a photodeposition process. From this study it is clear that production of homogeneous thin films would have to occur in the environment of a complicated flow pattern of recirculation with a nonuniform temperature distribution. Indeed, even when irradiation occurs from the top of the cell, the most stable stratified cell orientation, defects remain in our films due to the persistence of buoyancy-driven convection. To achieve homogeneity, minimal scattering centers, and possible molecular order, photodeposition of polymer films by UV light exposure must proceed in a reduced-convection environment. Fluid mechanics simulations are useful for establishing gravitational sensitivity to this recently discovered process (patent # 5,451,433) for preparing thin films having quite promising nonlinear optical characteristics.

Effects of Convection during the Photodeposition of Polydiacetylene Thin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazier, D. O.; Hung, R. J.; Paley, M. S.; Long, Y. T.

1997-01-01

In this work, we describe a preliminary investigation of buoyancy-driven heat transfer during the growth of thin films from solution following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Irradiation of the growth cell occurs at various directions relative to gravitational acceleration. Through numerical computations, the steady-state flow and temperature profiles are simulated during the course of light exposure. Light-induced polymerization accompanies a heat transfer process through a fairly complicated recirculating flow pattern. A scaling analysis shows that buoyancy-driven velocities only reduce by a factor of 10 for gravity levels as low as 10(exp -2) g(sub 0). Paley et al. observe what appears to be gravitationally sensitive particle development and inclusion in thin films using a photodeposition process. From this study, it is clear that production of homogeneous thin films would have to occur in the environment of a complicated flow pattern of recirculation with a nonuniform temperature distribution. Indeed, even when irradiation occurs from the top of the cell, the most stable stratified cell orientation, defects remain in our films due to the persistence of buoyancy-driven convection. To achieve homogeneity, minimal scattering centers, and possible molecular order, photodeposition of polymer films by UV light exposure must proceed in a reduced-convection environment. Fluid mechanics simulations are useful for establishing gravitational sensitivity to this recently discovered process (patent # 5,451,433) for preparing thin films having quite promising nonlinear optical characteristics.

TRANSFER OF DRUG RESISTANCE BETWEEN ENTERIC BACTERIA INDUCED IN THE MOUSE INTESTINE

PubMed Central

Kasuya, Morimasa

1964-01-01

Kasuya, Morimasa (Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan). Transfer of drug resistance between enteric bacteria induced in the mouse intestine. J. Bacteriol. 88:322–328. 1964.—Transfer of multiple drug resistance in the intestines of germ-free and conventional mice was studied with strains of Shigella, Escherichia, and Klebsiella. The transfer experiment was carried out under antibiotic-free conditions to eliminate the production of drug-resistant bacteria by antibiotics. All resistance factors (chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfathiazole) were transferred with ease in the intestinal tracts of mice, when donors and recipients multiplied freely, and acquired resistance was further transferred to other sensitive enteric bacteria in the intestinal tract. Bacteria to which resistance factors were transferred showed, in most of the experiments, exactly the same level and pattern of resistance as the donors. Based on the above, a hypothesis that the same process may possibly occur in the human intestine is presented. PMID:14203347

Proton transfer to charged platinum electrodes. A molecular dynamics trajectory study.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Florian; Schmickler, Wolfgang; Spohr, Eckhard

2010-05-05

A recently developed empirical valence bond (EVB) model for proton transfer on Pt(111) electrodes (Wilhelm et al 2008 J. Phys. Chem. C 112 10814) has been applied in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a water film in contact with a charged Pt surface. A total of seven negative surface charge densities σ between -7.5 and -18.9 µC cm(-2) were investigated. For each value of σ, between 30 and 84 initial conditions of a solvated proton within a water slab were sampled, and the trajectories were integrated until discharge of a proton occurred on the charged surfaces. We have calculated the mean rates for discharge and for adsorption of solvated protons within the adsorbed water layer in contact with the metal electrode as a function of surface charge density. For the less negative values of σ we observe a Tafel-like exponential increase of discharge rate with decreasing σ. At the more negative values this exponential increase levels off and the discharge process is apparently transport limited. Mechanistically, the Tafel regime corresponds to a stepwise proton transfer: first, a proton is transferred from the bulk into the contact water layer, which is followed by transfer of a proton to the charged surface and concomitant discharge. At the more negative surface charge densities the proton transfer into the contact water layer and the transfer of another proton to the surface and its discharge occur almost simultaneously.

Inside the Green House "Black Box": Opportunities for High-Quality Clinical Decision Making.

PubMed

Bowers, Barbara; Roberts, Tonya; Nolet, Kimberly; Ryther, Brenda

2016-02-01

To develop a conceptual model that explained common and divergent care processes in Green House (GH) nursing homes with high and low hospital transfer rates. Eighty-four face-to-face, semistructured interviews were conducted with direct care, professional, and administrative staff with knowledge of care processes in six GH organizations in six states. The qualitative grounded theory method was used for data collection and analysis. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively. Elements of the GH model created significant opportunities to identify, communicate, and respond to early changes in resident condition. Staff in GH homes with lower hospital transfer rates employed care processes that maximized these opportunities. Staff in GH homes with higher transfer rates failed to maximize, or actively undermined, these opportunities. Variations in how the GH model was implemented across GH homes suggest possible explanations for inconsistencies found in past research on the care outcomes, including hospital transfer rates, in culture change models. The findings further suggest that the details of culture change implementation are important considerations in model replication and policies that create incentives for care improvements. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

A case history of technology transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

A sequence of events, occurring over the last 25 years, are described that chronicle the evolution of ion-bombardment electric propulsion technology. Emphasis is placed on the latter phases of this evolution, where special efforts were made to pave the way toward the use of this technology in operational space flight systems. These efforts consisted of a planned program to focus the technology toward its end applications and an organized process that was followed to transfer the technology from the research-technology NASA Center to the user-development NASA Center and its industry team. Major milestones in this evolution, which are described, include the development of thruster technology across a large size range, the successful completion of two space electric rocket tests, SERT I and SERT II, development of power-processing technology for electric propulsion, completion of a program to make the technology ready for flight system development, and finally the technology transfer events.

LITERATURE REVIEW OF BORIC ACID SOLUBILITY DATA

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

Crapse, K.; Kyser, E.

2011-09-22

A new solvent system is being evaluated for use in the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) and in the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The new system replaces the current dilute nitric acid strip solution with 0.01 M boric acid. This literature study is performed to determine if there is a potential for boric acid to crystallize in the lines with emphasis on the transfer lines to the Defense Waste Processing Facility. This report focuses on the aqueous phase chemistry of boric acid under conditions relevant to MCU and SWPF. Operating and transfer conditions examined for the purpose ofmore » this review include temperatures between 13 C (McLeskey, 2008) and 45 C (Fondeur, 2007) and concentrations from 0 to 3M in nitric acid as well as exposure of small amounts of entrained boric acid in the organic phase to the sodium hydroxide caustic wash stream. Experiments were also conducted to observe any chemical reactions and off-gas generation that could occur when 0.01 M boric acid solution mixes with 3 M nitric acid solution and vice versa. Based on the low concentration (0.01M) of boric acid in the MCU/SWPF strip acid and the moderate operating temperatures (13 C to 45 C), it is unlikely that crystallization of boric acid will occur in the acid strip solution under process or transfer conditions. Mixing experiments of boric and nitric acid show no measurable gas generation (< 1 cc of gas per liter of solution) under similar process conditions.« less

Femtosecond Fluorescence Upconversion Study of a Naphthalimide-Bithiophene-Triphenylamine Push-Pull Dye in Solution.

PubMed

Maffeis, Valentin; Brisse, Romain; Labet, Vanessa; Jousselme, Bruno; Gustavsson, Thomas

2018-06-13

There is a high interest in the development of new push-pull dyes for the use in dye sensitized solar cells. The pronounced charge transfer character of the directly photoexcited state is in principle favorable for a charge injection. Here, we report a time-resolved fluorescence study of a triphenylamine-bithiophene-naphthalimide dye in four solvents of varying polarity using fluorescence upconversion. The recording of femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectra corrected for the group velocity dispersion allows for a detailed analysis discriminating between spectral shifts and total intensity decays. After photoexcitation, the directly populated state (S 1 /FC) evolves toward a relaxed charge transfer state (S 1 /CT). This S 1 /CT state is characterized by a lower radiative transition moment and a higher nonradiative quenching. The fast dynamic shift of the fluorescence band is well described by solvation dynamics in polar solvents, but less so in nonpolar solvents, hinting that the excited-state relaxation process occurs on a free energy surface whose topology is strongly governed by the solvent polarity. This study underlines the influence of the environment on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process, and the necessity to analyze time-resolved data in detail when solvation and ICT occur simultaneously.

Bacterial sex in dental plaque.

PubMed

Olsen, Ingar; Tribble, Gena D; Fiehn, Nils-Erik; Wang, Bing-Yan

2013-01-01

Genes are transferred between bacteria in dental plaque by transduction, conjugation, and transformation. Membrane vesicles can also provide a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer. DNA transfer is considered bacterial sex, but the transfer is not parallel to processes that we associate with sex in higher organisms. Several examples of bacterial gene transfer in the oral cavity are given in this review. How frequently this occurs in dental plaque is not clear, but evidence suggests that it affects a number of the major genera present. It has been estimated that new sequences in genomes established through horizontal gene transfer can constitute up to 30% of bacterial genomes. Gene transfer can be both inter- and intrageneric, and it can also affect transient organisms. The transferred DNA can be integrated or recombined in the recipient's chromosome or remain as an extrachromosomal inheritable element. This can make dental plaque a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes. The ability to transfer DNA is important for bacteria, making them better adapted to the harsh environment of the human mouth, and promoting their survival, virulence, and pathogenicity.

Numerical investigation of the transport phenomena occurring in the growth of SiC by the induction heating TSSG method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Takuya; Adkar, Nikhil; Okano, Yasunori; Ujihara, Toru; Dost, Sadik

2017-09-01

A numerical simulation study was carried out to examine the transport phenomena occurring during the Top-Seeded Solution Growth (TSSG) process of SiC. The simulation model includes the contributions of radiative and conductive heat transfer in the furnace, mass transfer and fluid flow in the melt, and the induced electric and magnetic fields. Results show that the induced Lorentz force is dominant in the melt compared with that of buoyancy. At the relatively low coil frequencies, the effect of the Lorentz force on the melt flow is significant, and the corresponding flow patterns loose their axisymmetry and become almost fully disturbed. However, at the relatively higher frequency values, the flow is steady and the flow patterns remain axisymmetric.

Work on a quantum dipole by a single-photon pulse.

PubMed

Valente, D; Brito, F; Ferreira, R; Werlang, T

2018-06-01

Energy transfer from a quantized field to a quantized dipole is investigated. We find that a single photon can transfer energy to a two-level dipole by inducing a dynamic Stark shift, going beyond the well-known absorption and emission processes. A quantum thermodynamical perspective allows us to unravel these two energy transfer mechanisms and to identify the former as a generalized work and the latter as a generalized heat. We show two necessary conditions for the generalized work transfer by a single photon to occur, namely, off-resonance and finite linewidth of the pulse. We also show that the generalized work performed by a single-photon pulse equals the reactive (dispersive) contribution of the work performed by a semiclassical pulse in the low-excitation regime.

Heat transfer enhancement at increasing water concentration in alcohol in the process of non-stationary film boiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanin, P. K.; Ryazantsev, V. A.; Lexin, M. A.; Zabirov, A. R.; Yagov, V. V.

2018-03-01

New experimental data on heat transfer in pool film boiling of subcooled ethanol-water mixtures at spherical surfaces are considered. The water solutions with ethanol mass fraction from 10 to 91% and temperature of liquid 50°C were examined. All the experiments were conducted under atmospheric pressure, using the stainless steel sphere of 39 mm in diameter as a cooled body. The sphere was heated up to 450-750°C, depending on ethanol concentration, and immersed into the experimental vessel with subcooled mixture. As it is expected, boiling heat transfer intensifies with ethanol concentration decrease, and duration of cooling decreases. It means that stable film boiling duration decreases, and earlier transition to intensive heat transfer regime occurs.

Multinucleon transfer in O,1816,19F+208Pb reactions at energies near the fusion barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafferty, D. C.; Dasgupta, M.; Hinde, D. J.; Simenel, C.; Simpson, E. C.; Williams, E.; Carter, I. P.; Cook, K. J.; Luong, D. H.; McNeil, S. D.; Ramachandran, K.; Vo-Phuoc, K.; Wakhle, A.

2016-08-01

Background: Nuclear reactions are complex, involving collisions between composite systems where many-body dynamics determines outcomes. Successful models have been developed to explain particular reaction outcomes in distinct energy and mass regimes, but a unifying picture remains elusive. The irreversible transfer of kinetic energy from the relative motion of the collision partners to their internal states, as is known to occur in deep inelastic collisions, has yet to be successfully incorporated explicitly into fully quantal reaction models. The influence of these processes on fusion is not yet quantitatively understood. Purpose: To investigate the population of high excitation energies in transfer reactions at sub-barrier energies, which are precursors to deep inelastic processes, and their dependence on the internuclear separation. Methods: Transfer probabilities and excitation energy spectra have been measured in collisions of O,1816,19F+208Pb , at various energies below and around the fusion barrier, by detecting the backscattered projectile-like fragments in a Δ E -E telescope. Results: The relative yields of different transfer outcomes are strongly driven by Q values, but change with the internuclear separation. In 16O+208Pb , single nucleon transfer dominates, with a strong contribution from -2 p transfer close to the Coulomb barrier, though this channel becomes less significant in relation to the -2 p 2 n transfer channel at larger separations. For 18O+208Pb , the -2 p 2 n channel is the dominant charge transfer mode at all separations. In the reactions with 19F,-3 p 2 n transfer is significant close to the barrier, but falls off rapidly with energy. Multinucleon transfer processes are shown to lead to high excitation energies (up to ˜15 MeV), which is distinct from single nucleon transfer modes which predominantly populate states at low excitation energy. Conclusions: Kinetic energy is transferred into internal excitations following transfer, with this energy being distributed over a larger number of states and to higher excitations with increasing numbers of transferred nucleons. Multinucleon transfer is thus a mechanism by which energy can be dissipated from the relative motion before reaching the fusion barrier radius.

Propagation of fires along mine workings: criteria and limits

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

Pervushin, Yu.V.

1978-01-01

Underground fires account for over 50% of the accidents occuring in Soviet mines. Their prevention therefore occupies a central place in mine rescue practice and accident prevention. The general features of the physical processes occurring during propagation of a flame have been studied in some detail. Attempts have been made to describe underground fires on the basis of experimental data. However, it is not yet possible to make accurate preductions of the behavior of fires in mine workings: very many factors influence their development. The dynamics of spread of a flame along a working involves such diverse phenomena as heatmore » transfer by thermal conduction, radiation, and convection, transfer of oxygen and combustible gaseous components by draughts and diffusion, various chemical reactions on the surface of combustible materials and within the flames, and finally complex surface effects accompanying heat and mass transfer at interfaces between media. In addition, we must take account of the specific conditions prevailing in a mine - the complex geometrical configuration of the workings, the nonuniformity of the combustible materials, and the role of ventilation and its instability during fires. There can be many approaches to the study of such a many-sided process. The most promising lines seem to be those in which experimental models of the complex of possible phenomena are combined with mathematical models of the process, based on the equations of chemical hydrodynamics, in which the alternative variants are realized on a computer.« less

A fluorescent probe for ecstasy.

PubMed

Masseroni, D; Biavardi, E; Genovese, D; Rampazzo, E; Prodi, L; Dalcanale, E

2015-08-18

A nanostructure formed by the insertion in silica nanoparticles of a pyrene-derivatized cavitand, which is able to specifically recognize ecstasy in water, is presented. The absence of effects from interferents and an efficient electron transfer process occurring after complexation of ecstasy, makes this system an efficient fluorescent probe for this popular drug.

Reactivation-Dependent Amnesia in Pavlovian Approach and Instrumental Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jonathan L. C.; Everitt, Barry J.

2008-01-01

The theory of memory reconsolidation relates to the hypothesized restabilisation process that occurs following the reactivation of a memory through retrieval. Thus, the demonstration of reactivation-dependent amnesia for a previously acquired memory is a prerequisite for showing that such a memory undergoes reconsolidation. Here, we show that the…

Improving mass transfer to soften tissues by pulsed electric fields: fundamentals and applications.

PubMed

Puértolas, E; Luengo, E; Álvarez, I; Raso, J

2012-01-01

The mass transfer phenomenon occurs in many operations of the food industry with the purpose of obtaining a given substance of interest, removing water from foods, or introducing a given substance into the food matrix. Pretreatments that modify the permeability of the cell membranes, such as grinding, heating, or enzymatic treatment, enhance the mass transfer. However, these techniques may require a significant amount of energy and can cause losses of valuable food compounds. Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology is a nonthermal processing method that causes permeabilization of cell membranes using low energy requirements and minimizing quality deterioration of the food compounds. Many practical applications of PEF for enhancing mass transfer in the food industry have been investigated. The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview of the state of the art of application of PEF for improving mass transfer in the food industry.

Choice of mathematical models for technological process of glass rod drawing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseeva, L. B.

2017-10-01

The technological process of drawing glass rods (light guides) is considered. Automated control of the drawing process is reduced to the process of making decisions to ensure a given quality. The drawing process is considered as a control object, including the drawing device (control device) and the optical fiber forming zone (control object). To study the processes occurring in the formation zone, mathematical models are proposed, based on the continuum mechanics basics. To assess the influence of disturbances, a transfer function is obtained from the basis of the wave equation. Obtaining the regression equation also adequately describes the drawing process.

The magnetic nature of disk accretion onto black holes.

PubMed

Miller, Jon M; Raymond, John; Fabian, Andy; Steeghs, Danny; Homan, Jeroen; Reynolds, Chris; van der Klis, Michiel; Wijnands, Rudy

2006-06-22

Although disk accretion onto compact objects-white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes-is central to much of high-energy astrophysics, the mechanisms that enable this process have remained observationally difficult to determine. Accretion disks must transfer angular momentum in order for matter to travel radially inward onto the compact object. Internal viscosity from magnetic processes and disk winds can both in principle transfer angular momentum, but hitherto we lacked evidence that either occurs. Here we report that an X-ray-absorbing wind discovered in an observation of the stellar-mass black hole binary GRO J1655 - 40 (ref. 6) must be powered by a magnetic process that can also drive accretion through the disk. Detailed spectral analysis and modelling of the wind shows that it can only be powered by pressure generated by magnetic viscosity internal to the disk or magnetocentrifugal forces. This result demonstrates that disk accretion onto black holes is a fundamentally magnetic process.

Arms Transfers to Venezuela: A Comparative and Critical Analysis of the Acquisition Process (1980-1996).

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

Budget (Oficina Central de Presupuesto [OCEPRE]), which is the presidential agency with overall responsibility to formulate the national budget...Budget (Oficina Central de Presupuesto OCEPRE), and they receive a special treatment in the Venezuelan Budgetary process. The OCEPRE is the...the Central Office of Budget (Oficina Central de Presupuesto , OCEPRE). This occurs when funds for weapons acquisitions come from the ordinary budget

Specificity of perceptual processing in rereading spatially transformed materials.

PubMed

Horton, K D; McKenzie, B D

1995-05-01

While most studies using the task of reading spatially transformed text do not reveal evidence of specific perceptual transfer, a study by Masson (1986, Experiment 3) provides clear evidence of such effects. Several experiments were designed to identify the basis for this empirical discrepancy. The only substantive evidence of specific perceptual transfer occurred when the words were presented in an unfamiliar typography, although each study suggested a trend toward perceptual specificity effects. The results are discussed in terms of Graf and Ryan's (1990) ideas about the role of distinctive memory representations.

Oxygen Transfer in Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor and Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge Processes.

PubMed

2017-11-17

A demonstrated approach to design the, so-called, medium-bubble air diffusion network for oxygen transfer into the aerobic zone(s) of moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) processes is described in this paper. Operational full-scale biological water resource recovery systems treating municipal sewerage demonstrate that medium-bubble air diffusion networks designed using the method presented here provide reliable service. Further improvement is possible, however, as knowledge gaps prevent more rational process designs. Filling such knowledge gaps can potentially result in higher performing and more economical systems. Small-scale system testing demonstrates significant enhancement of oxygen transfer capacity due to the presence of media, but quantification of such effects in full-scale systems is lacking, and is needed. Establishment of the relationship between diffuser submergence, aeration rate, and biofilm carrier fill fraction will enhance MBBR and IFAS aerobic process design, cost, and performance. Limited testing of full-scale systems is available to allow computation of alpha valuess. As with clean water testing of full-scale systems, further full-scale testing under actual operating conditions is required to more fully quantify MBBR and IFAS system oxygen transfer performance under a wide range of operating conditions. Control of MBBR and IFAS aerobic zone oxygen transfer systems can be optimized by recognizing that varying residual dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are needed, depending on operating conditions. For example, the DO concentration in the aerobic zone of nitrifying IFAS processes can be lowered during warm weather conditions when greater suspended growth nitrification can occur, resulting in the need for reduced nitrification by the biofilm compartment. Further application of oxygen transfer control approaches used in activated sludge systems to MBBR and IFAS systems, such as ammonia-based oxygen transfer system control, has been demonstrated to further improve MBBR and IFAS system energy-efficiency.

Transfer of the human NKG2D ligands UL16 binding proteins (ULBP) 1-3 is related to lytic granule release and leads to ligand retransfer and killing of ULBP-recipient natural killer cells.

PubMed

López-Cobo, Sheila; Romera-Cárdenas, Gema; García-Cuesta, Eva M; Reyburn, Hugh T; Valés-Gómez, Mar

2015-09-01

After immune interactions, membrane fragments can be transferred between cells. This fast transfer of molecules is transient and shows selectivity for certain proteins; however, the constraints underlying acquisition of a protein are unknown. To characterize the mechanism and functional consequences of this process in natural killer (NK) cells, we have compared the transfer of different NKG2D ligands. We show that human NKG2D ligands can be acquired by NK cells with different efficiencies. The main findings are that NKG2D ligand transfer is related to immune activation and receptor-ligand interaction and that NK cells acquire these proteins during interactions with target cells that lead to degranulation. Our results further demonstrate that NK cells that have acquired NKG2D ligands can stimulate activation of autologous NK cells. Surprisingly, NK cells can also re-transfer the acquired molecule to autologous effector cells during this immune recognition that leads to their death. These data demonstrate that transfer of molecules occurs as a consequence of immune recognition and imply that this process might play a role in homeostatic tuning-down of the immune response or be used as marker of interaction. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implicit personality theory in evaluation of brand extensions.

PubMed

Flaherty, K E; Pappas, J M

2000-06-01

Transference, the extent to which consumers transfer their opinions of a parent brand to a new extension, is critical to the success of any brand-extension strategy. Past research has shown that transference is a complex process that varies among persons depending upon an implicit personality theory, entity versus incremental. In a laboratory experiment analysis of ratings for 100 21-yr.-old undergraduates of attitude, perceived fit and risk, prior product involvement, and implicit personality theory (entity versus incremental) the influence of consumers' implicit personality theory on transference was considered within the brand-extension context. As expected, the amount of transference differed between those espousing entity and incremental theories. "Entity theorists" were much more likely to transfer feelings associated with the parent brand to the new extension than were "incremental theorists" who did not rely on prior brand information when forming evaluations of a new extension. This effect did not occur when perceived fit between the parent brand and the extension was high.

Design of an Improved Heater Array to Measure Microscale Wall Heat Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Jungho; Chng, Choon Ping; Kalkur, T. S.

1996-01-01

An improved array of microscale heaters is being developed to measure the heat transfer coefficient at many points underneath individual bubbles during boiling as a function of space and time. This heater array enables the local heat transfer from a surface during the bubble growth and departure process to be measured with very high temporal and spatial resolution, and should allow better understanding of the boiling heat transfer mechanisms by pin-pointing when and where in the bubble departure cycle large amounts of wall heat transfer occur. Such information can provide much needed data regarding the important heat transfer mechanisms during the bubble departure cycle, and can serve as benchmarks to validate many of the analytical and numerical models used to simulate boiling. The improvements to the heater array include using a silicon-on-quartz substrate to reduce thermal cross-talk between the heaters, decreased space between the heaters, increased pad sizes on the heaters, and progressive heater sizes. Some results using the present heater array are discussed.

Aqueous proton transfer across single-layer graphene

DOE PAGES

Achtyl, Jennifer L.; Unocic, Raymond R.; Xu, Lijun; ...

2015-03-17

Proton transfer across single-layer graphene proceeds with large computed energy barriers and is thought to be unfavourable at room temperature unless nanoscale holes or dopants are introduced, or a potential bias is applied. Here we subject single-layer graphene supported on fused ​silica to cycles of high and low pH, and show that protons transfer reversibly from the aqueous phase through the graphene to the other side where they undergo acid–base chemistry with the silica hydroxyl groups. After ruling out diffusion through macroscopic pinholes, the protons are found to transfer through rare, naturally occurring atomic defects. Computer simulations reveal low energymore » barriers of 0.61–0.75 eV for aqueous proton transfer across hydroxyl-terminated atomic defects that participate in a Grotthuss-type relay, while ​pyrylium-like ether terminations shut down proton exchange. In conclusion, unfavourable energy barriers to helium and ​hydrogen transfer indicate the process is selective for aqueous protons.« less

Microplastics as vectors for environmental contaminants: Exploring sorption, desorption, and transfer to biota.

PubMed

Hartmann, Nanna B; Rist, Sinja; Bodin, Julia; Jensen, Louise Hs; Schmidt, Stine N; Mayer, Philipp; Meibom, Anders; Baun, Anders

2017-05-01

The occurrence and effects of microplastics (MPs) in the aquatic environment are receiving increasing attention. In addition to their possible direct adverse effects on biota, the potential role of MPs as vectors for hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs), compared to natural pathways, is a topic of much debate. It is evident, however, that temporal and spatial variations of MP occurrence do (and will) occur. To further improve the estimations of the role of MPs as vectors for HOC transfer into biota under varying MP concentrations and environmental conditions, it is important to identify and understand the governing processes. Here, we explore HOC sorption to and desorption from MPs and the underlying principles for their interactions. We discuss intrinsic and extrinsic parameters influencing these processes and focus on the importance of the exposure route for diffusive mass transfer. Also, we outline research needed to fill knowledge gaps and improve model-based calculations of MP-facilitated HOC transfer in the environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:488-493. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

High temporal resolution water chemistry information for catchment understanding and management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reaney, S. M.; Deasy, C.; Ockenden, M.; Perks, M.; Quinton, J.

2013-12-01

Many rivers and lakes are currently not meeting their full ecological potential due to environmental pressures including non-point source pollution from the catchment. These pressures include sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture and other sources. Each of these pollutants is transferred through the landscape with different hydrological processes and along different pathways. Therefore, to effectively select and spatially target mitigation actions in the landscape, an understanding of the dominant hydrological processes and dynamics which are causing the transfer of material is required. Recent advances in environmental monitoring have enabled the collection of new rich datasets with a high temporal sampling frequency. In the UK, these techniques have been implemented in the Defra Demonstration Test Catchments project and with Natural England for targeted site investigations. Measurements include weather, hydrological flows, sediment, oxygen isotopes, nitrogen and phosphorus from a combination of in-field labs, water chemistry sondes and storm samplers. The detailed time series data can then be analysed to give insights into catchment processes through the analysis of the measured process dynamics. For example, evidence of the transfer of material along surface (or pipe) flow paths can be found from the co-incident timing of the sediment and flow record, or the timing of temperature variations after a storm event can give insight into the contribution of shallow groundwater. Given this evidence of catchment hydrological dynamics it is possible to determine the probable pathways which are transferring pollutants and hence it is possible to select suitable mitigation options in the landscape to improve the river or lake. For example, evidence of a pollutant transfer occurring as shallow soil flows suggests that buffer strips would not be an effective solution since these measures intercept surface pathways. Information on catchment residence time not only gives insight into the pathway but also gives information on the likely amount of time required for an improvement in water quality to occur. Therefore, the success or failure of a scheme can be assessed at an appropriate time after the works rather than prematurely. These insights into catchment processes enable us to understand the systems in greater depth and crucially to communicate this understanding to the local stakeholders. The greater evidence of the system behaviour can then be used to prompt uptake of the mitigation features and hence lead to environmental and ecological improvements. Funding from Defra UK and Natural England, UK.

Cooling the vertical surface by conditionally single pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpov, Pavel; Nazarov, Alexander; Serov, Anatoly; Terekhov, Victor

2017-10-01

You Sprays with periodic supply of the droplet phase have great opportunities to control the heat exchange processes. Varying pulse duration and frequency of their repetition, we can achieve the optimal conditions of evaporative cooling with minimization of the liquid flow rate. The paper presents experimental data on studying local heat transfer on a large subcooled surface, obtained on the original setup with multinozzle controlled system of impact irrigation by the gas-droplet flow. A contribution to intensification of the spray parameters (flow rate, pulse duration, repetition frequency) per a growth of integral heat transfer was studied. Data on instantaneous distribution of the heat flux value helped us to describe the processes occurring on the studied surface. These data could describe the regime of "island" film cooling.

Concerted electron-proton transfer in the optical excitation of hydrogen-bonded dyes

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

Westlake, Brittany C.; Brennaman, Kyle M.; Concepcion, Javier J.

2011-05-24

The simultaneous, concerted transfer of electrons and protons—electron-proton transfer (EPT)—is an important mechanism utilized in chemistry and biology to avoid high energy intermediates. There are many examples of thermally activated EPT in ground-state reactions and in excited states following photoexcitation and thermal relaxation. Here we report application of ultrafast excitation with absorption and Raman monitoring to detect a photochemically driven EPT process (photo-EPT). In this process, both electrons and protons are transferred during the absorption of a photon. Photo-EPT is induced by intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) excitation of hydrogen-bonded-base adducts with either a coumarin dye or 4-nitro-4'-biphenylphenol. Femtosecond transient absorption spectralmore » measurements following ICT excitation reveal the appearance of two spectroscopically distinct states having different dynamical signatures. One of these states corresponds to a conventional ICT excited state in which the transferring H⁺ is initially associated with the proton donor. Proton transfer to the base (B) then occurs on the picosecond time scale. The other state is an ICT-EPT photoproduct. Upon excitation it forms initially in the nuclear configuration of the ground state by application of the Franck–Condon principle. However, due to the change in electronic configuration induced by the transition, excitation is accompanied by proton transfer with the protonated base formed with a highly elongated ⁺H–B bond. Coherent Raman spectroscopy confirms the presence of a vibrational mode corresponding to the protonated base in the optically prepared state.« less

Concerted electron-proton transfer in the optical excitation of hydrogen-bonded dyes.

PubMed

Westlake, Brittany C; Brennaman, M Kyle; Concepcion, Javier J; Paul, Jared J; Bettis, Stephanie E; Hampton, Shaun D; Miller, Stephen A; Lebedeva, Natalia V; Forbes, Malcolm D E; Moran, Andrew M; Meyer, Thomas J; Papanikolas, John M

2011-05-24

The simultaneous, concerted transfer of electrons and protons--electron-proton transfer (EPT)--is an important mechanism utilized in chemistry and biology to avoid high energy intermediates. There are many examples of thermally activated EPT in ground-state reactions and in excited states following photoexcitation and thermal relaxation. Here we report application of ultrafast excitation with absorption and Raman monitoring to detect a photochemically driven EPT process (photo-EPT). In this process, both electrons and protons are transferred during the absorption of a photon. Photo-EPT is induced by intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) excitation of hydrogen-bonded-base adducts with either a coumarin dye or 4-nitro-4'-biphenylphenol. Femtosecond transient absorption spectral measurements following ICT excitation reveal the appearance of two spectroscopically distinct states having different dynamical signatures. One of these states corresponds to a conventional ICT excited state in which the transferring H(+) is initially associated with the proton donor. Proton transfer to the base (B) then occurs on the picosecond time scale. The other state is an ICT-EPT photoproduct. Upon excitation it forms initially in the nuclear configuration of the ground state by application of the Franck-Condon principle. However, due to the change in electronic configuration induced by the transition, excitation is accompanied by proton transfer with the protonated base formed with a highly elongated (+)H ─ B bond. Coherent Raman spectroscopy confirms the presence of a vibrational mode corresponding to the protonated base in the optically prepared state.

Acid-base equilibrium dynamics in methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide probed by two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lee, Chiho; Son, Hyewon; Park, Sungnam

2015-07-21

Two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy, which has been proven to be an excellent experimental method for studying thermally-driven chemical processes, was successfully used to investigate the acid dissociation equilibrium of HN3 in methanol (CH3OH) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for the first time. Our 2DIR experimental results indicate that the acid-base equilibrium occurs on picosecond timescales in CH3OH but that it occurs on much longer timescales in DMSO. Our results imply that the different timescales of the acid-base equilibrium originate from different proton transfer mechanisms between the acidic (HN3) and basic (N3(-)) species in CH3OH and DMSO. In CH3OH, the acid-base equilibrium is assisted by the surrounding CH3OH molecules which can directly donate H(+) to N3(-) and accept H(+) from HN3 and the proton migrates through the hydrogen-bonded chain of CH3OH. On the other hand, the acid-base equilibrium in DMSO occurs through the mutual diffusion of HN3 and N3(-) or direct proton transfer. Our 2DIR experimental results corroborate different proton transfer mechanisms in the acid-base equilibrium in protic (CH3OH) and aprotic (DMSO) solvents.

Understanding knowledge transfer in an ergonomics intervention at a poultry processing plant.

PubMed

Antle, David M; MacKinnon, Scott N; Molgaard, John; Vézina, Nicole; Parent, Robert; Bornstein, Stephen; Leclerc, Louise

2011-01-01

This case study reviews the knowledge transfer (KT) process of implementing a knife sharpening and steeling program into a poultry processing plant via a participatory ergonomics intervention. This ergonomics intervention required stakeholder participation at the company level to move a 'train-the-trainer' program, developed in Québec, Canada, into action on the plant's deboning line. Communications and exchanges with key stakeholders, as well as changes in steeling and production behaviours were recorded. The intervention was assumed to be at least partially successful because positive changes in work operations occurred. Ergonomic-related changes such as those documented have been cited in the academic literature as beneficial to worker health. However, several components cited in literature that are associated with a successful participatory ergonomics intervention were not attained during the project. A Dynamic Knowledge Transfer Model was used to identify KT issues that impacted on the success of train-the-trainer program. A debriefing analysis reveals that a failure to consider key participatory ergonomics factors necessary for success were related to capacity deficits in the knowledge dissemination strategy.

Ball milling: An experimental support to the energy transfer evaluated by the collision model

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

Magini, M.; Iasonna, A.; Padella, F.

1996-01-01

In recent years several attempts have been made in order to understand the fundamentals of the ball milling process. The aim of these approaches is to establish predictive capabilities for this process, i.e. the possibility of obtaining a given product by suitable choosing the proper milling conditions. Maurice and Courtney have modeled ball milling in a planetary and in a vibratory mill including parameters like impact times, areas of the colliding surfaces (derived from hertzian collision theory), powder strain rates and pressure peak during collision. Burgio et al derived the kinematic equations of a ball moving on a planetary millmore » and the consequent ball-to-powder energy transfer occurring in a single collision event. The fraction of input energy transferred to the powder was subsequently estimated by an analysis of the collision event. Finally an energy map was constructed which was the basis for a model with predictive capabilities. The aim of the present article is to show that the arguments used to construct the model of the milling process has substantial experimental support.« less

Amide Neighbouring-Group Effects in Peptides: Phenylalanine as Relay Amino Acid in Long-Distance Electron Transfer.

PubMed

Nathanael, Joses G; Gamon, Luke F; Cordes, Meike; Rablen, Paul R; Bally, Thomas; Fromm, Katharina M; Giese, Bernd; Wille, Uta

2018-05-04

In nature, proteins serve as media for long-distance electron transfer (ET) to carry out redox reactions in distant compartments. This ET occurs either by a single-step superexchange or through a multi-step charge hopping process, which uses side chains of amino acids as stepping stones. In this study we demonstrate that Phe can act as a relay amino acid for long-distance electron hole transfer through peptides. The considerably increased susceptibility of the aromatic ring to oxidation is caused by the lone pairs of neighbouring amide carbonyl groups, which stabilise the Phe radical cation. This neighbouring-amide-group effect helps improve understanding of the mechanism of extracellular electron transfer through conductive protein filaments (pili) of anaerobic bacteria during mineral respiration. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Anion Photoelectron Spectroscopy of the Homogenous 2-Hydroxypyridine Dimer Electron Induced Proton Transfer System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlk, Alexandra; Stokes, Sarah; Wang, Yi; Hicks, Zachary; Zhang, Xinxing; Blando, Nicolas; Frock, Andrew; Marquez, Sara; Bowen, Kit; Bowen Lab JHU Team

Anion photoelectron spectroscopic (PES) and density functional theory (DFT) studies on the dimer anion of (2-hydroxypyridine)2-are reported. The experimentally measured vertical detachment energy (VDE) of 1.21eV compares well with the theoretically predicted values. The 2-hydroxypyridine anionic dimer system was investigated because of its resemblance to the nitrogenous heterocyclic pyrimidine nucleobases. Experimental and theoretical results show electron induced proton transfer (EIPT) in both the lactim and lactam homogeneous dimers. Upon electron attachment, the anion can serve as the intermediate between the two neutral dimers. A possible double proton transfer process can occur from the neutral (2-hydroxypyridine)2 to (2-pyridone)2 through the dimer anion. This potentially suggests an electron catalyzed double proton transfer mechanism of tautomerization. Research supported by the NSF Grant No. CHE-1360692.

Investigation of heat transfer in cereal-based foam from a micro-scale perspective using the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Simone; Hussein, Mohamed A.; Becker, Thomas

2011-12-01

Foam materials are multicomponent and multiphase systems, where under the influence of heat several temperature-dependent processes occur. In cereal-based foams these processes include protein denaturation, starch gelatinization, phase changes such as water evaporation, and structural changes covering bubble expansion and coalescence. This research focuses on modeling heat transfer processes in cereal foams under thermal treatment from a microstructural point of view. The complex thermo-fluidic processes inside the foam are considered for the solid and the gaseous phase, respectively. Additionally, the microstructural foam characteristics are modified to establish their effect on the overall heat transfer rate, and the micro-scale dynamics are introduced by means of lattice Boltzmann methods (LBM). The objective of this study is to deliver sophisticated insight into the impact of structural properties, due to the fact that optimized parameters would help to improve the bakery industry by means of reduction in baking time, energy, and costs. The results show that altering the porosity and/or the interconnectivity of gas pores in bread crumb influences the overall heat transfer. In comparison to foams having a porosity of 55% and discrete pores, the impact of coalescence exhibits a reduction of baking time of about 2 min. Increasing the porosity about 20% results in reducing the baking time about 7 min.

Assessing Plankton and Particles with an Autonomous Imaging LOPC

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

been modified to operate autonomously by auto-starting its programs on power-up and storing its data to an onboard flashcard . Since data transfer to... flashcard is a slow process, storage will occur when the AUV surfaces for a position fix. Data acquisition will commence as the AUV descends >5m

Cognitive Constraints on Multimedia Learning: When Presenting More Material Results in Less Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Richard E.; Heiser, Julie; Lonn, Steve

2001-01-01

Presents research on and discusses the redundancy effect, consistent with a dual-channel theory of multimedia learning in which adding on-screen text can overload the visual information-processing channel, causing learners to split their visual attention between two sources. In research, lower transfer performance also occurred when interesting…

L'analyse contrastive: histoire et situation actuelle (Contrastive Analysis: History and Current Situation).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Py, Bernard

1984-01-01

It is suggested that it is not between two languages that transfers and interference occur, but within the learner. The learner mediates and constructs this relationship according to acquisition operations, processes, strategies, and stages that contrastive analysis, despite its utility, can neither account for nor predict. (MSE)

Life Earnings and Rural-Urban Migration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucas, Robert E., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper is a theoretical study of rural-urban migration--urbanization--as it has occurred in many low-income economies in the postwar period. This process is viewed as a transfer of labor from a traditional, land-intensive technology to a human capital-intensive technology with an unending potential for growth. The model emphasizes the role of…

Initial hydration processes of magnesium chloride: size-selected anion photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

PubMed

Feng, Gang; Liu, Cheng-Wen; Zeng, Zhen; Hou, Gao-Lei; Xu, Hong-Guang; Zheng, Wei-Jun

2017-06-14

To understand the initial hydration processes of MgCl 2 , we measured photoelectron spectra of MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n - (n = 0-6) and conducted ab initio calculations on MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n - and their neutral counterparts up to n = 7. A dramatic drop in the vertical detachment energy (VDE) was observed upon addition of the first water molecule to bare MgCl 2 - . This large variation in VDE can be associated with the charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) effect occurring in the MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n - clusters, as hydration induces transfer of the excess electron of MgCl 2 - to the water molecules. Investigation of the separation of Cl - -Mg 2+ ion pair shows that, in MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n - anions, breaking of the first Mg-Cl bond occurs at n = 4, while breaking of the second Mg-Cl bond takes place at n = 6. For neutral MgCl 2 (H 2 O) n clusters, breaking of the first Mg-Cl bond starts at n = 7.

Transfer of short-term motor learning across the lower limbs as a function of task conception and practice order.

PubMed

Stöckel, Tino; Wang, Jinsung

2011-11-01

Interlimb transfer of motor learning, indicating an improvement in performance with one limb following training with the other, often occurs asymmetrically (i.e., from non-dominant to dominant limb or vice versa, but not both). In the present study, we examined whether interlimb transfer of the same motor task could occur asymmetrically and in opposite directions (i.e., from right to left leg vs. left to right leg) depending on individuals' conception of the task. Two experimental conditions were tested: In a dynamic control condition, the process of learning was facilitated by providing the subjects with a type of information that forced them to focus on dynamic features of a given task (force impulse); and in a spatial control condition, it was done with another type of information that forced them to focus on visuomotor features of the same task (distance). Both conditions employed the same leg extension task. In addition, a fully-crossed transfer paradigm was used in which one group of subjects initially practiced with the right leg and were tested with the left leg for a transfer test, while the other group used the two legs in the opposite order. The results showed that the direction of interlimb transfer varied depending on the condition, such that the right and the left leg benefited from initial training with the opposite leg only in the spatial and the dynamic condition, respectively. Our finding suggests that manipulating the conception of a leg extension task has a substantial influence on the pattern of interlimb transfer in such a way that the direction of transfer can even be opposite depending on whether the task is conceived as a dynamic or spatial control task. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Partial purification and characterization of a mannosyl transferase involved in O -linked mannosylation of glycoproteins in Candida albicans.

PubMed

Arroyo-Flores, Blanca L; Calvo-Méndez, Carlos; Flores-Carreón, Arturo; López-Romero, Everardo

2004-04-01

Incubation of a mixed membrane fraction of C. albicans with the nonionic detergents Nonidet P-40 or Lubrol solubilized a fraction that catalyzed the transfer of mannose either from endogenously generated or exogenously added dolichol-P-[14C]Man onto endogenous protein acceptors. The protein mannosyl transferase solubilized with Nonidet P-40 was partially purified by a single step of preparative nondenaturing electrophoresis and some of its properties were investigated. Although transfer activity occurred in the absence of exogenous mannose acceptors and thus depended on acceptor proteins isolated along with the enzyme, addition of the protein fraction obtained after chemical de-mannosylation of glycoproteins synthesized in vitro stimulated mannoprotein labeling in a concentration-dependent manner. Other de-mannosylated glycoproteins, such as yeast invertase or glycoproteins extracted from C. albicans, failed to increase the amount of labeled mannoproteins. Mannosyl transfer activity was not influenced by common metal ions such as Mg(2+), Mn(2+) and Ca(2+), but it was stimulated up to 3-fold by EDTA. Common phosphoglycerides such as phosphatidylglycerol and, to a lower extent, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine enhanced transfer activity. Interestingly, coupled transfer activity between dolichol phosphate mannose synthase, i.e., the enzyme responsible for Dol-P-Man synthesis, and protein mannosyl transferase could be reconstituted in vitro from the partially purified transferases, indicating that this process can occur in the absence of cell membranes.

Carbon transfer from magnesia-graphite ladle refractories to ultra-low carbon steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Andrew Arthur

Ultra-low carbon steels are utilized in processes which require maximum ductility. Increases in interstitial carbon lower the ductility of steel; therefore, it is important to examine possible sources of carbon. The refractory ladle lining is one such source. Ladle refractories often contain graphite for its desirable thermal shock and slag corrosion resistance. This graphite is a possible source of carbon increase in ultra-low carbon steels. The goal of this research is to understand and evaluate the mechanisms by which carbon transfers to ultra-low carbon steel from magnesia-graphite ladle refractory. Laboratory dip tests were performed in a vacuum induction furnace under an argon atmosphere to investigate these mechanisms. Commercial ladle refractories with carbon contents between 4-12 wt% were used to investigate the effect of refractory carbon content. Slag-free dip tests and slag-containing dip tests with varying MgO concentrations were performed to investigate the influence of slag. Carbon transfer to the steel was controlled by steel penetrating into the refractory and dissolving carbon in dip tests where no slag was present. The rate limiting step for this mechanism is convective mass transport of carbon into the bulk steel. No detectable carbon transfer occurred in dip tests with 4 and 6 wt%C refractories without slag because no significant steel penetration occurred. Carbon transfer was controlled by the corrosion of refractory by slag in dip tests where slag was present.

On the role of heat and mass transfer into laser processability during selective laser melting AlSi12 alloy based on a randomly packed powder-bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lianfeng; Yan, Biao; Guo, Lijie; Gu, Dongdong

2018-04-01

A newly transient mesoscopic model with a randomly packed powder-bed has been proposed to investigate the heat and mass transfer and laser process quality between neighboring tracks during selective laser melting (SLM) AlSi12 alloy by finite volume method (FVM), considering the solid/liquid phase transition, variable temperature-dependent properties and interfacial force. The results apparently revealed that both the operating temperature and resultant cooling rate were obviously elevated by increasing the laser power. Accordingly, the resultant viscosity of liquid significantly reduced under a large laser power and was characterized with a large velocity, which was prone to result in a more intensive convection within pool. In this case, the sufficient heat and mass transfer occurred at the interface between the previously fabricated tracks and currently building track, revealing a strongly sufficient spreading between the neighboring tracks and a resultant high-quality surface without obvious porosity. By contrast, the surface quality of SLM-processed components with a relatively low laser power notably weakened due to the limited and insufficient heat and mass transfer at the interface of neighboring tracks. Furthermore, the experimental surface morphologies of the top surface were correspondingly acquired and were in full accordance to the calculated results via simulation.

Efficient Power-Transfer Capability Analysis of the TET System Using the Equivalent Small Parameter Method.

PubMed

Yanzhen Wu; Hu, A P; Budgett, D; Malpas, S C; Dissanayake, T

2011-06-01

Transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) enables the transfer of power across the skin without direct electrical connection. It is a mechanism for powering implantable devices for the lifetime of a patient. For maximum power transfer, it is essential that TET systems be resonant on both the primary and secondary sides, which requires considerable design effort. Consequently, a strong need exists for an efficient method to aid the design process. This paper presents an analytical technique appropriate to analyze complex TET systems. The system's steady-state solution in closed form with sufficient accuracy is obtained by employing the proposed equivalent small parameter method. It is shown that power-transfer capability can be correctly predicted without tedious iterative simulations or practical measurements. Furthermore, for TET systems utilizing a current-fed push-pull soft switching resonant converter, it is found that the maximum energy transfer does not occur when the primary and secondary resonant tanks are "tuned" to the nominal resonant frequency. An optimal turning point exists, corresponding to the system's maximum power-transfer capability when optimal tuning capacitors are applied.

Improving Safe Consumer Transfers in a Day Treatment Setting Using Training and Feedback

PubMed Central

Austin, John; Rost, Kristen; Stanley, Leslie

2011-01-01

An intervention package that included employee training, supervisory feedback, and graphic feedback was developed to increase employees' safe patient-transfers at a day treatment center for adults with disabilities. The intervention was developed based on the center's results from a Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC), which focused on antecedents, equipment and processes, knowledge and skills, and consequences related to patient-transfers. A multiple baseline (MBL) across two lifts (pivot and trunk), with one lift (side) remaining in baseline was used to evaluate the effects of the treatment package on three lifts commonly used by three health-care workers. The results indicated a substantial increase in the overall safe performance of the three lifts. The mean increase for group safety performance following intervention was 34% and 29% over baseline measures for the two target transfers, and 28% over baseline measures for the nontargeted transfer. The implications of these findings suggest that in settings where patient transfers are frequent and injuries are likely to occur (e.g., hospitals, day treatment centers), safe lifting and transferring behaviors can improve with an efficient and cost-effective intervention. PMID:22649577

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

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain: A Review

PubMed Central

Verraes, Claire; Van Boxstael, Sigrid; Van Meervenne, Eva; Van Coillie, Els; Butaye, Patrick; Catry, Boudewijn; de Schaetzen, Marie-Athénaïs; Van Huffel, Xavier; Imberechts, Hein; Dierick, Katelijne; Daube, George; Saegerman, Claude; De Block, Jan; Dewulf, Jeroen; Herman, Lieve

2013-01-01

Antimicrobial resistant zoonotic pathogens present on food constitute a direct risk to public health. Antimicrobial resistance genes in commensal or pathogenic strains form an indirect risk to public health, as they increase the gene pool from which pathogenic bacteria can pick up resistance traits. Food can be contaminated with antimicrobial resistant bacteria and/or antimicrobial resistance genes in several ways. A first way is the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria on food selected by the use of antibiotics during agricultural production. A second route is the possible presence of resistance genes in bacteria that are intentionally added during the processing of food (starter cultures, probiotics, bioconserving microorganisms and bacteriophages). A last way is through cross-contamination with antimicrobial resistant bacteria during food processing. Raw food products can be consumed without having undergone prior processing or preservation and therefore hold a substantial risk for transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans, as the eventually present resistant bacteria are not killed. As a consequence, transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria after ingestion by humans may occur. Under minimal processing or preservation treatment conditions, sublethally damaged or stressed cells can be maintained in the food, inducing antimicrobial resistance build-up and enhancing the risk of resistance transfer. Food processes that kill bacteria in food products, decrease the risk of transmission of antimicrobial resistance. PMID:23812024

Mass transfer processes in a post eruption hydrothermal system: Parameterisation of microgravity changes at Te Maari craters, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Craig A.; Currenti, Gilda; Hamling, Ian; Williams-Jones, Glyn

2018-05-01

Fluid transfer and ground deformation at hydrothermal systems occur both as a precursor to, or as a result of, an eruption. Typically studies focus on pre-eruption changes to understand the likelihood of unrest leading to eruption; however, monitoring post-eruption changes is important for tracking the return of the system towards background activity. Here we describe processes occurring in a hydrothermal system following the 2012 eruption of Upper Te Maari crater on Mt Tongariro, New Zealand, from observations of microgravity change and deformation. Our aim is to assess the post-eruption recovery of the system, to provide a baseline for long-term monitoring. Residual microgravity anomalies of up to 92 ± 11 μGal per year are accompanied by up to 0.037 ± 0.01 m subsidence. We model microgravity changes using analytic solutions to determine the most likely geometry and source location. A multiobjective inversion tests whether the gravity change models are consistent with the observed deformation. We conclude that the source of subsidence is separate from the location of mass addition. From this unusual combination of observations, we develop a conceptual model of fluid transfer within a condensate layer, occurring in response to eruption-driven pressure changes. We find that depressurisation drives the evacuation of pore fluid, either exiting the system completely as vapour through newly created vents and fumaroles, or migrating to shallower levels where it accumulates in empty pore space, resulting in positive gravity changes. Evacuated pores then collapse, causing subsidence. In addition we find that significant mass addition occurs from influx of meteoric fluids through the fractured hydrothermal seal. Long-term combined microgravity and deformation monitoring will allow us to track the resealing and re-pressurisation of the hydrothermal system and assess what hazard it presents to thousands of hikers who annually traverse the volcano, within 2 km of the eruption site.

Examining the role of Coulomb static stress transfer in injection-induced seismicity: a generic modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, M. R. M.; Ge, S.

2017-12-01

Increased pore pressure decreasing the effective stress on a critically stressed fault has been the accepted mechanism for injection-induced seismicity. This, however, is an over simplified approach that does not take into account the coupled hydro-mechanical effects. In addition, this approach leaves out a possible key stressor in the system, the earthquakes. Earthquakes are known to interact with each other by Coulomb static stress transfer, the process of permanent stress change caused by movement on a fault. In areas of induced seismicity, many small to moderate earthquakes can occur adding to the stress in the system via Coulomb static stress transfer. Here we ask: Is the Coulomb static stress transfer from the earthquakes as important as the pore pressure increase or stress changes caused by coupled hydro-mechanical processes? Is there a point where the Coulomb static stress transfer from the earthquakes becomes the controlling process for inducing future earthquakes? How does the effect of many small earthquakes compare to a few larger events in terms of Coulomb static stress transfer? In this study, we use hydrologic and coupled hydro-mechanical models and USGS Coulomb 3 to assess the importance of induced earthquakes in terms of the stress change in the system. Realistic scenarios of wastewater injection and earthquake magnitude-frequency distributions are used to develop generic models. Model variables and data are varied to evaluate the range of possible outcomes. Preliminary results show that the stress change associated with injection is of the same order of magnitude as the cumulative Coulomb static stress change of a series of small (1

Performance analysis of no-vent fill process for liquid hydrogen tank in terrestrial and on-orbit environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Li, Yanzhong; Zhang, Feini; Ma, Yuan

2015-12-01

Two finite difference computer models, aiming at the process predictions of no-vent fill in normal gravity and microgravity environments respectively, are developed to investigate the filling performance in a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank. In the normal gravity case model, the tank/fluid system is divided into five control volume including ullage, bulk liquid, gas-liquid interface, ullage-adjacent wall, and liquid-adjacent wall. In the microgravity case model, vapor-liquid thermal equilibrium state is maintained throughout the process, and only two nodes representing fluid and wall regions are applied. To capture the liquid-wall heat transfer accurately, a series of heat transfer mechanisms are considered and modeled successively, including film boiling, transition boiling, nucleate boiling and liquid natural convection. The two models are validated by comparing their prediction with experimental data, which shows good agreement. Then the two models are used to investigate the performance of no-vent fill in different conditions and several conclusions are obtained. It shows that in the normal gravity environment the no-vent fill experiences a continuous pressure rise during the whole process and the maximum pressure occurs at the end of the operation, while the maximum pressure of the microgravity case occurs at the beginning stage of the process. Moreover, it seems that increasing inlet mass flux has an apparent influence on the pressure evolution of no-vent fill process in normal gravity but a little influence in microgravity. The larger initial wall temperature brings about more significant liquid evaporation during the filling operation, and then causes higher pressure evolution, no matter the filling process occurs under normal gravity or microgravity conditions. Reducing inlet liquid temperature can improve the filling performance in normal gravity, but cannot significantly reduce the maximum pressure in microgravity. The presented work benefits the understanding of the no-vent fill performance and may guide the design of on-orbit no-vent fill system.

The chemical evolution of a travertine-depositing stream: Geochemical processes and mass transfer reactions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorah, Michelle M.; Herman, Janet S.

1988-01-01

This field study focuses on quantitatively defining the chemical changes occurring in Falling Spring Creek, a travertine-depositing stream located in Alleghany County, Virginia. The processes of CO2outgassing and calcite precipitation or dissolution control the chemical evolution of the stream. The observed chemical composition of the water was used with the computerized geochemical model WATEQF to calculate aqueous speciation, saturation indices, and CO2 partial pressure values. Mass balance calculations were performed to obtain mass transfers of CO2 and calcite. Reaction times, estimated from stream discharge, were used with the mass transfer results to calculate rates of CO2, outgassing and calcite precipitation between consecutive sampling points. The stream, which is fed by a carbonate spring, is supersaturated with respect to CO2 along the entire 5.2-km flow path. Outgassing of CO2 drives the solution to high degrees of supersaturation with respect to calcite. Metabolic uptake of CO2 by photosynthetic plants is insignificant, because the high supply rate of dissolved carbon dioxide and the extreme agitation of the stream at waterfalls and rapids causes a much greater amount of inorganic CO2 outgassing to occur. Calcite precipitation is kinetically inhibited until near the crest of a 20-m vertical waterfall. Calcite precipitation rates then reach a maximum at the waterfall where greater water turbulence allows the most rapid escape of CO2. Physical evidence for calcite precipitation exists in the travertine deposits which are first observed immediately above the waterfall and extend for at least 1.0 km below the falls. Net calcite precipitation occurs at all times of the year but is greatest during low-flow conditions in the summer and early fall.

Trophic transference of microplastics under a low exposure scenario: Insights on the likelihood of particle cascading along marine food-webs.

PubMed

Santana, M F M; Moreira, F T; Turra, A

2017-08-15

Microplastics are emergent pollutants in marine environments, whose risks along food-web still need to be understood. Within this knowledge gap, MPs transference and persistence along trophic levels are key processes. We assessed the potential occurrence of these processes considering a less extreme scenario of exposure than used previously, with microplastics present only in the hemolymph of prey (the mussel Perna perna) and absent in the gut cavity. Predators were the crab Callinectes ornatus and the puffer fish Spheoeroides greeleyi. Transference of microplastics occurred from prey to predators but without evidences of particle persistence in their tissues after 10days of exposure. This suggests a reduced likelihood of trophic cascading of particles and, consequently, a reduced risk of direct impacts of microplastics on higher trophic levels. However, the contact with microplastics along food-webs is still concerning, modulated by the concentration of particles in prey and predators' depuration capacity and rate. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Analysis of electron transfer processes across liquid/liquid interfaces: estimation of free energy of activation using diffuse boundary model.

PubMed

Harinipriya, S; Sangaranarayanan, M V

2006-01-31

The evaluation of the free energy of activation pertaining to the electron-transfer reactions occurring at liquid/liquid interfaces is carried out employing a diffuse boundary model. The interfacial solvation numbers are estimated using a lattice gas model under the quasichemical approximation. The standard reduction potentials of the redox couples, appropriate inner potential differences, dielectric permittivities, as well as the width of the interface are included in the analysis. The methodology is applied to the reaction between [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) and [Lu(biphthalocyanine)](3+/4+) at water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. The rate-determining step is inferred from the estimated free energy of activation for the constituent processes. The results indicate that the solvent shielding effect and the desolvation of the reactants at the interface play a central role in dictating the free energy of activation. The heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant is evaluated from the molar reaction volume and the frequency factor.

Water-chromophore electron transfer determines the photochemistry of cytosine and cytidine.

PubMed

Szabla, Rafał; Kruse, Holger; Šponer, Jiří; Góra, Robert W

2017-07-21

Many of the UV-induced phenomena observed experimentally for aqueous cytidine were lacking the mechanistic interpretation for decades. These processes include the substantial population of the puzzling long-lived dark state, photohydration, cytidine to uridine conversion and oxazolidinone formation. Here, we present quantum-chemical simulations of excited-state spectra and potential energy surfaces of N1-methylcytosine clustered with two water molecules using the second-order approximate coupled cluster (CC2), complete active space with second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2), and multireference configuration interaction with single and double excitation (MR-CISD) methods. We argue that the assignment of the long-lived dark state to a singlet nπ* excitation involving water-chromophore electron transfer might serve as an explanation for the numerous experimental observations. While our simulated spectra for the state are in excellent agreement with experimentally acquired data, the electron-driven proton transfer process occurring on the surface may initiate the subsequent damage in the vibrationally hot ground state of the chromophore.

A simple primary amide for the selective recovery of gold from secondary resources

DOE PAGES

Doidge, Euan D.; Carson, Innis; Tasker, Peter A.; ...

2016-08-24

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as mobile phones contains a plethora of metals of which gold is by far the most valuable. Herein a simple primary amide is described that achieves the selective separation of gold from a mixture of metals typically found in mobile phones by extraction into toluene from an aqueous HCl solution; unlike current processes, reverse phase transfer is achieved simply using water. Phase transfer occurs by dynamic assembly of protonated and neutral amides with [AuCl 4]– ions through hydrogen bonding in the organic phase, as shown by EXAFS, mass spectrometry measurements, and computational calculations,more » and supported by distribution coefficient analysis. In conclusion, the fundamental chemical understanding gained herein should be integral to the development of metal-recovery processes, in particular through the use of dynamic assembly processes to build complexity from simplicity.« less

Acyl transfer from membrane lipids to peptides is a generic process.

PubMed

Dods, Robert H; Bechinger, Burkhard; Mosely, Jackie A; Sanderson, John M

2013-11-15

The generality of acyl transfer from phospholipids to membrane-active peptides has been probed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of peptide-lipid mixtures. The peptides examined include melittin, magainin II, PGLa, LAK1, LAK3 and penetratin. Peptides were added to liposomes with membrane lipid compositions ranging from pure phosphatidylcholine (PC) to mixtures of PC with phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol. Experiments were typically conducted at pH7.4 at modest salt concentrations (90 mM NaCl). In favorable cases, lipidated peptides were further characterized by tandem mass spectrometry methods to determine the sites of acylation. Melittin and magainin II were the most reactive peptides, with significant acyl transfer detected under all conditions and membrane compositions. Both peptides were lipidated at the N-terminus by transfer from PC, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol, as well as at internal sites: lysine for melittin; serine and lysine for magainin II. Acyl transfer could be detected within 3h of melittin addition to negatively charged membranes. The other peptides were less reactive, but for each peptide, acylation was found to occur in at least one of the conditions examined. The data demonstrate that acyl transfer is a generic process for peptides bound to membranes composed of diacylglycerophospholipids. Phospholipid membranes cannot therefore be considered as chemically inert toward peptides and by extension proteins. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coherent Electron Transfer at the Ag / Graphite Heterojunction Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Shijing; Dai, Yanan; Zhang, Shengmin; Liu, Liming; Zhao, Jin; Petek, Hrvoje

2018-03-01

Charge transfer in transduction of light to electrical or chemical energy at heterojunctions of metals with semiconductors or semimetals is believed to occur by photogenerated hot electrons in metal undergoing incoherent internal photoemission through the heterojunction interface. Charge transfer, however, can also occur coherently by dipole coupling of electronic bands at the heterojunction interface. Microscopic physical insights into how transfer occurs can be elucidated by following the coherent polarization of the donor and acceptor states on the time scale of electronic dephasing. By time-resolved multiphoton photoemission spectroscopy (MPP), we investigate the coherent electron transfer from an interface state that forms upon chemisorption of Ag nanoclusters onto graphite to a σ symmetry interlayer band of graphite. Multidimensional MPP spectroscopy reveals a resonant two-photon transition, which dephases within 10 fs completing the coherent transfer.

Transfer Effects to a Multimodal Dual-Task after Working Memory Training and Associated Neural Correlates in Older Adults - A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Heinzel, Stephan; Rimpel, Jérôme; Stelzel, Christine; Rapp, Michael A

2017-01-01

Working memory (WM) performance declines with age. However, several studies have shown that WM training may lead to performance increases not only in the trained task, but also in untrained cognitive transfer tasks. It has been suggested that transfer effects occur if training task and transfer task share specific processing components that are supposedly processed in the same brain areas. In the current study, we investigated whether single-task WM training and training-related alterations in neural activity might support performance in a dual-task setting, thus assessing transfer effects to higher-order control processes in the context of dual-task coordination. A sample of older adults (age 60-72) was assigned to either a training or control group. The training group participated in 12 sessions of an adaptive n-back training. At pre and post-measurement, a multimodal dual-task was performed in all participants to assess transfer effects. This task consisted of two simultaneous delayed match to sample WM tasks using two different stimulus modalities (visual and auditory) that were performed either in isolation (single-task) or in conjunction (dual-task). A subgroup also participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the performance of the n-back task before and after training. While no transfer to single-task performance was found, dual-task costs in both the visual modality ( p < 0.05) and the auditory modality ( p < 0.05) decreased at post-measurement in the training but not in the control group. In the fMRI subgroup of the training participants, neural activity changes in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during one-back predicted post-training auditory dual-task costs, while neural activity changes in right DLPFC during three-back predicted visual dual-task costs. Results might indicate an improvement in central executive processing that could facilitate both WM and dual-task coordination.

Transfer Effects to a Multimodal Dual-Task after Working Memory Training and Associated Neural Correlates in Older Adults – A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Heinzel, Stephan; Rimpel, Jérôme; Stelzel, Christine; Rapp, Michael A.

2017-01-01

Working memory (WM) performance declines with age. However, several studies have shown that WM training may lead to performance increases not only in the trained task, but also in untrained cognitive transfer tasks. It has been suggested that transfer effects occur if training task and transfer task share specific processing components that are supposedly processed in the same brain areas. In the current study, we investigated whether single-task WM training and training-related alterations in neural activity might support performance in a dual-task setting, thus assessing transfer effects to higher-order control processes in the context of dual-task coordination. A sample of older adults (age 60–72) was assigned to either a training or control group. The training group participated in 12 sessions of an adaptive n-back training. At pre and post-measurement, a multimodal dual-task was performed in all participants to assess transfer effects. This task consisted of two simultaneous delayed match to sample WM tasks using two different stimulus modalities (visual and auditory) that were performed either in isolation (single-task) or in conjunction (dual-task). A subgroup also participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the performance of the n-back task before and after training. While no transfer to single-task performance was found, dual-task costs in both the visual modality (p < 0.05) and the auditory modality (p < 0.05) decreased at post-measurement in the training but not in the control group. In the fMRI subgroup of the training participants, neural activity changes in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during one-back predicted post-training auditory dual-task costs, while neural activity changes in right DLPFC during three-back predicted visual dual-task costs. Results might indicate an improvement in central executive processing that could facilitate both WM and dual-task coordination. PMID:28286477

The Effect of Dissolved Air on the Cooling Performance of a Partially Confined FC-72 Spray

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

95 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Heat transfer coefficients: various processes and coolants ( Mudawar , 2001) .....1 Figure 2...various processes and coolants ( Mudawar , 2001). 2 In two-phase cooling a phase change of liquid to vapor, or boiling, occurs. The boiling...possible in flow boiling is also affected by the velocity of the flow and the amount of subcooling of the fluid ( Mudawar and Maddox, 1989). One highly

Exploring the limits of optical microscopy: live cell and superresolution fluorescence microscopy of HIV-1 Transfer Between T lymphocytes Across the Virological Synapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNerney, Gregory Paul

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is a human retrovirus that efficiently, albeit gradually, overruns the immune system. An already infected T lymphocyte can latch onto another T lymphocyte whereby creating a virological synapse (VS); this junction drives viral assembly and transfer to the target cell in batches in an efficient, protective manor. My Ph.D. doctoral thesis focused on studying this transmission mechanism using advanced optical imaging modalities and the fully infectious fluorescent clone HIV Gag-iGFP. T lymphocytes are non-adherent cells (˜10 um thick) and the viral transmission process is fairly dynamic, hence we employed a custom spinning disk confocal microscope that revealed many interesting characteristics of this cooperative event. This methodology has low throughput as cell contact and transfer is at random. Optical tweezers was then added to the microscope to directly initiate cell contact at will. To assess when viral maturation occurs post-transfer, an optical assay based off of Forster resonance energy transfer was developed to monitor maturation. Structured illumination microscopy was further used to image the process at higher resolution and it showed that viral particles are not entering existing degradative compartments. Non-HIV-1 applications of the optical technologies are also reviewed.

Impact of season, weekends and bank holidays on emergency department transfers of nursing home residents.

PubMed

Fan, C W; Keating, T; Brazil, E; Power, D; Duggan, J

2016-08-01

For urgent, unexpected clinical events, nursing home (NH) residents are transferred to the acute hospital emergency department (ED). A previous study showed that a third of transfers occurred during working hours. Our aims were to profile a one-year NH transfers to the ED and to examine the re-presentation, patient-oriented outcome and the impact of season, weekends and bank holidays on NH transfers. All NH transfers from a catchment to an ED over one year were identified using electronic patient record. Age, gender, reason for presentation, patient-oriented outcome and date and time of presentation were recorded. Representation and the interval between transfers were calculated. Number of transfers was calculated for season, weekdays/weekends and bank holidays. Student t test, Chi-square statistics and one-way ANOVA were used. Significance was set at 0.05. There were 802 transfers from 465 NH residents over a year; 501 (62.5 %) resulted in admissions, 189 (40.6 %) residents represent to the service and 80 episodes occurred within a fortnight of the last attendance. The highest transfers occurred in May (2.81 patients/day), during working hours and on Wednesdays and Thursdays (>2.5 transfers/day). 'Unwell adult' and 'falls' were the two commonest reasons for presentation. Our study showed that NH transfers occurred mainly within working hours and during weekdays. Insights into the transfer pattern and the reasons for NH patients to utilise ED will facilitate improved design and operation of the department by creating care pathways for these patients.

Modeling of the steam hydrolysis in a two-step process for hydrogen production by solar concentrated energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle-Hernández, Julio; Romero-Paredes, Hernando; Pacheco-Reyes, Alejandro

2017-06-01

In this paper the simulation of the steam hydrolysis for hydrogen production through the decomposition of cerium oxide is presented. The thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production consists of the endothermic reduction of CeO2 to lower-valence cerium oxide, at high temperature, where concentrated solar energy is used as a source of heat; and of the subsequent steam hydrolysis of the resulting cerium oxide to produce hydrogen. The modeling of endothermic reduction step was presented at the Solar Paces 2015. This work shows the modeling of the exothermic step; the hydrolysis of the cerium oxide (III) to form H2 and the corresponding initial cerium oxide made at lower temperature inside the solar reactor. For this model, three sections of the pipe where the reaction occurs were considered; the steam water inlet, the porous medium and the hydrogen outlet produced. The mathematical model describes the fluid mechanics; mass and energy transfer occurring therein inside the tungsten pipe. Thermochemical process model was simulated in CFD. The results show a temperature distribution in the solar reaction pipe and allow obtaining the fluid dynamics and the heat transfer within the pipe. This work is part of the project "Solar Fuels and Industrial Processes" from the Mexican Center for Innovation in Solar Energy (CEMIE-Sol).

Tinkering with the tinkerer: pollution versus evolution.

PubMed Central

Fox, G A

1995-01-01

Pollutants can act as powerful selective forces by altering genetic variability, its intergenerational transfer, and the size, functional viability, adaptability, and survival of future generations. It is at the level of the cell and the individual that meiosis occurs, that genetic diversity is maintained, and behavior, reproduction, growth, and survival occur and are regulated. It is at this level that evolutionary processes occur and most pollutants exert their toxic effects. Chronic exposure to chemicals contributes to the cumulative stress on individuals and disrupts physiological processes and chemically mediated communication thereby threatening the diversity and long-term survival of sexually reproducing biota. Regional or global effects of pollution on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere have indirectly altered Earth's life-support systems, thereby modifying trace metal balance, reproduction, and incidence of UV-B-induced DNA damage in biota. By altering the competitive ability and survival of species, chemical pollutants potentially threaten evolutionary processes and the biodiversity and function of intercepting ecosystems. PMID:7556031

Probing the chemistry of nickel/metal hydride battery cells using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isaac, Bryan J.

1994-01-01

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is a valuable tool for investigating the chemical and physical processes occurring at electrode surfaces. It offers information about electron transfer at interfaces, kinetics of reactions, and diffusion characteristics of the bulk phase between the electrodes. For battery cells, this technique offers another advantage in that it can be done without taking the battery apart. This non-destructive analysis technique can thus be used to gain a better understanding of the processes occurring within a battery cell. This also raises the possibility of improvements in battery design and identification or prediction of battery characteristics useful in industry and aerospace applications. EIS as a technique is powerful and capable of yielding significant information about the cell, but it also requires that the many parameters under investigation can be resolved. This implies an understanding of the processes occurring in a battery cell. Many battery types were surveyed in this work, but the main emphasis was on nickel/metal hydride batteries.

Multiple nodes transfer alignment for airborne missiles based on inertial sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Si, Fan; Zhao, Yan

2017-09-01

Transfer alignment is an important initialization method for airborne missiles because the alignment accuracy largely determines the performance of the missile. However, traditional alignment methods are limited by complicated and unknown flexure angle, and cannot meet the actual requirement when wing flexure deformation occurs. To address this problem, we propose a new method that uses the relative navigation parameters between the weapons and fighter to achieve transfer alignment. First, in the relative inertial navigation algorithm, the relative attitudes and positions are constantly computed in wing flexure deformation situations. Secondly, the alignment results of each weapon are processed using a data fusion algorithm to improve the overall performance. Finally, the feasibility and performance of the proposed method were evaluated under two typical types of deformation, and the simulation results demonstrated that the new transfer alignment method is practical and has high-precision.

Charge-transfer crystallites as molecular electrical dopants

PubMed Central

Méndez, Henry; Heimel, Georg; Winkler, Stefanie; Frisch, Johannes; Opitz, Andreas; Sauer, Katrein; Wegner, Berthold; Oehzelt, Martin; Röthel, Christian; Duhm, Steffen; Többens, Daniel; Koch, Norbert; Salzmann, Ingo

2015-01-01

Ground-state integer charge transfer is commonly regarded as the basic mechanism of molecular electrical doping in both, conjugated polymers and oligomers. Here, we demonstrate that fundamentally different processes can occur in the two types of organic semiconductors instead. Using complementary experimental techniques supported by theory, we contrast a polythiophene, where molecular p-doping leads to integer charge transfer reportedly localized to one quaterthiophene backbone segment, to the quaterthiophene oligomer itself. Despite a comparable relative increase in conductivity, we observe only partial charge transfer for the latter. In contrast to the parent polymer, pronounced intermolecular frontier-orbital hybridization of oligomer and dopant in 1:1 mixed-stack co-crystallites leads to the emergence of empty electronic states within the energy gap of the surrounding quaterthiophene matrix. It is their Fermi–Dirac occupation that yields mobile charge carriers and, therefore, the co-crystallites—rather than individual acceptor molecules—should be regarded as the dopants in such systems. PMID:26440403

Horizontal transfer of short and degraded DNA has evolutionary implications for microbes and eukaryotic sexual reproduction

PubMed Central

Overballe-Petersen, Søren; Willerslev, Eske

2014-01-01

Horizontal gene transfer in the form of long DNA fragments has changed our view of bacterial evolution. Recently, we discovered that such processes may also occur with the massive amounts of short and damaged DNA in the environment, and even with truly ancient DNA. Although it presently remains unclear how often it takes place in nature, horizontal gene transfer of short and damaged DNA opens up the possibility for genetic exchange across distinct species in both time and space. In this essay, we speculate on the potential evolutionary consequences of this phenomenon. We argue that it may challenge basic assumptions in evolutionary theory; that it may have distant origins in life's history; and that horizontal gene transfer should be viewed as an evolutionary strategy not only preceding but causally underpinning the evolution of sexual reproduction. PMID:25143190

Horizontal transfer of short and degraded DNA has evolutionary implications for microbes and eukaryotic sexual reproduction.

PubMed

Overballe-Petersen, Søren; Willerslev, Eske

2014-10-01

Horizontal gene transfer in the form of long DNA fragments has changed our view of bacterial evolution. Recently, we discovered that such processes may also occur with the massive amounts of short and damaged DNA in the environment, and even with truly ancient DNA. Although it presently remains unclear how often it takes place in nature, horizontal gene transfer of short and damaged DNA opens up the possibility for genetic exchange across distinct species in both time and space. In this essay, we speculate on the potential evolutionary consequences of this phenomenon. We argue that it may challenge basic assumptions in evolutionary theory; that it may have distant origins in life's history; and that horizontal gene transfer should be viewed as an evolutionary strategy not only preceding but causally underpinning the evolution of sexual reproduction. © 2014 The Authors. BioEssays Published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Computational aerothermodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deiwert, George S.

1989-01-01

Computational aerothermodynamics concerns the coupling of real gas effects with equations of motion to include thermochemical rate processes for chemical and energy exchange phenomena. These processes concern the creation and destruction of gas species by chemical reactions and the transfer of energy between the various species and between the various energy modes (e.g., translation, rotation, vibration, ionization, dissociation/recombination, etc.) of the species. To gain some insight into when such phenomena occur for current and future aerospace flight vehicles the author shows the flight regimes of some typical vehicles (e.g., Concord, aerospace plane, Space Shuttle, associated space transfer vehicles, Apollo entry vehicle, etc.) in terms of flight altitude and flight speed. Also indicated are regimes where chemical reactions such as dissociation and ionization are important and where nonequilibrium thermochemical phenomena are important.

A PIONIER and Incisive Look at the Interacting Binary SS Lep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blind, N.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Berger, J.-P.; Lebouquin, J.-B.; Mérand, A.

2011-09-01

Symbiotic stars are excellent laboratories to study a broad range of poorly understood physical processes, such as mass loss of red giants, accretion onto compact objects, and evolution of nova-like outbursts. As their evolution is strongly influenced by the mass transfer episodes, understanding the history of these systems requires foremost to determine which process is at play: Roche lobe overflow, stellar wind accretion, or some more complex mixture of both. We report here an interferometric study of the symbiotic system SS Leporis, performed with the unique PIONIER instrument. By determining the binary orbit and revisiting the parameters of the two stars, we show that the giant does not fill its Roche lobe, and that the mass transfer most likely occurs via the accretion of an important part of the giant's wind.

Chemical dynamics of the first proton-coupled electron transfer of water oxidation on TiO2 anatase.

PubMed

Chen, Jia; Li, Ye-Fei; Sit, Patrick; Selloni, Annabella

2013-12-18

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a prototype, water-splitting (photo)catalyst, but its performance is limited by the large overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We report here a first-principles density functional theory study of the chemical dynamics of the first proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), which is considered responsible for the large OER overpotential on TiO2. We use a periodic model of the TiO2/water interface that includes a slab of anatase TiO2 and explicit water molecules, sample the solvent configurations by first principles molecular dynamics, and determine the energy profiles of the two electronic states involved in the electron transfer (ET) by hybrid functional calculations. Our results suggest that the first PCET is sequential, with the ET following the proton transfer. The ET occurs via an inner sphere process, which is facilitated by a state in which one electronic hole is shared by the two oxygen ions involved in the transfer.

High School Transfer Students and the Transition to College: Timing and the Structure of the School Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, April; Muller, Chandra; Langenkamp, Amy G.

2013-01-01

The timing of a high school transfer may shape students' transitions to college through its (mis)alignment with the structure of the school year. A transfer that occurs during the summer interrupts the four-year high school career, whereas a transfer that occurs midyear disrupts both the four-year high school career and the structure of the school…

[Clinical considerations about traumatic effects of sexual abuse in adolescents].

PubMed

Pinelli, Mauro

2017-01-01

Sexual abuse, even when it occurs during childhood, may manifest symptoms only in adolescence by the effect of the resignifcation of infantile sexuality, characteristic of that vital moment. In cases of child sexual abuse, in the face of the disruption of impulses and identifcations that occurs in adolescence, there can be trauma that limits the possibilities of processing the psychic apparatus, even in the course of a psychotherapeutic treatment. The acting out reveals itself in transference, it calls for the analyst to relocate the suffering of his patient.

Study on solid liquid interface heat transfer of PCM under simultaneous charging and discharging (SCD) in horizontal cylinder annulus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omojaro, Adebola Peter; Breitkopf, Cornelia

2017-07-01

Heat transfer performance during the simultaneous charging and discharging (SCD) operation process for phase change materials (PCM) contained inside the annulus of concentric horizontal cylinder was investigated. In the experimental set-up, the PCM inside the annulus serves as the heat sink along with an externally imposed forced cooling air. The obtained time wise temperature profile was used to determine the effects of different heat fluxes and the imposed forced convection cooling on the melt fraction values and the transition shift time from the observed conduction to natural convection heat transfer patterns. Furthermore, non-dimensional analysis was presented for the heat transfer at the interface to enable generalizing the result. Comparison of the results show that the SCD operation mode establish the condition that enables much PCM phase transition time and thus longer time of large latent heat transfer effect than the Partial and non simultaneous operations. Analysis results show that the variation of the heat flux for the SCD mode did not change the dominance of the natural convection over conduction heat transfers in the PCM. However, it significantly influences the commencement/transition shift time and melting rate while higher heat fluxes yields melt fraction that was 38-63% more for investigated process time. Variation with different cooling air flow rate shows more influences on the melt fraction than on the mode of heat transfer occurring in the PCM during melting. Available non-SCD modes correlation was shown to be insufficient to accurately predict interface heat transfer for the SCD modes.

Vectorial photoinduced energy transfer between boron-dipyrromethene (Bodipy) chromophores across a fluorene bridge.

PubMed

Puntoriero, Fausto; Nastasi, Francesco; Campagna, Sebastiano; Bura, Thomas; Ziessel, Raymond

2010-08-02

A series of novel multichromophoric, luminescent compounds has been prepared, and their absorption spectra, luminescence properties (both at 77 K in rigid matrix and at 298 K in fluid solution), and photoinduced intercomponent energy-transfer processes have been studied. The series contains two new multichromophoric systems 1 and 2, each one containing two different boron-dipyrromethene (Bodipy) subunits and one bridging fluorene species, and two fluorene-Bodipy bichromophoric species, 6 and 7. Three monochromophoric compounds, 3, 4, and 5, used as precursors in the synthetic process, were also fully characterized. The absorption spectra of the multichromophoric compounds are roughly the summation of the absorption spectra of their individual components, thus demonstrating the supramolecular nature of the assemblies. Luminescence studies show that quantitative energy transfer occurs in 6 and 7 from the fluorene chromophore to the Bodipy dyes. Luminescence studies, complemented by transient-absorption spectroscopy studies, also indicate that efficient inter-Bodipy energy transfer across the rigid fluorene spacer takes place in 1 and 2, with rate constants, evaluated by several experimental methods, between 2.0 and 7.0 x 10(9) s(-1). Such an inter-Bodipy energy transfer appears to be governed by the Förster mechanism. By taking advantage of the presence of various protonable sites in the substituents of the lower-energy Bodipy subunit of 1 and 2, the effect of protonation on the energy-transfer rates has also been investigated. The results suggest that control of energy-transfer rate and efficiency of inter-Bodipy energy transfer in this type of systems can be achieved by an external, reversible input.

Involuntary Teacher Transfer: An Underexamined Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordan, Kate E.

2014-01-01

Involuntary teacher transfer occurs whenever the reassignment of a teacher is initiated by a school or district rather than the teacher. These transitions are more likely to occur among special education teachers than among general education teachers. Although this type of transfer is not a new phenomenon, there has been surprisingly little…

Unraveling the Nature of Steady Magnetopause Reconnection Versus Flux Transfer Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raeder, J.

2002-12-01

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental mode of energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. It is known to occur in different forms depending on solar wind and magnetospheric conditions. In particular, steady reconnection can be distinguished from pulse-like reconnection events which are also known as Flux Transfer Events (FTEs). The formation mechanism of FTEs and their contolling factors remain controversial. We use global MHD simulations of Earth's magnetosphere to show that for southward IMF conditions: a) steady reconnection preferentially occurs without FTEs when the stagnation flow line nearly coincides with the X-line location, which requires small dipole tilt and nearly due southward IMF, b) FTEs occur when the flow/field symmetry is broken, which requires either a large dipole tilt and/or a substantial east-west component of the IMF, c) the predicted spacecraft signature and the repetition frequency of FTEs in the simulations agrees very well with typical observations, lending credibility to the the model, d) the fundamental process that leads to FTE formation is multiple X-line formation caused by the flow and field patterns in the magnetosheath and requires no intrinsic plasma property variations like variable resistivity, e) if the dipole tilt breaks the symmetry FTEs occur only in the winter hemisphere whereas the reconnection signatures in the summer hemisphere are steady with no bipolar FTE-like signatures, f) if the IMF east-west field component breaks the symmetry FTEs occur in both hemispheres, and g) FTE formation depends on sufficient resolution and low diffusion in the model -- coarse resolution and/or high diffusivity lead to flow-through reconnection signatures that appear unphysical given the frequent observation of FTEs.

Global modeling of flux transfer events: generation mechanism and spacecraft signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raeder, J.

2003-04-01

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental mode of energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. It is known to occur in different forms depending on solar wind and magnetospheric conditions. In particular, steady reconnection can be distinguished from pulse-like reconnection events which are also known as Flux Transfer Events (FTEs). The formation mechanism of FTEs and their contolling factors remain controversial. We use global MHD simulations of Earth's magnetosphere to show that for southward IMF conditions: a) steady reconnection preferentially occurs without FTEs when the stagnation flow line nearly coincides with the X-line location, which requires small dipole tilt and nearly due southward IMF, b) FTEs occur when the flow/field symmetry is broken, which requires either a large dipole tilt and/or a substantial east-west component of the IMF, c) the predicted spacecraft signature and the repetition frequency of FTEs in the simulations agrees very well with typical observations, lending credibility to the the model, d) the fundamental process that leads to FTE formation is multiple X-line formation caused by the flow and field patterns in the magnetosheath and requires no intrinsic plasma property variations like variable resistivity, e) if the dipole tilt breaks the symmetry FTEs occur only in the winter hemisphere whereas the reconnection signatures in the summer hemisphere are steady with no bipolar FTE-like signatures, f) if the IMF east-west field component breaks the symmetry FTEs occur in both hemispheres, and g) FTE formation depends on sufficient resolution and low diffusion in the model -- coarse resolution and/or high diffusivity lead to flow-through reconnection signatures that appear unphysical given the frequent observation of FTEs.

Determination of the profile of DO and its mass transferring coefficient in a biofilm reactor packed with semi-suspended bio-carriers.

PubMed

Tang, Bing; Song, Haoliang; Bin, Liying; Huang, Shaosong; Zhang, Wenxiang; Fu, Fenglian; Zhao, Yiliang; Chen, Qianyu

2017-10-01

The work aims at illustrating the profile of DO and its mass transferring process in a biofilm reactor packed with a novel semi-suspended bio-carrier, and further revealing the main factors that influence the mass transferring coefficient of DO within the biofilm. Results showed that the biofilm was very easy to attach and grow on the semi-suspended bio-carrier, which obviously changed the DO profile inside and outside the biofilm. The semi-suspended bio-carrier caused three different mass transfer zones occurring in the bioreactor, including the zones of bulk solution, boundary layer and biofilm, in which, the boundary layer zone had an obvious higher mass transfer resistance. Increasing the aeration rate might improve the hydrodynamic conditions in the bioreactor and accelerate the mass transfer of DO, but it also detached the biofilm from the surface of bio-carrier, which reduced the consumption of DO, and accordingly, decreased the DO gradient in the bioreactor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intramolecular singlet-singlet energy transfer in antenna-substituted azoalkanes.

PubMed

Pischel, Uwe; Huang, Fang; Nau, Werner M

2004-03-01

Two novel azoalkane bichromophores and related model compounds have been synthesised and photophysically characterised. Dimethylphenylsiloxy (DPSO) or dimethylnaphthylsiloxy (DNSO) serve as aromatic donor groups (antenna) and the azoalkane 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) as the acceptor. The UV spectral window of DBO (250-300 nm) allows selective excitation of the donor. Intramolecular singlet-singlet energy transfer to DBO is highly efficient and proceeds with quantum yields of 0.76 with DPSO and 0.99 with DNSO. The photophysical and spectral properties of the bichromophoric systems suggest that energy transfer occurs through diffusional approach of the donor and acceptor within a van der Waals contact at which the exchange mechanism is presumed to dominate. Furthermore, akin to the behaviour of electron-transfer systems in the Marcus inverted region, a rate of energy transfer 2.5 times slower was observed for the system with the more favourable energetics, i.e. singlet-singlet energy transfer from DPSO proceeded slower than from DNSO, although the process is more exergonic for DPSO (-142 kJ mol(-1) for DPSO versus-67 kJ mol(-1) for DNSO).

Transfer-Efficient Face Routing Using the Planar Graphs of Neighbors in High Density WSNs

PubMed Central

Kim, Sang-Ha

2017-01-01

Face routing has been adopted in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) where topological changes occur frequently or maintaining full network information is difficult. For message forwarding in networks, a planar graph is used to prevent looping, and because long edges are removed by planarization and the resulting planar graph is composed of short edges, and messages are forwarded along multiple nodes connected by them even though they can be forwarded directly. To solve this, face routing using information on all nodes within 2-hop range was adopted to forward messages directly to the farthest node within radio range. However, as the density of the nodes increases, network performance plunges because message transfer nodes receive and process increased node information. To deal with this problem, we propose a new face routing using the planar graphs of neighboring nodes to improve transfer efficiency. It forwards a message directly to the farthest neighbor and reduces loads and processing time by distributing network graph construction and planarization to the neighbors. It also decreases the amount of location information to be transmitted by sending information on the planar graph nodes rather than on all neighboring nodes. Simulation results show that it significantly improves transfer efficiency. PMID:29053623

Transferring Patients From Methadone to Buprenorphine: The Feasibility and Evaluation of Practice Guidelines.

PubMed

Lintzeris, Nicholas; Monds, Lauren A; Rivas, Consuelo; Leung, Stefanie; Dunlop, Adrian; Newcombe, David; Walters, Carina; Galea, Susanna; White, Nancy; Montebello, Mark; Demirkol, Apo; Swanson, Nicola; Ali, Robert

Transfer from methadone to buprenorphine is problematic for many opioid-dependent patients, with limited documented evidence or practical clinical guidance, particularly for the range of methadone doses routinely prescribed for most patients (>50 mg). This study aimed to implement and evaluate recent national Australian guidelines for transferring patients from methadone to buprenorphine. A multisite prospective cohort study. Participants were patients who transferred from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone at 1 of 4 specialist addiction centers in Australia and New Zealand. Clinicians were trained in the guidelines, and medical records were reviewed to examine process (eg, transfer setting, doses, and guideline adherence) and safety (precipitated withdrawal) measures. Participants completed research interviews before and after transfer-assessing changes in substance use, health outcomes, and side effects. In all, 33 participants underwent transfer, 9 from low methadone doses (<30 mg), 9 from medium doses (30-50 mg), and 15 from high doses (>50 mg). The majority of high-dose transfers occurred in inpatient settings. There was reasonable guideline adherence, and no complications identified in the low and medium-dose transfers. Three high-dose transfers (20%) experienced precipitated withdrawal, and 7/33 participants (21%) returned to methadone within 1 week of attempted transfer. Transfer is feasible in outpatient settings for those transferring from methadone doses below 50 mg; however, inpatient settings and specialist supervision is recommended for higher-dose transfers. The Australian clinical guidelines appear safe and feasible, although further research is required to optimize high-dose transfer procedures.

Nanopore Electrochemistry: A Nexus for Molecular Control of Electron Transfer Reactions

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Pore-based structures occur widely in living organisms. Ion channels embedded in cell membranes, for example, provide pathways, where electron and proton transfer are coupled to the exchange of vital molecules. Learning from mother nature, a recent surge in activity has focused on artificial nanopore architectures to effect electrochemical transformations not accessible in larger structures. Here, we highlight these exciting advances. Starting with a brief overview of nanopore electrodes, including the early history and development of nanopore sensing based on nanopore-confined electrochemistry, we address the core concepts and special characteristics of nanopores in electron transfer. We describe nanopore-based electrochemical sensing and processing, discuss performance limits and challenges, and conclude with an outlook for next-generation nanopore electrode sensing platforms and the opportunities they present. PMID:29392173

Transfer of an implied incompatible spatial mapping to a Simon task.

PubMed

Luo, Chunming; Proctor, Robert W

2016-02-01

When location words left and right are presented in left and right locations and mapped to left and right keypress responses in the Hedge and Marsh (1975) task (Arend & Wandmacher, 1987), a compatible mapping of words to responses yields a benefit for stimulus-response location correspondence (sometimes called the Simon effect), whereas an incompatible mapping yields a benefit for noncorrespondence (called the Hedge and Marsh reversal). Experiment 1 replicated the correspondence benefit and its reversal by using Chinese location words [symbol: see text] (left) and [symbol: see text] (right) in the Hedge and Marsh task. Experiments 2 and 3 examined whether the tendency to respond with the noncorresponding response when the mapping is incompatible transfers to the task version in which the mapping is compatible, and Experiment 4 examined whether transfer similarly occurs from the compatible mapping to the task version with incompatible mapping. Transfer of the incompatible relation was apparent in a lack of correspondence benefit when the mapping was changed to compatible, but transfer of the compatible relation to the incompatible mapping did not occur. The results suggest that an association between noncorresponding stimulus-response locations is acquired when the word-response mapping is incompatible, even though this relation is only implicit, regardless of whether through misapplication of a logical recoding rule or spatial representations shared by the locations and words. These associations then continue to affect processing of location when the mapping is compatible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Size-restricted proton transfer within toluene-methanol cluster ions.

PubMed

Chiang, Chi-Tung; Shores, Kevin S; Freindorf, Marek; Furlani, Thomas; DeLeon, Robert L; Garvey, James F

2008-11-20

To understand the interaction between toluene and methanol, the chemical reactivity of [(C6H5CH3)(CH3OH) n=1-7](+) cluster ions has been investigated via tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry and through calculations. Collision Induced Dissociation (CID) experiments show that the dissociated intracluster proton transfer reaction from the toluene cation to methanol clusters, forming protonated methanol clusters, only occurs for n = 2-4. For n = 5-7, CID spectra reveal that these larger clusters have to sequentially lose methanol monomers until they reach n = 4 to initiate the deprotonation of the toluene cation. Metastable decay data indicate that for n = 3 and n = 4 (CH3OH)3H(+) is the preferred fragment ion. The calculational results reveal that both the gross proton affinity of the methanol subcluster and the structure of the cluster itself play an important role in driving this proton transfer reaction. When n = 3, the cooperative effect of the methanols in the subcluster provides the most important contribution to allow the intracluster proton transfer reaction to occur with little or no energy barrier. As n >or= 4, the methanol subcluster is able to form ring structures to stabilize the cluster structures so that direct proton transfer is not a favored process. The preferred reaction product, the (CH3OH)3H(+) cluster ion, indicates that this size-restricted reaction is driven by both the proton affinity and the enhanced stability of the resulting product.

Properties of M components from currents measured at triggered lightning channel base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thottappillil, Rajeev; Goldberg, Jon D.; Rakov, Vladimir A.; Uman, Martin A.; Fisher, Richard J.; Schnetzer, George H.

1995-12-01

Channel base currents from triggered lightning were measured at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, during summer 1990 and at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during summer 1991. An analysis of the return stroke data and overall continuing current data has been published by Fisher et al. [1993]. Here an analysis is given of the impulsive processes, called M components, that occur during the continuing current following return strokes. The 14 flashes analyzed contain 37 leader-return stroke sequences and 158 M components, both processes lowering negative charge from cloud to ground. Statistics are presented for the following M current pulse parameters: magnitude, rise time, duration, half-peak width, preceding continuing current level, M interval, elapsed time since the return stroke, and charge transferred by the M current pulse. A typical M component in triggered lightning is characterized by a more or less symmetrical current pulse having an amplitude of 100-200 A (2 orders of magnitude lower than that for a typical return stroke [Fisher et al., 1993]), a 10-90% rise time of 300-500 μs (3 orders of magnitude larger than that for a typical return stroke [Fisher et al., 1993]), and a charge transfer to ground of the order of 0.1 to 0.2 C (1 order of magnitude smaller than that for a typical subsequent return stroke pulse [Berger et al., 1975]). About one third of M components transferred charge greater than the minimum charge reported by Berger et al. [1975] for subsequent leader-return stroke sequences. No correlation was found between either the M charge or the magnitude of the M component current (the two are moderately correlated) and any other parameter considered. M current pulses occurring soon after the return stroke tend to have shorter rise times, shorter durations, and shorter M intervals than those which occur later. M current pulses were observed to be superimposed on continuing currents greater than 30 A or so, with one exception out of 140 cases, wherein the continuing current level was measured to be about 20 A. The first M component virtually always (one exception out of 34 cases) occurred within 4 ms of the return stroke. This relatively short separation time between return stroke and the first M component, coupled with the observation of Fisher et al. [1993] that continuing currents lasting longer than 10 ms never occur without M current pulses, implies that the M component is a necessary feature of the continuing current mode of charge transfer to ground.

Transient nucleate pool boiling in microgravity: Some initial results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merte, Herman, Jr.; Lee, H. S.; Ervin, J. S.

1994-01-01

Variable gravity provides an opportunity to test the understanding of phenomena which are considered to depend on buoyancy, such as nucleate pool boiling. The active fundamental research in nucleate boiling has sought to determine the mechanisms or physical processes responsible for its high effectiveness, manifested by the high heat flux levels possible with relatively low temperature differences. Earlier research on nucleate pool boiling at high gravity levels under steady conditions demonstrated quantitatively that the heat transfer is degraded as the buoyancy normal to the heater surfaced increases. Correspondingly, it was later shown, qualitatively for short periods of time only, that nucleate boiling heat transfer is enhanced as the buoyancy normal to the heater surface is reduced. It can be deduced that nucleate pool boiling can be sustained as a quasi-steady process provided that some means is available to remove the vapor generated from the immediate vicinity of the heater surface. One of the objectives of the research, the initial results of which are presented here, is to quantify the heat transfer associated with boiling in microgravity. Some quantitative results of nucleate pool boiling in high quality microgravity (a/g approximately 10(exp -5)) of 5s duration, obtained in an evacuated drop tower, are presented here. These experiments were conducted as precursors of longer term space experiments. A transient heating technique is used, in which the heater surface is a transparent gold film sputtered on a qua rtz substrate, simultaneously providing the mean surface temperature from resistance thermometry and viewing of the boiling process both from beneath and across the surface. The measurement of the transient mean heater surface temperature permits the computation, by numerical means, of the transient mean heat transfer coefficient. The preliminary data obtained demonstrates that a quasi-steady boiling process can occur in microgravity if the bulk liquid subcooling is sufficiently high and if the imposed heat flux is sufficiently low. This is attributed to suface tension effects at the liquid-vapor-solid junction causing rewetting to take place, sustaining the nucleate boiling. Otherwise, dryout at the heater surface will occur, as observed.

Long-range doublon transfer in a dimer chain induced by topology and ac fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bello, M.; Creffield, C. E.; Platero, G.

2016-03-01

The controlled transfer of particles from one site of a spatial lattice to another is essential for many tasks in quantum information processing and quantum communication. In this work we study how to induce long-range transfer between the two ends of a dimer chain, by coupling states that are localized just on the chain’s end-points. This has the appealing feature that the transfer occurs only between the end-points - the particle does not pass through the intermediate sites-making the transfer less susceptible to decoherence. We first show how a repulsively bound-pair of fermions, known as a doublon, can be transferred from one end of the chain to the other via topological edge states. We then show how non-topological surface states of the familiar Shockley or Tamm type can be used to produce a similar form of transfer under the action of a periodic driving potential. Finally we show that combining these effects can produce transfer by means of more exotic topological effects, in which the driving field can be used to switch the topological character of the edge states, as measured by the Zak phase. Our results demonstrate how to induce long range transfer of strongly correlated particles by tuning both topology and driving.

Inferring duplications, losses, transfers and incomplete lineage sorting with nonbinary species trees.

PubMed

Stolzer, Maureen; Lai, Han; Xu, Minli; Sathaye, Deepa; Vernot, Benjamin; Durand, Dannie

2012-09-15

Gene duplication (D), transfer (T), loss (L) and incomplete lineage sorting (I) are crucial to the evolution of gene families and the emergence of novel functions. The history of these events can be inferred via comparison of gene and species trees, a process called reconciliation, yet current reconciliation algorithms model only a subset of these evolutionary processes. We present an algorithm to reconcile a binary gene tree with a nonbinary species tree under a DTLI parsimony criterion. This is the first reconciliation algorithm to capture all four evolutionary processes driving tree incongruence and the first to reconcile non-binary species trees with a transfer model. Our algorithm infers all optimal solutions and reports complete, temporally feasible event histories, giving the gene and species lineages in which each event occurred. It is fixed-parameter tractable, with polytime complexity when the maximum species outdegree is fixed. Application of our algorithms to prokaryotic and eukaryotic data show that use of an incomplete event model has substantial impact on the events inferred and resulting biological conclusions. Our algorithms have been implemented in Notung, a freely available phylogenetic reconciliation software package, available at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~durand/Notung. mstolzer@andrew.cmu.edu.

Real-time hierarchically distributed processing network interaction simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, W. F.; Wu, C.

1987-01-01

The Telerobot Testbed is a hierarchically distributed processing system which is linked together through a standard, commercial Ethernet. Standard Ethernet systems are primarily designed to manage non-real-time information transfer. Therefore, collisions on the net (i.e., two or more sources attempting to send data at the same time) are managed by randomly rescheduling one of the sources to retransmit at a later time interval. Although acceptable for transmitting noncritical data such as mail, this particular feature is unacceptable for real-time hierarchical command and control systems such as the Telerobot. Data transfer and scheduling simulations, such as token ring, offer solutions to collision management, but do not appropriately characterize real-time data transfer/interactions for robotic systems. Therefore, models like these do not provide a viable simulation environment for understanding real-time network loading. A real-time network loading model is being developed which allows processor-to-processor interactions to be simulated, collisions (and respective probabilities) to be logged, collision-prone areas to be identified, and network control variable adjustments to be reentered as a means of examining and reducing collision-prone regimes that occur in the process of simulating a complete task sequence.

Two-phase nanofluid-based thermal management systems for LED cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiseev, V.; Aminev, D.; Sazhin, O.

2017-04-01

This research focuses on two-phase thermal control systems, namely loop thermosyphons (LTS) filled with nanofluids, and their use as LED cooling devices. The behavior of the fluid in the thermosyphons and the mechanisms explaining the possible impact of nanoparticles on thermal properties of the working fluid as well as the processes in the LTS are addressed. Nanoparticle distribution in the nanofluid, methods of preparation of nanofluids and nanofluid degradation processes (aging) are studied. The results are obtained from a set of experiments on thermosyphon characteristics depending on the thermophysical properties of the working fluid, filling volume, geometry and materials of radiators. The impact of nanofluids on heat-transfer process occurring inside thermosyphon is also studied. Results indicate strong influence of nanoparticles on the thermal properties of the thermosyphons, with up to 20% increase of the heat transfer coefficient. Additionally, a method of calculating the hydrodynamic limit of the LTS is proposed, which allows for estimation of the maximum heat flux that can be transferred by means of the LTS. Possible ways for further improvement of the model are proposed. The nanofluids are shown to be effective means of enhancing two-phase systems of thermal management.

A model for the transfer of perceptual-motor skill learning in human behaviors.

PubMed

Rosalie, Simon M; Müller, Sean

2012-09-01

This paper presents a preliminary model that outlines the mechanisms underlying the transfer of perceptual-motor skill learning in sport and everyday tasks. Perceptual-motor behavior is motivated by performance demands and evolves over time to increase the probability of success through adaptation. Performance demands at the time of an event create a unique transfer domain that specifies a range of potentially successful actions. Transfer comprises anticipatory subconscious and conscious mechanisms. The model also outlines how transfer occurs across a continuum, which depends on the individual's expertise and contextual variables occurring at the incidence of transfer

The nature of orthographic learning in self-teaching: Testing the extent of transfer.

PubMed

Tucker, Rebecca; Castles, Anne; Laroche, Annie; Deacon, S Hélène

2016-05-01

The current study was designed to test how orthographic learning, or the learning of the spelling patterns of words, happens within the self-teaching paradigm. One possibility is that orthographic learning occurs on a word-specific basis. Two other possibilities are that orthographic learning transfers specifically to the processing of novel words that are morphologically related or that it transfers to novel words that are orthographically similar, regardless of morphological relationship. In an orthographic learning paradigm, we asked children in Grades 3 and 5 to read nonwords embedded in short stories. In a between-participants design, some children read nonwords that were base forms, others read nonwords that were morphologically complex forms, and others read nonwords that were orthographically complex forms (e.g., feap, feaper, and feaple, respectively). Children completed an orthographic choice task with the same items as in the stories. To evaluate transfer of learning, children also completed orthographic choices for the two forms of the nonwords not seen in the stories. Results indicated that children's orthographic learning affected processing of novel items that appeared to be morphologically related as well as those that shared only orthographic structure (e.g., both feaper and feaple). Additional analyses showed that these effects were held across cases when children did and did not successfully decode the novel words in the learning experience, although successful decoding did lead to higher levels of orthographic learning and transfer. Together, the findings suggest that children's prior experiences affect their processing of novel words that share orthographic similarity, likely reflecting a role for orthographic analogies in the self-teaching process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensitizing solid state nuclear magnetic resonance of dilute nuclei by spin-diffusion assisted polarization transfers.

PubMed

Lupulescu, Adonis; Frydman, Lucio

2011-10-07

Recent years have witnessed efforts geared at increasing the sensitivity of NMR experiments, by relying on the suitable tailoring and exploitation of relaxation phenomena. These efforts have included the use of paramagnetic agents, enhanced (1)H-(1)H incoherent and coherent transfers processes in 2D liquid state spectroscopy, and homonuclear (13)C-(13)C spin diffusion effects in labeled solids. The present study examines some of the opportunities that could open when exploiting spontaneous (1)H-(1)H spin-diffusion processes, to enhance relaxation and to improve the sensitivity of dilute nuclei in solid state NMR measurements. It is shown that polarization transfer experiments executed under sufficiently fast magic-angle-spinning conditions, enable a selective polarization of the dilute low-γ spins by their immediate neighboring protons. Repolarization of the latter can then occur during the time involved in monitoring the signal emitted by the low-γ nuclei. The basic features involved in the resulting approach, and its potential to improve the effective sensitivity of solid state NMR measurements on dilute nuclei, are analyzed. Experimental tests witness the advantages that could reside from utilizing this kind of approach over conventional cross-polarization processes. These measurements also highlight a number of limitations that will have to be overcome for transforming selective polarization transfers of this kind into analytical methods of choice. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Limb Dominance and Its Effects on the Benefits of Intralimb Transfer of Learning: A Visuomotor Aiming Task.

PubMed

Aiken, Christopher A; Pan, Zhujun; Van Gemmert, Arend W A

2015-01-01

Research has attempted to address what characteristics benefit from transfer of learning; however, it is still unclear which characteristics are effector dependent or independent. Furthermore, it is not clear if intralimb transfer shows, similarly to interlimb transfer, an asymmetry of benefits between the upper limbs. The purpose of the current study is to examine if effector independence effects emerge, as observed in interlimb transfer studies, when transfer to new effector group within the same limb occurs, and whether the pattern of intralimb transfer benefits differ between the limbs. Our results suggest that a visuomotor task transfers within both limbs, even though the transfer benefits within the limbs seem to differ. This was supported by more transfer occurring in the dominant limb than the nondominant limb. Potential control mechanisms used for intralimb transfer are discussed.

Energy transfer and reaction dynamics of matrix-isolated 1,2-difluoroethane-d4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raff, Lionel M.

1990-09-01

The molecular dynamics of vibrationally excited 1,2-difluoroethane-d4 isolated in Ar, Kr, and Xe matrices at 12 K are investigated using trajectory methods. The matrix model is an fcc crystal containing 125 unit cells with 666 atoms in a cubic (5×5×5) arrangement. It is assumed that 1,2-difluoroethane-d4 is held interstitially within the volume bounded by the innermost unit cell of the crystal. The transport effects of the bulk are simulated using the velocity reset method introduced by Riley, Coltrin, and Diestler [J. Chem. Phys. 88, 5934 (1988)]. The system potential is written as the separable sum of a lattice potential, a lattice-molecule interaction and a gas-phase potential for 1,2-difluoroethane. The first two of these are assumed to have pairwise form while the molecular potential is a modified form of the global potential previously developed for 1,2-difluoroethane [J. Phys. Chem. 91, 3266 (1987)]. Calculated sublimation energies for the pure crystals are in good accord with the experimental data. The distribution of metastable-state energies for matrix-isolated 1,2-difluoroethane-d4 is Gaussian in form. In krypton, the full width at half maximum for the distribution is 0.37 eV. For a total excitation energy of 6.314 eV, the observed dynamic processes are vibrational relaxation, orientational exchange, and four-center DF elimination reactions. The first of these processes is characterized by a near linear, first-order decay curve with rate coefficients in the range 1.30-1.48×1011 s-1. The average rates in krypton and xenon are nearly equal. The process is slightly slower in argon. The decay curves exhibit characteristic high-frequency oscillations that are generally seen in energy transfer studies. It is demonstrated that these oscillations are associated with the frequencies for intramolecular energy transfer so that the entire frequency spectrum for such transfer processes can be obtained from the Fourier transform of the decay curve. Orientational exchange is shown to occur with much greater frequency as the unit cell spacing decreases. The occurrence of orientational exchange generally results in a very rapid dissipation of molecular rotational energy to the lattice which causes a characteristic break to occur in the decay curve. It is shown that 16% of the total energy transfer to the lattice in argon is a result of such rotational energy transfer. The propensity for four-center DF elimination is found to be greater in argon than in either krypton or xenon. The relaxation data show that this effect is not the result of different energy transfer rates but is probably associated with steric effects resulting from the smaller lattice dimensions in argon. Isotope effects upon the energy partitioning in unimolecular reactions of 1,2-difluoroethane and upon the energy transfer dynamics under matrix-isolation conditions are also reported.

Vibration-Induced Droplet Atomization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, M. K.; James, A.; Vukasinovic, B.; Glezer, A.

1999-01-01

Thermal management is critical to a number of technologies used in a microgravity environment and in Earth-based systems. Examples include electronic cooling, power generation systems, metal forming and extrusion, and HVAC (heating, venting, and air conditioning) systems. One technique that can deliver the large heat fluxes required for many of these technologies is two-phase heat transfer. This type of heat transfer is seen in the boiling or evaporation of a liquid and in the condensation of a vapor. Such processes provide very large heat fluxes with small temperature differences. Our research program is directed toward the development of a new, two-phase heat transfer cell for use in a microgravity environment. In this paper, we consider the main technology used in this cell, a novel technique for the atomization of a liquid called vibration-induced droplet atomization. In this process, a small liquid droplet is placed on a thin metal diaphragm that is made to vibrate by an attached piezoelectric transducer. The vibration induces capillary waves on the free surface of the droplet that grow in amplitude and then begin to eject small secondary droplets from the wave crests. In some situations, this ejection process develops so rapidly that the entire droplet seems to burst into a small cloud of atomized droplets that move away from the diaphragm at speeds of up to 50 cm/s. By incorporating this process into a heat transfer cell, the active atomization and transport of the small liquid droplets could provide a large heat flux capability for the device. Experimental results are presented that document the behavior of the diaphragm and the droplet during the course of a typical bursting event. In addition, a simple mathematical model is presented that qualitatively reproduces all of the essential features we have seen in a burst event. From these two investigations, we have shown that delayed droplet bursting results when the system passes through a resonance condition. This occurs when the initial acceleration of the diaphragm is higher than the critical acceleration and the driving frequency is larger than the initial resonance frequency of the diaphragm-droplet system. We have incorporated this droplet atomization device into a design for a new heat transfer cell for use in a microgravity environment. The cell is essentially a cylindrical container with a hot surface on one end and a cold surface on the other. The vibrating diaphragm is mounted in the center of the cold surface. Heat transfer occurs through droplet evaporation and condensation on the hot and cold ends of the cell. A prototype of this heat transfer cell has been built and tested. It can operate continuously and provides a modest level of heat transfer, about 20 W/sq cm. Our work during the next few years will be to optimize the design of this cell to see if we can produce a device that has significantly better performance than conventional heat exchangers and heat pipes.

Charge Transfer and Orbital Level Alignment at Inorganic/Organic Interfaces: The Role of Dielectric Interlayers.

PubMed

Hollerer, Michael; Lüftner, Daniel; Hurdax, Philipp; Ules, Thomas; Soubatch, Serguei; Tautz, Frank Stefan; Koller, Georg; Puschnig, Peter; Sterrer, Martin; Ramsey, Michael G

2017-06-27

It is becoming accepted that ultrathin dielectric layers on metals are not merely passive decoupling layers, but can actively influence orbital energy level alignment and charge transfer at interfaces. As such, they can be important in applications ranging from catalysis to organic electronics. However, the details at the molecular level are still under debate. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of charge transfer promoted by a dielectric interlayer with a comparative study of pentacene adsorbed on Ag(001) with and without an ultrathin MgO interlayer. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission tomography supported by density functional theory, we are able to identify the orbitals involved and quantify the degree of charge transfer in both cases. Fractional charge transfer occurs for pentacene adsorbed on Ag(001), while the presence of the ultrathin MgO interlayer promotes integer charge transfer with the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital transforming into a singly occupied and singly unoccupied state separated by a large gap around the Fermi energy. Our experimental approach allows a direct access to the individual factors governing the energy level alignment and charge-transfer processes for molecular adsorbates on inorganic substrates.

Impact of atmospheric anisoplanaticity on earth-to-satellite time transfer over laser communication links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Aniceto; Taylor, Michael T.; Hollberg, Leo; Kahn, Joseph M.

2017-02-01

The need for an accurate time and position reference on orbiting platforms motivates the study of time transfer over satellite optical communication links. The transfer of precise optical clock signals to space would benefit many fields in fundamental science and applications. However, the precise role of atmospheric turbulence during the optical time transfer process is not well-known and documented. In free-space optical links, atmospheric turbulence represents a major impairment, since it causes degradation of the spatial and temporal coherence of the optical signals. We present possible link scenarios in which the atmospheric channel behavior for time transfer between ground and space can be investigated, and have identified the major challenges to be overcome. We found in our analysis that, despite the limited reciprocity in uplink and downlink propagation, partial two-way cancellation of atmospheric effects still occurs. We established that laser communication links make possible high-quality time transfer in most practical propagation scenarios and over a single satellite visibility period. Our results demonstrate that sharing of optical communication resources for optical time transfer and range determination is an effective and relevant scheme for space clock developments and enabling for future space missions.

Early primary biliary cholangitis is characterised by brain abnormalities on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Grover, V P B; Southern, L; Dyson, J K; Kim, J U; Crossey, M M E; Wylezinska-Arridge, M; Patel, N; Fitzpatrick, J A; Bak-Bol, A; Waldman, A D; Alexander, G J; Mells, G F; Chapman, R W; Jones, D E J; Taylor-Robinson, S D

2016-11-01

Brain change can occur in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), potentially as a result of cholestatic and/or inflammatory processes. This change is linked to systemic symptoms of fatigue and cognitive impairment. To identify whether brain change occurs early in PBC. If the change develops early and is progressive, it may explain the difficulty in treating these symptoms. Early disease brain change was explored in 13 patients with newly diagnosed biopsy-proven precirrhotic PBC using magnetisation transfer, diffusion-weighted imaging and 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results were compared to 17 healthy volunteers. Cerebral magnetisation transfer ratios were reduced in early PBC, compared to healthy volunteers, in the thalamus, putamen and head of caudate with no greater reduction in patients with greater symptom severity. Mean apparent diffusion coefficients were increased in the thalamus only. No 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy abnormalities were seen. Serum manganese levels were elevated in all PBC patients, but no relationship was seen with imaging or symptom parameters. There were no correlations between neuroimaging data, laboratory data, symptom severity scores or age. This is the first study to be performed in this precirrhotic patient population, and we have highlighted that neuroimaging changes are present at a much earlier stage than previously demonstrated. The neuroimaging abnormalities suggest that the brain changes seen in PBC occur early in the pathological process, even before significant liver damage has occurred. If such changes are linked to symptom pathogenesis, this could have important implications for the timing of second-line-therapy use. © 2016 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interaction of flavonoids, the naturally occurring antioxidants with different media: A UV-visible spectroscopic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naseem, Bushra; Shah, S. W. H.; Hasan, Aurangzeb; Sakhawat Shah, S.

2010-04-01

Quantitative parameters for interaction of flavonoids—the naturally occurring antioxidants, with solvents and surfactants are determined using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The availability of flavonoids; kaempferol, apigenin, kaempferide and rhamnetin in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reflected in terms of partition coefficient, Kc. Thermodynamic calculations show that the process of transfer of flavonoid molecules to anionic micelles of SDS is energy efficient. A distortion in flavonoid's morphology occurs in case of kaempferol and apigenin in surfactant and water, exhibited in terms of a new band in the UV region of electronic spectra of these flavonoids. The partition coefficients of structurally related flavonoids are correlated with their antioxidant activities.

Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg: Exploring the Multiple Forms of University-Industry Linkages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramos-Vielba, Irene; Fernandez-Esquinas, Manuel

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the wide variety of channels through which the process of knowledge transfer occurs. The overall objective is to show the complexity of relationships between researchers and firms in a university system, and to identify some specific factors that influence such interactions. Our case study involves a face-to-face survey of…

Atmosphere Explorer set for launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The Atmosphere Explorer-D (Explorer-54) is described which will explore in detail an area of the earth's outer atmosphere where important energy transfer, atomic and molecular processes, and chemical reactions occur that are critical to the heat balance of the atmosphere. Data are presented on the mission facts, launch vehicle operations, AE-D/Delta flight events, spacecraft description, scientific instruments, tracking, and data acquisition.

Power cepstrum technique with application to model helicopter acoustic data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, R. M.; Burley, C. L.

1986-01-01

The application of the power cepstrum to measured helicopter-rotor acoustic data is investigated. A previously applied correction to the reconstructed spectrum is shown to be incorrect. For an exact echoed signal, the amplitude of the cepstrum echo spike at the delay time is linearly related to the echo relative amplitude in the time domain. If the measured spectrum is not entirely from the source signal, the cepstrum will not yield the desired echo characteristics and a cepstral aliasing may occur because of the effective sample rate in the frequency domain. The spectral analysis bandwidth must be less than one-half the echo ripple frequency or cepstral aliasing can occur. The power cepstrum editing technique is a useful tool for removing some of the contamination because of acoustic reflections from measured rotor acoustic spectra. The cepstrum editing yields an improved estimate of the free field spectrum, but the correction process is limited by the lack of accurate knowledge of the echo transfer function. An alternate procedure, which does not require cepstral editing, is proposed which allows the complete correction of a contaminated spectrum through use of both the transfer function and delay time of the echo process.

Apparatus for inspecting fuel elements

DOEpatents

Oakley, David J.; Groves, Oliver J.; Kaiser, Bruce J.

1986-01-01

Disclosed is an alpha monitor usable in an automated nuclear fuel pin loading and processing unit. Fuel pins or other elongated pins are fed laterally into the alpha monitor in a singular fashion and are translated by a first roller assembly into a weld flare machining and decontamination substation not forming a part of the invention. Pins return and are lifted upwardly and transferred across to a combined pin lifting and electrode operating means which lifts the pins upwardly into a clamshell electrode assembly which is spread open by a combined pin lifting and electrode operating means. Once inserted the clamshell type electrode arrangement closes around the fuel pins so that inspection can occur. Fuel pins are inspected by charging electrodes to a negative potential and measuring the change in charge occurring when positively charged alpha particles strike the negatively charged electrodes. After inspection, the fuel pins are lowered by the pin lifting and electrode operating means into a second roller assembly which longitudinally conveys approved pins from the airtight enclosure in which the alpha monitor is mounted. If the fuel pins are rejected then they are moved laterally by a second transfer means and onto another system for further processing.

Apparatus for inspecting fuel elements

DOEpatents

Kaiser, B.J.; Oakley, D.J.; Groves, O.J.

1984-12-21

This disclosure describes an alpha monitor usable in an automated nuclear fuel pin loading and processing unit. Fuel pins or other elongated pins are fed laterally into the alpha monitor in a singular fashion and are translated by a first roller assembly into a weld flare machining and decontamination substation not forming a part of the invention. Pins return and are lifted upwardly and transferred across to a combined pin lifting and electrode operating means which lifts the pins upwardly into a clamshell electrode assembly which is spread open by a combined pin lifting and electrode operating means. Once inserted the clamshell type electrode arrangement closes around the fuel pins so that inspection can occur. Fuel pins are inspected by charging electrodes to a negative potential and measuring the change in charge occurring when positively charged alpha particles strike the negatively charged electrodes. After inspection, the fuel pins are lowered by the pin lifting and electrode operating means into a second roller assembly which longitudinally conveys approved pins from the airtight enclosure in which the alpha monitor is mounted. If the fuel pins are rejected then they are moved laterally by a second transfer means and onto another system for further processing.

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.

Development of a Rational Modeling Approach for the Design, and Optimization of the Multifiltration Unit. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hand, David W.; Crittenden, John C.; Ali, Anisa N.; Bulloch, John L.; Hokanson, David R.; Parrem, David L.

1996-01-01

This thesis includes the development and verification of an adsorption model for analysis and optimization of the adsorption processes within the International Space Station multifiltration beds. The fixed bed adsorption model includes multicomponent equilibrium and both external and intraparticle mass transfer resistances. Single solute isotherm parameters were used in the multicomponent equilibrium description to predict the competitive adsorption interactions occurring during the adsorption process. The multicomponent equilibrium description used the Fictive Component Analysis to describe adsorption in unknown background matrices. Multicomponent isotherms were used to validate the multicomponent equilibrium description. Column studies were used to develop and validate external and intraparticle mass transfer parameter correlations for compounds of interest. The fixed bed model was verified using a shower and handwash ersatz water which served as a surrogate to the actual shower and handwash wastewater.

Study of energy transfer mechanism from ZnO nanocrystals to Eu(3+) ions.

PubMed

Mangalam, Vivek; Pita, Kantisara; Couteau, Christophe

2016-12-01

In this work, we investigate the efficient energy transfer occurring between ZnO nanocrystals (ZnO-nc) and europium (Eu(3+)) ions embedded in a SiO2 matrix prepared using the sol-gel technique. We show that a strong red emission was observed at 614 nm when the ZnO-nc were excited using a continuous optical excitation at 325 nm. This emission is due to the radiative (5)D0 → (7)F2 de-excitation of the Eu(3+) ions and has been conclusively shown to be due to the energy transfer from the excited ZnO-nc to the Eu(3+) ions. The photoluminescence excitation spectra are also examined in this work to confirm the energy transfer from ZnO-nc to the Eu(3+) ions. Furthermore, we study various de-excitation processes from the excited ZnO-nc and their contribution to the energy transfer to Eu(3+) ions. We also report the optimum fabrication process for maximum red emission at 614 nm from the samples where we show a strong dependence on the annealing temperature and the Eu(3+) concentration in the sample. The maximum red emission is observed with 12 mol% Eu(3+) annealed at 450 °C. This work provides a better understanding of the energy transfer mechanism from ZnO-nc to Eu(3+) ions and is important for applications in photonics, especially for light emitting devices.

Sensitization of ultra-long-range excited-state electron transfer by energy transfer in a polymerized film

PubMed Central

Ito, Akitaka; Stewart, David J.; Fang, Zhen; Brennaman, M. Kyle; Meyer, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Distance-dependent energy transfer occurs from the Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer (MLCT) excited state to an anthracene-acrylate derivative (Acr-An) incorporated into the polymer network of a semirigid poly(ethyleneglycol)dimethacrylate monolith. Following excitation, to Acr-An triplet energy transfer occurs followed by long-range, Acr-3An—Acr-An → Acr-An—Acr-3An, energy migration. With methyl viologen dication (MV2+) added as a trap, Acr-3An + MV2+ → Acr-An+ + MV+ electron transfer results in sensitized electron transfer quenching over a distance of approximately 90 Å. PMID:22949698

Electron transfer and reaction mechanism of laccases.

PubMed

Jones, Stephen M; Solomon, Edward I

2015-03-01

Laccases are part of the family of multicopper oxidases (MCOs), which couple the oxidation of substrates to the four electron reduction of O2 to H2O. MCOs contain a minimum of four Cu's divided into Type 1 (T1), Type 2 (T2), and binuclear Type 3 (T3) Cu sites that are distinguished based on unique spectroscopic features. Substrate oxidation occurs near the T1, and electrons are transferred approximately 13 Å through the protein via the Cys-His pathway to the T2/T3 trinuclear copper cluster (TNC), where dioxygen reduction occurs. This review outlines the electron transfer (ET) process in laccases, and the mechanism of O2 reduction as elucidated through spectroscopic, kinetic, and computational data. Marcus theory is used to describe the relevant factors which impact ET rates including the driving force, reorganization energy, and electronic coupling matrix element. Then, the mechanism of O2 reaction is detailed with particular focus on the intermediates formed during the two 2e(-) reduction steps. The first 2e(-) step forms the peroxide intermediate, followed by the second 2e(-) step to form the native intermediate, which has been shown to be the catalytically relevant fully oxidized form of the enzyme.

Rapid engineering of endothelial cell-lined vascular-like structures in in situ crosslinkable hydrogels.

PubMed

Kageyama, Tatsuto; Kakegawa, Takahiro; Osaki, Tatsuya; Enomoto, Junko; Ito, Taichi; Nittami, Tadashi; Fukuda, Junji

2014-06-01

Fabrication of perfusable vascular networks in vitro is one of the most critical challenges in the advancement of tissue engineering. Because cells consume oxygen and nutrients during the fabrication process, a rapid fabrication approach is necessary to construct cell-dense vital tissues and organs, such as the liver. In this study, we propose a rapid molding process using an in situ crosslinkable hydrogel and electrochemical cell transfer for the fabrication of perfusable vascular structures. The in situ crosslinkable hydrogel was composed of hydrazide-modified gelatin (gelatin-ADH) and aldehyde-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-CHO). By simply mixing these two solutions, the gelation occurred in less than 20 s through the formation of a stable hydrazone bond. To rapidly transfer cells from a culture surface to the hydrogel, we utilized a zwitterionic oligopeptide, which forms a self-assembled molecular layer on a gold surface. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells adhering on a gold surface via the oligopeptide layer were transferred to the hydrogel within 5 min, along with electrochemical desorption of the oligopeptides. This approach was applicable to cylindrical needles 200-700 µm in diameter, resulting in the formation of perfusable microchannels where the internal surface was fully enveloped with the transferred endothelial cells. The entire fabrication process was completed within 10 min, including 20 s for the hydrogel crosslinking and 5 min for the electrochemical cell transfer. This rapid fabrication approach may provide a promising strategy to construct perfusable vasculatures in cell-dense tissue constructs and subsequently allow cells to organize complicated and fully vascularized tissues while preventing hypoxic cell injury.

Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Artificial Photosynthetic Systems.

PubMed

Mora, S Jimena; Odella, Emmanuel; Moore, Gary F; Gust, Devens; Moore, Thomas A; Moore, Ana L

2018-02-20

Artificial photosynthetic constructs can in principle operate more efficiently than natural photosynthesis because they can be rationally designed to optimize solar energy conversion for meeting human demands rather than the multiple needs of an organism competing for growth and reproduction in a complex ecosystem. The artificial photosynthetic constructs described in this Account consist primarily of covalently linked synthetic chromophores, electron donors and acceptors, and proton donors and acceptors that carry out the light absorption, electron transfer, and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) processes characteristic of photosynthetic cells. PCET is the movement of an electron from one site to another accompanied by proton transfer. PCET and the transport of protons over tens of angstroms are important in all living cells because they are a fundamental link between redox processes and the establishment of transmembrane gradients of proton electrochemical potential, known as proton-motive force (PMF), which is the unifying concept in bioenergetics. We have chosen a benzimidazole phenol (BIP) system as a platform for the study of PCET because with appropriate substitutions it is possible to design assemblies in which one or multiple proton transfers can accompany oxidation of the phenol. In BIP, oxidation of the phenol increases its acidity by more than ten pK a units; thus, electrochemical oxidation of the phenol is associated with a proton transfer to the imidazole. This is an example of a PCET process involving transfer of one electron and one proton, known as electron-proton transfer (EPT). When the benzimidazole moiety of BIP is substituted at the 4-position with good proton acceptor groups such as aliphatic amines, experimental and theoretical results indicate that two proton transfers occur upon one-electron oxidation of the phenol. This phenomenon is described as a one-electron-two-proton transfer (E2PT) process and results in translocation of protons over ∼7 Å via a Grotthuss-type mechanism, where the protons traverse a network of internally H-bonded sites. In the case of the E2TP process involving BIP analogues with amino group substituents, the thermodynamic price paid in redox potential to move a proton to the final proton acceptor is ∼300 mV. In this example, the decrease in redox potential limits the oxidizing power of the resulting phenoxyl radical. Thus, unlike the biological counterpart, the artificial construct is thermodynamically incapable of effectively advancing the redox state of a water oxidation catalyst. The design of systems where multiple proton transfer events are coupled to an oxidation reaction while a relatively high redox potential is maintained remains an outstanding challenge. The ability to control proton transfer and activity at defined distances and times is key to achieving proton management in the vicinity of catalysts operating at low overpotential in myriad biochemically important processes. Artificial photosynthetic constructs with well-defined structures, such as the ones described in this Account, can provide the means for discovering design principles upon which efficient redox catalysts for electrolysis and fuel cells can be based.

Modeling pH-zone refining countercurrent chromatography: a dynamic approach.

PubMed

Kotland, Alexis; Chollet, Sébastien; Autret, Jean-Marie; Diard, Catherine; Marchal, Luc; Renault, Jean-Hugues

2015-04-24

A model based on mass transfer resistances and acid-base equilibriums at the liquid-liquid interface was developed for the pH-zone refining mode when it is used in countercurrent chromatography (CCC). The binary separation of catharanthine and vindoline, two alkaloids used as starting material for the semi-synthesis of chemotherapy drugs, was chosen for the model validation. Toluene/CH3CN/water (4/1/5, v/v/v) was selected as biphasic solvent system. First, hydrodynamics and mass transfer were studied by using chemical tracers. Trypan blue only present in the aqueous phase allowed the determination of the parameters τextra and Pe for hydrodynamic characterization whereas acetone, which partitioned between the two phases, allowed the determination of the transfer parameter k0a. It was shown that mass transfer was improved by increasing both flow rate and rotational speed, which is consistent with the observed mobile phase dispersion. Then, the different transfer parameters of the model (i.e. the local transfer coefficient for the different species involved in the process) were determined by fitting experimental concentration profiles. The model accurately predicted both equilibrium and dynamics factors (i.e. local mass transfer coefficients and acid-base equilibrium constant) variation with the CCC operating conditions (cell number, flow rate, rotational speed and thus stationary phase retention). The initial hypotheses (the acid-base reactions occurs instantaneously at the interface and the process is mainly governed by mass transfer) are thus validated. Finally, the model was used as a tool for catharanthine and vindoline separation prediction in the whole experimental domain that corresponded to a flow rate between 20 and 60 mL/min and rotational speeds from 900 and 2100 rotation per minutes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Review of Interventions Aimed at Facilitating Successful Transition Planning and Transfer to Adult Care Among Youth with Chronic Illness.

PubMed

Weissberg-Benchell, Jill; Shapiro, Jenna B

2017-05-01

This article reviews studies that developed interventions aimed at facilitating the transition process and/or the transfer of youth with chronic illness to adult programs during the past decade. Three key intervention approaches have been studied. Data assessing the impact of transition coordinators suggest that the most successful outcomes occur when coordinators meet with patients prior to the transfer of care, support them as they negotiate the adult programs, and facilitate appointment keeping. Data assessing the impact of transition clinics suggest that the key to positive outcomes is helping patients develop a trusting relationship with the adult providers before fully transferring their care to the adult clinic. Similar conclusions can be drawn for transition programs, where it appears that the opportunity to discuss and plan transition with a pediatric provider over time and to meet with both the pediatric and adult providers simultaneously are beneficial for facilitating successful transfer to adult care. Although aspects of these care processes appear promising for improving transition success, this review identifies areas that need further study. We argue that studies are needed that examine individual patient and family-focused interventions as well as looking at other potential interventions in the health care system. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(5):e182-e187.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

An abnormally slow proton transfer reaction in a simple HBO derivative due to ultrafast intramolecular-charge transfer events.

PubMed

Alarcos, Noemí; Gutierrez, Mario; Liras, Marta; Sánchez, Félix; Douhal, Abderrazzak

2015-07-07

We report on the steady-state, picosecond and femtosecond time-resolved studies of a charge and proton transfer dye 6-amino-2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (6A-HBO) and its methylated derivative 6-amino-2-(2'-methoxyphenyl)benzoxazole (6A-MBO), in different solvents. With femtosecond resolution and comparison with the photobehaviour of 6A-MBO, we demonstrate for 6A-HBO in solution, the photoproduction of an intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) process at S1 taking place in ∼140 fs or shorter, followed by solvent relaxation in the charge transferred species. The generated structure (syn-enol charge transfer conformer) experiences an excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) reaction to produce a keto-type tautomer. This subsequent proton motion occurs in 1.2 ps (n-heptane), 14 ps (DCM) and 35 ps (MeOH). In MeOH, it is assisted by the solvent molecules and occurs through tunneling for which we got a large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of about 13. For the 6A-DBO (deuterated sample in CD3OD) the global proton-transfer reaction takes place in 200 ps, showing a remarkable slow KIE regime. The slow ESIPT reaction in DCM (14 ps), not through tunnelling as it is not sensitive to OH/OD exchange, has however to overcome an energy barrier using intramolecular as well as solvent coordinates. The rich ESIPT dynamics of 6A-HBO in the used solutions is governed by an ICT reaction, triggered by the amino group, and it is solvent dependent. Thus, the charge injection to a 6A-HBO molecular frame makes the ICT species more stable, and the phenol group less acidic, slowing down the subsequent ESIPT reaction. Our findings bring new insights into the coupling between ICT and ESIPT reactions on the potential-energy surfaces of several barriers.

Flagellar membrane fusion and protein exchange in trypanosomes; a new form of cell-cell communication?

PubMed Central

Imhof, Simon; Fragoso, Cristina; Hemphill, Andrew; von Schubert, Conrad; Li, Dong; Legant, Wesley; Betzig, Eric; Roditi, Isabel

2016-01-01

Diverse structures facilitate direct exchange of proteins between cells, including plasmadesmata in plants and tunnelling nanotubes in bacteria and higher eukaryotes.  Here we describe a new mechanism of protein transfer, flagellar membrane fusion, in the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei. When fluorescently tagged trypanosomes were co-cultured, a small proportion of double-positive cells were observed. The formation of double-positive cells was dependent on the presence of extracellular calcium and was enhanced by placing cells in medium supplemented with fresh bovine serum. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that double-positive cells arose by bidirectional protein exchange in the absence of nuclear transfer.  Furthermore, super-resolution microscopy showed that this process occurred in ≤1 minute, the limit of temporal resolution in these experiments. Both cytoplasmic and membrane proteins could be transferred provided they gained access to the flagellum. Intriguingly, a component of the RNAi machinery (Argonaute) was able to move between cells, raising the possibility that small interfering RNAs are transported as cargo. Transmission electron microscopy showed that shared flagella contained two axonemes and two paraflagellar rods bounded by a single membrane. In some cases flagellar fusion was partial and interactions between cells were transient. In other cases fusion occurred along the entire length of the flagellum, was stable for several hours and might be irreversible. Fusion did not appear to be deleterious for cell function: paired cells were motile and could give rise to progeny while fused. The motile flagella of unicellular organisms are related to the sensory cilia of higher eukaryotes, raising the possibility that protein transfer between cells via cilia or flagella occurs more widely in nature. PMID:27239276

Photoinduced Electron Transfer and Hole Migration in Nanosized Helical Aromatic Oligoamide Foldamers.

PubMed

Li, Xuesong; Markandeya, Nagula; Jonusauskas, Gediminas; McClenaghan, Nathan D; Maurizot, Victor; Denisov, Sergey A; Huc, Ivan

2016-10-07

A series of photoactive triads have been synthesized and investigated in order to elucidate photoinduced electron transfer and hole migration mechanism across nanosized, rigid helical foldamers. The triads are comprised of a central helical oligoamide foldamer bridge with 9, 14, 18, 19, or 34 8-amino-2-quinolinecarboxylic acid repeat units, and of two chromophores, an N-terminal oligo(para-phenylenevinylene) electron donor and a C-terminal perylene bis-imide electron acceptor. Time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopic studies showed that, following photoexcitation of the electron acceptor, fast electron transfer occurs initially from the oligoquinoline bridge to the acceptor chromophore on the picosecond time scale. The oligo(para-phenylenevinylene) electron donor is oxidized after a time delay during which the hole migrates across the foldamer from the acceptor to the donor. The charge separated state that is finally generated was found to be remarkably long-lived (>80 μs). While the initial charge injection rate is largely invariant for all foldamer lengths (ca. 60 ps), the subsequent hole transfer to the donor varies from 1 × 10 9 s -1 for the longest sequence to 17 × 10 9 s -1 for the shortest. In all cases, charge transfer is very fast considering the foldamer length. Detailed analysis of the process in different media and at varying temperatures is consistent with a hopping mechanism of hole transport through the foldamer helix, with individual hops occurring on the subpicosecond time scale (k ET = 2.5 × 10 12 s -1 in CH 2 Cl 2 ). This work demonstrates the possibility of fast long-range hole transfer over 300 Å (through bonds) across a synthetic modular bridge, an achievement that had been previously observed principally with DNA structures.

Accuracy of burn size estimation in patients transferred to adult Burn Units in Sydney, Australia: an audit of 698 patients.

PubMed

Harish, Varun; Raymond, Andrew P; Issler, Andrea C; Lajevardi, Sepehr S; Chang, Ling-Yun; Maitz, Peter K M; Kennedy, Peter

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to compare burn size estimation between referring centres and Burn Units in adult patients transferred to Burn Units in Sydney, Australia. A review of all adults transferred to Burn Units in Sydney, Australia between January 2009 and August 2013 was performed. The TBSA estimated by the referring institution was compared with the TBSA measured at the Burns Unit. There were 698 adults transferred to a Burns Unit. Equivalent TBSA estimation between the referring hospital and Burns Unit occurred in 30% of patients. Overestimation occurred at a ratio exceeding 3:1 with respect to underestimation, with the difference between the referring institutions and Burns Unit estimation being statistically significant (P<0.001). Significant overestimation occurs in the early transfer of burn-injured patients as well as in patients transferred more than 48h after the burn (P<0.005). Underestimation occurs with less frequency but rises with increasing time after the burn (P<0.005) and with increasing TBSA. Throughout the temporal spectrum of transferred patients, severe burns (≥20% TBSA) were found to have more satisfactory burn size estimations compared with less severe injuries (<20% TBSA; P<0.005). There are significant inaccuracies in burn size assessment by referring centres. The systemic tendency for overestimation occurs throughout the entire TBSA spectrum, and persists with increasing time after the burn. Underestimation occurs less frequently but rises with increasing time after the burn and with increasing TBSA. Severe burns (≥20% TBSA) are more accurately estimated by the referring hospital. The inaccuracies in burn size assessment have the potential to result in suboptimal treatment and inappropriate referral to specialised Burn Units. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Naturally Occurring Radon and 120(h) transfers

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page contains a discussion regarding how the presence of naturally occurring radon on closing military bases affects the United States' ability to transfer parcels under §120(h) (3) and §120(h) (4).

The R package 'RLumModel': Simulating charge transfer in quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Johannes; Kreutzer, Sebastian; Schmidt, Christoph

2017-04-01

Kinetic models of quartz luminescence have gained an important role for predicting experimental results and for understanding charge transfers in (natural) quartz as well as for other dosimetric materials, e.g., Al2O3:C. We present the R package 'RLumModel', offering an easy-to-use tool for simulating quartz luminescence signals (TL, OSL, LM-OSL and RF) based on five integrated and published parameter sets as well as the possibility to use own parameters. Simulation commands can be created (a) using the Risø Sequence Editor, (b) a built-in SAR sequence generator or (c) self-explanatory keywords for customised sequences. Results can be analysed seamlessly using the R package 'Luminescence' along with a visualisation of concentrations of electrons and holes in every trap/centre as well as in the valence and conduction band during all stages of the simulation. Modelling luminescence signals can help understanding charge transfer processes occurring in nature or during measurements in the laboratory. This will lead to a better understanding of several processes concerning geoscientific questions, because quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust.

F"orster-type mechanism of the redox-driven proton pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mourokh, Lev; Smirnov, Anatoly; Nori, Franco

2007-03-01

We propose a model to describe an electronically-driven proton pump in the cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). We examine the situation when the electron transport between the two sites embedded into the inner membrane of the mitochondrion occurs in parallel with the proton transfer from the protonable site that is close to the negative (inner) side of the membrane to the other protonable site located nearby the positive (outer) surface of the membrane. In addition to the conventional electron and proton tunnelings between the sites, the Coulomb interaction between electrons and protons localized on the corresponding sites leads to so-called F"orster transfer, i.e. to the process when the simultaneous electron and proton tunnelings are accompanied by the resonant energy transfer between the electrons and protons. Our calculations based on reasonable parameters have demonstrated that the F"orster process facilitates the proton pump at physiological temperatures. We have examined the effects of an electron voltage build-up, external temperature, and molecular electrostatics driving the electron and proton energies to the resonant conditions, and have shown that these parameters can control the proton pump operation.

Cross-Scale Observational Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Sabrina; Malaspina, David

2014-01-01

Magnetic reconnection is a significant mechanism for energy release across many astrophysical applications. In the solar atmosphere, reconnection is considered a primary contributor of flare evolution and coronal heating. Directly observing reconnection occurring in the solar atmosphere, however, is not trivial considering that the scale size of the diffusion region is magnitudes smaller than the observational capabilities of current instrumentation, and coronal magnetic field measurements are not currently sufficient to capture the process. Meanwhile, reconnection occurring in the Earth's magnetosphere transfers energy from the solar wind through a comparable process, although on vastly different scales. Magnetospheric measurements are made in situ rather than remotely; ergo, comparison of observations between the two regimes allows for potentially significant insight into reconnection as a stochastic and possibly turbulent process. We will present a set of observations from long-duration solar events and compare them to in situ measurements from the magnetosphere.

Cross-scale Observational Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, S. L.; Malaspina, D.

2014-12-01

Magnetic reconnection is a significant mechanism for energy release across many astrophysical applications. In the solar atmosphere, reconnection is considered a primary contributor of flare evolution and coronal heating. Directly observing reconnection occurring in the solar atmosphere, however, is not trivial considering that the scale size of the diffusion region is magnitudes smaller than the observational capabilities of current instrumentation, and coronal magnetic field measurements are not currently sufficient to capture the process. Meanwhile, reconnection occurring in the Earth's magnetosphere transfers energy from the solar wind through a comparable process, although on vastly different scales. Magnetospheric measurements are made in situ rather than remotely; ergo, comparison of observations between the two regimes allows for potentially significant insight into reconnection as a stochastic and possibly turbulent process. We will present a set of observations from long-duration solar events and compare them to in situ measurements from the magnetosphere.

Sensitivity function analysis of gravitational wave detection with single-laser and large-momentum-transfer atomic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Biao; Zhang, Bao-Cheng; Zhou, Lin; Wang, Jin; Zhan, Ming-Sheng

2015-03-01

Recently, a configuration using atomic interferometers (AIs) had been suggested for the detection of gravitational waves. A new AI with some additional laser pulses for implementing large momentum transfer was also put forward, in order to reduce the effect of shot noise and laser frequency noise. We use a sensitivity function to analyze all possible configurations of the new AI and to distinguish how many momenta are transferred in a specific configuration. By analyzing the new configuration, we further explore a detection scheme for gravitational waves, in particular, that ameliorates laser frequency noise. We find that the amelioration occurs in such a scheme, but novelly, in some cases, the frequency noise can be canceled completely by using a proper data processing method. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

26 CFR 1.921-1T - Temporary regulations providing transition rules for DISCs and FSCs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) for activities which occur before January 1, 1985 in order to use the transfer pricing rules under... before January 1, 1985, in order to use the transfer pricing rules under section 925. (10) Long-term... section 925(c) for activities which occur before January 1, 1985 in order to use the transfer pricing...

Numerical Approach to Wood Pyrolysis in Considerating Heat Transfer in Reactor Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idris, M.; Novalia, U.

2017-03-01

Pyrolysis is the decomposition process of solid biomass into gas, tar and charcoal through thermochemical methods. The composition of biomass consists of cellulose hemi cellulose and lignin, which each will decompose at different temperatures. Currently pyrolysis has again become an important topic to be discussed. Many researchers make and install the pyrolysis reactor to convert biomass waste into clean energy hardware that can be used to help supply energy that has a crisis. Additionally the clean energy derived from biomass waste is a renewable energy, in addition to abundant source also reduce exhaust emissions of fossil energy that causes global warming. Pyrolysis is a method that has long been known by humans, but until now little is known about the phenomenon of the pyrolysis process that occurs in the reactor. One of the Pyrolysis’s phenomena is the heat transfer process from the temperature of the heat source in the reactor and heat the solid waste of biomass. The solid waste of biomass question in this research is rubber wood obtained from one of the company’s home furnishings. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the process of heat transfer in the reactor during the process. ANSYS software was prepared to make the simulation of heat transfer phenomena at the pyrolysis reactor. That’s the numerical calculation carried out for 1200 seconds. Comparison of temperature performed at T1, T2 and T3 to ensure that thermal conductivity is calculated by numerical accordance with experimental data. The distribution of temperature in the reactor chamber specifies the picture that excellent heat conduction effect of the wood near or attached to wooden components, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin down into gas.

Three-Dimensional Model of Heat and Mass Transfer in Fractured Rocks to Estimate Environmental Conditions Along Heated Drifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedors, R. W.; Painter, S. L.

2004-12-01

Temperature gradients along the thermally-perturbed drifts of the potential high-level waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, will drive natural convection and associated heat and mass transfer along drifts. A three-dimensional, dual-permeability, thermohydrological model of heat and mass transfer was used to estimate the magnitude of temperature gradients along a drift. Temperature conditions along heated drifts are needed to support estimates of repository-edge cooling and as input to computational fluid dynamics modeling of in-drift axial convection and the cold-trap process. Assumptions associated with abstracted heat transfer models and two-dimensional thermohydrological models weakly coupled to mountain-scale thermal models can readily be tested using the three-dimensional thermohydrological model. Although computationally expensive, the fully coupled three-dimensional thermohydrological model is able to incorporate lateral heat transfer, including host rock processes of conduction, convection in gas phase, advection in liquid phase, and latent-heat transfer. Results from the three-dimensional thermohydrological model showed that weakly coupling three-dimensional thermal and two-dimensional thermohydrological models lead to underestimates of temperatures and underestimates of temperature gradients over large portions of the drift. The representative host rock thermal conductivity needed for abstracted heat transfer models are overestimated using the weakly coupled models. If axial flow patterns over large portions of drifts are not impeded by the strong cross-sectional flow patterns imparted by the heat rising directly off the waste package, condensation from the cold-trap process will not be limited to the extreme ends of each drift. Based on the three-dimensional thermohydrological model, axial temperature gradients occur sooner over a larger portion of the drift, though high gradients nearest the edge of the potential repository are dampened. This abstract is an independent product of CNWRA and does not necessarily reflect the view or regulatory position of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Trophic transfer of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Identifying critical research needs.

PubMed

Au, Sarah Y; Lee, Cindy M; Weinstein, John E; van den Hurk, Peter; Klaine, Stephen J

2017-05-01

To evaluate the process of trophic transfer of microplastics, it is important to consider various abiotic and biotic factors involved in their ingestion, egestion, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification. Toward this end, a review of the literature on microplastics has been conducted to identify factors influencing their uptake and absorption; their residence times in organisms and bioaccumulation; the physical effects of their aggregation in gastrointestinal tracts; and their potential to act as vectors for the transfer of other contaminants. Limited field evidence from higher trophic level organisms in a variety of habitats suggests that trophic transfer of microplastics may be a common phenomenon and occurs concurrently with direct ingestion. Critical research needs include standardizing methods of field characterization of microplastics, quantifying uptake and depuration rates in organisms at different trophic levels, quantifying the influence that microplastics have on the uptake and/or depuration of environmental contaminants among different trophic levels, and investigating the potential for biomagnification of microplastic-associated chemicals. More integrated approaches involving computational modeling are required to fully assess trophic transfer of microplastics. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:505-509. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Method for removing metal vapor from gas streams

DOEpatents

Ahluwalia, R.K.; Im, K.H.

1996-04-02

A process for cleaning an inert gas contaminated with a metallic vapor, such as cadmium, involves withdrawing gas containing the metallic contaminant from a gas atmosphere of high purity argon; passing the gas containing the metallic contaminant to a mass transfer unit having a plurality of hot gas channels separated by a plurality of coolant gas channels; cooling the contaminated gas as it flows upward through the mass transfer unit to cause contaminated gas vapor to condense on the gas channel walls; regenerating the gas channels of the mass transfer unit; and, returning the cleaned gas to the gas atmosphere of high purity argon. The condensing of the contaminant-containing vapor occurs while suppressing contaminant particulate formation, and is promoted by providing a sufficient amount of surface area in the mass transfer unit to cause the vapor to condense and relieve supersaturation buildup such that contaminant particulates are not formed. Condensation of the contaminant is prevented on supply and return lines in which the contaminant containing gas is withdrawn and returned from and to the electrorefiner and mass transfer unit by heating and insulating the supply and return lines. 13 figs.

Quasi-four-body treatment of charge transfer in the collision of protons with atomic helium: I. Thomas related mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safarzade, Zohre; Fathi, Reza; Shojaei Akbarabadi, Farideh; Bolorizadeh, Mohammad A.

2018-04-01

The scattering of a completely bare ion by atoms larger than hydrogen is at least a four-body interaction, and the charge transfer channel involves a two-step process. Amongst the two-step interactions of the high-velocity single charge transfer in an anion-atom collision, there is one whose amplitude demonstrates a peak in the angular distribution of the cross sections. This peak, the so-called Thomas peak, was predicted by Thomas in a two-step interaction, classically, which could also be described through three-body quantum mechanical models. This work discusses a four-body quantum treatment of the charge transfer in ion-atom collisions, where two-step interactions illustrating a Thomas peak are emphasized. In addition, the Pauli exclusion principle is taken into account for the initial and final states as well as the operators. It will be demonstrated that there is a momentum condition for each two-step interaction to occur in a single charge transfer channel, where new classical interactions lead to the Thomas mechanism.

Method for removing metal vapor from gas streams

DOEpatents

Ahluwalia, R. K.; Im, K. H.

1996-01-01

A process for cleaning an inert gas contaminated with a metallic vapor, such as cadmium, involves withdrawing gas containing the metallic contaminant from a gas atmosphere of high purity argon; passing the gas containing the metallic contaminant to a mass transfer unit having a plurality of hot gas channels separated by a plurality of coolant gas channels; cooling the contaminated gas as it flows upward through the mass transfer unit to cause contaminated gas vapor to condense on the gas channel walls; regenerating the gas channels of the mass transfer unit; and, returning the cleaned gas to the gas atmosphere of high purity argon. The condensing of the contaminant-containing vapor occurs while suppressing contaminant particulate formation, and is promoted by providing a sufficient amount of surface area in the mass transfer unit to cause the vapor to condense and relieve supersaturation buildup such that contaminant particulates are not formed. Condensation of the contaminant is prevented on supply and return lines in which the contaminant containing gas is withdrawn and returned from and to the electrorefiner and mass transfer unit by heating and insulating the supply and return lines.

Update: Science and security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

Although ‘a substantial and serious technology transfer [to the Soviet Union] exists,’ open communication of federally funded research does not damage our national security, according to Dale R. Corson, president emeritus of Cornell University and chairman of the National Academy of Sciences' Panel on Scientific Communication and National Security. Corson characterized those technology transfers at a recent press conference on the panel's findings, which are summarized in their report, ‘Science Communications and National Security’ (Eos, October 5, p. 801).‘A net flow of products, processes, and ideas is continually moving from the United States and its allies to the Soviet Union, through both overt and covert means,’ Corson said. While some of this technology transfer has not compromised national security (‘in part because a technology in question had little or no military significance’), a ‘substantial portion of the transfer has been damaging to national security,’ Corson explained. The ‘damaging transfers’ occur through the ‘legal as well as illegal sale of products, through transfers via third countries, and through a highly organized espionage operation.’

Processes of heat and mass transfer in straw bales using flue gasses as a drying medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goryl, Wojciech; Szubel, Mateusz; Filipowicz, Mariusz

2016-03-01

Moisture content is a main problem of using straw in form of bales for energy production. The paper presents possibility of straw drying in dedicated, innovative and patented in Poland straw dryers which using flue gasses as a drying medium. Paper presents an improved way of drying which proved to be very sufficient. Temperature and humidity of straw during the process of drying were measured. The measurements helped understand and perform numerical model of heat and mass transfer inside the straw bale. By using CFD codes it was possible to perform analysis of phenomenon occurring inside the dried straw bale. Based on the CFD model, proposals of the optimization and improvement process of drying have been discussed. Experimental and computational data have been compared in terms of convergence. A satisfying degree of agreement has been achieved. Applying improved drying method, homogenous field of moisture content and temperature in the straw bale is achieved in a very cost effective way.

Electrochemical fabrication and interfacial charge-transfer process of Ni/GaN(0001) electrodes.

PubMed

Qin, Shuang-Jiao; Peng, Fei; Chen, Xue-Qing; Pan, Ge-Bo

2016-02-17

The electrodeposition of Ni on single-crystal n-GaN(0001) film from acetate solution was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, atomic force microscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The as-deposited Ni/n-GaN(0001) had a flat band potential of Ufb = -1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl, which was much lower than that of bare GaN(0001). That is, a more feasible charge-transfer process occurred at the Ni/n-Ga(0001) interface. On the basis of a Tafel plot, an exchange current density of ∼1.66 × 10(-4) mA cm(-2) was calculated. The nuclei density increased when the applied potential was varied from -0.9 V to -1.2 V and, eventually the whole substrate was covered. In addition, the current transient measurements revealed that the Ni deposition process followed instantaneous nucleation in 5 mM Ni(CH3COO)2 + 0.5 M H3BO3.

Marangoni Convection during Free Electron Laser Nitriding of Titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höche, Daniel; Müller, Sven; Rapin, Gerd; Shinn, Michelle; Remdt, Elvira; Gubisch, Maik; Schaaf, Peter

2009-08-01

Pure titanium was treated by free electron laser (FEL) radiation in a nitrogen atmosphere. As a result, nitrogen diffusion occurs and a TiN coating was synthesized. Local gradients of interfacial tension due to the local heating lead to a Marangoni convection, which determines the track properties. Because of the experimental inaccessibility of time-dependent occurrences, finite element calculations were performed, to determine the physical processes such as heat transfer, melt flow, and mass transport. In order to calculate the surface deformation of the gas-liquid interface, the level set approach was used. The equations were modified and coupled with heat-transfer and diffusion equations. The process was characterized by dimensionless numbers such as the Reynolds, Peclet, and capillary numbers, to obtain more information about the acting forces and the coating development. Moreover, the nitrogen distribution was calculated using the corresponding transport equation. The simulations were compared with cross-sectional micrographs of the treated titanium sheets and checked for their validity. Finally, the process presented is discussed and compared with similar laser treatments.

Old cogs, new tricks: a scaffolding role for connexin43 and a junctional role for sodium channels?

PubMed

Veeraraghavan, Rengasayee; Poelzing, Steven; Gourdie, Robert G

2014-04-17

Cardiac conduction is the process by which electrical excitation is communicated from cell to cell within the heart, triggering synchronous contraction of the myocardium. The role of conduction defects in precipitating life-threatening arrhythmias in various disease states has spurred scientific interest in the phenomenon. While the understanding of conduction has evolved greatly over the last century, the process has largely been thought to occur via movement of charge between cells via gap junctions. However, it has long been hypothesized that electrical coupling between cardiac myocytes could also occur ephaptically, without direct transfer of ions between cells. This review will focus on recent insights into cardiac myocyte intercalated disk ultrastructure and their implications for conduction research, particularly the ephaptic coupling hypothesis. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Electron transfer and conformational change in complexes of trimethylamine dehydrogenase and electron transferring flavoprotein.

PubMed

Jones, Matthew; Talfournier, Francois; Bobrov, Anton; Grossmann, J Günter; Vekshin, Nikolai; Sutcliffe, Michael J; Scrutton, Nigel S

2002-03-08

The trimethylamine dehydrogenase-electron transferring flavoprotein (TMADH.ETF) electron transfer complex has been studied by fluorescence and absorption spectroscopies. These studies indicate that a series of conformational changes occur during the assembly of the TMADH.ETF electron transfer complex and that the kinetics of assembly observed with mutant TMADH (Y442F/L/G) or ETF (alpha R237A) complexes are much slower than are the corresponding rates of electron transfer in these complexes. This suggests that electron transfer does not occur in the thermodynamically most favorable state (which takes too long to form), but that one or more metastable states (which are formed more rapidly) are competent in transferring electrons from TMADH to ETF. Additionally, fluorescence spectroscopy studies of the TMADH.ETF complex indicate that ETF undergoes a stable conformational change (termed structural imprinting) when it interacts transiently with TMADH to form a second, distinct, structural form. The mutant complexes compromise imprinting of ETF, indicating a dependence on the native interactions present in the wild-type complex. The imprinted form of semiquinone ETF exhibits an enhanced rate of electron transfer to the artificial electron acceptor, ferricenium. Overall molecular conformations as probed by small-angle x-ray scattering studies are indistinguishable for imprinted and non-imprinted ETF, suggesting that changes in structure likely involve confined reorganizations within the vicinity of the FAD. Our results indicate a series of conformational events occur during the assembly of the TMADH.ETF electron transfer complex, and that the properties of electron transfer proteins can be affected lastingly by transient interaction with their physiological redox partners. This may have significant implications for our understanding of biological electron transfer reactions in vivo, because ETF encounters TMADH at all times in the cell. Our studies suggest that caution needs to be exercised in extrapolating the properties of in vitro interprotein electron transfer reactions to those occurring in vivo.

In Situ Solid-State Reactions Monitored by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: Temperature-Induced Proton Transfer Leads to Chemical Shifts.

PubMed

Stevens, Joanna S; Walczak, Monika; Jaye, Cherno; Fischer, Daniel A

2016-10-24

The dramatic colour and phase alteration with the solid-state, temperature-dependent reaction between squaric acid and 4,4'-bipyridine has been probed in situ with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The electronic and chemical sensitivity to the local atomic environment through chemical shifts in the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) revealed proton transfer from the acid to the bipyridine base through the change in nitrogen protonation state in the high-temperature form. Direct detection of proton transfer coupled with structural analysis elucidates the nature of the solid-state process, with intermolecular proton transfer occurring along an acid-base chain followed by a domino effect to the subsequent acid-base chains, leading to the rapid migration along the length of the crystal. NEXAFS thereby conveys the ability to monitor the nature of solid-state chemical reactions in situ, without the need for a priori information or long-range order. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Competing charge transfer pathways at the photosystem II-electrode interface

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jenny Z.; Sokol, Katarzyna P.; Paul, Nicholas; Romero, Elisabet; van Grondelle, Rienk; Reisner, Erwin

2016-01-01

The integration of the water-oxidation enzyme, photosystem II (PSII), into electrodes allows the electrons extracted from water-oxidation to be harnessed for enzyme characterization and driving novel endergonic reactions. However, PSII continues to underperform in integrated photoelectrochemical systems despite extensive optimization efforts. Here, we performed protein-film photoelectrochemistry on spinach and Thermosynechococcus elongatus PSII, and identified a competing charge transfer pathway at the enzyme-electrode interface that short-circuits the known water-oxidation pathway: photo-induced O2 reduction occurring at the chlorophyll pigments. This undesirable pathway is promoted by the embedment of PSII in an electron-conducting matrix, a common strategy of enzyme immobilization. Anaerobicity helps to recover the PSII photoresponses, and unmasked the onset potentials relating to the QA/QB charge transfer process. These findings have imparted a fuller understanding of the charge transfer pathways within PSII and at photosystem-electrode interfaces, which will lead to more rational design of pigment-containing photoelectrodes in general. PMID:27723748

Numerical investigations on the effect of slenderness ratio of matrix elements in cryogenic chill down process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reby Roy, K. E.; Mohammed, Jesna; Abhiroop, V. M.; Thekkethil, S. R.

2017-02-01

Cryogenic fluids have many applications in space, medicine, preservation etc. The chill-down of cryogenic fluid transfer line is a complicated phenomenon occurring in most of the cryogenic systems. The cryogenic fluid transfer line, which is initially at room temperature, has to be cooled to the temperature of the cryogen as fast as possible. When the cryogenic fluid at liquid state passes along the line, transient heat transfer between the cryogen and the transfer line causes voracious evaporation of the liquid. This paper makes a contribution to the two-phase flow along a rectangular flow passage consisting of an array of elliptically shaped matrix elements. A simplified 2D model is considered and the problem is solved using ANSYS FLUENT. The present analysis aims to study the influence of the slenderness ratio of matrix elements on the heat transfer rate and chill down time. For a comparative study, matrix elements of slenderness ratios 5 and 10 are considered. Liquid nitrogen at 74K flows through the matrix. The material of the transfer line is assumed to be aluminium which is initially at room temperature. The influence of Reynolds numbers from 800 to 3000 on chill-down is also investigated.

Promoting Transfer in Memory Training for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Cavallini, Elena; Dunlosky, John; Bottiroli, Sara; Hertzog, Christopher; Vecchi, Tomaso

2011-01-01

Background and aims Many studies have focused on memory training in aging showing older adults can improve their performance. Unfortunately the benefits of training rarely generalize to other tasks that were not specifically trained. We investigated the benefits of instruction-based training in promoting transfer effects in older adults. Methods In Experiment 1, we evaluated transfer effects in a training group who practiced using standard mnemonics to learn paired associates and word lists, and this group was provided instructions about how the mnemonics could be used for two of the four transfer tasks (text learning, name-face learning, grocery list learning, place learning). In Experiment 2, we compared transfer effects for two different training groups: one practiced the strategies with the two trained tasks and did not receive instructions and one had the same practice but also received instructions on all the transfer tasks. Results Transfer in text learning occurred in both experiments. Such transfer is particularly interesting considering that text learning was the most dissimilar task in terms of both the nature of the materials and the underlying processes that support performance. Such transfer was reliably greater when training involved instructions about applicability than when it did not. Conclusions Instructions to use practiced strategies on new materials could be a useful technique in promoting transfer in older adults. It seems that the lack of transfer does not necessarily arise from older adults’ inabilities but instead because they do not realize that trained strategies can (or should) be applied to new materials. PMID:19966535

Promoting transfer in memory training for older adults.

PubMed

Cavallini, Elena; Dunlosky, John; Bottiroli, Sara; Hertzog, Christopher; Vecchi, Tomaso

2010-08-01

Many studies have focused on memory training in aging, showing that older adults can improve their performance. Unfortunately, the benefits of training can rarely be generalized to other tasks for which adults were not specifically trained. We investigated the benefits of instruction-based training in promoting transfer effects in older adults. In Experiment 1, we evaluated transfer effects in a training group who practiced using standard mnemonics to learn paired associates and word lists, and this group was given instructions about how the mnemonics could be used for two of the four transfer tasks (text learning, name-face learning, grocery list learning, place learning). In Experiment 2, we compared transfer effects for two different training groups: one practiced the strategies with the two trained tasks and did not receive instructions, and the other had the same practice but also received instructions on all the transfer tasks. Transfer in text learning occurred in both experiments. This transfer is particularly interesting, as text learning was the most dissimilar task in terms of both the nature of the materials and the underlying processes that support performance. The transfer was reliably greater when training involved instructions about applicability than when it did not. Instructions to use practiced strategies on new materials may be a useful technique in promoting transfer in older adults. It seems that the lack of transfer does not necessarily arise from older adults' inabilities, but because they do not realize that trained strategies can (or should) be applied to new materials.

Interaction of flavonoids, the naturally occurring antioxidants with different media: a UV-visible spectroscopic study.

PubMed

Naseem, Bushra; Shah, S W H; Hasan, Aurangzeb; Sakhawat Shah, S

2010-04-01

Quantitative parameters for interaction of flavonoids-the naturally occurring antioxidants, with solvents and surfactants are determined using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The availability of flavonoids; kaempferol, apigenin, kaempferide and rhamnetin in micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is reflected in terms of partition coefficient, K(c). Thermodynamic calculations show that the process of transfer of flavonoid molecules to anionic micelles of SDS is energy efficient. A distortion in flavonoid's morphology occurs in case of kaempferol and apigenin in surfactant and water, exhibited in terms of a new band in the UV region of electronic spectra of these flavonoids. The partition coefficients of structurally related flavonoids are correlated with their antioxidant activities. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ligand Rearrangements at Fe/S Cofactors: Slow Isomerization of a Biomimetic [2Fe-2S] Cluster.

PubMed

Bergner, Marie; Roy, Lisa; Dechert, Sebastian; Neese, Frank; Ye, Shengfa; Meyer, Franc

2017-04-18

Ligand exchange plays an important role in the biogenesis of Fe/S clusters, most prominently during cluster transfer from a scaffold protein to its target protein. Although in vivo and in vitro studies have provided some insight into this process, the microscopic details of the ligand exchange steps are mostly unknown. In this work, the kinetics of the ligand rearrangement in a biomimetic [2Fe-2S] cluster with mixed S/N capping ligands have been studied. Two geometrical isomers of the cluster are present in solution, and mechanistic insight into the isomerization process was obtained by variable-temperature 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Combined experimental and computational results reveal that this is an associative process that involves the coordination of a solvent molecule to one of the ferric ions. The cluster isomerizes at least two orders of magnitude faster in its protonated and mixed-valent states. These findings may contribute to a deeper understanding of cluster transfer and sensing processes occurring in Fe/S cluster biogenesis. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Antigen Masking During Fixation and Embedding, Dissected

PubMed Central

Scalia, Carla Rossana; Boi, Giovanna; Bolognesi, Maddalena Maria; Riva, Lorella; Manzoni, Marco; DeSmedt, Linde; Bosisio, Francesca Maria; Ronchi, Susanna; Leone, Biagio Eugenio; Cattoretti, Giorgio

2016-01-01

Antigen masking in routinely processed tissue is a poorly understood process caused by multiple factors. We sought to dissect the effect on antigenicity of each step of processing by using frozen sections as proxies of the whole tissue. An equivalent extent of antigen masking occurs across variable fixation times at room temperature. Most antigens benefit from longer fixation times (>24 hr) for optimal detection after antigen retrieval (AR; for example, Ki-67, bcl-2, ER). The transfer to a graded alcohol series results in an enhanced staining effect, reproduced by treating the sections with detergents, possibly because of a better access of the polymeric immunohistochemical detection system to tissue structures. A second round of masking occurs upon entering the clearing agent, mostly at the paraffin embedding step. This may depend on the non-freezable water removal. AR fully reverses the masking due both to the fixation time and the paraffin embedding. AR itself destroys some epitopes which do not survive routine processing. Processed frozen sections are a tool to investigate fixation and processing requirements for antigens in routine specimens. PMID:27798289

Transfer of Short-Term Motor Learning across the Lower Limbs as a Function of Task Conception and Practice Order

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stockel, Tino; Wang, Jinsung

2011-01-01

Interlimb transfer of motor learning, indicating an improvement in performance with one limb following training with the other, often occurs asymmetrically (i.e., from non-dominant to dominant limb or vice versa, but not both). In the present study, we examined whether interlimb transfer of the same motor task could occur asymmetrically and in…

Suppression of flow pulsation activity by relaxation process of additive effect on viscous media transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharlamov, S.; Dedeyev, P.; Meucci, L.; Shenderova, I.; Manastirniy, A.; Usenko, M.

2015-11-01

The article presents the analysis of the processes occurring together with the turbulent transfer of impulse in mixture of hydrocarbon fluid and polymer solutions (anti-turbulent additives). The study evaluates complex shear flows by popular theoretical and practical methods. Understanding of hydrodynamic and dissipative effects of laminar-turbulent transition tightening and turbulence suppression is provided. The peculiarities of "thin" flow structure in pipeline zones with complex shape walls are evaluated. Recommendations to forecast the local flow parameters, calculation of hydraulic resistance are given.

Nonequilibrium Interlayer Transport in Pulsed Laser Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tischler, J. Z.; Eres, Gyula; Larson, B. C.; Rouleau, Christopher M.; Zschack, P.; Lowndes, Douglas H.

2006-06-01

We use time-resolved surface x-ray diffraction measurements with microsecond range resolution to study the growth kinetics of pulsed laser deposited SrTiO3. Time-dependent surface coverages corresponding to single laser shots were determined directly from crystal truncation rod intensity transients. Analysis of surface coverage evolution shows that extremely fast nonequilibrium interlayer transport, which occurs concurrently with the arrival of the laser plume, dominates the deposition process. A much smaller fraction of material, which is governed by the dwell time between successive laser shots, is transferred by slow, thermally driven interlayer transport processes.

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

Mezyk, Stephen P.; Mincher, Bruce J.; Nilsson, Mikael

This document is the final report for the Nuclear Energy Universities Program (NEUP) grant 10-910 (DE-AC07-05ID14517) “Alpha Radiolysis of Nuclear Solvent Extraction Ligands used for An(III) and Ln(III) Separations”. The goal of this work was to obtain a quantitative understanding of the impacts of both low Linear Energy Transfer (LET, gamma-rays) and high LET (alpha particles) radiation chemistry occurring in future large-scale separations processes. This quantitative understanding of the major radiation effects on diluents and ligands is essential for optimal process implementation, and could result in significant cost savings in the future.

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

Shepherd, James; Fairweather, Michael; Hanson, Bruce C.

The oxidation of spent uranium carbide fuel, a candidate fuel for Generation IV nuclear reactors, is an important process in its potential reprocessing cycle. However, the oxidation of uranium carbide in air is highly exothermic. A model has therefore been developed to predict the temperature rise, as well as other useful information such as reaction completion times, under different reaction conditions in order to help in deriving safe oxidation conditions. Finite difference-methods are used to model the heat and mass transfer processes occurring during the reaction in two dimensions and are coupled to kinetics found in the literature.

Mechanisms underlying transfer of task-defined rules across feature dimensions.

PubMed

Baroni, Giulia; Yamaguchi, Motonori; Chen, Jing; Proctor, Robert W

2013-01-01

The Simon effect can be reversed, favoring spatially noncorresponding responses, when people respond to stimulus colors (e.g., green) by pressing a key labeled with the alternative color (i.e., red). This Hedge and Marsh reversal is most often attributed to transfer of logical recoding rules from the color dimension to the location dimension. A recent study showed that this transfer of logical recoding rules can occur not only within a single task but also across two separate tasks that are intermixed. The present study investigated the conditions that determine the transfer of logical recoding rules across tasks. Experiment 1 examined whether it occurs in a transfer paradigm, that is when the two tasks are performed separately, but provided little support for this possibility. Experiment 2 investigated the role of task-set readiness, using a mixed-task paradigm with a predictable trials sequence, which indicated that there is no transfer of task-defined rules across tasks even when they are highly active during the Simon task. Finally, Experiments 3 and 4 used a mixed-task paradigm, where trials of the two tasks were mixed randomly and unpredictably, and manipulated the amount of feature overlap between tasks. Results indicated that task similarity is a determining factor for transfer of task-defined rules to occur. Overall, the study provides evidence that transfer of logical recoding rules tends to occur across two tasks when tasks are unpredictably intermixed and use stimuli that are highly similar and confusable.

Intercellular Communication by Exosome-Derived microRNAs in Cancer

PubMed Central

Hannafon, Bethany N.; Ding, Wei-Qun

2013-01-01

The development of human cancers is a multistep process in which normal cells acquire characteristics that ultimately lead to their conversion into cancer cells. Many obstacles must be overcome for this process to occur; of these obstacles, is the ability to survive an inhospitable microenvironment. It is recognized that the intercommunication between tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment is essential to overcoming this obstacle and for the tumor to progress, metastasize and establish itself at distant sites. Exosomes are membrane-derived vesicles that have recently been recognized as important mediators of intercellular communication, as they carry lipids, proteins, mRNAs and microRNAs that can be transferred to a recipient cell via fusion of the exosome with the target cell membrane. In the context of cancer cells, this process entails the transfer of cancer-promoting cellular contents to surrounding cells within the tumor microenvironment or into the circulation to act at distant sites, thereby enabling cancer progression. In this process, the transfer of exosomal microRNAs to a recipient cell where they can regulate target gene expression is of particular interest, both in understanding the basic biology of cancer progression and for the development of therapeutic approaches. This review discusses the exosome-mediated intercellular communication via microRNAs within the tumor microenvironment in human cancers, with a particular focus on breast cancer exosomes. PMID:23839094

The nonlinear model for emergence of stable conditions in gas mixture in force field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalutskov, Oleg; Uvarova, Liudmila

2016-06-01

The case of M-component liquid evaporation from the straight cylindrical capillary into N - component gas mixture in presence of external forces was reviewed. It is assumed that the gas mixture is not ideal. The stable states in gas phase can be formed during the evaporation process for the certain model parameter valuesbecause of the mass transfer initial equationsnonlinearity. The critical concentrations of the resulting gas mixture components (the critical component concentrations at which the stable states occur in mixture) were determined mathematically for the case of single-component fluid evaporation into two-component atmosphere. It was concluded that this equilibrium concentration ratio of the mixture components can be achieved by external force influence on the mass transfer processes. It is one of the ways to create sustainable gas clusters that can be used effectively in modern nanotechnology.

High Temperature Transfer Molding Resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, John W. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G., Jr. (Inventor); Hergenrother, Paul M. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

High temperature resins containing phenylethynyl groups that are processable by transfer molding have been prepared. These phenylethynyl containing oligomers were prepared from aromatic diamines containing phenylethynyl groups and various ratios of phthalic anhydride and 4-phenylethynlphthalic anhydride in glacial acetic acid to form a mixture of imide compounds in one step. This synthetic approach is advantageous since the products are a mixture of compounds and consequently exhibit a relatively low melting temperature. In addition, these materials exhibit low melt viscosities which are stable for several hours at 210-275 C, and since the thermal reaction of the phenylethynyl group does not occur to any appreciable extent at temperatures below 300 C, these materials have a broad processing window. Upon thermal cure at approximately 300-350 C, the phenylethynyl groups react to provide a crosslinked resin system. These new materials exhibit excellent properties and are potentially useful as adhesives, coatings, films, moldings and composite matrices.

Electron quantum dynamics in atom-ion interaction

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

Sabzyan, H., E-mail: sabzyan@sci.ui.ac.ir; Jenabi, M. J.

2016-04-07

Electron transfer (ET) process and its dependence on the system parameters are investigated by solving two-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation numerically using split operator technique. Evolution of the electron wavepacket occurs from the one-electron species hydrogen atom to another bare nucleus of charge Z > 1. This evolution is quantified by partitioning the simulation box and defining regional densities belonging to the two nuclei of the system. It is found that the functional form of the time-variations of these regional densities and the extent of ET process depend strongly on the inter-nuclear distance and relative values of the nuclear charges, whichmore » define the potential energy surface governing the electron wavepacket evolution. Also, the initial electronic state of the single-electron atom has critical effect on this evolution and its consequent (partial) electron transfer depending on its spreading extent and orientation with respect to the inter-nuclear axis.« less

Beyond Stimulus Cues and Reinforcement Signals: A New Approach to Animal Metacognition

PubMed Central

Couchman, Justin J.; Coutinho, Mariana V. C.; Beran, Michael J.; Smith, J. David

2010-01-01

Some metacognition paradigms for nonhuman animals encourage the alternative explanation that animals avoid difficult trials based only on reinforcement history and stimulus aversion. To explore this possibility, we placed humans and monkeys in successive uncertainty-monitoring tasks that were qualitatively different, eliminating many associative cues that might support transfer across tasks. In addition, task transfer occurred under conditions of deferred and rearranged feedback—both species completed blocks of trials followed by summary feedback. This ensured that animals received no trial-by-trial reinforcement. Despite distancing performance from associative cues, humans and monkeys still made adaptive uncertainty responses by declining the most difficult trials. These findings suggest that monkeys’ uncertainty responses could represent a higher-level, decisional process of cognitive monitoring, though that process need not involve full self-awareness or consciousness. The dissociation of performance from reinforcement has theoretical implications concerning the status of reinforcement as the critical binding force in animal learning. PMID:20836592

The role of defects in Fe(II) – goethite electron transfer

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

Andrade de Notini, Luiza; Latta, Drew; Neumann, Anke

Despite accumulating experimental evidence for Fe(II)-Fe(III) oxide electron transfer, computational chemical calculations suggest that oxidation of sorbed Fe(II) is not energetically feasible unless defects are present. Here we used isotope specific 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy to investigate whether Fe(II)-goethite electron transfer is influenced by defects. Specifically, we heated the mineral to try to anneal the goethite surface and ground goethite to try to create defects. We found that heating goethite results in less oxidation of sorbed Fe(II) by goethite. When goethite was re-ground after heating, electron transfer was partially restored. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) ofmore » heated and ground goethite confirm that heating and grinding alter the surface structure of the goethite. We propose that the heating process annealed the surface and decreased the number of sites where electron transfer could occur. Our experimental findings suggest that surface defects play an important role in Fe(II)-goethite electron transfer as suggested by computational calculations. Our finding that defects influence heterogeneous Fe(II)-goethite electron transfer has important implications for Fe(II) driven recrystallization of Fe oxides, as well as X and Y.« less

Photocatalytic events of CdSe quantum dots in confined media. Electrodic behavior of coupled platinum nanoparticles.

PubMed

Harris, Clifton; Kamat, Prashant V

2010-12-28

The electrodic behavior of platinum nanoparticles (2.8 nm diameter) and their role in influencing the photocatalytic behavior of CdSe quantum dots (3.4 nm diameter) has been evaluated by confining both nanoparticles together in heptane/dioctyl sulphosuccinate/water reverse micelles. The particles spontaneously couple together within the micelles via micellar exchange processes and thus facilitate experimental observation of electron transfer reactions inside the water pools. Electron transfer from CdSe to Pt is found to occur with a rate constant of 1.22 × 10(9) s(-1). With the use of methyl viologen (MV(2+)) as a probe molecule, the role of Pt in the photocatalytic process is established. Ultrafast oxidation of the photogenerated MV(+•) radicals indicates that Pt acts as an electron sink, scavenging electrons from MV(+•) with a rate constant of 3.1 × 10(9) s(-1). The electron transfer between MV(+•) and Pt, and a drastically lower yield of MV(+•) under steady state irradiation, confirms the ability of Pt nanoparticles to discharge electrons quickly. The kinetic details of photoinduced processes in CdSe-Pt assemblies and the electrodic behavior of Pt nanoparticles provide important information for the development of light energy conversion devices.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Stability of an Evaporating Constrained Vapor Bubble

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wayner, P. C., Jr.; Plawsky, J. L.; Wong, Harris

2004-01-01

The major accomplishments of the experimental portion of the research were documented in Ling Zheng's doctoral dissertation. Using Pentane, he obtained a considerable amount of data on the stability and heat transfer characteristics of an evaporating meniscus. The important points are that experimental equipment to obtain data on the stability and heat transfer characteristics of an evaporating meniscus were built and successfully operated. The data and subsequent analyses were accepted by the Journal of Heat Transfer for publication in 2004 [PU4]. The work was continued by a new graduate student using HFE-7000 [PU3] and then Pentane at lower heat fluxes. The Pentane results are being analyzed for publication. The experimental techniques are currently being used in our other NASA Grant. The oscillation of the contact line observed in the experiments involves evaporation (retraction part) and spreading. Since both processes occur with finite contact angles, it is important to derive a precise equation of the intermolecular forces (disjoining pressure) valid for non-zero contact angles. This theoretical derivation was accepted for publication by Journal of Fluid Mechanics [PU5]. The evaporation process near the contact line is complicated, and an idealized micro heat pipe has been proposed to help in elucidating the detailed evaporation process [manuscripts in preparation].

Biodegradation of paint stripper solvents in a modified gas lift loop bioreactor.

PubMed

Vanderberg-Twary, L; Steenhoudt, K; Travis, B J; Hanners, J L; Foreman, T M; Brainard, J R

1997-07-05

Paint stripping wastes generated during the decontamination and decommissioning of former nuclear facilities contain paint stripping organics (dichloromethane, 2-propanol, and methanol) and bulk materials containing paint pigments. It is desirable to degrade the organic residues as part of an integrated chemical-biological treatment system. We have developed a modified gas lift loop bioreactor employing a defined consortium of Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain OFS and Hyphomicrobium sp. DM-2 that degrades paint stripper organics. Mass transfer coefficients and kinetic constants for biodegradation in the system were determined. It was found that transfer of organic substrates from surrogate waste into the air and further into the liquid medium in the bioreactor were rapid processes, occurring within minutes. Monod kinetics was employed to model the biodegradation of paint stripping organics. Analysis of the bioreactor process was accomplished with BIOLAB, a mathematical code that simulates coupled mass transfer and biodegradation processes. This code was used to fit experimental data to Monod kinetics and to determine kinetic parameters. The BIOLAB code was also employed to compare activities in the bioreactor of individual microbial cultures to the activities of combined cultures in the bioreactor. This code is of benefit for further optimization and scale-up of the bioreactor for treatment of paint stripping and other volatile organic wastes in bulk materials.

FTIR Study of the Photoactivation Process of Xenopus (6-4) Photolyase†

PubMed Central

Yamada, Daichi; Zhang, Yu; Iwata, Tatsuya; Hitomi, Kenichi; Getzoff, Elizabeth D.; Kandori, Hideki

2012-01-01

Photolyases (PHRs) are blue-light activated DNA repair enzymes that maintain genetic integrity by reverting UV-induced photoproducts into normal bases. The FAD chromophore of PHRs has four different redox states: oxidized (FADox), anion radical (FAD•−), neutral radical (FADH•) and fully reduced (FADH−). We combined difference Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with UV-visible spectroscopy to study the detailed photoactivation process of Xenopus (6-4) PHR. Two photons produce the enzymatically active, fully reduced PHR from oxidized FAD: FADox is converted to semiquinone via light-induced one-electron and one-proton transfers, and then to FADH− by light-induced one-electron transfer. We successfully trapped FAD•− at 200 K, where electron transfer occurs, but proton transfer does not. UV-visible spectroscopy following 450-nm illumination of FADox at 277 K defined the FADH•/FADH− mixture and allowed calculation of difference FTIR spectra among the four redox states. The absence of a characteristic C=O stretching vibration indicated that the proton donor is not a protonated carboxylic acid. Structural changes in Trp and Tyr are suggested from UV-visible and FTIR analysis of FAD•− at 200 K. Spectral analysis of amide-I vibrations revealed structural perturbation of the protein’s β-sheet during initial electron transfer (FAD•− formation), transient increase in α-helicity during proton transfer (FADH• formation) and reversion to the initial amide-I signal following subsequent electron transfer (FADH− formation). Consequently, in (6-4) PHR, unlike cryptochrome-DASH, formation of enzymatically active FADH− did not perturb α-helicity. Protein structural changes in the photoactivation of (6-4) PHR are discussed on the basis of the present FTIR observations. PMID:22747528

Imaging 'top-down' mobilization of visual information: a case study in a posterior split-brain patient.

PubMed

Naccache, Lionel; Sportiche, Sarah; Strauss, Mélanie; El Karoui, Imen; Sitt, Jacobo; Cohen, Laurent

2014-01-01

During visual perception, automatic bottom-up and controlled top-down processes occur simultaneously and interact in a complex way, making them difficult to isolate and characterize. In rare neurological conditions, such a dissociation can be achieved more easily. In the present work, we studied a patient (AC) with a posterior lesion of the corpus callosum (CC), using a combination of behavioural, structural MRI and high-density scalp EEG measures. Given the complete disruption of the posterior half of the CC, we speculated that inter-hemispheric transfer of visual information was only possible through top-down mobilization across the preserved anterior segment of the CC. We designed a matching-to-sample visual task during which this patient was randomly presented with two successive numerical targets (T1 and T2) flashed with either a short or a long stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA), each presented within one visual hemifield (HF). Intra-hemispheric processing of visual stimuli was essentially preserved. In sharp contrast, patient's performance was massively impaired during inter-HFs trials with a short-SOA, confirming the lack of fast inter-hemispheric transfer. Crucially, patient AC spontaneously improved his performance in inter-HFs trials with a long-SOA. This behavioral improvement was correlated with a mid-frontal ERP effect occurring during the T1-T2 interval, concomitant with an increase of functional connectivity of this region with distant areas including occipital regions. These results put to light a slow, non-automatic, and frontally mediated route of inter-hemispheric transfer dependent on top-down control. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst

PubMed Central

Yeow, Jonathan; Xu, Jiangtao; Boyer, Cyrille

2016-01-01

Presented herein is a protocol for the facile synthesis of worm-like micelles by visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. This approach begins with the synthesis of a hydrophilic poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA) homopolymer using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Under mild visible light irradiation (λ = 460 nm, 0.7 mW/cm2), this macro-chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) in the presence of a ruthenium based photoredox catalyst, Ru(bpy)3Cl2 can be chain extended with a second monomer to form a well-defined block copolymer in a process known as Photoinduced Electron Transfer RAFT (PET-RAFT). When PET-RAFT is used to chain extend POEGMA with benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) in ethanol (EtOH), polymeric nanoparticles with different morphologies are formed in situ according to a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) mechanism. Self-assembly into nanoparticles presenting POEGMA chains at the corona and poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) chains in the core occurs in situ due to the growing insolubility of the PBzMA block in ethanol. Interestingly, the formation of highly pure worm-like micelles can be readily monitored by observing the onset of a highly viscous gel in situ due to nanoparticle entanglements occurring during the polymerization. This process thereby allows for a more reproducible synthesis of worm-like micelles simply by monitoring the solution viscosity during the course of the polymerization. In addition, the light stimulus can be intermittently applied in an ON/OFF manner demonstrating temporal control over the nanoparticle morphology. PMID:27340940

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst.

PubMed

Yeow, Jonathan; Xu, Jiangtao; Boyer, Cyrille

2016-06-08

Presented herein is a protocol for the facile synthesis of worm-like micelles by visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. This approach begins with the synthesis of a hydrophilic poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA) homopolymer using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Under mild visible light irradiation (λ = 460 nm, 0.7 mW/cm(2)), this macro-chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) in the presence of a ruthenium based photoredox catalyst, Ru(bpy)3Cl2 can be chain extended with a second monomer to form a well-defined block copolymer in a process known as Photoinduced Electron Transfer RAFT (PET-RAFT). When PET-RAFT is used to chain extend POEGMA with benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) in ethanol (EtOH), polymeric nanoparticles with different morphologies are formed in situ according to a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) mechanism. Self-assembly into nanoparticles presenting POEGMA chains at the corona and poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) chains in the core occurs in situ due to the growing insolubility of the PBzMA block in ethanol. Interestingly, the formation of highly pure worm-like micelles can be readily monitored by observing the onset of a highly viscous gel in situ due to nanoparticle entanglements occurring during the polymerization. This process thereby allows for a more reproducible synthesis of worm-like micelles simply by monitoring the solution viscosity during the course of the polymerization. In addition, the light stimulus can be intermittently applied in an ON/OFF manner demonstrating temporal control over the nanoparticle morphology.

Some thermodynamic considerations on low frequency electromagnetic waves effects on cancer invasion and metastasis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucia, Umberto; Ponzetto, Antonio

2017-02-01

Cell membranes are the reason of the cell energy transfer. In cells energy transfer, thermo-electro-chemical processes and transports phenomena occur through their membranes. Cells can actively modify their behaviours in relation to any change of their environment. They waste heat into their environment. The analysis of irreversibility related to this wasted heat, to the ions transport and the related cell-environment pH changes represents a new useful approach to the study of the cells behaviour. This analysis allows also the explanation of the effects of electromagnetic fields on the cell behaviour, and to suggest how low intensity electromagnetic fields could represent a useful support to the present anticancer therapies.

Gene doping.

PubMed

Harridge, Stephen D R; Velloso, Cristiana P

2008-01-01

Gene doping is the misuse of gene therapy to enhance athletic performance. It has recently been recognised as a potential threat and subsequently been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Despite concerns with safety and efficacy of gene therapy, the technology is progressing steadily. Many of the genes/proteins which are involved in determining key components of athletic performance have been identified. Naturally occurring mutations in humans as well as gene-transfer experiments in adult animals have shown that altered expression of these genes does indeed affect physical performance. For athletes, however, the gains in performance must be weighed against the health risks associated with the gene-transfer process, whereas the detection of such practices will provide new challenges for the anti-doping authorities.

Momentum Transfer in a Spinning Fuel Tank Filled with Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peugeot, John W.; Dorney, Daniel J.

2006-01-01

Transient spin-up and spin-down flows inside of spacecraft fuel tanks need to be analyzed in order to properly design spacecraft control systems. Knowledge of the characteristics of angular momentum transfer to and from the fuel is used to size the de-spin mechanism that places the spacecraft in a controllable in-orbit state. In previous studies, several analytical models of the spin-up process were developed. However, none have accurately predicted all of the flow dynamics. Several studies have also been conducted using Navier-Stokes based methods. These approaches have been much more successful at simulating the dynamic processes in a cylindrical container, but have not addressed the issue of momentum transfer. In the current study, the spin-up and spin-down of a fuel tank filled with gaseous xenon has been investigated using a three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes code. Primary interests have been concentrated on the spin-up/spin-down time constants and the initial torque imparted on the system. Additional focus was given to the relationship between the dominant flow dynamics and the trends in momentum transfer. Through the simulation of both a cylindrical and a spherical tank, it was revealed that the transfer of angular momentum is nonlinear at early times and tends toward a linear pattern at later times. Further investigation suggests that the nonlinear spin up is controlled by the turbulent transport of momentum, while the linear phase is controlled by a Coriolis driven (Ekman) flow along the outer wall. These results indicate that the spinup and spin-down processes occur more quickly in tanks with curved surfaces than those with defined top, bottom, and side walls. The results also provide insights for the design of spacecraft de-spin mechanisms.

Phospholipid transfer activities in toad oocytes and developing embryos. [Bufo arenarum

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

Rusinol, A.; Salomon, R.A.; Bloj, B.

1987-01-01

The role of lipid transfer proteins during plasma membrane biogenesis was explored. Developing amphibia embryos were used because during their growth an active plasma membrane biosynthesis occurs together with negligible mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum proliferation. Sonicated vesicles, containing /sup 14/C-labeled phospholipids and /sup 3/H-labeled triolein, as donor particles and cross-linked erythrocyte ghosts as acceptor particles were used to measure phospholipid transfer activities in unfertilized oocytes and in developing embryos of the toad Bufo arenarum. Phosphatidylcholine transfer activity in pH 5.1 supernatant of unfertilized oocytes was 8-fold higher than the activity found in female toad liver supernatant, but dropped steadily aftermore » fertilization. After 20 hr of development, at the stage of late blastula, the phosphatidylcholine transfer activity had dropped 4-fold. Unfertilized oocyte supernatant exhibited phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine transfer activity also, but at the late blastula stage the former had dropped 18-fold and the latter was no longer detectable under our assay conditions. Our results show that fertilization does not trigger a phospholipid transport process catalyzed by lipid transfer proteins. Moreover, they imply that 75% of the phosphatidylcholine transfer activity and more than 95% of the phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine transfer activities present in pH 5.1 supernatants of unfertilized oocytes may not be essential for toad embryo development. Our findings do not rule out, however, that a phosphatidylcholine-specific lipid transfer protein could be required for embryo early growth.« less

Prolonged training does not result in a greater extent of interlimb transfer following visuomotor adaptation.

PubMed

Lei, Yuming; Wang, Jinsung

2014-11-01

Learning a visumotor adaptation task with one arm typically facilitates subsequent performance with the other. The extent of transfer across the arms, however, is generally much smaller than that across different conditions within the same arm. This may be attributed to a possibility that intralimb transfer involves both algorithmic and instance-reliant learning, whereas interlimb transfer only involves algorithmic learning. Here, we investigated whether prolonged training with one arm could facilitate subsequent performance with the other arm to a greater extent, by examining the effect of varying lengths of practice trials on the extent of interlimb transfer. We had 18 subjects adapt to a 30° visuomotor rotation with the left arm first (training), then with the right arm (transfer). During the training session, the subjects reached toward multiple targets for 160, 320 or 400 trials; during the transfer session, all subjects performed the same task for 160 trials. Our results revealed substantial initial transfer from the left to the right arm in all three conditions. However, neither the amount of initial transfer nor the rate of adaptation during the transfer session was significantly different across the conditions, indicating that the extent of transfer was similar regardless of the length of initial training. Our findings suggest that interlimb transfer of visuomotor adaptation may only occur through algorithmic learning, which is effector independent, and that prolonged training may only have beneficial effects when instance-reliant learning, which is effector dependent, is also involved in the learning process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conditional Moment Closure of Mixing and Reaction in Turbulent Nonpremixed Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Nigel S. A.

1996-01-01

Nonpremixed combustion is the process whereby fuel and oxidizer species, which are each nonflammable in isolation, concurrently mix to burn a flammable mixture, and chemically react in the flammable mixture. In cases of practical industrial interest, the bulk of nonpremixed combustion occurs in a turbulent mixing regime where enhanced mass transfer rates flow the maximum power density to be achieved in any given thermochemical device.

Experimental Identification of Ultrafast Reverse Hole Transfer at the Interface of the Photoexcited Methanol/Graphitic Carbon Nitride System.

PubMed

Chen, Zongwei; Zhang, Qun; Luo, Yi

2018-05-04

An experimental scrutiny of the photoexcited hole dynamics in a prototypical system is presented in which hole-scavenging methanol molecules are chemisorbed on a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) substrate. A set of comparison and control experiments by means of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy were conducted. The elusive reverse hole transfer (RHT) process was identified, which occurs on a timescale of a few hundred picoseconds. The critical role of interfacially chemisorbed methoxy (instead of methanol) as the dominant species responsible for hole scavenging was confirmed by a control experiment using protonated g-C 3 N 4 as the substrate. A hot-hole transfer effect was revealed by implementing different interband photoexcitation scenarios. The RHT rate is the key factor governing the hole-scavenging ability of different hole scavengers. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A catalytic role of surface silanol groups in CO2 capture on the amine-anchored silica support.

PubMed

Cho, Moses; Park, Joonho; Yavuz, Cafer T; Jung, Yousung

2018-05-03

A new mechanism of CO2 capture on the amine-functionalized silica support is demonstrated using density functional theory calculations, in which the silica surface not only acts as a support to anchor amines, but also can actively participate in the CO2 capture process through a facile proton transfer reaction with the amine groups. The surface-mediated proton transfer mechanism in forming a carbamate-ammonium product has lower kinetic barrier (8.1 kcal mol-1) than the generally accepted intermolecular mechanism (12.7 kcal mol-1) under dry conditions, and comparable to that of the water-assisted intermolecular mechanism (6.0 kcal mol-1) under humid conditions. These findings suggest that the CO2 adsorption on the amine-anchored silica surface would mostly occur via the rate-determining proton transfer step that is catalyzed by the surface silanol groups.

The effect of memory in the stochastic master equation analyzed using the stochastic Liouville equation of motion. Electronic energy migration transfer between reorienting donor-donor, donor-acceptor chromophores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Håkansson, Pär; Westlund, Per-Olof

2005-01-01

This paper discusses the process of energy migration transfer within reorientating chromophores using the stochastic master equation (SME) and the stochastic Liouville equation (SLE) of motion. We have found that the SME over-estimates the rate of the energy migration compared to the SLE solution for a case of weakly interacting chromophores. This discrepancy between SME and SLE is caused by a memory effect occurring when fluctuations in the dipole-dipole Hamiltonian ( H( t)) are on the same timescale as the intrinsic fast transverse relaxation rate characterized by (1/ T2). Thus the timescale critical for energy-transfer experiments is T2≈10 -13 s. An extended SME is constructed, accounting for the memory effect of the dipole-dipole Hamiltonian dynamics. The influence of memory on the interpretation of experiments is discussed.

Study of a Novel Method for the Thermolysis of Solutes in Aqueous Solution Using a Low Temperature Bubble Column Evaporator.

PubMed

Shahid, Muhammad; Xue, Xinkai; Fan, Chao; Ninham, Barry W; Pashley, Richard M

2015-06-25

An enhanced thermal decomposition of chemical compounds in aqueous solution has been achieved at reduced solution temperatures. The technique exploits hitherto unrecognized properties of a bubble column evaporator (BCE). It offers better heat transfer efficiency than conventional heat transfer equipment. This is obtained via a continuous flow of hot, dry air bubbles of optimal (1-3 mm) size. Optimal bubble size is maintained by using the bubble coalescence inhibition property of some salts. This novel method is illustrated by a study of thermal decomposition of ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) and potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) in aqueous solutions. The decomposition occurs at significantly lower temperatures than those needed in bulk solution. The process appears to work via the continuous production of hot (e.g., 150 °C) dry air bubbles, which do not heat the solution significantly but produce a transient hot surface layer around each rising bubble. This causes the thermal decomposition of the solute. The decomposition occurs due to the effective collision of the solute with the surface of the hot bubbles. The new process could, for example, be applied to the regeneration of the ammonium bicarbonate draw solution used in forward osmosis.

Temperature determination using pyrometry

DOEpatents

Breiland, William G.; Gurary, Alexander I.; Boguslavskiy, Vadim

2002-01-01

A method for determining the temperature of a surface upon which a coating is grown using optical pyrometry by correcting Kirchhoff's law for errors in the emissivity or reflectance measurements associated with the growth of the coating and subsequent changes in the surface thermal emission and heat transfer characteristics. By a calibration process that can be carried out in situ in the chamber where the coating process occurs, an error calibration parameter can be determined that allows more precise determination of the temperature of the surface using optical pyrometry systems. The calibration process needs only to be carried out when the physical characteristics of the coating chamber change.

Investigation of energy transfer in terbium doped Y 2SiO5 phosphor particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salis, M.; Carbonaro, C. M.; Corpino, R.; Anedda, A.; Ricci, P. C.

2012-07-01

The kinetics of luminescence of sol-gel synthesized terbium doped Y 2SiO5 (YSO) phosphor particles is investigated in detail with reference to Tb concentration in the 0.001%-10% range. By increasing the dopant concentration, the luminescence profile changes from a blue to a green peaked emission spectrum because of the energy transfer among centers. The inter-center energy transfer mechanism is well accounted for by the Inokuti-Hirayama (IH) kinetic model which is based on a statistical average of inter-center distance dependent decay modes of the donor luminescence. The distribution of the decay modes is implemented from the Förster-Dexter resonance theory of energy transfer by assuming a rate constant for the energy transfer by multipolar interactions between donors and acceptors. However, the experimental results recorded in the low concentration limit show the presence of green emission contributions in the luminescence spectrum which cannot be related to the Tb concentration; for this reason an additional internal energy transfer mechanism, occurring among levels of the same center, is proposed to account for the recorded emission properties. Thus, a new and more exhaustive model which includes both the internal and external energy transfer processes is considered; the proposed model allows a better explanation of the spectroscopic features of Tb related centers in YSO crystals and discloses the critical concentration and the quantum yields of the different energy transfer mechanisms.

Impact of undamped and damped intramolecular vibrations on the efficiency of photosynthetic exciton energy transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juhász, Imre Benedek; Csurgay, Árpád I.

2018-04-01

In recent years, the role of molecular vibrations in exciton energy transfer taking place during the first stage of photosynthesis attracted increasing interest. Here, we present a model formulated as a Lindblad-type master equation that enables us to investigate the impact of undamped and especially damped intramolecular vibrational modes on the exciton energy transfer, particularly its efficiency. Our simulations confirm the already reported effects that the presence of an intramolecular vibrational mode can compensate the energy detuning of electronic states, thus promoting the energy transfer; and, moreover, that the damping of such a vibrational mode (in other words, vibrational relaxation) can further enhance the efficiency of the process by generating directionality in the energy flow. As a novel result, we show that this enhancement surpasses the one caused by pure dephasing, and we present its dependence on various system parameters (time constants of the environment-induced relaxation and excitation processes, detuning of the electronic energy levels, frequency of the intramolecular vibrational modes, Huang-Rhys factors, temperature) in dimer model systems. We demonstrate that vibrational-relaxation-enhanced exciton energy transfer (VREEET) is robust against the change of these characteristics of the system and occurs in wide ranges of the investigated parameters. With simulations performed on a heptamer model inspired by the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex, we show that this mechanism can be even more significant in larger systems at T = 300 K. Our results suggests that VREEET might be prevalent in light-harvesting complexes.

Theoretical simulations on the antioxidant mechanism of naturally occurring flavonoid: A DFT approach

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

Praveena, R.; Sadasivam, K.

Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are found to be toxic, hence non-carcinogenic naturally occurring radical scavengers especially flavonoids have gained considerable importance in the past two decades. In the present investigation, the radical scavenging activity of C-glycosyl flavonoids is evaluated using theoretical approach which could broaden its scope in therapeutic applications. Gas and solvent phase studies of structural and molecular characteristics of C-glycosyl flavonoid, isovitexin is investigated through hydrogen atom transfer mechanism (HAT), Electron transfer-proton transfer (ET–PT) and Sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) by Density functional theory (DFT) using hybrid parameters. The computedmore » values of the adiabatic ionization potential, electron affinity, hardness, softness, electronegativity and electrophilic index indicate that isovitexin possess good radical scavenging activity. The behavior of different –OH groups in polyphenolic compounds is assessed by considering electronic effects of the neighbouring groups and the overall geometry of molecule which in turn helps in analyzing the antioxidant capacity of the polyphenolic molecule. The studies indicate that the H–atom abstraction from 4’–OH site is preferred during the radical scavenging process. From Mulliken spin density analysis and FMOs, B–ring is found to be more delocalized center and capable of electron donation. Comparison of antioxidant activity of vitexin and isovitexin leads to the conclusion that isovitexin acts as a better radical scavenger. This is an evidence for the importance of position of glucose unit in the flavonoid.« less

Disrupted bonds - parental perceptions of regionalised transfer of very preterm infants: a small-scale study.

PubMed

Sommer, Claudia M; Cook, Catherine M

2015-01-01

Routine regionalised transfer of preterm infants occurs throughout Westernised countries. Transfer to lower acuity units occurs once infants are ready for convalescence and signals an infant's improving health. However, many parents find transfer traumatic. To investigate parents' perceptions of preterm infants' transfer; to provide neonatal clinicians with insights to facilitate optimal service provision. Participants had experienced their baby born at less than 29 weeks gestation, and subsequent transfer. Six parents were interviewed. Data were analysed using a general inductive approach. Three themes were interpreted through data analysis: NICU - incomparable haven; abandonment; and parental expertise side-lined. These themes represent a journey of interrupted identity that parents undergo when their baby is transferred to another unit. Despite studies recommending more family-centred transfer planning, gaps persist. Nursing care might be enhanced by incorporating insight into parental experiences and promotion of collaborative changes within and between units.

Emerging Trends of Research on Transfer of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subedi, Bhawani Shankar

2004-01-01

The terms "transfer of learning" and "transfer of training" are usually found mutually exclusive in training and development literature. Transfer is a key concept in adult learning theories because most education and training aspires to transfer. The end goals of training and education are not achieved unless transfer occurs. Emerging trends of…

77 FR 6310 - Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-07

... a one-time transfer or the first in a series of preauthorized transfers to occur more than 10 days... disclosures and receipts where a consumer schedules a one-time transfer or the first in a series of... where a consumer schedules a one-time transfer or the first in a series of preauthorized transfers to...

Technology transfer by means of fault tree synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batzias, Dimitris F.

2012-12-01

Since Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) attempts to model and analyze failure processes of engineering, it forms a common technique for good industrial practice. On the contrary, fault tree synthesis (FTS) refers to the methodology of constructing complex trees either from dentritic modules built ad hoc or from fault tress already used and stored in a Knowledge Base. In both cases, technology transfer takes place in a quasi-inductive mode, from partial to holistic knowledge. In this work, an algorithmic procedure, including 9 activity steps and 3 decision nodes is developed for performing effectively this transfer when the fault under investigation occurs within one of the latter stages of an industrial procedure with several stages in series. The main parts of the algorithmic procedure are: (i) the construction of a local fault tree within the corresponding production stage, where the fault has been detected, (ii) the formation of an interface made of input faults that might occur upstream, (iii) the fuzzy (to count for uncertainty) multicriteria ranking of these faults according to their significance, and (iv) the synthesis of an extended fault tree based on the construction of part (i) and on the local fault tree of the first-ranked fault in part (iii). An implementation is presented, referring to 'uneven sealing of Al anodic film', thus proving the functionality of the developed methodology.

Heat transport in oscillator chains with long-range interactions coupled to thermal reservoirs.

PubMed

Iubini, Stefano; Di Cintio, Pierfrancesco; Lepri, Stefano; Livi, Roberto; Casetti, Lapo

2018-03-01

We investigate thermal conduction in arrays of long-range interacting rotors and Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) oscillators coupled to two reservoirs at different temperatures. The strength of the interaction between two lattice sites decays as a power α of the inverse of their distance. We point out the necessity of distinguishing between energy flows towards or from the reservoirs and those within the system. We show that energy flow between the reservoirs occurs via a direct transfer induced by long-range couplings and a diffusive process through the chain. To this aim, we introduce a decomposition of the steady-state heat current that explicitly accounts for such direct transfer of energy between the reservoir. For 0≤α<1, the direct transfer term dominates, meaning that the system can be effectively described as a set of oscillators each interacting with the thermal baths. Also, the heat current exchanged with the reservoirs depends on the size of the thermalized regions: In the case in which such size is proportional to the system size N, the stationary current is independent on N. For α>1, heat transport mostly occurs through diffusion along the chain: For the rotors transport is normal, while for FPU the data are compatible with an anomalous diffusion, possibly with an α-dependent characteristic exponent.

Heat transport in oscillator chains with long-range interactions coupled to thermal reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iubini, Stefano; Di Cintio, Pierfrancesco; Lepri, Stefano; Livi, Roberto; Casetti, Lapo

2018-03-01

We investigate thermal conduction in arrays of long-range interacting rotors and Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) oscillators coupled to two reservoirs at different temperatures. The strength of the interaction between two lattice sites decays as a power α of the inverse of their distance. We point out the necessity of distinguishing between energy flows towards or from the reservoirs and those within the system. We show that energy flow between the reservoirs occurs via a direct transfer induced by long-range couplings and a diffusive process through the chain. To this aim, we introduce a decomposition of the steady-state heat current that explicitly accounts for such direct transfer of energy between the reservoir. For 0 ≤α <1 , the direct transfer term dominates, meaning that the system can be effectively described as a set of oscillators each interacting with the thermal baths. Also, the heat current exchanged with the reservoirs depends on the size of the thermalized regions: In the case in which such size is proportional to the system size N , the stationary current is independent on N . For α >1 , heat transport mostly occurs through diffusion along the chain: For the rotors transport is normal, while for FPU the data are compatible with an anomalous diffusion, possibly with an α -dependent characteristic exponent.

Mechanisms of optical orientation of an individual Mn2+ ion spin in a II-VI quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smoleński, T.; Cywiński, Ł.; Kossacki, P.

2018-02-01

We provide a theoretical description of the optical orientation of a single Mn2+ ion spin under quasi-resonant excitation demonstrated experimentally by Goryca et al (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 087401). We build and analyze a hierarchy of models by starting with the simplest assumptions (transfer of perfectly spin-polarized excitons from Mn-free dot to the other dot containing a single Mn2+ spin, followed by radiative recombination) and subsequently adding more features, such as spin relaxation of electrons and holes. Particular attention is paid to the role of the influx of the dark excitons and the process of biexciton formation, which are shown to contribute significantly to the orientation process in the quasi-resonant excitation case. Analyzed scenarios show how multiple features of the excitonic complexes in magnetically-doped quantum dots, such as the values of exchange integrals, spin relaxation times, etc, lead to a plethora of optical orientation processes, characterized by distinct dependencies on light polarization and laser intensity, and occurring on distinct timescales. Comparison with experimental data shows that the correct description of the optical orientation mechanism requires taking into account Mn2+ spin-flip processes occurring not only when the exciton is already in the orbital ground state of the light-emitting dot, but also those that happen during the exciton transfer from high-energy states to the ground state. Inspired by the experimental results on energy relaxation of electrons and holes in nonmagnetic dots, we focus on the process of biexciton creation allowed by mutual spin-flip of an electron and the Mn2+ spin, and we show that by including it in the model, we obtain good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental data on quasi-resonantly driven Mn2+ spin orientation.

A case study of the knowledge transfer practices from the perspectives of highly experienced engineers in the aerospace industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Deloris

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the existing knowledge transfer practices in selected aerospace companies as perceived by highly experienced engineers retiring from the company. Specifically it was designed to investigate and describe (a) the processes and procedures used to transfer knowledge, (b) the systems that encourage knowledge transfer, (c) the impact of management actions on knowledge transfer, and (d) constraining factors that might impede knowledge transfer. Methodology. A descriptive case study was the methodology applied in this study. Qualitative data were gathered from highly experienced engineers from 3 large aerospace companies in Southern California. A semistructured interview was conducted face-to-face with each participant in a private or semiprivate, non-workplace setting to obtain each engineer's perspectives on his or her company's current knowledge transfer practices. Findings. The participants in this study preferred to transfer knowledge using face-to-face methods, one-on-one, through actual troubleshooting and problem-solving scenarios. Managers in these aerospace companies were observed as having knowledge transfer as a low priority; they tend not to promote knowledge transfer among their employees. While mentoring is the most common knowledge transfer system these companies offer, it is not the preferred method of knowledge transfer among the highly experienced engineers. Job security and schedule pressures are the top constraints that impede knowledge transfer between the highly experienced engineers and their coworkers. Conclusions. The study data support the conclusion that the highly experienced engineers in the study's aerospace companies would more likely transfer their knowledge to those remaining in the industry if the transfer could occur face-to-face with management support and acknowledgement of their expertise and if their job security is not threatened. The study also supports the conclusion that managers should be responsible for the leadership in developing a knowledge-sharing culture and rewarding those who do share. Recommendations. It is recommended that a quantitative study of highly experienced engineers in aerospace be conducted to determine the degree to which knowledge-sharing methods, processes, and procedures may be effective in capturing their knowledge. It is also recommended that a replication of this study be undertaken to include the perspectives of first-line managers on developing a knowledge-sharing culture for the aerospace industry.

Nuclear reprogramming: the strategy used in normal development is also used in somatic cell nuclear transfer and parthenogenesis.

PubMed

Gao, Tianlong; Zheng, Junke; Xing, Fengying; Fang, Haiyan; Sun, Feng; Yan, Ayong; Gong, Xun; Ding, Hui; Tang, Fan; Sheng, Hui Z

2007-02-01

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and parthenogenesis are alternative forms of reproduction and development, building new life cycles on differentiated somatic cell nuclei and duplicated maternal chromatin, respectively. In the preceding paper (Sun F, et al., Cell Res 2007; 17:117-134.), we showed that an "erase-and-rebuild" strategy is used in normal development to transform the maternal gene expression profile to a zygotic one. Here, we investigate if the same strategy also applies to SCNT and parthenogenesis. The relationship between chromatin and chromatin factors (CFs) during SCNT and parthenogenesis was examined using immunochemical and GFP-fusion protein assays. Results from these studies indicated that soon after nuclear transfer, a majority of CFs dissociated from somatic nuclei and were redistributed to the cytoplasm of the egg. The erasure process in oogenesis is recaptured during the initial phase in SCNT. Most CFs entered pseudo-pronuclei shortly after their formation. In parthenogenesis, all parthenogenotes underwent normal oogenesis, and thus had removed most CFs from chromosomes before the initiation of development. The CFs were subsequently re-associated with female pronuclei in time and sequence similar to that in fertilized embryos. Based on these data, we conclude that the "erase-and-rebuild" process observed in normal development also occurs in SCNT and in parthenogenesis, albeit in altered fashions. The process is responsible for transcription reprogramming in these procedures. The "erase" process in SCNT is compressed and the efficiency is compromised, which likely contribute to the developmental defects often observed in nuclear transfer (nt) embryos. Furthermore, results from this study indicated that the cytoplasm of an egg contains most, if not all, essential components for assembling the zygotic program and can assemble them onto appropriate diploid chromatin of distinct origins.

Fatty acid transfer between multilamellar liposomes and fatty acid-binding proteins.

PubMed

Brecher, P; Saouaf, R; Sugarman, J M; Eisenberg, D; LaRosa, K

1984-11-10

A simple experimental system was developed for studying the movement of long-chain fatty acids between multilamellar liposomes and soluble proteins capable of binding fatty acids. Oleic acid was incorporated into multilamellar liposomes containing cholesterol and egg yolk lecithin and incubated with albumin or hepatic fatty acid-binding protein. It was found that the fatty acid transferred from the liposomes to either protein rapidly and selectively under conditions where phospholipid and cholesterol transfer did not occur. More than 50% of the fatty acid contained within liposomes could become protein bound, suggesting that the fatty acid moved readily between and across phospholipid bilayers. Transfer was reduced at low pH, and this reduction appeared to result from decreased dissociation of the protonated fatty acid from the bilayer. Liposomes made with dimyristoyl or dipalmitoyl lecithin and containing 1 mol per cent palmitic acid were used to show the effect of temperature on fatty acid transfer. Transfer to either protein did not occur at temperatures where the liposomes were in a gel state but occurred rapidly at temperatures at or above the transition temperatures of the phospholipid used.

Effect of the Thermocouple on Measuring the Temperature Discontinuity at a Liquid-Vapor Interface.

PubMed

Kazemi, Mohammad Amin; Nobes, David S; Elliott, Janet A W

2017-07-18

The coupled heat and mass transfer that occurs in evaporation is of interest in a large number of fields such as evaporative cooling, distillation, drying, coating, printing, crystallization, welding, atmospheric processes, and pool fires. The temperature jump that occurs at an evaporating interface is of central importance to understanding this complex process. Over the past three decades, thermocouples have been widely used to measure the interfacial temperature jumps at a liquid-vapor interface during evaporation. However, the reliability of these measurements has not been investigated so far. In this study, a numerical simulation of a thermocouple when it measures the interfacial temperatures at a liquid-vapor interface is conducted to understand the possible effects of the thermocouple on the measured temperature and features in the temperature profile. The differential equations of heat transfer in the solid and fluids as well as the momentum transfer in the fluids are coupled together and solved numerically subject to appropriate boundary conditions between the solid and fluids. The results of the numerical simulation showed that while thermocouples can measure the interfacial temperatures in the liquid correctly, they fail to read the actual interfacial temperatures in the vapor. As the results of our numerical study suggest, the temperature jumps at a liquid-vapor interface measured experimentally by using a thermocouple are larger than what really exists at the interface. For a typical experimental study of evaporation of water at low pressure, it was found that the temperature jumps measured by a thermocouple are overestimated by almost 50%. However, the revised temperature jumps are still in agreement with the statistical rate theory of interfacial transport. As well as addressing the specific application of the liquid-vapor temperature jump, this paper provides significant insight into the role that heat transfer plays in the operation of thermocouples in general.

Rapid photooxidation of Sb(III) in the presence of different Fe(III) species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Linghao; He, Mengchang; Hu, Xingyun

2016-05-01

The toxicity and mobility of antimony (Sb) are strongly influenced by the redox processes associated with Sb. Dissolved iron (Fe) is widely distributed in the environment as different species and plays a significant role in Sb speciation. However, the mechanisms of Sb(III) oxidation in the presence of Fe have remained unclear because of the complexity of Fe and Sb speciation. In this study, the mechanisms of Sb(III) photooxidation in the presence of different Fe species were investigated systematically. The photooxidation of Sb(III) occurred over a wide pH range, from 1 to 10. Oxygen was not a predominant or crucial factor in the Sb(III) oxidation process. The mechanism of Sb(III) photooxidation varied depending on the Fe(III) species. In acidic solution (pH 1-3), dichloro radicals (radCl2-) and hydroxyl radicals (radOH) generated by the photocatalysis of FeCl2+ and FeOH2+ were the main oxidants for Sb(III) oxidation. Fe(III) gradually transformed into the colloid ferric hydroxide (CFH) and ferrihydrite in circumneutral and alkaline solutions (pH 4-10). Photooxidation of Sb(III) occurred through electron transfer from Sb(III) to Fe(III) along with the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) through a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) process. The photocatalysis of different Fe(III) species may play an important role in the geochemical cycle of Sb(III) in surface soil and aquatic environments.

Modeling of Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in the Laser Multilayered Cladding Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Fanrong; Kovacevic, Radovan

2010-12-01

The current work examines the heat-and-mass transfer process in the laser multilayered cladding of H13 tool steel powder by numerical modeling and experimental validation. A multiphase transient model is developed to investigate the evolution of the temperature field and flow velocity of the liquid phase in the molten pool. The solid region of the substrate and solidified clad, the liquid region of the melted clad material, and the gas region of the surrounding air are included. In this model, a level-set method is used to track the free surface motion of the molten pool with the powder material feeding and scanning of the laser beam. An enthalpy-porosity approach is applied to deal with the solidification and melting that occurs in the cladding process. Moreover, the laser heat input and heat losses from the forced convection and heat radiation that occurs on the top surface of the deposited layer are incorporated into the source term of the governing equations. The effects of the laser power, scanning speed, and powder-feed rate on the dilution and height of the multilayered clad are investigated based on the numerical model and experimental measurements. The results show that an increase of the laser power and powder feed rate, or a reduction of the scanning speed, can increase the clad height and directly influence the remelted depth of each layer of deposition. The numerical results have a qualitative agreement with the experimental measurements.

Applying Transfer in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaminski, Karen; Foley, Jeffrey M.; Kaiser, Leann M. R.

2013-01-01

Throughout the chapters in this issue, the authors have cited various definitions for learning transfer. For educators, in its simplest form, transfer of learning occurs when students put to practical use the knowledge and skills they gained in the classroom (near transfer). Chapter 1 defines near transfer and then goes into detail on the levels…

Trades of dangers: a study of asbestos industry transfer cases in Asia.

PubMed

Choi, Yeyong; Lim, Sinye; Paek, Domyung

2013-03-01

In a study of asbestos industry transfers in Asia, we examined the transfer of health and safety measures at the time of industry transfer and resulting health outcomes thereafter. Field surveys were conducted in Japan, Germany, Indonesia, and South Korea over a 5 year period beginning in 2007. The surveys involved interviews and field assessments of health and safety conditions. Even when there were transfers of entire engineering plant processes, we observed that the health and safety measures that should have accompanied the transfer, including technical capacities of risk assessment and management, regulatory protection, and cultural practices, were not actually transferred. According to work environment assessment records, there were differences in airborne asbestos levels of approximately 5-6 fibers/cc between the exporting and importing sides of the transfer. This amounted to a 10 years of time delay in comparable health and safety conditions. These differences resulted in repeated adverse health consequences at each factory operation site. Dangerous transfers of asbestos industry technology have occurred repeatedly over the years with the result that Asia has become the largest consumer of asbestos in the world. No effective internationally accepted safety measures have been introduced in the region. The study results support the need for both improved public awareness and international cooperation, such as sharing of substitute material technologies by the exporting countries, and provide the rationale for the creation of an Asian fund for asbestos victims. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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.

Trichinella spiralis: Adaptation and parasitism

PubMed Central

Zarlenga, Dante; Wang, Zhengyuan; Mitreva, Makedonka

2016-01-01

Publication of the genome from the clade I organism, Trichinella spiralis, has provided us an avenue to address more holistic problems in parasitology; namely the processes of adaptation and the evolution of parasitism. Parasitism among nematodes has evolved in multiple, independent events. Deciphering processes that drive species diversity and adaptation are keys to understanding parasitism and advancing control strategies. Studies have been put forth on morphological and physiological aspects of parasitism and adaptation in nematodes; however, data is now coming available to investigate adaptation, host switching and parasitism at the genomic level. Herein we compare proteomic data from the clade I parasite, Trichinella spiralis with data from Brugia malayi (clade III), Meloidogyne hapla and Meloidogyne incognita (clade IV), and free-living nematodes belonging to the genera Caenorhabditis and Pristionchus (clade V). We explore changes in protein family birth/death and expansion/reduction over the course of metazoan evolution using Homo sapiens, Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as out-groups for the phylum Nematoda. We further examine relationships between these changes and the ability and/or result of nematodes adapting to their environments. Data are consistent with gene loss occurring in conjunction with nematode specialization resulting from parasitic worms acclimating to well-defined, environmental niches. We observed evidence for independent, lateral gene transfer events involving conserved genes that may have played a role in the evolution of nematode parasitism. In general, parasitic nematodes gained proteins through duplication and lateral gene transfer, and lost proteins through random mutation and deletions. Data suggest independent acquisition rather than ancestral inheritance among the Nematoda followed by selective gene loss over evolutionary time. Data also show that parasitism and adaptation affected a broad range of proteins, especially those involved in sensory perception, metabolism, and transcription/translation. New protein gains with functions related to regulating transcription and translation, and protein family expansions with functions related to morphology and body development have occurred in association with parasitism. Further gains occurred as a result of lateral gene transfer and in particular, with the cyanase protein family In contrast, reductions and/or losses have occurred in protein families with functions related to metabolic process and signal transduction. Taking advantage of the independent occurrences of parasitism in nematodes, which enabled us to distinguish changes associated with parasitism from species specific niche adaptation, our study provides valuable insights into nematode parasitism at a proteome level using T. spiralis as a benchmark for early adaptation to or acquisition of parasitism. PMID:27425574

On Entropy Generation and the Effect of Heat and Mass Transfer Coupling in a Distillation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgos-Madrigal, Paulina; Mendoza, Diego F.; López de Haro, Mariano

2018-01-01

The entropy production rates as obtained from the exergy analysis, entropy balance and the nonequilibrium thermodynamics approach are compared for two distillation columns. The first case is a depropanizer column involving a mixture of ethane, propane, n-butane and n-pentane. The other is a weighed sample of Mexican crude oil distilled with a pilot scale fractionating column. The composition, temperature and flow profiles, for a given duty and operating conditions in each column, are obtained with the Aspen Plus V8.4 software by using the RateFrac model with a rate-based nonequilibrium column. For the depropanizer column the highest entropy production rate is found in the central trays where most of the mass transfer occurs, while in the second column the highest values correspond to the first three stages (where the vapor mixture is in contact with the cold liquid reflux), and to the last three stages (where the highest temperatures take place). The importance of the explicit inclusion of thermal diffusion in these processes is evaluated. In the depropanizer column, the effect of the coupling between heat and mass transfer is found to be negligible, while for the fractionating column it becomes appreciable.

Three dimensional simulation of nucleate boiling heat and mass transfer in cooling passages of internal combustion engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdipour, R.; Baniamerian, Z.; Delauré, Y.

2016-05-01

An accurate knowledge of heat transfer and temperature distribution in vehicle engines is essential to have a good management of heat transfer performance in combustion engines. This may be achieved by numerical simulation of flow through the engine cooling passages; but the task becomes particularly challenging when boiling occurs. Neglecting two phase flow processes in the simulation would however result in significant inaccuracy in the predictions. In this study a three dimensional numerical model is proposed using Fluent 6.3 to simulate heat transfer of fluid flowing through channels of conventional size. Results of the present theoretical and numerical model are then compared with some empirical results. For high fluid flow velocities, departure between experimental and numerical results is about 9 %, while for lower velocity conditions, the model inaccuracy increases to 18 %. One of the outstanding capabilities of the present model, beside its ability to simulate two phase fluid flow and heat transfer in three dimensions, is the prediction of the location of bubble formation and condensation which can be a key issue in the evaluation of the engine performance and thermal stresses.

Utilizing Electrical Characteristics of Individual Nanotube Devices to Study the Charge Transfer between CdSe Quantum Dots and Double-Walled Nanotubes

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Yuqi; Zhou, Ruiping; Wang, Lei; ...

2017-03-02

To study the charge transfer between cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) and double-walled nanotubes (DWNTs), various sizes of CdSe-ligand-DWNT structures are synthesized, and field-effect transistors (FETs) from individual functionalized DWNTs rather than networks of the same are fabricated. From the electrical measurements, two distinct electron transfer mechanisms from the QD system to the nanotube are identified. By the formation of the CdSe-ligand-DWNT heterostructure, an effectively n-doped nanotube is created due to the smaller work function of CdSe as compared with the nanotube. In addition, once the QD-DWNT system is exposed to laser light, further electron transfer from the QDmore » through the ligand, i.e. 4-mercaptophenol (MTH), to the nanotube occurs and a clear QD-size dependent tunneling process is observed. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of a large set of devices and the particular methodology employed here for the first time allowed for extracting a wavelength and quantum dot size dependent charge transfer efficiency – a quantity that is evaluated for the first time through electrical measurement.« less

Utilizing Electrical Characteristics of Individual Nanotube Devices to Study the Charge Transfer between CdSe Quantum Dots and Double-Walled Nanotubes

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

Zhu, Yuqi; Zhou, Ruiping; Wang, Lei

To study the charge transfer between cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) and double-walled nanotubes (DWNTs), various sizes of CdSe-ligand-DWNT structures are synthesized, and field-effect transistors (FETs) from individual functionalized DWNTs rather than networks of the same are fabricated. From the electrical measurements, two distinct electron transfer mechanisms from the QD system to the nanotube are identified. By the formation of the CdSe-ligand-DWNT heterostructure, an effectively n-doped nanotube is created due to the smaller work function of CdSe as compared with the nanotube. In addition, once the QD-DWNT system is exposed to laser light, further electron transfer from the QDmore » through the ligand, i.e. 4-mercaptophenol (MTH), to the nanotube occurs and a clear QD-size dependent tunneling process is observed. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of a large set of devices and the particular methodology employed here for the first time allowed for extracting a wavelength and quantum dot size dependent charge transfer efficiency – a quantity that is evaluated for the first time through electrical measurement.« less

Numerical simulation of formation and preservation of Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S.; Shi, Y.

2015-10-01

Ice caves exist in locations where annual average air temperature is higher than 0 °C. An example is Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi Province, the largest ice cave in China. In order to quantitatively investigate the mechanism of formation and preservation of the ice cave, we use the finite-element method to simulate the heat transfer process at this ice cave. There are two major control factors. First, there is the seasonal asymmetric heat transfer. Heat is transferred into the ice cave from outside very inefficiently by conduction in spring, summer and fall. In winter, thermal convection occurs that transfers heat very efficiently out of the ice cave, thus cooling it down. Secondly, ice-water phase change provides a heat barrier for heat transfer into the cave in summer. The calculation also helps to evaluate effects of global warming, tourists, colored lights, climatic conditions, etc. for sustainable development of the ice cave as a tourism resource. In some other ice caves in China, managers have installed airtight doors at these ice caves' entrances with the intention of "protecting" these caves, but this in fact prevents cooling in winter and these cave ices will entirely melt within tens of years.

Numerical simulation of formation and preservation of Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S.; Shi, Y.

2015-04-01

Ice caves exist in locations where annual average temperature in higher than 0 °C. An example is Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi Province, the largest ice cave in China. In order to quantitatively explain the mechanism of formation and preservation of the ice cave, we use Finite Element Method to simulate the heat transfer process at this ice cave. There are two major control factors. First, there is the seasonal asymmetric heat transfer. Heat is transferred into the ice cave from outside, very inefficiently by conduction in spring, summer and fall. In winter, thermal convection occurs that transfers heat very efficiently out of the ice cave, thus cooling it down. Secondly, ice-water phase change provides a heat barrier for heat transfer into the cave in summer. The calculation also helps to evaluate effects of global warming, tourists, etc. for sustainable development of ice cave as tourism resource. In some other ice caves in China, managers installed air-tight doors at these ice caves entrance intending to "protect" these caves, but this prevent cooling down these caves in winters and these cave ices will entirely melt within tens of years.

Hole transfer from CdSe nanoparticles to TQ1 polymer in hybrid solar cell device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohail, Muhammad; Shah, Zawar Hussain; Saeed, Shomaila; Bibi, Nasreen; Shahbaz, Sadia; Ahmed, Safeer; Shabbir, Saima; Siddiq, Muhammad; Iqbal, Azhar

2018-05-01

In view of realizing the economic viability, we fabricate a solar cell device containing low band gap and easily processable polymer 5-yl-8-(thiophene-2,5-diyl)-2,3-bis(3-(octyloxy)phenyl) quinoxaline (TQ1) and CdSe nanoparticles (NPs) and investigate its charge transport properties. When the TQ1 is combined with the CdSe NPs a strong photoluminescence quenching and shortening of photoluminescence lifetime of the TQ1 is observed indicating exciton transfer from TQ1 to the CdSe NPs. The time-resolved photoluminescence further reveals that the exciton transfer from the polymer to CdSe NPs is very efficient (68%) and it occurs in <1 ns. The exciton transfer from TQ1 to the NPs and electron-hole pair separation followed by hole transfer from the NPs to the TQ1 at the interface indeed increases the lifetime of the charge carriers. This in turn increases the efficiency of the solar cell as compared to polymer only device. These observations suggest the importance of other II-VI semiconductor NPs to achieve higher efficiency for photovoltaic devices containing TQ1 polymer.

Information handoff and outcomes of critically ill patients transferred between hospitals

PubMed Central

Usher, Michael G.; Fanning, Christine; Wu, Di; Muglia, Christine; Balonze, Karen; Kim, Deborah; Parikh, Amay; Herrigel, Dana

2016-01-01

Purpose Patients transferred between hospitals are at high risk of adverse events and mortality. This study aims to identify which components of the transfer handoff process are important predictors of adverse events and mortality. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective, observational study of 335 consecutive patient transfers to three ICUs at an academic tertiary referral center. We assessed the relationship between handoff documentation completeness and patient outcomes. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, duplication of labor, disposition error, and length of stay. Results Transfer documentation was frequently absent with overall completeness of 58.3%. Adverse events occurred in 42% of patients within 24 hours of arrival, with an overall in-hospital mortality of 17.3%. Higher documentation completeness was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.38, p=0.002), reduced adverse events (coef −2.08, 95% CI −2.76 to −1.390, p<0.001), and reduced duplication of labor (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.88, p=0.033) when controlling for severity of illness. Conclusions Documentation completeness is associated with improved outcomes and resource utilization in patients transferred between hospitals. PMID:27591388

Transfer Factors for Contaminant Uptake by Fruit and Nut Trees

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

Napier, Bruce A.; Fellows, Robert J.; Minc, Leah D.

Transfer of radionuclides from soils into plants is one of the key mechanisms for long-term contamination of the human food chain. Nearly all computer models that address soil-to-plant uptake of radionuclides use empirically-derived transfer factors to address this process. Essentially all available soil-to-plant transfer factors are based on measurements in annual crops. Because very few measurements are available for tree fruits, samples were taken of alfalfa and oats and the stems, leaves, and fruits and nuts of almond, apple, apricot, carob, fig, grape, nectarine, pecan, pistachio (natural and grafted), and pomegranate, along with local surface soil. The samples were dried,more » ground, weighed, and analyzed for trace constituents through a combination of induction-coupled plasma mass spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis for a wide range of naturally-occurring elements. Analysis results are presented and converted to soil-to-plant transfer factors. These are compared to commonly used and internationally recommended values. Those determined for annual crops are very similar to commonly-used values; those determined for tree fruits show interesting differences. Most macro- and micronutrients are slightly reduced in fruits; non-essential elements are reduced further. These findings may be used in existing computer models and may allow development of tree-fruit-specific transfer models.« less

Effects of heat transfer and energy absorption in the ablation of biological tissues by pulsetrain-burst (>100 MHz) ultrafast laser processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrester, Paul; Bol, Kieran; Lilge, Lothar; Marjoribanks, Robin

2006-09-01

Energy absorption and heat transfer are important factors for regulating the effects of ablation of biological tissues. Heat transfer to surrounding material may be desirable when ablating hard tissue, such as teeth or bone, since melting can produce helpful material modifications. However, when ablating soft tissue it is important to minimize heat transfer to avoid damage to healthy tissue - for example, in eye refractive surgery (e.g., Lasik), nanosecond pulses produce gross absorption and heating in tissue, leading to shockwaves, which kill and thin the non-replicating epithelial cells on the inside of the cornea; ultrafast pulses are recognized to reduce this effect. Using a laser system that delivers 1ps pulses in 10μs pulsetrains at 133MHz we have studied a range of heat- and energy-transfer effects on hard and soft tissue. We describe the ablation of tooth dentin and enamel under various conditions to determine the ablation rate and chemical changes that occur. Furthermore, we characterize the impact of pulsetrain-burst treatment of collagen-based tissue to determine more efficient methods of energy transfer to soft tissues. By studying the optical science of laser tissue interaction we hope to be able to make qualitative improvements to medical treatments using lasers.

Sterol transfer between cyclodextrin and membranes: similar but not identical mechanism to NPC2-mediated cholesterol transfer.

PubMed

McCauliff, Leslie A; Xu, Zhi; Storch, Judith

2011-08-30

Niemann--Pick C disease is an inherited disorder in which cholesterol and other lipids accumulate in the late endosomal/lysosomal compartment. Recently, cyclodextrins (CD) have been shown to reduce symptoms and extend lifespan in animal models of the disease. In the present studies we examined the mechanism of sterol transport by CD using in vitro model systems and fluorescence spectroscopy and NPC2-deficient fibroblasts. We demonstrate that cholesterol transport from the lysosomal cholesterol-binding protein NPC2 to CD occurs via aqueous diffusional transfer and is very slow; the rate-limiting step appears to be dissociation of cholesterol from NPC2, suggesting that specific interactions between NPC2 and CD do not occur. In contrast, the transfer rate of the fluorescent cholesterol analogue dehydroergosterol (DHE) from CD to phospholipid membranes is very rapid and is directly proportional to the acceptor membrane concentration, as is DHE transfer from membranes to CD. Moreover, CD dramatically increases the rate of sterol transfer between membranes, with rates that can approach those mediated by NPC2. The results suggest that sterol transfer from CD to membranes occurs by a collisional transfer mechanism involving direct interaction of CD with membranes, similar to that shown previously for NPC2. For CD, however, absolute rates are slower compared to NPC2 for a given concentration, and the lysosomal phospholipid lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA) does not stimulate rates of sterol transfer between membranes and CD. As expected from the apparent absence of interaction between CD and NPC2, the addition of CD to NPC2-deficient fibroblasts rapidly rescued the cholesterol accumulation phenotype. Thus, the recent observations of CD efficacy in mouse models of NPC disease are likely the result of CD enhancement of cholesterol transport between membranes, with rapid sterol transfer occurring during CD--membrane interactions.

Heat Transfer in Health and Healing.

PubMed

Diller, Kenneth R

2015-10-01

Our bodies depend on an exquisitely sensitive and refined temperature control system to maintain a state of health and homeostasis. The exceptionally broad range of physical activities that humans engage in and the diverse array of environmental conditions we face require remarkable strategies and mechanisms for regulating internal and external heat transfer processes. On the occasions for which the body suffers trauma, therapeutic temperature modulation is often the approach of choice for reversing injury and inflammation and launching a cascade of healing. The focus of human thermoregulation is maintenance of the body core temperature within a tight range of values, even as internal rates of energy generation may vary over an order of magnitude, environmental convection, and radiation heat loads may undergo large changes in the absence of any significant personal control, surface insulation may be added or removed, all occurring while the body's internal thermostat follows a diurnal circadian cycle that may be altered by illness and anesthetic agents. An advanced level of understanding of the complex physiological function and control of the human body may be combined with skill in heat transfer analysis and design to develop life-saving and injury-healing medical devices. This paper will describe some of the challenges and conquests the author has experienced related to the practice of heat transfer for maintenance of health and enhancement of healing processes.

Ultrafast Exciton Dissociation and Long-Lived Charge Separation in a Photovoltaic Pentacene-MoS2 van der Waals Heterojunction.

PubMed

Bettis Homan, Stephanie; Sangwan, Vinod K; Balla, Itamar; Bergeron, Hadallia; Weiss, Emily A; Hersam, Mark C

2017-01-11

van der Waals heterojunctions between two-dimensional (2D) layered materials and nanomaterials of different dimensions present unique opportunities for gate-tunable optoelectronic devices. Mixed-dimensional p-n heterojunction diodes, such as p-type pentacene (0D) and n-type monolayer MoS 2 (2D), are especially interesting for photovoltaic applications where the absorption cross-section and charge transfer processes can be tailored by rational selection from the vast library of organic molecules and 2D materials. Here, we study the kinetics of excited carriers in pentacene-MoS 2 p-n type-II heterojunctions by transient absorption spectroscopy. These measurements show that the dissociation of MoS 2 excitons occurs by hole transfer to pentacene on the time scale of 6.7 ps. In addition, the charge-separated state lives for 5.1 ns, up to an order of magnitude longer than the recombination lifetimes from previously reported 2D material heterojunctions. By studying the fractional amplitudes of the MoS 2 decay processes, the hole transfer yield from MoS 2 to pentacene is found to be ∼50%, with the remaining holes undergoing trapping due to surface defects. Overall, the ultrafast charge transfer and long-lived charge-separated state in pentacene-MoS 2 p-n heterojunctions suggest significant promise for mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures in photovoltaics, photodetectors, and related optoelectronic technologies.

Evaluation of critical distances for energy transfer between Pr3+ and Ce3+ in yttrium aluminium garnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Peng; Wei, Xiantao; Zhou, Shaoshuai; Yin, Min; Chen, Yonghu

2016-09-01

A series of Pr3+/Ce3+ doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Y3Al5O12 or simply YAG) phosphors were synthesized to investigate the energy transfer between Pr3+ and Ce3+ for their potential application in a white light-emitting diode and quantum information storage and processing. The excitation and emission spectra of YAG:Pr3+/Ce3+ were measured and analyzed, and it revealed that the reabsorption between Pr3+ and Ce3+ was so weak that it can be ignored, and the energy transfer from Pr3+ (5d) to Ce3+ (5d) and Ce3+ (5d) to Pr3+ (1D2) did occur. By analyzing the excitation and the emission spectra, the energy transfer from Pr3+ (5d) to Ce3+ (5d) and Ce3+ (5d) to Pr3+ (1D2) was examined in detail with an original strategy deduced from fluorescence dynamics and the Dexter energy transfer theory, and the critical distances of energy transfer were derived to be 7.9 Å and 4.0 Å for Pr3+ (5d) to Ce3+ (5d) and Ce3+ (5d) to Pr3+ (1D2), respectively. The energy transfer rates of the two processes of various concentrations were discussed and evaluated. Furthermore, for the purpose of sensing a single Pr3+ state with a Ce3+ ion, the optimal distance of Ce3+ from Pr3+ was evaluated as 5.60 Å, where the probability of success reaches its maximum value of 78.66%, and meanwhile the probabilities were evaluated for a series of Y3+ sites in a YAG lattice. These results will be of valuable reference for achievement of the optimal energy transfer efficiency in Pr3+/Ce3+ doped YAG and other similar systems.

Involvement of β-carbonic anhydrase (β-CA) genes in bacterial genomic islands and horizontal transfer to protists.

PubMed

Zolfaghari Emameh, Reza; Barker, Harlan R; Hytönen, Vesa P; Parkkila, Seppo

2018-05-25

Genomic islands (GIs) are a type of mobile genetic element (MGE) that are present in bacterial chromosomes. They consist of a cluster of genes which produce proteins that contribute to a variety of functions, including, but not limited to, regulation of cell metabolism, anti-microbial resistance, pathogenicity, virulence, and resistance to heavy metals. The genes carried in MGEs can be used as a trait reservoir in times of adversity. Transfer of genes using MGEs, occurring outside of reproduction, is called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Previous literature has shown that numerous HGT events have occurred through endosymbiosis between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.Beta carbonic anhydrase (β-CA) enzymes play a critical role in the biochemical pathways of many prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We have previously suggested horizontal transfer of β-CA genes from plasmids of some prokaryotic endosymbionts to their protozoan hosts. In this study, we set out to identify β-CA genes that might have transferred between prokaryotic and protist species through HGT in GIs. Therefore, we investigated prokaryotic chromosomes containing β-CA-encoding GIs and utilized multiple bioinformatics tools to reveal the distinct movements of β-CA genes among a wide variety of organisms. Our results identify the presence of β-CA genes in GIs of several medically and industrially relevant bacterial species, and phylogenetic analyses reveal multiple cases of likely horizontal transfer of β-CA genes from GIs of ancestral prokaryotes to protists. IMPORTANCE The evolutionary process is mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as genomic islands (GIs). A gene or set of genes in the GIs are exchanged between and within various species through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Based on the crucial role that GIs can play in bacterial survival and proliferation, they were introduced as the environmental- and pathogen-associated factors. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are involved in many critical biochemical pathways, such as regulation of pH homeostasis and electrolyte transfer. Among the six evolutionary families of CAs, β-CA gene sequences are present in many bacterial species, which can be horizontally transferred to protists during evolution. This study shows for the first time the involvement of bacterial β-CA gene sequences in the GIs, and suggests their horizontal transfer to protists during evolution. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

The Role of Reticulate Evolution in Creating Innovation and Complexity

PubMed Central

Swithers, Kristen S.; Soucy, Shannon M.; Gogarten, J. Peter

2012-01-01

Reticulate evolution encompasses processes that conflict with traditional Tree of Life efforts. These processes, horizontal gene transfer (HGT), gene and whole-genome duplications through allopolyploidization, are some of the main driving forces for generating innovation and complexity. HGT has a profound impact on prokaryotic and eukaryotic evolution. HGTs can lead to the invention of new metabolic pathways and the expansion and enhancement of previously existing pathways. It allows for organismal adaptation into new ecological niches and new host ranges. Although many HGTs appear to be selected for because they provide some benefit to their recipient lineage, other HGTs may be maintained by chance through random genetic drift. Moreover, some HGTs that may initially seem parasitic in nature can cause complexity to arise through pathways of neutral evolution. Another mechanism for generating innovation and complexity, occurring more frequently in eukaryotes than in prokaryotes, is gene and genome duplications, which often occur through allopolyploidizations. We discuss how these different evolutionary processes contribute to generating innovation and complexity. PMID:22844638

Surface-to-food pesticide transfer as a function of moisture and fat content.

PubMed

Vonderheide, Anne P; Bernard, Craig E; Hieber, Thomas E; Kauffman, Peter E; Morgan, Jeffrey N; Melnyk, Lisa Jo

2009-01-01

Transfer of pesticides from household surfaces to foods may result in excess dietary exposure in children (i.e., beyond that inherent in foods due to agricultural application). In this study, transfer was evaluated as a function of the moisture and fat content of various foods. Surfaces chosen for investigation were those commonly found in homes and included Formica, ceramic tile, plastic, carpet, and upholstery fabric. Each surface type was sprayed with an aqueous emulsion of organophosphates, fipronil, and synthetic pyrethroids. In the first phase of the study, multiple foods (apples, watermelon, wheat crackers, graham crackers, white bread, flour tortillas, bologna, fat-free bologna, sugar cookies, ham, Fruit Roll-ups, pancakes, and processed American cheese) were categorized with respect to moisture and fat content. All were evaluated for potential removal of applied pesticides from a Formica surface. In the second phase of the study, representative foods from each classification were investigated for their potential for pesticide transfer with an additional four surfaces: ceramic tile, plastic, upholstery, and carpet. Moisture content, not fat, was found to be a determining factor in most transfers. For nearly all surfaces, more efficient transfer occurred with increased hardness (Formica and ceramic tile). Comparatively, the polymer composition of the plastic delivered overall lower transfer efficiencies, presumably due to an attraction between it and the organic pesticides of interest.

Understanding Indiana's Reverse Transfer Students: A Case Study in Institutional Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Nick; Lum, Tim; Hossler, Don

2008-01-01

Among all the students who transfer from one institution to another during their academic careers, a distinct group of "reverse transfer" students has emerged over time. Reverse transfer occurs when students begin their college careers at 4-year institutions but eventually transfer into 2-year institutions. Using student unit record data…

Intracellular gene transfer in action: Dual transcription and multiple silencings of nuclear and mitochondrial cox2 genes in legumes

PubMed Central

Adams, Keith L.; Song, Keming; Roessler, Philip G.; Nugent, Jacqueline M.; Doyle, Jane L.; Doyle, Jeff J.; Palmer, Jeffrey D.

1999-01-01

The respiratory gene cox2, normally present in the mitochondrion, was previously shown to have been functionally transferred to the nucleus during flowering plant evolution, possibly during the diversification of legumes. To search for novel intermediate stages in the process of intracellular gene transfer and to assess the evolutionary timing and frequency of cox2 transfer, activation, and inactivation, we examined nuclear and mitochondrial (mt) cox2 presence and expression in over 25 legume genera and mt cox2 presence in 392 genera. Transfer and activation of cox2 appear to have occurred during recent legume evolution, more recently than previously inferred. Many intermediate stages of the gene transfer process are represented by cox2 genes in the studied legumes. Nine legumes contain intact copies of both nuclear and mt cox2, although transcripts could not be detected for some of these genes. Both cox2 genes are transcribed in seven legumes that are phylogenetically interspersed with species displaying only nuclear or mt cox2 expression. Inactivation of cox2 in each genome has taken place multiple times and in a variety of ways, including loss of detectable transcripts or transcript editing and partial to complete gene loss. Phylogenetic evidence shows about the same number (3–5) of separate inactivations of nuclear and mt cox2, suggesting that there is no selective advantage for a mt vs. nuclear location of cox2 in plants. The current distribution of cox2 presence and expression between the nucleus and mitochondrion in the studied legumes is probably the result of chance mutations silencing either cox2 gene. PMID:10570164

Modeling of the Inter-phase Mass Transfer during Cosolvent-Enhanced NAPL Remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agaoglu, B.; Scheytt, T. J.; Copty, N. K.

2012-12-01

This study investigates the factors influencing inter-phase mass transfer during cosolvent-enhanced NAPL remediation and the ability of the REV (Representative Elementary Volume) modeling approach to simulate these processes. The NAPLs considered in this study consist of pure toluene, pure benzene and known mixtures of these two compounds, while ethanol-water mixtures were selected as the remedial flushing solutions. Batch tests were performed to identify both the equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of the multiphase system. A series of column flushing experiments involving different NAPLs were conducted for different ethanol contents in the flushing solution and for different operational parameters. Experimental results were compared to numerical simulations obtained with the UTCHEM multiphase flow simulator (Delshad et al., 1996). Results indicate that the velocity of the flushing solution is a major parameter influencing the inter-phase mass transport processes at the pore scale. Depending on the NAPL composition and porous medium properties, the remedial solution may follow preferential flow paths and be subject to reduced contact with the NAPL. This leads to a steep decrease in the apparent mass transfer coefficient. Correlations of the apparent time-dependent mass transfer coefficient as a function of flushing velocity are developed for various porous media. Experimental results also show that the NAPL mass transfer coefficient into the cosolvent solution increases when the NAPL phase becomes mobile. This is attributed to the increase in pore scale contact area between NAPL and the remedial solution when NAPL mobilization occurs. These results suggest the need to define a temporal and spatially variable mass transfer coefficient of the NAPL into the cosolvent solution to reflect the occurrence of subscale preferential flow paths and the transient bypassing of the NAPL mass. The implications of these findings on field scale NAPL remediation with cosolvents are discussed.

Detecting causality in policy diffusion processes.

PubMed

Grabow, Carsten; Macinko, James; Silver, Diana; Porfiri, Maurizio

2016-08-01

A universal question in network science entails learning about the topology of interaction from collective dynamics. Here, we address this question by examining diffusion of laws across US states. We propose two complementary techniques to unravel determinants of this diffusion process: information-theoretic union transfer entropy and event synchronization. In order to systematically investigate their performance on law activity data, we establish a new stochastic model to generate synthetic law activity data based on plausible networks of interactions. Through extensive parametric studies, we demonstrate the ability of these methods to reconstruct networks, varying in size, link density, and degree heterogeneity. Our results suggest that union transfer entropy should be preferred for slowly varying processes, which may be associated with policies attending to specific local problems that occur only rarely or with policies facing high levels of opposition. In contrast, event synchronization is effective for faster enactment rates, which may be related to policies involving Federal mandates or incentives. This study puts forward a data-driven toolbox to explain the determinants of legal activity applicable to political science, across dynamical systems, information theory, and complex networks.

Detecting causality in policy diffusion processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabow, Carsten; Macinko, James; Silver, Diana; Porfiri, Maurizio

2016-08-01

A universal question in network science entails learning about the topology of interaction from collective dynamics. Here, we address this question by examining diffusion of laws across US states. We propose two complementary techniques to unravel determinants of this diffusion process: information-theoretic union transfer entropy and event synchronization. In order to systematically investigate their performance on law activity data, we establish a new stochastic model to generate synthetic law activity data based on plausible networks of interactions. Through extensive parametric studies, we demonstrate the ability of these methods to reconstruct networks, varying in size, link density, and degree heterogeneity. Our results suggest that union transfer entropy should be preferred for slowly varying processes, which may be associated with policies attending to specific local problems that occur only rarely or with policies facing high levels of opposition. In contrast, event synchronization is effective for faster enactment rates, which may be related to policies involving Federal mandates or incentives. This study puts forward a data-driven toolbox to explain the determinants of legal activity applicable to political science, across dynamical systems, information theory, and complex networks.

Energy and charge transfer in nanoscale hybrid materials.

PubMed

Basché, Thomas; Bottin, Anne; Li, Chen; Müllen, Klaus; Kim, Jeong-Hee; Sohn, Byeong-Hyeok; Prabhakaran, Prem; Lee, Kwang-Sup

2015-06-01

Hybrid materials composed of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots and π-conjugated organic molecules and polymers have attracted continuous interest in recent years, because they may find applications in bio-sensing, photodetection, and photovoltaics. Fundamental processes occurring in these nanohybrids are light absorption and emission as well as energy and/or charge transfer between the components. For future applications it is mandatory to understand, control, and optimize the wide parameter space with respect to chemical assembly and the desired photophysical properties. Accordingly, different approaches to tackle this issue are described here. Simple organic dye molecules (Dye)/quantum dot (QD) conjugates are studied with stationary and time-resolved spectroscopy to address the dynamics of energy and ultra-fast charge transfer. Micellar as well as lamellar nanostructures derived from diblock copolymers are employed to fine-tune the energy transfer efficiency of QD donor/dye acceptor couples. Finally, the transport of charges through organic components coupled to the quantum dot surface is discussed with an emphasis on functional devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Charge transfer in low-energy collisions of H with He+ and H+ with He in excited states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loreau, J.; Ryabchenko, S.; Muñoz Burgos, J. M.; Vaeck, N.

2018-04-01

The charge transfer process in collisions of excited (n = 2, 3) hydrogen atoms with He+ and in collisions of excited helium atoms with H+ is studied theoretically. A combination of a fully quantum-mechanical method and a semi-classical approach is employed to calculate the charge-exchange cross sections at collision energies from 0.1 eV u‑1 up to 1 keV u‑1. These methods are based on accurate ab initio potential energy curves and non-adiabatic couplings for the molecular ion HeH+. Charge transfer can occur either in singlet or in triplet states, and the differences between the singlet and triplet spin manifolds are discussed. The dependence of the cross section on the quantum numbers n and l of the initial state is demonstrated. The isotope effect on the charge transfer cross sections, arising at low collision energy when H is substituted by D or T, is investigated. Rate coefficients are calculated for all isotopes up to 106 K. Finally, the impact of the present calculations on models of laboratory plasmas is discussed.

An empirical investigation on thermal characteristics and pressure drop of Ag-oil nanofluid in concentric annular tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasian Arani, A. A.; Aberoumand, H.; Aberoumand, S.; Jafari Moghaddam, A.; Dastanian, M.

2016-08-01

In this work an experimental study on Silver-oil nanofluid was carried out in order to present the laminar convective heat transfer coefficient and friction factor in a concentric annulus with constant heat flux boundary condition. Silver-oil nanofluid prepared by Electrical Explosion of Wire technique with no nanoparticles agglomeration during nanofluid preparation process and experiments. The average sizes of particles were 20 nm. Nanofluids with various particle Volume fractions of 0.011, 0.044 and 0.171 vol% were employed. The nanofluid flowing between the tubes is heated by an electrical heating coil wrapped around it. The effects of different parameters such as flow Reynolds number, tube diameter ratio and nanofluid particle concentration on heat transfer coefficient are studied. Results show that, heat transfer coefficient increased by using nanofluid instead of pure oil. Maximum enhancement of heat transfer coefficient occurs in 0.171 vol%. In addition the results showed that, there are slight increases in pressure drop of nanofluid by increasing the nanoparticle concentration of nanofluid in compared to pure oil.

Commercial users panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byrd, Joseph S.; Flatau, Carl; Hodge, David C.; Hollis, Ralph; Leach, Eugene F.; Gilbert, Ray; Cleland, John; Leifer, Larry; Naser, Joseph; Schmuter, Samson D.

1987-01-01

The discussions of motives and requirements for telerobotics application demonstrated that, in many cases, lack of progress was a result not of limited opportunities but of inadequate mechanisms and resources for promoting opportunities. Support for this conclusion came from Telerobotics, Inc., one of the few companies devoted primarily to telerobot systems. They have produced units for such diverse applications as nuclear fusion research, particle accelerators, cryogenics, firefighting, marine biology/undersea systems and nuclear mobile robotics. Mr. Flatau offered evidence that telerobotics research is only rarely supported by the private sector and that it often presents a difficult market. Questions on the mechanisms contained within the NASA technology transfer process for promoting commercial opportunities were fielded by Ray Gilbert and Tom Walters. A few points deserve emphasis: (1) NASA/industry technology transfer occurs in both directions and NASA recognizes the opportunity to learn a great deal from industry in the fields of automation and robotics; (2) promotion of technology transfer projects takes a demand side approach, with requests to industry for specific problem identification. NASA then proposes possible solutions; and (3) comittment ofmotivated and technically qualified people on each end of a technology transfer is essential.

Transforming exoelectrogens for biotechnology using synthetic biology.

PubMed

TerAvest, Michaela A; Ajo-Franklin, Caroline M

2016-04-01

Extracellular electron transfer pathways allow certain bacteria to transfer energy between intracellular chemical energy stores and extracellular solids through redox reactions. Microorganisms containing these pathways, exoelectrogens, are a critical part of microbial electrochemical technologies that aim to impact applications in bioenergy, biosensing, and biocomputing. However, there are not yet any examples of economically viable microbial electrochemical technologies due to the limitations of naturally occurring exoelectrogens. Here we first briefly summarize recent discoveries in understanding extracellular electron transfer pathways, then review in-depth the creation of customized and novel exoelectrogens for biotechnological applications. We analyze engineering efforts to increase current production in native exoelectrogens, which reveals that modulating certain processes within extracellular electron transfer are more effective than others. We also review efforts to create new exoelectrogens and highlight common challenges in this work. Lastly, we summarize work utilizing engineered exoelectrogens for biotechnological applications and the key obstacles to their future development. Fueled by the development of genetic tools, these approaches will continue to expand and genetically modified organisms will continue to improve the outlook for microbial electrochemical technologies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of kinetic mass transfer on free convection in a porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Chunhui; Shi, Liangsheng; Chen, Yiming; Xie, Yueqing; Simmons, Craig T.

2016-05-01

We investigate kinetic mass transfer effects on unstable density-driven flow and transport processes by numerical simulations of a modified Elder problem. The first-order dual-domain mass transfer model coupled with a variable-density-flow model is employed to describe transport behavior in porous media. Results show that in comparison to the no-mass-transfer case, a higher degree of instability and more unstable system is developed in the mass transfer case due to the reduced effective porosity and correspondingly a larger Rayleigh number (assuming permeability is independent on the mobile porosity). Given a constant total porosity, the magnitude of capacity ratio (i.e., immobile porosity/mobile porosity) controls the macroscopic plume profile in the mobile domain, while the magnitude of mass transfer timescale (i.e., the reciprocal of the mass transfer rate coefficient) dominates its evolution rate. The magnitude of capacity ratio plays an important role on the mechanism driving the mass flux into the aquifer system. Specifically, for a small capacity ratio, solute loading is dominated by the density-driven transport, while with increasing capacity ratio local mass transfer dominated solute loading may occur at later times. At significantly large times, however, both mechanisms contribute comparably to solute loading. Sherwood Number could be a nonmonotonic function of mass transfer timescale due to complicated interactions of solute between source zone, mobile zone and immobile zone in the top boundary layer, resulting in accordingly a similar behavior of the total mass. The initial assessment provides important insights into unstable density-driven flow and transport in the presence of kinetic mass transfer.

Structural integrity of callosal midbody influences intermanual transfer in a motor reaction-time task.

PubMed

Bonzano, Laura; Tacchino, Andrea; Roccatagliata, Luca; Mancardi, Giovanni Luigi; Abbruzzese, Giovanni; Bove, Marco

2011-02-01

Training one hand on a motor task results in performance improvements in the other hand, also when stimuli are randomly presented (nonspecific transfer). Corpus callosum (CC) is the main structure involved in interhemispheric information transfer; CC pathology occurs in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and is related to altered performance of tasks requiring interhemispheric transfer of sensorimotor information. To investigate the role of CC in nonspecific transfer during a pure motor reaction-time task, we combined motor behavior with diffusion tensor imaging analysis in PwMS. Twenty-two PwMS and 10 controls, all right-handed, were asked to respond to random stimuli with appropriate finger opposition movements with the right (learning) and then the left (transfer) hand. PwMS were able to improve motor performance reducing response times with practice with a trend similar to controls and preserved the ability to transfer the acquired motor information from the learning to the transfer hand. A higher variability in the transfer process, indicated by a significantly larger standard deviation of mean nonspecific transfer, was found in the PwMS group with respect to the control group, suggesting the presence of subtle impairments in interhemispheric communication in some patients. Then, we correlated the amount of nonspecific transfer with mean fractional anisotropy (FA) values, indicative of microstructural damage, obtained in five CC subregions identified on PwMS's FA maps. A significant correlation was found only in the subregion including posterior midbody (Pearson's r = 0.74, P = 0.003), which thus seems to be essential for the interhemispheric transfer of information related to pure sensorimotor tasks. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

How do incentives lead to deception in advisor-client interactions? Explicit and implicit strategies of self-interested deception.

PubMed

Mackinger, Barbara; Jonas, Eva

2012-01-01

When confronted with important questions we like to rely on the advice of experts. However, uncertainty can occur regarding advisors' motivation to pursue self-interest and deceive the client. This can especially occur when the advisor has the possibility to receive an incentive by recommending a certain alternative. We investigated how the possibility to pursue self-interest led to explicit strategic behavior (bias in recommendation and transfer of information) and to implicit strategic behavior (bias in information processing: evaluation and memory). In Study 1 explicit strategic behavior could be identified: self-interested advisors recommended more often the self-serving alternative and transferred more self-interested biased information to their client compared to the advisor without specific interest. Also deception through implicit strategic behavior was identified: self-interested advisors biased the evaluation of information less in favor of the client compared to the control group. Self-interested advisors also remembered conflicting information regarding their self-interest worse compared to advisors without self-interest. In Study 2 beside self-interest we assessed accountability which interacted with self-interest and increased the bias: when accountability was high advisor's self-interest led to higher explicit strategic behavior (less transfer of conflicting information), and to higher implicit strategic behavior (devaluated and remembered less conflicting information). Both studies identified implicit strategic behavior as mediator which can explain the relation between self-interest and explicit strategic behavior. Results of both studies suggest that self-interested advisors use explicit and implicit strategic behavior to receive an incentive. Thus, advisors do not only consciously inform their clients "self-interested," but they are influenced unconsciously by biased information processing - a tendency which even increased with high accountability.

How Do Incentives Lead to Deception in Advisor–Client Interactions? Explicit and Implicit Strategies of Self-Interested Deception

PubMed Central

Mackinger, Barbara; Jonas, Eva

2012-01-01

When confronted with important questions we like to rely on the advice of experts. However, uncertainty can occur regarding advisors’ motivation to pursue self-interest and deceive the client. This can especially occur when the advisor has the possibility to receive an incentive by recommending a certain alternative. We investigated how the possibility to pursue self-interest led to explicit strategic behavior (bias in recommendation and transfer of information) and to implicit strategic behavior (bias in information processing: evaluation and memory). In Study 1 explicit strategic behavior could be identified: self-interested advisors recommended more often the self-serving alternative and transferred more self-interested biased information to their client compared to the advisor without specific interest. Also deception through implicit strategic behavior was identified: self-interested advisors biased the evaluation of information less in favor of the client compared to the control group. Self-interested advisors also remembered conflicting information regarding their self-interest worse compared to advisors without self-interest. In Study 2 beside self-interest we assessed accountability which interacted with self-interest and increased the bias: when accountability was high advisor’s self-interest led to higher explicit strategic behavior (less transfer of conflicting information), and to higher implicit strategic behavior (devaluated and remembered less conflicting information). Both studies identified implicit strategic behavior as mediator which can explain the relation between self-interest and explicit strategic behavior. Results of both studies suggest that self-interested advisors use explicit and implicit strategic behavior to receive an incentive. Thus, advisors do not only consciously inform their clients “self-interested,” but they are influenced unconsciously by biased information processing – a tendency which even increased with high accountability. PMID:23440297

Optimization of heat and mass transfers in counterflow corrugated-plate liquid-gas exchangers used in a greenhouse dehumidifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentounes, N.; Jaffrin, A.

1998-09-01

Heat and mass transfers occuring in a counterflow direct contact liquid-gas exchanger determine the performance of a new greenhouse air dehumidifier designed at INRA. This prototype uses triethylene glycol (TEG) as the desiccant fluid which extracts water vapor from the air. The regeneration of the TEG desiccant fluid is then performed by direct contact with combustion gas from a high efficiency boiler equipped with a condensor. The heat and mass transfers between the thin film of diluted TEG and the hot gas were simulated by a model which uses correlation formula from the literature specifically relevant to the present cross-corrugated plates geometry. A simple set of analytical solutions is first derived, which explains why some possible processes can clearly be far from optimal. Then, more exact numerical calculations confirm that some undesirable water recondensations on the upper part of the exchanger were limiting the performance of this prototype. More suitable conditions were defined for the process, which lead to a new design of the apparatus. In this second prototype, a gas-gas exchanger provides dryer and cooler gas to the basis of the regenerators, while a warmer TEG is fed on the top. A whole range of operating conditions was experimented and measured parameters were compared with numerical simulations of this new configuration: recondensation did not occur any more. As a consequence, this second prototype was able to concentrate the desiccant fluid at the desired rate of 20 kg H_{2O}/hour, under temperature and humidity conditions which correspond to the dehumidification of a 1000 m2 greenhouse heated at night during the winter season.

Development of broad bandwidth nonlinear spectroscopies for characterization of electronic states in materials systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehlenbacher, Randy D.

Carbon nanotubes are an interesting class of materials with many exceptional properties that make them appealing for optoelectronic devices. Their optical properties, particularly when cast in thin films, are not well understood. In this thesis, I describe the development of spectroscopic techniques for measuring energy and charge transport processes in thin films of semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, I observe energy transport on two time scales in these films, with 20% of nanotubes transferring energy to smaller bandgap nanotubes within 300 fs. After 3 ps, 70% of the photoexcitation resides on small bandgap nanotubes. To study the complete landscape of energy transport in thin films of carbon nanotubes, I developed two dimensional white light spectroscopy (2D-WL). In 2D-WL spectroscopy, a broadband, white light supercontinuum is used to both excite and probe the sample. This technique has a bandwidth spanning > 500-1500 nm, a far broader bandwidth than previously reported in 2D electronic spectra. I take advantage of this large bandwidth to study the interactions and evolution of S1 and S2 excitons in a thin film of carbon nanotubes. I find that energy transfers between S1 excitons on a 2 ps time scale and occurs by a non-Forster energy transfer mechanism. In contrast, the energy in the S2 states redistributes on an ultrafast time scale, <100 fs, and undergoes autoionization producing free electrons and holes. I use 2D-WL spectroscopy to study the electronic states in thin films of bare, semiconducting carbon nanotubes. In these films, energy transfer occurs in <100 fs between bare carbon nanotubes and this energy transfer is between parallel nanotubes. By taking advantage of the laser pulse polarization for each interaction, I resolve otherwise difficult to observe couplings between electronic states. To facilitate data interpretation, the orientational response for isotropic two dimensional samples to polarized electric fields is developed. Using polarization control 2D-WL spectroscopy, I measure the coupling between nanotube S1 transitions and radial breathing modes. The doped tubes form trions with transition dipoles that are not parallel to the S1 transition and energy transfer from the S1 exciton to the trion occurs within 1 ps.

High level of sperm competition may increase transfer of accessory gland products carried by the love dart of land snails.

PubMed

Lodi, Monica; Staikou, Alexandra; Janssen, Ruben; Koene, Joris M

2017-12-01

Postcopulatory adaptations that increase reproductive success compared to rivals, like the transfer of accessory gland products that promote paternity, are common when sperm competition occurs among males. In land snails, the dart shooting behavior and its adaptive significance, in promoting individual fitness through enhanced paternity of the successful dart shooter, have been considered such an adaptation. The fitness result gained is mediated by the transfer of mucus components on the love dart capable of altering the physiology of the receiver's reproductive tract. In this context, dart shooting and mucus transfer could be considered as processes targeted by sexual selection. While the effect of dart mucus is beneficial for the dart user, so far it has remained unknown whether its transport is greater when snails experience a higher level of sperm competition. Here, we report results of a study on inter- and intraspecific variations of dart and mucus gland morphometry, considered to be traits reflecting the ability of snails to adjust the production and transfer of mucus under varying sperm competition scenarios. We investigated four populations with different densities from four dart-bearing species, Arianta arbustorum , Cepaea nemoralis , Cornu aspersum, and Helix lucorum . The results indicate that different adaptations of these traits occur among the studied species that all seem to achieve the same goal of transferring more mucus when sperm competition is higher. For example, the presence of longer and more branched mucous glands or an increase in dart surface most likely reflect increased mucus production and enhanced ability of mucus transport, respectively. Interestingly, the species for which the use of the dart is reported to be facultative, A. arbustorum , did not show any variation among the examined traits. To conclude, sexual selection in the form of sperm competition intensity seems to be an important selective force for these simultaneously hermaphroditic dart-bearing snails, driving differences in sexual traits.

Contact electrification of insulating materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacks, Daniel J.; Mohan Sankaran, R.

2011-11-01

The electrostatic charge that is generated when two materials are contacted or rubbed and then separated is a well-known physical process that has been studied for more than 2500 years. Contact electrification occurs in many contexts, both natural and technological. For example, in dust storms the collisions between particles lead to electrostatic charging and in extreme cases, extraordinary lightning displays. In electrophotography, toner particles are intentionally charged to guide their deposition in well-defined patterns. Despite such a long history and so many important consequences, a fundamental understanding of the mechanism behind contact electrification remains elusive. An open question is what type of species are transferred between the surfaces to generate charge—experiments suggest various species ranging from electrons to ions to nanoscopic bits of material, and theoretical work suggests that non-equilibrium states may play an important role. Another open question is the contact electrification that occurs when two insulating materials with identical physical properties touch—since there is no apparent driving force, it is not clear why charge transfer occurs. A third open question involves granular systems—models and experiments have shown that a particle-size dependence for the charging often exists. In this review, we discuss the fundamental aspects of contact electrification and highlight recent research efforts aimed at understanding these open questions.

Numerical analysis of the heat transfer and fluid flow in the butt-fusion welding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Jae Hyun; Choi, Sunwoong; Nam, Jaewook; Ahn, Kyung Hyun; Oh, Ju Seok

2017-02-01

Butt-fusion welding is an effective process for welding polymeric pipes. The process can be simplified into two stages. In heat soak stage, the pipe is heated using a hot plate contacted with one end of the pipe. In jointing stage, a pair of heated pipes is compressed against one another so that the melt regions become welded. In previous works, the jointing stage that is highly related to the welding quality was neglected. However, in this study, a finite element simulation is conducted including the jointing stage. The heat and momentum transfer are considered altogether. A new numerical scheme to describe the melt flow and pipe deformation for the butt-fusion welding process is introduced. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is used for the material. Flow via thermal expansion of the heat soak stage, and squeezing and fountain flow of the jointing stage are well reproduced. It is also observed that curling beads are formed and encounter the pipe body. The unique contribution of this study is its capability of directly observing the flow behaviors that occur during the jointing stage and relating them to welding quality.

Donation and back-donation analyzed through a charge transfer model based on density functional theory.

PubMed

Orozco-Valencia, Ulises; Gázquez, José L; Vela, Alberto

2017-07-01

The net charge transfer process that occurs between two species, A and B, interacting with each other, may be decomposed into two processes: one in which A receives charge from B, which can be identified as the electrophilic channel for A or the nucleophilic channel for B, and a second in which A donates charge to B, which can be identified as the nucleophilic channel for A or the electrophilic channel for B. By determining the amount of charge associated with both processes through the minimization of the interaction energy associated with each case, the expressions for the amount of charge involved in each case can be expressed in terms of the directional chemical potentials and the hardnesses of the interacting species. The correlation between the charges obtained for the interaction between phosphine ligands of the type PRR'R'' and Ni, and the A 1 carbonyl stretching frequency provides support for their interpretation as measures of the electrophilicity and nucleophilicity of a chemical species, and, at the same time, allows one to describe the donation and back-donation processes in terms of the density functional theory of chemical reactivity.

I. Measuring and Reducing Stress and Surface Roughness in IBAD MgO Films and II. Developing Tools to Measure Transfer in Undergraduate Chemistry Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonakos, Cory Dale

I. MgO may be grown with a biaxial texture onto an amorphous substrate with the use of ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). This MgO film may then be used as a platform on which to grow epitaxial films on an amorphous membrane for characterization purposes. However, the IBAD MgO film is stressed, causing buckles in the amorphous membrane and problems with further film growth on the IBAD MgO. This dissertation work explores the source of this film stress and develops methods to relax the stress and reduce surface roughness with annealing and increased growth temperature. It is determined that annealing and increased growth temperature coupled with a higher ion-to-atom ratio (IAR) during film growth reduce stress and surface roughness sufficiently to use even thinner IBAD MgO films as an intermediate layer between an amorphous membrane and epitaxial film. II. Much of the existing literature on knowledge transfer concludes that transfer is rare and does not occur spontaneously. However, studies supporting that transfer is rare often use methods that focus on binary success or failure to solve a problem correctly and do not analyze thought process. This dissertation work aims at developing transfer questions that allow open-ended responses, developing a method of analysis for these responses that looks for transfer in the problem-solving process, and assessing the methodology itself and its sensitivity, validity, and utility as a general transfer measurement technique for use across a broad range of expertise levels in chemistry. Detailed analysis of responses to each transfer question show that some transfer questions are more effective at distinguishing between expertise levels while also allowing responders of all levels to show knowledge transfer. Simpler questions that are more accessible to students of introductory chemistry proved the most useful at eliciting a range of responses that correlate with expertise level while still showing some degree of transfer in all levels of responders. More challenging questions with complex systems and common misconceptions are too advanced for lower level undergraduates to show knowledge transfer, but may be useful to show transfer in advanced undergraduates and experts.

Explosive magnetic reconnection - Puzzle to be solved as the energy supply process for magnetospheric substorms?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akasofu, S.-I.

1985-01-01

It is pointed out that magnetospheric substorms are perhaps the most basic type of disturbances which occur throughout the magnetosphere. There is little doubt that the energy for magnetospheric substorms is delivered from the sun to the magnetosphere by the solar wind, and theoretical and observational studies have been conducted to uncover the processes associated with the energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere, and the subsequent processes leading to various magnetospheric substorm phenomena. It has been widely accepted that explosive magnetic reconnection supplies the energy for magnetospheric substorm processes. It is indicated that the auroral phenomena must be various manifestations of a large-scale electrical discharge process which is powered by the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo. Certain problems regarding explosive magnetic reconnection are discussed.

Application of Numerical Simulation for the Analysis of the Processes of Rotary Ultrasonic Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naď, Milan; Čičmancová, Lenka; Hajdu, Štefan

2016-12-01

Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) is a hybrid process that combines diamond grinding with ultrasonic machining. It is most suitable to machine hard brittle materials such as ceramics and composites. Due to its excellent machining performance, RUM is very often applied for drilling of hard machinable materials. In the final phase of drilling, the edge deterioration of the drilled hole can occur, which results in a phenomenon called edge chipping. During hole drilling, a change in the thickness of the bottom of the drilled hole occurs. Consequently, the bottom of the hole as a plate structure is exposed to the transfer through the resonance state. This resonance state can be considered as one of the important aspects leading to edge chipping. Effects of changes in the bottom thickness and as well as the fillet radius between the wall and bottom of the borehole on the stress-strain states during RUM are analyzed.

Vibrational energy flow controls internal conversion in a transition metal complex.

PubMed

Hedley, Gordon J; Ruseckas, Arvydas; Samuel, Ifor D W

2010-09-02

Internal conversion (IC) between excited electronic states is a fundamental photophysical process that is important for understanding protection from UV radiation, energy transfer pathways and electron injection in artificial photosynthetic systems and organic solar cells. We have studied IC between three singlet MLCT states in an iridium complex using femtosecond fluorescence spectroscopy. Very fast IC with a time constant of <20 fs is observed from the highest state and a much slower relaxation to the lowest energy singlet state on a 70 fs time scale. The abrupt slowdown of the relaxation rate occurs when there is >0.6 eV of vibrational energy stored in the complex that has to be dissipated by intramolecular vibrational redistribution before further IC to the lower energy states can occur. These results show that the ability to dissipate vibrational energy can control the relaxation process in this class of materials.

The biogeochemistry of anchialine caves: Progress and possibilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pohlman, John W.

2011-01-01

Recent investigations of anchialine caves and sinkholes have identified complex food webs dependent on detrital and, in some cases, chemosynthetically produced organic matter. Chemosynthetic microbes in anchialine systems obtain energy from reduced compounds produced during organic matter degradation (e.g., sulfide, ammonium, and methane), similar to what occurs in deep ocean cold seeps and mud volcanoes, but distinct from dominant processes operating at hydrothermal vents and sulfurous mineral caves where the primary energy source is mantle derived. This review includes case studies from both anchialine and non-anchialine habitats, where evidence for in situ chemosynthetic production of organic matter and its subsequent transfer to higher trophic level metazoans is documented. The energy sources and pathways identified are synthesized to develop conceptual models for elemental cycles and energy cascades that occur within oligotrophic and eutrophic anchialine caves. Strategies and techniques for testing the hypothesis of chemosynthesis as an active process in anchialine caves are also suggested.

26 CFR 25.2518-1 - Qualified disclaimers of property; in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... property. For rules relating to the determination of when a transfer creating an interest occurs, see § 25... retains the right to receive the income for life. Upon the death of W, which occurs after December 31, 1976, the trust property is distributable to W's surviving issue, per stirpes. The transfer creating...

Localized multi-scale energy and vorticity analysis. II. Finite-amplitude instability theory and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San Liang, X.; Robinson, Allan R.

2007-12-01

A novel localized finite-amplitude hydrodynamic stability analysis is established in a unified treatment for the study of real oceanic and atmospheric processes, which are in general highly nonlinear, and intermittent in space and time. We first re-state the classical definition using the multi-scale energy and vorticity analysis (MS-EVA) developed in Liang and Robinson [Liang, X.S., Robinson, A.R., 2005. Localized multiscale energy and vorticity analysis. I. Fundamentals. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 38, 195-230], and then manipulate certain global operators to achieve the temporal and spatial localization. The key of the spatial localization is transfer-transport separation, which is made precise with the concept of perfect transfer, while relaxation of marginalization leads to the localization of time. In doing so the information of transfer lost in the averages is retrieved and an easy-to-use instability metric is obtained. The resulting metric is field-like (Eulerian), conceptually generalizing the classical formalism, a bulk notion over the whole system. In this framework, an instability has a structure, which is of particular use for open flow processes. We check the structure of baroclinic instability with the benchmark Eady model solution, and the Iceland-Faeroe Frontal (IFF) intrusion, a highly localized and nonlinear process occurring frequently in the region between Iceland and Faeroe Islands. A clear isolated baroclinic instability is identified around the intrusion, which is further found to be characterized by the transition from a spatially growing mode to a temporally growing mode. We also check the consistency of the MS-EVA dynamics with the barotropic Kuo model. An observation is that a local perturbation burst does not necessarily imply an instability: the perturbation energy could be transported from other processes occurring elsewhere. We find that our analysis yields a Kuo theorem-consistent mean-eddy interaction, which is not seen in a conventional Reynolds stress framework. Using the techniques of marginalization and localization, this work sets up an example for the generalization of certain geophysical fluid dynamics theories for more generic purposes.

Ping-Pong Energy Transfer in a Boron Dipyrromethane Containing Pt(II)-Schiff Base Complex: Synthesis, Photophysical Studies, and Anti-Stokes Shift Increase in Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion.

PubMed

Razi, Syed S; Koo, Yun Hee; Kim, Woojae; Yang, Wenbo; Wang, Zhijia; Gobeze, Habtom; D'Souza, Francis; Zhao, Jianzhang; Kim, Dongho

2018-05-07

A boron dipyrromethane (BDP)-containing Pt(II)-Schiff base complex (Pt-BDP), showing ping-pong singlet-triplet energy transfer, was synthesized, and the detailed photophysical properties were investigated using various steady-state and time-resolved transient spectroscopies. Femtosecond/nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopies demonstrated that, upon selective excitation of the BDP unit in Pt-BDP at 490 nm, Förster resonance energy transfer from the BDP unit to the Pt(II) coordination center occurred (6.7 ps), accompanied by an ultrafast intersystem crossing at the Pt(II) coordination center (<1 ps) and triplet-triplet energy transfer back to the BDP moiety (148 ps). These processes generated a triplet state localized at BDP, and the lifetime was 103.2 μs, much longer than the triplet-state lifetime of Pt-Ph (3.5 μs), a complex without the BDP moiety. Finally, Pt-BDP was used as a triplet photosensitizer for triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion through selective excitation of the BDP unit or the Pt(II) coordination center at lower excitation energy. An upconversion quantum yield of up to 10% was observed with selective excitation of the BDP moiety, and a large anti-Stokes shift of 0.65 eV was observed upon excitation of the lower-energy band of the Pt(II) coordination center. We propose that using triplet photosensitizers with the ping-pong energy-transfer process may become a useful method for increasing the anti-Stokes shift of TTA upconversion.

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

Prabhakaran, Venkateshkumar; Johnson, Grant E.; Wang, Bingbing

Molecular-level understanding of electrochemical processes occurring at electrode-electrolyte interfaces (EEI) is key to the rational development of high-performance and sustainable electrochemical technologies. This article reports the development and first application of solid-state in situ electrochemical probes to study redox and catalytic processes occurring at well-defined EEI generated using soft-landing of mass- and charge-selected cluster ions (SL). In situ electrochemical probes with excellent mass transfer properties are fabricated using carefully-designed nanoporous ionic liquid membranes. SL enables deposition of pure active species that are not obtainable with other techniques onto electrode surfaces with precise control over charge state, composition, and kinetic energy.more » SL is, therefore, a unique tool for studying fundamental processes occurring at EEI. For the first time using an aprotic electrochemical probe, the effect of charge state (PMo12O403-/2-) and the contribution of building blocks of Keggin polyoxometalate (POM) clusters to redox processes are characterized by populating EEI with novel POM anions generated by electrospray ionization and gas phase dissociation. Additionally, a proton conducting electrochemical probe has been developed to characterize the reactive electrochemistry (oxygen reduction activity) of bare Pt clusters (Pt40 ~1 nm diameter), thus demonstrating the capability of the probe for studying reactions in controlled gaseous environments. The newly developed in situ electrochemical probes combined with ion SL provide a versatile method to characterize the EEI in solid-state redox systems and reactive electrochemistry at precisely-defined conditions. This capability will advance molecular-level understanding of processes occurring at EEI that are critical to many energy-related technologies.« less

Power efficiency improvements of the industrial processes at application of thermochemical recuperation of heath of the leaving gases with use of microchannel reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tararykov, A. V.; Garyaev, A. B.

2017-11-01

The possibility of increasing the energy efficiency of production processes by converting the initial fuel - natural gas to synthesized fuel using the heat of the exhaust gases of plants involved in production is considered. Possible applications of this technology are given. A mathematical model of the processes of heat and mass transfer occurring in a thermochemical reactor is developed taking into account the nonequilibrium nature of the course of chemical reactions of fuel conversion. The possibility of using microchannel reaction elements and facilities for methane conversion in order to intensify the process and reduce the overall dimensions of plants is considered. The features of the course of heat and mass transfer processes under flow conditions in microchannel reaction elements are described. Additions have been made to the mathematical model, which makes it possible to use it for microchannel installations. With the help of a mathematical model, distribution of the parameters of mixtures along the length of the reaction element of the reactor-temperature, the concentration of the reacting components, the velocity, and the values of the heat fluxes are obtained. The calculations take into account the change in the thermophysical properties of the mix-ture, the type of the catalytic element, the rate of the reactions, the heat exchange processes by radiation, and the lon-gitudinal heat transfer along the flow of the reacting mixture. The reliability of the results of the application of the mathematical model is confirmed by their comparison with the experimental data obtained by Grasso G., Schaefer G., Schuurman Y., Mirodatos C., Kuznetsov V.V., Vitovsky O.V. on similar installations.

High School Transfer Students and the Transition to College: Timing and the Structure of the School Year

PubMed Central

Sutton, April; Muller, Chandra; Langenkamp, Amy G.

2013-01-01

The timing of a high school transfer may shape students’ transitions to college through its (mis)alignment with the structure of the school year. A transfer that occurs during the summer interrupts the four-year high school career, whereas a transfer that occurs midyear disrupts both the four-year high school career and the structure of the school year. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), the investigators find that the penalty suffered after the transfer depends on the degree to which students’ high school pathways synchronize with the curricular and extracurricular structure of the school year. Midyear transfer students appear to suffer the greatest postsecondary matriculation penalty. Students who transfer midyear are less likely to attend a four-year college compared with nontransfer and summer transfer students, whereas summer transfer students are less likely to attend a highly selective four-year college compared with their nontransfer counterparts. Curricular and extracurricular disruptions that transfer students experience after their school move explain some, but not all, of the negative associations observed between transferring and the transition to college. Directions for future research and the theoretical and policy implications of the results are discussed. PMID:24683277

A novel methodology to characterize interfacility transfer strategies in a trauma transfer network.

PubMed

Gomez, David; Haas, Barbara; Larsen, Kristian; Alali, Aziz S; MacDonald, Russell D; Singh, Jeffrey M; Tien, Homer; Iwashyna, Theodore J; Rubenfeld, Gordon; Nathens, Avery B

2016-10-01

More than half of severely injured patients are initially transported from the scene of injury to nontrauma centers (NTCs), with many requiring subsequent transfer to trauma center (TC) care. Definitive care in the setting of severe injury is time sensitive. However, transferring severely injured patients from an NTC is a complex process often fraught with delays. Selection of the receiving TC and the mode of interfacility transport both strongly influence total transfer time and are highly amenable to quality improvement initiatives. We analyzed transfer strategies, defined as the pairing of a destination and mode of transport (land vs. rotary wing vs. fixed wing), for severely injured adult patients. Existing transfer strategies at each NTC were derived from trauma registry data. Geographic Information Systems network analysis was used to identify the strategy that minimized transfer times the most as well as alternate strategies (+15 or +30 minutes) for each NTC. Transfer network efficiency was characterized based on optimality and stability. We identified 7,702 severely injured adult patients transferred from 146 NTCs to 9 TCs. Nontrauma centers transferred severely injured patients to a median of 3 (interquartile range, 1-4) different TCs and utilized a median of 4 (interquartile range, 2-6) different transfer strategies. After allowing for the use of alternate transfer strategies, 73.1% of severely injured patients were transported using optimal/alternate strategies, and only 40.4% of NTCs transferred more than 90% of patients using an optimal/alternate transfer strategy. Three quarters (75.5%) of transfers occurred between NTCs and their most common receiving TC. More than a quarter of patients with severe traumatic injuries undergoing interfacility transport to a TC in Ontario are consistently transported using a nonoptimal combination of destination and mode of transport. Our novel analytic approach can be easily adapted to different system configurations and provides actionable data that can be provided to NTCs and other stakeholders. Therapeutic study, level IV.

Fluid dynamics of the unsteady two phase processes leading to DDT in granular solid propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krier, H.; Butler, P. B.; Lembeck, M. F.

1980-01-01

Deflagration to Detonation (DDT) was predicted to occur in porous beds of high-energy solid propellants by solving the unsteady fluid mechanical convective heat transfer from hot gas products, obtained from the rapid burning at high pressures, provides the impetus to develop a narrow combustion zone and a resulting strong shock. A parametric study clearly indicates that DDT occurs only when a combination of the solids loading fraction, the burning rate constants, the propellant chemical energy, and the particle size provide for critical energy and gas release to support a detonation wave. Predictions for the run-up length to detonation as a function of these parameters are presented.

Modeling of a CeO2 thermochemistry reduction process for hydrogen production by solar concentrated energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle-Hernández, Julio; Romero-Paredes, Hernando; Arancibia-Bulnes, Camilo A.; Villafan-Vidales, Heidi I.; Espinosa-Paredes, Gilberto

2016-05-01

In this paper the simulation of the thermal reduction for hydrogen production through the decomposition of cerium oxide is presented. The thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production consists of the endothermic reduction of CeO2 at high temperature, where concentrated solar energy is used as a source of heat; and of the subsequent steam hydrolysis of the resulting cerium oxide to produce hydrogen. For the thermochemical process, a solar reactor prototype is proposed; consisting of a cubic receptacle made of graphite fiber thermally insulated. Inside the reactor a pyramidal arrangement with nine tungsten pipes is housed. The pyramidal arrangement is made respect to the focal point where the reflected energy is concentrated. The solar energy is concentrated through the solar furnace of high radiative flux. The endothermic step is the reduction of the cerium oxide to lower-valence cerium oxide, at very high temperature. The exothermic step is the hydrolysis of the cerium oxide (III) to form H2 and the corresponding initial cerium oxide made at lower temperature inside the solar reactor. For the modeling, three sections of the pipe where the reaction occurs were considered; the carrier gas inlet, the porous medium and the reaction products outlet. The mathematical model describes the fluid mechanics; mass and energy transfer occurring therein inside the tungsten pipe. Thermochemical process model was simulated in CFD. The results show a temperature distribution in the solar reaction pipe and allow obtaining the fluid dynamics and the heat transfer within the pipe. This work is part of the project "Solar Fuels and Industrial Processes" from the Mexican Center for Innovation in Solar Energy (CEMIE-Sol).

Transition and Transfer of Remediated Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Sites from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

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

Carpenter, Cliff; Castillo, Darina; Fatherly, Nicki

The US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to receive the transfer of 10 FUSRAP Sites from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) over the next 10 years; however, the timing of the transfers is highly dependent upon federal funding of the ongoing remedial actions. When remediation for each site is complete and the 2-year operations and maintenance period has concluded, each site will transfer from USACE to DOE for long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS&M). US DOE’s Office of Legacy Management (LM) will accept program responsibility for these sites and conduct LTS&M activities required to maintain protectiveness, preserve site-specific knowledge,more » and retain the cleanup and stewardship records while keeping stakeholders informed. Since the last FUSRAP site transfer occurred in 2007, LM in coordination with USACE intends to establish a transition process to promote the seamless transfer of sites from the time when the first record of decision is signed to the completion of FUSRAP activities. The approach to transfer active FUSRAP sites to completed sites status has been historically outlined in foundational documents such as the 1999 Memorandum of Understanding and supporting letters of agreement between the two agencies. As more complex FUSRAP sites are completed, this transition process will provide a model between the two agencies to communicate future long-term care liabilities. Ultimately, the FUSRAP transition process is structured to acquire and preserve site knowledge and information necessary for protecting the environment and public health. As of 2015, LM has transitioned and accepted programmatic responsibility for over 90 sites. From LM’s perspective, successful transition of any site includes understanding the long-term environmental liabilities. LM uses site transition framework requirements from past transitions to develop site-specific transition plans. Site-specific transition plans are developed by LM in coordination with USACE and executed during the 2-year operations and maintenance period. An integrated project team of subject matter experts is assembled to address the conditions of the transitioning site; acquire a site records collection; evaluate site operations and final site conditions and associated risks; identify and contact stakeholders; and document the basis for site LTS&M requirements. While the majority of the transition activities are completed by LM, close coordination between US DOE LM and USACE throughout this process is essential for an effective and seamless transfer to assure that there is no lapse in site protectiveness.« less

Long-Range Vibrational Dynamics Are Directed by Watson-Crick Base Pairing in Duplex DNA.

PubMed

Hithell, Gordon; Shaw, Daniel J; Donaldson, Paul M; Greetham, Gregory M; Towrie, Michael; Burley, Glenn A; Parker, Anthony W; Hunt, Neil T

2016-05-05

Ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy of a 15-mer A-T DNA duplex in solution has revealed structure-dependent vibrational coupling and energy transfer processes linking bases with the sugar-phosphate backbone. Duplex melting induces significant changes in the positions of off-diagonal peaks linking carbonyl and ring-stretching vibrational modes of the adenine and thymine bases with vibrations of the phosphate group and phosphodiester linkage. These indicate that Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding and helix formation lead to a unique vibrational coupling arrangement of base vibrational modes with those of the phosphate unit. On the basis of observations from time-resolved 2D-IR data, we conclude that rapid energy transfer processes occur between base and backbone, mediated by additional modes located on the deoxyribose moiety within the same nucleotide. These relaxation dynamics are insensitive to duplex melting, showing that efficient intramolecular energy relaxation to the solvent via the phosphate groups is the key to excess energy dissipation in both single- and double-stranded DNA.

Effects of tip-substrate gap, deposition temperature, holding time, and pull-off velocity on dip-pen lithography investigated using molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Cheng-Da; Fang, Te-Hua; Lin, Jen-Fin

2012-05-01

The process parameters in the dip-pen nanolithography process, including tip-substrate gap, deposition temperature, holding time, and pull-off velocity are evaluated in terms of the mechanism of molecular transference, alkanethiol meniscus characteristic, surface adsorbed energy, and pattern formation using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results clearly show that the optimum deposition occurs at a smaller tip-substrate gap, a slower pull-off velocity, a higher temperature, and a longer holding time. The pattern area increases with decreasing tip-substrate gap and increasing deposition temperature and holding time. With an increase in deposition temperature, the molecular transfer ability significantly increases. Pattern height is a function of meniscus length. When the pull-off velocity is decreased, the pattern height increases. The height of the neck in meniscus decreases and the neck width increases with holding time. Meniscus size increases with increasing deposition temperature and holding time.

Thinking for Speaking and Cross-Linguistic Transfer in Preschool Bilingual Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicoladis, Elena; Rose, Alyssa; Foursha-Stevenson, Cassandra

2010-01-01

Bilingual children sometimes produce constructions influenced by their other language (cross-linguistic transfer). Transfer can often be predicted by the existence of overlapping and ambiguous constructions in both languages. In this paper, we investigate whether cross-linguistic transfer occurs when overlapping constructions exist, but there are…

12 CFR 611.520 - Plan of transfer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the stockholders' approval; or, (4) An event occurred between the time of the vote and the transfer... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Plan of transfer. 611.520 Section 611.520 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Transfer of Authorities § 611...

12 CFR 611.520 - Plan of transfer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the stockholders' approval; or, (4) An event occurred between the time of the vote and the transfer... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Plan of transfer. 611.520 Section 611.520 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Transfer of Authorities § 611...

12 CFR 611.520 - Plan of transfer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the stockholders' approval; or, (4) An event occurred between the time of the vote and the transfer... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Plan of transfer. 611.520 Section 611.520 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Transfer of Authorities § 611...

12 CFR 611.520 - Plan of transfer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the stockholders' approval; or, (4) An event occurred between the time of the vote and the transfer... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Plan of transfer. 611.520 Section 611.520 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ORGANIZATION Transfer of Authorities § 611...

Coupled sensitizer-catalyst dyads: electron-transfer reactions in a perylene-polyoxometalate conjugate.

PubMed

Odobel, Fabrice; Séverac, Marjorie; Pellegrin, Yann; Blart, Errol; Fosse, Céline; Cannizzo, Caroline; Mayer, Cédric R; Elliott, Kristopher J; Harriman, Anthony

2009-01-01

Ultrafast discharge of a single-electron capacitor: A variety of intramolecular electron-transfer reactions are apparent for polyoxometalates functionalized with covalently attached perylene monoimide chromophores, but these are restricted to single-electron events. (et=electron transfer, cr=charge recombination, csr=charge-shift reaction, PER=perylene, POM=polyoxometalate).A new strategy is introduced that permits covalent attachment of an organic chromophore to a polyoxometalate (POM) cluster. Two examples are reported that differ according to the nature of the anchoring group and the flexibility of the linker. Both POMs are functionalized with perylene monoimide units, which function as photon collectors and form a relatively long-lived charge-transfer state under illumination. They are reduced to a stable pi-radical anion by electrolysis or to a protonated dianion under photolysis in the presence of aqueous triethanolamine. The presence of the POM opens up an intramolecular electron-transfer route by which the charge-transfer state reduces the POM. The rate of this process depends on the molecular conformation and appears to involve through-space interactions. Prior reduction of the POM leads to efficient fluorescence quenching, again due to intramolecular electron transfer. In most cases, it is difficult to resolve the electron-transfer products because of relatively fast reverse charge shift that occurs within a closed conformer. Although the POM can store multiple electrons, it has not proved possible to use these systems as molecular-scale capacitors because of efficient electron transfer from the one-electron-reduced POM to the excited singlet state of the perylene monoimide.

Ultrafast electron and hole transfer dynamics of a solar cell dye containing hole acceptors on mesoporous TiO2 and Al2O3.

PubMed

Scholz, Mirko; Flender, Oliver; Boschloo, Gerrit; Oum, Kawon; Lenzer, Thomas

2017-03-08

The stability of dye cations against recombination with conduction band electrons in mesoporous TiO 2 electrodes is a key property for improving light harvesting in dye-sensitised solar cells. Using ultrafast transient broadband absorption spectroscopy, we monitor efficient intramolecular hole transfer in the solar cell dye E6 having two peripheral triarylamine acceptors. After photoexcitation, two hole transfer mechanisms are identified: a concerted mechanism for electron injection and hole transfer (2.4 ps) and a sequential mechanism with time constants of 3.9 ps and 30 ps. This way the dye retards unwanted recombination with a TiO 2 conduction band electron by quickly moving the hole further away from the surface. Contact of the E6/TiO 2 surface with the solvent acetonitrile has almost no influence on the electron injection and hole transfer kinetics. Fast hole transfer (2.8 ps) is also observed on a "non-injecting" Al 2 O 3 surface generating a radical cation-radical anion species with a lifetime of 530 ps. The findings confirm the good intramolecular hole transfer properties of this dye on both thin films. In contrast, intramolecular hole transfer does not occur in the mid-polar organic solvent methyl acetate. This is confirmed by TDDFT calculations suggesting a polarity-induced reduction of the driving force for hole transfer. In methyl acetate, only the relaxation of the initially photoexcited core chromophore is observed including solvent relaxation processes of the electronically excited state S 1 /ICT.

Chromosomal transfers in mycoplasmas: when minimal genomes go mobile.

PubMed

Dordet-Frisoni, Emilie; Sagné, Eveline; Baranowski, Eric; Breton, Marc; Nouvel, Laurent Xavier; Blanchard, Alain; Marenda, Marc Serge; Tardy, Florence; Sirand-Pugnet, Pascal; Citti, Christine

2014-11-25

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a main driving force of bacterial evolution and innovation. This phenomenon was long thought to be marginal in mycoplasmas, a large group of self-replicating bacteria characterized by minute genomes as a result of successive gene losses during evolution. Recent comparative genomic analyses challenged this paradigm, but the occurrence of chromosomal exchanges had never been formally addressed in mycoplasmas. Here, we demonstrated the conjugal transfer of large chromosomal regions within and among ruminant mycoplasma species, with the incorporation of the incoming DNA occurring by homologous recombination into the recipient chromosome. By combining classical mating experiments with high-throughput next-generation sequencing, we documented the transfer of almost every position of the mycoplasma chromosome. Mycoplasma conjugation relies on the occurrence of an integrative conjugative element (ICE) in at least one parent cell. While ICE propagates horizontally from ICE-positive to ICE-negative cells, chromosomal transfers (CTs) occurred in the opposite direction, from ICE-negative to ICE-positive cells, independently of ICE movement. These findings challenged the classical mechanisms proposed for other bacteria in which conjugative CTs are driven by conjugative elements, bringing into the spotlight a new means for rapid mycoplasma innovation. Overall, they radically change our current views concerning the evolution of mycoplasmas, with particularly far-reaching implications given that over 50 species are human or animal pathogens. Horizontal gene transfers (HGT) shape bacterial genomes and are key contributors to microbial diversity and innovation. One main mechanism involves conjugation, a process that allows the simultaneous transfer of significant amounts of DNA upon cell-to-cell contact. Recognizing and deciphering conjugal mechanisms are thus essential in understanding the impact of gene flux on bacterial evolution. We addressed this issue in mycoplasmas, the smallest and simplest self-replicating bacteria. In these organisms, HGT was long thought to be marginal. We showed here that nearly every position of the Mycoplasma agalactiae chromosome could be transferred via conjugation, using an unconventional mechanism. The transfer involved DNA blocks containing up to 80 genes that were incorporated into the host chromosome by homologous recombination. These findings radically change our views concerning mycoplasma evolution and adaptation with particularly far-reaching implications given that over 50 species are human or animal pathogens. Copyright © 2014 Dordet-Frisoni et al.

The development and investigation of a strongly non-equilibrium model of heat transfer in fluid with allowance for the spatial and temporal non-locality and energy dissipation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudinov, V. A.; Eremin, A. V.; Kudinov, I. V.

2017-11-01

The differential equation of heat transfer with allowance for energy dissipation and spatial and temporal nonlocality has been derived by the relaxation of heat flux and temperature gradient in the Fourier law formula for the heat flux at the use of the heat balance equation. An investigation of the numerical solution of the heat-transfer problem at a laminar fluid flow in a plane duct has shown the impossibility of an instantaneous acceptance of the boundary condition of the first kind — the process of its settling at small values of relaxation coefficients takes a finite time interval the duration of which is determined by the thermophysical and relaxation properties of the fluid. At large values of relaxation coefficients, the use of the boundary condition of the first kind is possible only at Fo → ∞. The friction heat consideration leads to the alteration of temperature profiles, which is due to the rise of the intervals of elevated temperatures in the zone of the maximal velocity gradients. With increasing relaxation coefficients, the smoothing of temperature profiles occurs, and at their certain high values, the fluid cooling occurs at a gradientless temperature variation along the transverse spatial variable and, consequently, the temperature proves to be dependent only on time and on longitudinal coordinate.

Gene therapy in large animal models of human cardiovascular genetic disease.

PubMed

Sleeper, Meg M; Bish, Lawrence T; Sweeney, H Lee

2009-01-01

Several naturally occurring animal models for human genetic heart diseases offer an excellent opportunity to evaluate potential novel therapies, including gene therapy. Some of these diseases--especially those that result in a structural defect during development (e.g., patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis)--would likely be difficult to treat with a therapeutic gene transfer approach. However, the ability to transduce a significant proportion of the myocardial cells should make the various forms of inherited cardiomyopathy amenable to a therapeutic gene transfer approach. Adeno-associated virus may be the ideal vector for cardiac gene therapy since its low immunogenicity allows for stable transgene expression, a crucial factor when considering treatment of a chronic disease. Cardiomyopathies are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both children and adults, and large animal models are available for the major forms of inherited cardiomyopathy (dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy). One of these animal models, juvenile dilated cardiomyopathy of Portuguese water dogs, offers an effective means to assess the efficacy of therapeutic gene transfer to alter the course of cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Correction of the abnormal metabolic processes that occur with heart failure (e.g., calcium metabolism, apoptosis) could normalize diseased myocardial function. Gene therapy may offer a promising new approach for the treatment of cardiac disease in both veterinary and human clinical settings.

Surfactant-enhanced singlet energy transfer from the charge-transfer excited state of tris(2,2-bipyridine) ruthenium(II)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Krishnagopal; Demas, J. N.

1981-12-01

Very efficient (45-75%) sodium lauryl sulfate (NaLS) enhanced singlet enengy transfer has been demonstrated from the spin-orbit charge-transfer excited state of [Ru(bpy) 3] 2+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) to the xxx violet, oxazine 1, and rhodamine 101 at concentrations of 10 -5 M, Energy transfer occurs in xxx.

Flight evaluation of a hydromechanical backup control for the digital electronic engine control system in an F100 engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, K. R.; Burcham, F. W.

1984-01-01

The backup control (BUC) features, the operation of the BUC system, the BUC control logic, and the BUC flight test results are described. The flight test results include: (1) transfers to the BUC at military and maximum power settings; (2) a military power acceleration showing comparisons bvetween flight and simulation for BUC and primary modes; (3) steady-state idle power showing idle compressor speeds at different flight conditions; and (4) idle-to-military power BUC transients showing where cpmpressor stalls occurred for different ramp rates and idle speeds. All the BUC transfers which occur during the DEEC flight program are initiated by the pilot. Automatic transfers to the BUC do not occur.

Investigating molecule-semiconductor interfaces with nonlinear spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giokas, Paul George

Knowledge of electronic structures and transport mechanisms at molecule-semiconductor interfaces is motivated by their ubiquity in photoelectrochemical cells. In this dissertation, optical spectroscopies are used uncover the influence of electronic coupling, coherent vibrational motion, and molecular geometry, and other factors on dynamics initiated by light absorption at such interfaces. These are explored for a family of ruthenium bipyridyl chromophores bound to titanium dioxide. Transient absorption measurements show molecular singlet state electron injection in 100 fs or less. Resonance Raman intensity analysis suggests the electronic excitations possess very little charge transfer character. The connections drawn in this work between molecular structure and photophysical behavior contribute to the general understanding of photoelectrochemical cells. Knowledge of binding geometry in nanocrystalline films is challenged by heterogeneity of semiconductor surfaces. Polarized resonance Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize the ruthenium chromophore family on single crystal titanium dioxide . Chromophores display a broad distribution of molecular geometries at the interface, with increased variation in binding angle due to the presence of a methylene bridge, as well as additional phosphonate anchors. This result implies multiple binding configurations for chromophores which incorporate multiple phosphonate ligands, and indicates the need for careful consideration when developing surface-assembled chromophore-catalyst cells. Electron transfer transitions occurring on the 100 fs time scale challenge conventional second-order approximations made when modeling these reactions. A fourth-order perturbative model which includes the relationship between coincident electron transfer and nuclear relaxation processes is presented. Insights provided by the model are illustrated for a two-level donor molecule. The presented fourth-order rate formula constitutes a rigorous and intuitive framework for understanding sub-picosecond photoinduced electron transfer dynamics. Charge transfer systems fit by this model include catechol-sensitized titanium dioxide nanoparticles and a closely-related molecular complex. These systems exhibit vibrational coherence coincident with back-electron transfer in the first picosecond after excitation, which suggests that intramolecular nuclear motion strongly influences the electronic transfer process and plays an important role in the dynamics of interfacial systems following light absorption.

The transfer and implementation of an Aboriginal Australian wellbeing program: a grounded theory study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The concepts and standard practices of implementation, largely originating in developed countries, cannot necessarily be simply transferred into diverse cultural contexts. There has been relative inattention in the implementation science literature paid to the implementation of interventions targeting minority Indigenous populations within developed countries. This suggests that the implementation literature may be bypassing population groups within developed countries who suffer some of the greatest disadvantage. Within the context of Aboriginal Australian health improvement, this study considers the impact of political and cultural issues by examining the transfer and implementation of the Family Wellbeing program across 56 places over a 20-year period. Methods A theoretical model of program transfer was developed using constructivist-grounded theory methods. Data were generated by conducting in-depth interviews with 18 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal research respondents who had been active in transferring the program. Data were categorised into higher order abstract concepts and the core impetus for and process of program transfer were identified. Results Organizations transferred the program by using it as a vehicle for supporting inside-out empowerment. The impetus to support inside-out empowerment referred to support for Aboriginal people's participation, responsibility for and control of their own affairs, and the associated ripple effects to family members, organizations, communities, and ultimately reconciliation with Australian society at large. Program transfer occurred through a multi-levelled process of embracing relatedness which included relatedness with self, others, and structural conditions; all three were necessary at both individual and organizational levels. Conclusions Similar to international implementation models, the model of supporting inside-out empowerment by embracing relatedness involved individuals, organizations, and interpersonal and inter-organizational networks. However, the model suggests that for minority Indigenous populations within developed countries, implementation approaches may require greater attention to the empowering nature of the intervention and its implementation, and multiple levels of relatedness by individuals and organizations with self, others, and the structural conditions. Key elements of the theoretical model provide a useful blueprint to inform the transfer of other empowerment programs to minority Indigenous and other disadvantaged populations on a case-by-case basis. PMID:24171867

The transfer and implementation of an Aboriginal Australian wellbeing program: a grounded theory study.

PubMed

McCalman, Janya R

2013-10-31

The concepts and standard practices of implementation, largely originating in developed countries, cannot necessarily be simply transferred into diverse cultural contexts. There has been relative inattention in the implementation science literature paid to the implementation of interventions targeting minority Indigenous populations within developed countries. This suggests that the implementation literature may be bypassing population groups within developed countries who suffer some of the greatest disadvantage. Within the context of Aboriginal Australian health improvement, this study considers the impact of political and cultural issues by examining the transfer and implementation of the Family Wellbeing program across 56 places over a 20-year period. A theoretical model of program transfer was developed using constructivist-grounded theory methods. Data were generated by conducting in-depth interviews with 18 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal research respondents who had been active in transferring the program. Data were categorised into higher order abstract concepts and the core impetus for and process of program transfer were identified. Organizations transferred the program by using it as a vehicle for supporting inside-out empowerment. The impetus to support inside-out empowerment referred to support for Aboriginal people's participation, responsibility for and control of their own affairs, and the associated ripple effects to family members, organizations, communities, and ultimately reconciliation with Australian society at large. Program transfer occurred through a multi-levelled process of embracing relatedness which included relatedness with self, others, and structural conditions; all three were necessary at both individual and organizational levels. Similar to international implementation models, the model of supporting inside-out empowerment by embracing relatedness involved individuals, organizations, and interpersonal and inter-organizational networks. However, the model suggests that for minority Indigenous populations within developed countries, implementation approaches may require greater attention to the empowering nature of the intervention and its implementation, and multiple levels of relatedness by individuals and organizations with self, others, and the structural conditions. Key elements of the theoretical model provide a useful blueprint to inform the transfer of other empowerment programs to minority Indigenous and other disadvantaged populations on a case-by-case basis.

How exciton-vibrational coherences control charge separation in the photosystem II reaction center.

PubMed

Novoderezhkin, Vladimir I; Romero, Elisabet; van Grondelle, Rienk

2015-12-14

In photosynthesis absorbed sun light produces collective excitations (excitons) that form a coherent superposition of electronic and vibrational states of the individual pigments. Two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectroscopy allows a visualization of how these coherences are involved in the primary processes of energy and charge transfer. Based on quantitative modeling we identify the exciton-vibrational coherences observed in 2D photon echo of the photosystem II reaction center (PSII-RC). We find that the vibrations resonant with the exciton splittings can modify the delocalization of the exciton states and produce additional states, thus promoting directed energy transfer and allowing a switch between the two charge separation pathways. We conclude that the coincidence of the frequencies of the most intense vibrations with the splittings within the manifold of exciton and charge-transfer states in the PSII-RC is not occurring by chance, but reflects a fundamental principle of how energy conversion in photosynthesis was optimized.

Preparation and Structural Studies on Hybrid Core-Shell Nanoparticles Consisting of Silica Core and Conjugated Block Copolymer Shell Prepared by Surface-Initiated Polymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Sourav; Karam, Tony; Rosu, Cornelia; Li, Xin; Do, Changwoo; Youm, Sang Gil; Haber, Louis; Russo, Paul; Nesterov, Evgueni

Controlled Kumada catalyst-transfer polymerization occurring by chain-growth mechanism was developed for the synthesis of conjugated polymers and block copolymers from the surface of inorganic substrates such as silica nanoparticles. Although synthesis of conjugated polymers via Kumada polymerization became an established method for solution polymerization, carrying out the same reaction in heterogeneous conditions to form monodisperse polymer chains still remains a challenge. We developed and described a simple and efficient approach to the preparation of surface-immobilized layer of catalytic Ni(II) initiator, and demonstrated using it to prepare polymers and block copolymers on silica nanoparticle. The structure of the resulting hybrid nanostructures was thoroughly studied using small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, thermal analysis, and optical spectroscopy. The photoexcitation energy transfer processes in the conjugated polymer shell were studied via steady-state and time resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. This study uncovered important details of the energy transfer, which will be discussed in this presentation.

Ferrocene pixels by laser-induced forward transfer: towards flexible microelectrode printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitu, B.; Matei, A.; Filipescu, M.; Palla Papavlu, A.; Bercea, A.; Lippert, T.; Dinescu, M.

2017-03-01

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the potential of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) as a printing technology, alternative to standard microfabrication techniques, in the area of flexible micro-electrode fabrication. First, ferrocene thin films are deposited onto fused silica and fused silica substrates previously coated with a photodegradable polymer film (triazene polymer) by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The morphology and chemical structure of the ferrocene thin films deposited by MAPLE has been investigated by atomic force microscopy and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and no structural damage occurs as a result of the laser deposition. Second, LIFT is applied to print for the first time ferrocene pixels and lines onto flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The ferrocene pixels and lines are flawlessly transferred onto the PDMS substrates in air at room temperature, without the need of additional conventional photolithography processes. We believe that these results are very promising for a variety of applications ranging from flexible electronics to lab-on-a-chip devices, MEMS, and medical implants.

Laboratory Experiments Lead to a New Understanding of Wildland Fire Spread

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, J. D.; Finney, M.; McAllister, S.

2015-12-01

Wildfire flame spread results from a sequence of ignitions where adjacent fuel particles heat from radiation and convection leading to their ignition. Surprisingly, after decades of fire behavior research an experimentally based, fundamental understanding of wildland fire spread processes has not been established. Modelers have commonly assumed radiation to be the dominant heating mechanism; that is, radiation heat transfer primarily determines wildland fire spread. We tested this assumption by focusing on how fuel ignition occurs with a renewed emphasis on experimental research. Our experiments show that fuel particle size can non-linearly influence a fuel particle's convective heat transfer. Fine fuels (less than 1 mm) can convectively cool in ambient air such that radiation heating is insufficient for ignition and thus fire spread. Given fire spread with insufficient radiant heating, fuel particle ignition must occur convectively from flame contact. Further experimentation reveals that convective heating and particle ignition occur when buoyancy-induced instabilities and vorticity force flames down and forward to produce intermittent contact with the adjacent fuel bed. Experimental results suggest these intermittent forward flame extensions are buoyancy driven with predictable average frequencies for flame zones ranging from laboratory (10-2 m) to field scales (101m). Measured fuel particle temperatures and boundary conditions during spreading laboratory fires reveal that convection heat transfer from intermittent flame contact is the principal mechanism responsible for heating fine fuel particles to ignition. Our experimental results describe how fine fuel particles convectively heat to ignition from flame contact related to the buoyant dynamics of spreading flame fronts. This research has caused a rethinking of some of the most basic concepts in wildland fuel particle ignition and flame spread.

Reducing patient identification errors related to glucose point-of-care testing.

PubMed

Alreja, Gaurav; Setia, Namrata; Nichols, James; Pantanowitz, Liron

2011-01-01

Patient identification (ID) errors in point-of-care testing (POCT) can cause test results to be transferred to the wrong patient's chart or prevent results from being transmitted and reported. Despite the implementation of patient barcoding and ongoing operator training at our institution, patient ID errors still occur with glucose POCT. The aim of this study was to develop a solution to reduce identification errors with POCT. Glucose POCT was performed by approximately 2,400 clinical operators throughout our health system. Patients are identified by scanning in wristband barcodes or by manual data entry using portable glucose meters. Meters are docked to upload data to a database server which then transmits data to any medical record matching the financial number of the test result. With a new model, meters connect to an interface manager where the patient ID (a nine-digit account number) is checked against patient registration data from admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) feeds and only matched results are transferred to the patient's electronic medical record. With the new process, the patient ID is checked prior to testing, and testing is prevented until ID errors are resolved. When averaged over a period of a month, ID errors were reduced to 3 errors/month (0.015%) in comparison with 61.5 errors/month (0.319%) before implementing the new meters. Patient ID errors may occur with glucose POCT despite patient barcoding. The verification of patient identification should ideally take place at the bedside before testing occurs so that the errors can be addressed in real time. The introduction of an ADT feed directly to glucose meters reduced patient ID errors in POCT.

Reducing patient identification errors related to glucose point-of-care testing

PubMed Central

Alreja, Gaurav; Setia, Namrata; Nichols, James; Pantanowitz, Liron

2011-01-01

Background: Patient identification (ID) errors in point-of-care testing (POCT) can cause test results to be transferred to the wrong patient's chart or prevent results from being transmitted and reported. Despite the implementation of patient barcoding and ongoing operator training at our institution, patient ID errors still occur with glucose POCT. The aim of this study was to develop a solution to reduce identification errors with POCT. Materials and Methods: Glucose POCT was performed by approximately 2,400 clinical operators throughout our health system. Patients are identified by scanning in wristband barcodes or by manual data entry using portable glucose meters. Meters are docked to upload data to a database server which then transmits data to any medical record matching the financial number of the test result. With a new model, meters connect to an interface manager where the patient ID (a nine-digit account number) is checked against patient registration data from admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) feeds and only matched results are transferred to the patient's electronic medical record. With the new process, the patient ID is checked prior to testing, and testing is prevented until ID errors are resolved. Results: When averaged over a period of a month, ID errors were reduced to 3 errors/month (0.015%) in comparison with 61.5 errors/month (0.319%) before implementing the new meters. Conclusion: Patient ID errors may occur with glucose POCT despite patient barcoding. The verification of patient identification should ideally take place at the bedside before testing occurs so that the errors can be addressed in real time. The introduction of an ADT feed directly to glucose meters reduced patient ID errors in POCT. PMID:21633490

Can plant phloem properties affect the link between ecosystem assimilation and respiration?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mencuccini, M.; Hölttä, T.; Sevanto, S.; Nikinmaa, E.

2012-04-01

Phloem transport of carbohydrates in plants under field conditions is currently not well understood. This is largely the result of the lack of techniques suitable for measuring phloem physiological properties continuously under field conditions. This lack of knowledge is currently hampering our efforts to link ecosystem-level processes of carbon fixation, allocation and use, especially belowground. On theoretical grounds, the properties of the transport pathway from canopy to roots must be important in affecting the link between carbon assimilation and respiration, but it is unclear whether their effect is partially or entirely masked by processes occurring in other parts of the ecosystem. One can also predict the characteristic time scales over which these effects should occur and, as consequence, predict whether the transfer of turgor and osmotic signals from the site of carbon assimilation to the sites of carbon use are likely to control respiration. We will present two sources of evidence suggesting that the properties of the phloem transport system may affect processes that are dependent on the supply of carbon substrate, such as root or soil respiration. Firstly, we will summarize the results of a literature survey on soil and ecosystem respiration where the speed of transfer of photosynthetic sugars from the plant canopy to the soil surface was determined. Estimates of the transfer speed could be grouped according to whether the study employed isotopic or canopy soil flux-based techniques. These two groups provided very different estimates of transfer times likely because transport of sucrose molecules, and pressure-concentration waves, in phloem differed. Secondly, we will argue that simultaneous measurements of bark and xylem diameters provide a novel tool to determine the continuous variations of phloem turgor in vivo in the field. We will present a model that interprets these changes in xylem and live bark diameters and present data testing the model predictions for mature trees in the field. At the diurnal scale, the calculated phloem turgor signal related to patterns of photosynthetic activity and inferred phloem loading. At the seasonal scale, phloem turgor showed rapid changes during two droughts and after two rainfall events consistent with physiological predictions of phloem transport. Daily cumulative totals of calculated phloem osmotic concentrations were strongly related to daily cumulative totals of canopy photosynthesis. We propose that this method has potential for continuous field monitoring of tree phloem function.

Analysis of transportation network design strategies for forced transfer busing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

Forced transfer busing occurs primarily at the elementary school level when students are bused : to an alternate school when their geographically-assigned school is full at their specific grade : level. Ineffective forced transfer busing can result i...

Template Dimerization Promotes an Acceptor Invasion-Induced Transfer Mechanism during Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Minus-Strand Synthesis

PubMed Central

Balakrishnan, Mini; Roques, Bernard P.; Fay, Philip J.; Bambara, Robert A.

2003-01-01

The biochemical mechanism of template switching by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase and the role of template dimerization were examined. Homologous donor-acceptor template pairs derived from the HIV-1 untranslated leader region and containing the wild-type and mutant dimerization initiation sequences (DIS) were used to examine the efficiency and distribution of transfers. Inhibiting donor-acceptor interaction was sufficient to reduce transfers in DIS-containing template pairs, indicating that template dimerization, and not the mere presence of the DIS, promotes efficient transfers. Additionally, we show evidence that the overall transfer process spans an extended region of the template and proceeds through a two-step mechanism. Transfer is initiated through an RNase H-facilitated acceptor invasion step, while synthesis continues on the donor template. The invasion then propagates towards the primer terminus by branch migration. Transfer is completed with the translocation of the primer terminus at a site distant from the invasion point. In our system, most invasions initiated before synthesis reached the DIS. However, transfer of the primer terminus predominantly occurred after synthesis through the DIS. The two steps were separated by 60 to 80 nucleotides. Sequence markers revealed the position of primer terminus switch, whereas DNA oligomers designed to block acceptor-cDNA interactions defined sites of invasion. Within the region of homology, certain positions on the template were inherently more favorable for invasion than others. In templates with DIS, the proximity of the acceptor facilitates invasion, thereby enhancing transfer efficiency. Nucleocapsid protein enhanced the overall efficiency of transfers but did not alter the mechanism. PMID:12663778

Understanding cross sample talk as a result of triboelectric charging on future mars missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beegle, L. W.; Anderson, R. C.; Fleming, G.

2009-12-01

Proper scientific analysis requires the material that is collected and analyzed by in-situ instruments be as close as possible (chemically and mineralogically) to the initial, unaltered surface material prior to its collection and delivery. However this is not always possible for automated robotic in situ analysis. Therefore it is vital to understanding how the sample has been changed/altered prior to analysis so that analysis can be put in the proper context. We have examined the transport of fines when transferred under ambient martian conditions in hardware analogous to that being developed for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sample acquisition flight hardware. We will discuss the amount of cross sample contamination when different mineralogy’s are transferred under Martian environmental conditions. Similar issues have been identified as problems within the terrestrial mining, textile, and pharmaceutical research communities that may alter/change the chemical and mineralogical compositions of samples before they are delivered to the MSL Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) analytical instruments. These cross-sample contamination will affect the overall quality of the science results and each of these processes need to be examined and understood prior to MSL landing on the surface of Mars. There are two forms of triboelectric charging that have been observed to occur on Earth and they are 1) when dissimilar material comes in contact (one material charges positive and the other negative depending on their relative positions on the triboelectric series and the work function of the material) and 2) when two similar materials come in contact, the larger particles can transfer one of their high energy electrons to a smaller particle. During the collisions, the transferred electron tends to lose energy and the charge tends not to move from the smaller particle back to the larger particle in further collisions. This transfer effect can occur multiple times on particles resulting in multiple charge states occurring on particles. While individual particles can have different charge sign, the bulk material can become charged due to contact of different minerals constituents in the sample and through contact of the wall. This results in a very complex system that has yet to be fully understood and characterized. We have begun to develop a characterize a data set which enable scientists to better relate arm and mast mounted measurements made on the surface by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MALHI), the Chemistry and Microimaging (ChemCam) and the Mast Camera (MastCam) instruments to the measurements made by the two onboard analytical instruments, CheMin and SAM after a sample is acquired, processed, and delivered.

The importance of momentum transfer in collision-induced breakups in low Earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, Robert C.; Lillie, Brian J.

1991-01-01

Although there is adequate information on larger objects in low Earth orbit, specifically those objects larger than about 10 cm in diameter, there is little direct information on objects from this size down to 1 mm. Yet, this is the sized regime where objects acting as projectiles represent the ability to seriously damage or destroy a functioning spacecraft if they collide with it. The observed consequences of known collisional breakups in orbit indicates no significant momentum transfer in the resulting debris cloud. The position taken in this paper is that this is an observational selection effect: what is seen in these events is an explosion-like breakup of the target structure arising from shock waves introduced into the structure by the collision, but one that occurs significantly after the collision processes are completed; the collision cloud, in which there is momentum transfer, consists of small, unobserved fragments. Preliminary computations of the contribution of one known collisional breakup, Solwind at 500 km in 1985, and Cosmos 1275 in 1981, assume no momentum transfer on breakup and indicate that these two events are the dominant contributors to the current millimeter and centimeter population. A different story would emerge if momentum transfer was taken into account. The topics covered include: (1) observation of on-orbit collisional breakups; (2) a model for momentum transfer; and (3) velocity space representation of breakup clouds.

Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.

PubMed

Molina, A; Laborda, E; González, J; Compton, R G

2013-05-21

Nuances of the linear diffusion layer approximation are examined for slow charge transfer reactions at (hemi)spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes. This approximation is widely employed in Electrochemistry to evaluate the extent of electrolyte solution perturbed by the electrode process, which is essential to the understanding of the effects arising from thin-layer diffusion, convergent diffusion, convection, coupled chemical reactions and the double layer. The concept was well established for fast charge transfer processes at macroelectrodes, but remains unclear under other conditions such that a thorough assessment of its meaning was necessary. In a previous publication [A. Molina, J. González, E. Laborda and R. G. Compton, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 2381-2388] we shed some light on the influence of the reversibility degree. In the present work, the meaning of the diffusion layer thickness is investigated when very small electrodes are employed and so the contribution of convergent diffusion to the mass transport is very important. An analytical expression is given to calculate the linear diffusion layer thickness at (hemi)spherical electrodes and its behaviour is studied for a wide range of conditions of reversibility (from reversible to fully-irreversible processes) and electrode size (from macro- to nano-electrodes). Rigorous analytical solutions are deduced for true concentration profiles, surface concentrations, linear diffusion layer thickness and current densities when a potential pulse is applied at (hemi)spherical electrodes. The expressions for the magnitudes mentioned above are valid for electrodes of any size (including (hemi)spherical nanoelectrodes) and for any degree of reversibility, provided that mass transport occurs exclusively via diffusion. The variation of the above with the electrode size, applied potential and charge transfer kinetics is studied.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Bubbling in a Viscous Fluid for Validation of Waste Glass Melter Modeling

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

Abboud, Alexander William; Guillen, Donna Post

2016-01-01

At the Hanford site, radioactive waste stored in underground tanks is slated for vitrification for final disposal. A comprehensive knowledge of the glass batch melting process will be useful in optimizing the process, which could potentially reduce the cost and duration of this multi-billion dollar cleanup effort. We are developing a high-fidelity heat transfer model of a Joule-heated ceramic lined melter to improve the understanding of the complex, inter-related processes occurring with the melter. The glass conversion rates in the cold cap layer are dependent on promoting efficient heat transfer. In practice, heat transfer is augmented by inserting air bubblersmore » into the molten glass. However, the computational simulations must be validated to provide confidence in the solutions. As part of a larger validation procedure, it is beneficial to split the physics of the melter into smaller systems to validate individually. The substitution of molten glass for a simulant liquid with similar density and viscosity at room temperature provides a way to study mixing through bubbling as an isolated effect without considering the heat transfer dynamics. The simulation results are compared to experimental data obtained by the Vitreous State Laboratory at the Catholic University of America using bubblers placed within a large acrylic tank that is similar in scale to a pilot glass waste melter. Comparisons are made for surface area of the rising air bubbles between experiments and CFD simulations for a variety of air flow rates and bubble injection depths. Also, computed bubble rise velocity is compared to a well-accepted expression for bubble terminal velocity.« less

Spectral Attenuation of Sound in Dilute Suspensions with Nonlinear Particle Relaxation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandula, Max

2008-01-01

Previous studies on the sound attenuation in particle-laden flows under Stokesian drag and conduction-controlled heat transfer have been extended to accommodate the nonlinear drag and heat transfer. It has been shown that for large particle-to-fluid density ratio, the particle Reynolds number bears a cubic relationship with (omega(tau))(sub d) (where omega is the circular frequency and (tau)(sub d) the Stokesian particle relaxation time). This dependence leads to the existence of a peak value in the linear absorption coefficient occurring at a finite value of(omega(tau))(sub d). Comparison of the predictions with the test data for the spectral attenuation of sound with water injection in a perfectly expanded supersonic air jet shows a satisfactory trend of the theory accounting for nonlinear particle relaxation processes.

Gene conversion as a mechanism for divergence of a chloroplast tRNA gene inserted in the mitochondrial genome of Brassica oleracea.

PubMed Central

Dron, M; Hartmann, C; Rode, A; Sevignac, M

1985-01-01

We have characterized a 1.7 kb sequence, containing a tRNA Leu2 gene shared by the ct and mt genomes of Brassica oleracea. The two sequences are completely homologous except in two short regions where two distinct gene conversion events have occurred between two sets of direct repeats leading to the insertion of 5 bp in the T loop of the mt copy of the ct gene. This is the first evidence that gene conversion represents the initial evolutionary step in inactivation of transferred ct genes in the mt genome. We also indicate that organelle DNA transfer by organelle fusion is an ongoing process which could be useful in genetic engineering. PMID:4080548

Conjugal Transfer of R-Plasmid R1drd-19 in Escherichia coli Below 22°C

PubMed Central

Singleton, Paul; Anson, Avril E.

1981-01-01

The conjugal transfer of R-plasmids is known to occur at temperatures above 22°C. We found that R1drd-19 is transferable below 22°C, and we discuss this finding in the context of plasmid transfer in environmental waters. PMID:7032420

Aromatic Side Chain Water-to-Lipid Transfer Free Energies Show a Depth Dependence across the Membrane Normal.

PubMed

McDonald, Sarah K; Fleming, Karen G

2016-06-29

Quantitating and understanding the physical forces responsible for the interactions of biomolecules are fundamental to the biological sciences. This is especially challenging for membrane proteins because they are embedded within cellular bilayers that provide a unique medium in which hydrophobic sequences must fold. Knowledge of the energetics of protein-lipid interactions is thus vital to understand cellular processes involving membrane proteins. Here we used a host-guest mutational strategy to calculate the Gibbs free energy changes of water-to-lipid transfer for the aromatic side chains Trp, Tyr, and Phe as a function of depth in the membrane. This work reveals an energetic gradient in the transfer free energies for Trp and Tyr, where transfer was most favorable to the membrane interfacial region and comparatively less favorable into the bilayer center. The transfer energetics follows the concentration gradient of polar atoms across the bilayer normal that naturally occurs in biological membranes. Additional measurements revealed nearest-neighbor coupling in the data set are influenced by a network of aromatic side chains in the host protein. Taken together, these results show that aromatic side chains contribute significantly to membrane protein stability through either aromatic-aromatic interactions or placement at the membrane interface.

Agency on the move: revisioning the route to social change.

PubMed

Frazier, Kathryn E

2013-09-01

Throughout the course of everyday life individuals enter into interactions in which an intricate relationship between agency and subordination can be observed: they sometimes act agentively and at other times-via discursive and/or interpersonal processes-their agency is reduced to objectness. Thus, theoretically we can think of constant dynamics of transfer of agency. It is argued that the transfer of agency between persons (or groups) is a fundamental quality of the societal discourses in which all persons are constituted. This transfer of agency occurs constantly throughout social interaction and at different levels of social functioning as individuals live and make meaning of their experiences. In light of this perspective, it is suggested that social change movements that aim to interrupt the transfer of agency and instead fix agency with one person (or one group of people) are inadequate. Rather, these movements can actually subvert their own agenda by producing problematic tensions in discourse and subjectivity. The self-defense movement, a component of the movement to end violence against women, is presented as a case study. The problematic and tension-filled positions and meanings the movement (re)produces for women are explored as an effect of denying any transfer of agency between women and men around issues of violence and gender oppression.

New thermal wave aspects on burn evaluation of skin subjected to instantaneous heating.

PubMed

Liu, J; Chen, X; Xu, L X

1999-04-01

Comparative studies on the well-known Pennes' equation and the newly developed thermal wave model of bioheat transfer (TWMBT) were performed to investigate the wave like behaviors of bioheat transfer occurred in thermal injury of biological bodies. The one-dimensional TWMBT in a finite medium was solved using separation of variables and the analytical solution showed distinctive wave behaviors of bioheat transfer in skin subjected to instantaneous heating. The finite difference method was used to simulate and study practical problems involved in burn injuries in which skin was stratified as three layers with various thermal physical properties. Deviations between the TWMBT and the traditional Pennes' equation imply that, for high flux heating with extremely short duration (i.e., flash fire), the TWMBT which accounts for finite thermal wave propagation may provide realistic predictions on burn evaluation. A general heat flux criterion has been established to determine when the thermal wave propagation dominates the principal heat transfer process and the TWMBT can be used for tissue temperature prediction and burn evaluation. A preliminary interpretation on the mechanisms of the wave like behaviors of heat transfer in living tissues was conducted. The application of thermal wave theory can also be possibly extended to other medical problems which involve instantaneous heating or cooling.

Extracellular bioreduction

DOEpatents

Chidambaram, Devicharan [Middle Island, NY; Francis, Arokiasamy J [Middle Island, NY

2012-04-17

A method for processing environmental or industrial samples to remove, reclaim or otherwise reduce the level of chemical species present in the sample that act as redox active species. The redox active species is kept in a waste chamber and is separated from an aqueous bacterial culture that is held in a culture chamber. The waste chamber and the culture chamber are separated by a porous membrane through which electron transfer can occur but through which the aqueous bacterial culture cannot pass. The redox active species substantially remains in the waste chamber and is in non-contact with the aqueous bacterial culture during the process of removal, reduction or reclamation.

A Short Note on the Derivation of the Atmospheric Transfer Function for a Communications Channel and its Connection to Associated Propagation Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, Robert M.

2004-01-01

The systems engineering description of a wideband communications channel is provided which is based upon the fundamental propagation aspects of the problem. In particular, the well known time variant description of a channel is formulated from the basic multiple scattering processes that occur in a random propagation medium. Such a connection is required if optimal processing methods are to be applied to mitigate the deleterious random fading and multipathing of the channel. An example is given which demonstrates how the effective bandwidth of the channel is diminished due to atmospheric propagation impairments.

A two-dimensional, finite-difference model of the oxidation of a uranium carbide fuel pellet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, James; Fairweather, Michael; Hanson, Bruce C.; Heggs, Peter J.

2015-12-01

The oxidation of spent uranium carbide fuel, a candidate fuel for Generation IV nuclear reactors, is an important process in its potential reprocessing cycle. However, the oxidation of uranium carbide in air is highly exothermic. A model has therefore been developed to predict the temperature rise, as well as other useful information such as reaction completion times, under different reaction conditions in order to help in deriving safe oxidation conditions. Finite difference-methods are used to model the heat and mass transfer processes occurring during the reaction in two dimensions and are coupled to kinetics found in the literature.

Minimizing microbial contamination of sperm samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Jill A.; Tiersch, Terrence R.; Green, Christopher C.

2011-01-01

Taken from the Methods section: With the collection and translocation of gametes from aquatic species, a potential hazard exists for microbial transfer. Contamination of semen can occur during collection, processing, storage, and transport. Some preventative measures are described below for limiting the spread and amplification of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, mycoplasmas, and parasites. Generally, sanitation during collection is essential. Materials and equipment used to freeze semen should be sterile. Following good practice guidelines for handling and processing samples collected for freezing is especially important for non-domestic animals where disease-free status cannot be guaranteed and unsophisticated technology is used (Russell et al. 1977).

Redox Modulation of Flavin and Tyrosine Determines Photoinduced Proton-coupled Electron Transfer and Photoactivation of BLUF Photoreceptors

PubMed Central

Mathes, Tilo; van Stokkum, Ivo H. M.; Stierl, Manuela; Kennis, John T. M.

2012-01-01

Photoinduced electron transfer in biological systems, especially in proteins, is a highly intriguing matter. Its mechanistic details cannot be addressed by structural data obtained by crystallography alone because this provides only static information on a given redox system. In combination with transient spectroscopy and site-directed manipulation of the protein, however, a dynamic molecular picture of the ET process may be obtained. In BLUF (blue light sensors using FAD) photoreceptors, proton-coupled electron transfer between a tyrosine and the flavin cofactor is the key reaction to switch from a dark-adapted to a light-adapted state, which corresponds to the biological signaling state. Particularly puzzling is the fact that, although the various naturally occurring BLUF domains show little difference in the amino acid composition of the flavin binding pocket, the reaction rates of the forward reaction differ quite largely from a few ps up to several hundred ps. In this study, we modified the redox potential of the flavin/tyrosine redox pair by site-directed mutagenesis close to the flavin C2 carbonyl and fluorination of the tyrosine, respectively. We provide information on how changes in the redox potential of either reaction partner significantly influence photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer. The altered redox potentials allowed us furthermore to experimentally describe an excited state charge transfer intermediately prior to electron transfer in the BLUF photocycle. Additionally, we show that the electron transfer rate directly correlates with the quantum yield of signaling state formation. PMID:22833672

Quantification of the heat exchange of chicken eggs.

PubMed

Van Brecht, A; Hens, H; Lemaire, J L; Aerts, J M; Degraeve, P; Berckmans, D

2005-03-01

In the incubation process of domestic avian eggs, the development of the embryo is mainly influenced by the physical microenvironment around the egg. Only small spatiotemporal deviations in the optimal incubator air temperature are allowed to optimize hatchability and hatchling quality. The temperature of the embryo depends on 3 factors: (1) the air temperature, (2) the exchange of heat between the egg and its microenvironment and (3) the time-variable heat production of the embryo. Theoretical estimates on the heat exchange between an egg and its physical microenvironment are approximated using equations that assume an approximate spherical shape for eggs. The objective of this research was to determine the heat transfer between the eggshell and its microenvironment and then compare this value to various theoretical estimates. By using experimental data, the overall and the convective heat transfer coefficients were determined as a function of heat production, air humidity, air speed, and air temperature. Heat transfer was not affected by air humidity but solely by air temperature, embryonic heat generation, and air speed and flow around eggs. Also, heat transfer in forced-air incubators occurs mainly by convective heat loss, which is dependent on the speed of airflow. A vertical airflow is more efficient than a horizontal airflow in transferring heat from the egg. We showed that describing an egg as a sphere underestimated convective heat transfer by 33% and was, therefore, too simplistic to accurately assess actual heat transfer from real eggs.

Regulation of amino acid transport across intestines of goldfish acclimatized to different environmental temperatures

PubMed Central

Mepham, T. B.; Smith, M. W.

1966-01-01

1. Serosal transfers of valine and threonine were measured using everted sacs of anterior intestine taken from goldfish acclimatized to different temperatures. 2. Both valine and threonine were actively transported at incubation temperatures equal to or greater than the previous environmental temperature of the fish. There was also a positive serosal transfer of valine, but not threonine, at incubation temperatures below the previous environmental temperature of the fish. 3. The mean stable transmural potentials and amino-acid-evoked potentials depended both on the temperature to which the fish had been acclimatized and on the temperature at which the sacs were incubated. 4. There was a linear relation between the transmural potential and the serosal transfer of amino acid, one additional μmole of valine or threonine being transferred/2 hr incubation period for each 3 mV rise in potential. There was a less obvious correlation between the amino-acid-evoked potential and on serosal transfer of amino acid. 5. Acclimatization of the goldfish intestine from 8 to 25° C, assessed by changes occurring in the transmural potential and serosal transfer of amino acids, tended to stabilize both parameters, but the compensation in each case was only partial. 6. It is possible that the imbalance in transfer of valine-like and threonine-like amino acids, seen at incubation temperatures below the previous acclimatization temperature of the fish, has a special function in initiating the process of acclimatization to the new environmental temperature. PMID:5972157

Study of the laser-induced forward transfer of liquids for laser bioprinting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duocastella, M.; Colina, M.; Fernández-Pradas, J. M.; Serra, P.; Morenza, J. L.

2007-07-01

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique that allows printing patterns of diverse materials with a high degree of spatial resolution. In conventional LIFT a small fraction of a solid thin film is vaporized by means of a laser pulse focused on the film through its transparent holder, and the resulting material recondenses on the receptor substrate. It has been recently shown that LIFT can also be used to transfer materials from liquid films. This widened its field of application to biosensors manufacturing, where small amounts of biomolecules-containing solutions have to be deposited with high precision on the sensing elements. However, there is still little knowledge on the physical processes and parameters determining the characteristics of the transfers. In this work, different parameters and their effects upon the transferred material were studied. It was found that the deposited material corresponds to liquid droplets which volume depends linearly on the laser pulse energy, and that a minimum threshold energy has to be overcome for transfer to occur. The liquid film thickness was varied and droplets as small as 10 μm in diameter were obtained. Finally, the effects of the variation of the film to substrate distance were also studied and it was found that there exists a wide range of distances where the morphology of the transferred droplets is independent of this parameter, what provides LIFT with a high degree of flexibility.

Relationship between femtosecond-picosecond dynamics to enzyme catalyzed H-transfer

PubMed Central

Cheatum, Christopher M.; Kohen, Amnon

2015-01-01

At physiological temperatures, enzymes exhibit a broad spectrum of conformations, which interchange via thermally activated dynamics. These conformations are sampled differently in different complexes of the protein and its ligands, and the dynamics of exchange between these conformers depends on the mass of the group that is moving and the length scale of the motion, as well as restrictions imposed by the globular fold of the enzymatic complex. Many of these motions have been examined and their role in the enzyme function illuminated, yet most experimental tools applied so far have identified dynamics at time scales of seconds to nanoseconds, which are much slower than the time scale for H-transfer between two heavy atoms. This chemical conversion and other processes involving cleavage of covalent bonds occur on picosecond to femtosecond time scales, where slower processes mask both the kinetics and dynamics. Here we present a combination of kinetic and spectroscopic methods that may enable closer examination of the relationship between enzymatic C-H→C transfer and the dynamics of the active site environment at the chemically relevant time scale. These methods include kinetic isotope effects and their temperature dependence, which are used to study the kinetic nature of the H-transfer, and 2D IR spectroscopy, which is used to study the dynamics of transition-state- and ground-state-analog complexes. The combination of these tools is likely to provide a new approach to examine the protein dynamics that directly influence the chemical conversion catalyzed by enzymes. PMID:23539379

Learning in context: identifying gaps in research on the transfer of medical communication skills to the clinical workplace.

PubMed

van den Eertwegh, Valerie; van Dulmen, Sandra; van Dalen, Jan; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2013-02-01

In order to reduce the inconsistencies of findings and the apparent low transfer of communication skills from training to medical practice, this narrative review identifies some main gaps in research on medical communication skills training and presents insights from theories on learning and transfer to broaden the view for future research. Relevant literature was identified using Pubmed, GoogleScholar, Cochrane database, and Web of Science; and analyzed using an iterative procedure. Research findings on the effectiveness of medical communication training still show inconsistencies and variability. Contemporary theories on learning based on a constructivist paradigm offer the following insights: acquisition of knowledge and skills should be viewed as an ongoing process of exchange between the learner and his environment, so called lifelong learning. This process can neither be atomized nor separated from the context in which it occurs. Four contemporary approaches are presented as examples. The following shift in focus for future research is proposed: beyond isolated single factor effectiveness studies toward constructivist, non-reductionistic studies integrating the context. Future research should investigate how constructivist approaches can be used in the medical context to increase effective learning and transition of communication skills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) versus excimer formation in supramolecular p/n-heterojunctions of perylene bisimide dyes and implications for organic photovoltaics.

PubMed

Nowak-Król, Agnieszka; Fimmel, Benjamin; Son, Minjung; Kim, Dongho; Würthner, Frank

2015-01-01

Foldamer systems comprised of two perylene bisimide (PBI) dyes attached to the conjugated backbones of 1,2-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene and phenylethynyl-bis(phenylene)indane, respectively, were synthesized and investigated with regard to their solvent-dependent properties. UV/Vis absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectra show that both foldamers exist predominantly in a folded H-aggregated state consisting of π-π-stacked PBIs in THF and in more random conformations with weaker excitonic coupling between the PBIs in chloroform. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy reveal entirely different relaxation pathways for the photoexcited molecules in the given solvents, i.e. photoinduced electron transfer leading to charge separated states for the open conformations (in chloroform) and relaxation into excimer states with red-shifted emission for the stacked conformations (in THF). Supported by redox data from cyclic voltammetry and Rehm-Weller analysis we could relate the processes occurring in these solution-phase model systems to the elementary processes in organic solar cells. Accordingly, only if relaxation pathways such as excimer formation are strictly avoided in molecular semiconductor materials, excitons may diffuse over larger distances to the heterojunction interface and produce photocurrent via the formation of electron/hole pairs by photoinduced electron transfer.

Characteristics of a gelled liquid hyprogen polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam open-cell insulation system, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A large scale gel production and storage facility and a small scale facility, the latter used for detailed visual examination of the gel/PPO foam interface, were developed. A subcontract was given to investigate techniques for the production of gelled liquid hydrogen, develop a process design for scale-up to a 1.89 cu m (500 gallon) gel production and storage facility, determine gel transfer characteristics, determine the solubility rate of gaseous helium in the gel, and investigate the gross gel/PPO foam interfacial phenomena. An inside-tank process for scaled-up production of gelled liquid hydrogen was selected. No detectable gel structure degradation occurred during repeated shearing. The viscosity of gelled liquid hydrogen at shear rates of 300/sec and higher is 2 to 5-fold greater than that of neat liquid hydrogen. No clogging problems were encountered during the transfer of gelled liquid hydrogen through warmed transfer lines. The solubility rate of helium in liquid hydrogen was significantly reduced by the presence of gel structure. The boil-off rates from gelled liquid hydrogen were reduced from 25 to 50 percent compared to those observed for the neat liquid hydrogen under compatible conditions. The polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam insulation was found to be compatible with liquid ethane.

Femtosecond excited state studies of the two-center three-electron bond driven twisted internal charge transfer dynamics in 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene.

PubMed

Balkowski, Grzegorz; Szemik-Hojniak, Anna; van Stokkum, Ivo H M; Zhang, Hong; Buma, Wybren J

2005-04-28

Femtosecond fluorescence upconversion and transient absorption experiments have been performed to monitor the photoinduced electronic, geometry, and solvent relaxation dynamics of 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene dissolved in methylcyclohexane or n-hexane, n-dodecane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile. The data have been analyzed by using a sequential global analysis method that gives rise to species associated difference spectra. The spectral features in these spectra and their dynamic behavior enable us to associate them with specific processes occurring in the molecule. The experiments show that the internal charge-transfer lpi* state is populated after internal conversion from the 1La state. In the lpi state the molecule is concluded to be subject to a large-amplitude motion, thereby confirming our previous predictions that internal charge transfer in this state is accompanied by the formation of a two-center three-electron bond between the two nitrogen atoms. Solvent relaxation and vibrational cooling in the lpi* state cannot be separated in polar solvents, but in apolar solvents a distinct vibrational cooling process in the lpi* state is discerned. The spectral and dynamic characteristics of the final species created in the experiments are shown to correspond well with what has been determined before for the relaxed emissive lpi state.

Probability of Two-Step Photoexcitation of Electron from Valence Band to Conduction Band through Doping Level in TiO2.

PubMed

Nishikawa, Masami; Shiroishi, Wataru; Honghao, Hou; Suizu, Hiroshi; Nagai, Hideyuki; Saito, Nobuo

2017-08-17

For an Ir-doped TiO 2 (Ir:TiO 2 ) photocatalyst, we examined the most dominant electron-transfer path for the visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance. The Ir:TiO 2 photocatalyst showed a much higher photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation than nondoped TiO 2 after grafting with the cocatalyst of Fe 3+ . For the Ir:TiO 2 photocatalyst, the two-step photoexcitation of an electron from the valence band to the conduction band through the Ir doping level occurred upon visible-light irradiation, as observed by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The two-step photoexcitation through the doping level was found to be a more stable process with a lower recombination rate of hole-electron pairs than the two-step photoexcitation process through an oxygen vacancy. Once electrons are photoexcited to the conduction band by the two-step excitation, the electrons can easily transfer to the surface because the conduction band is a continuous electron path, whereas the electrons photoexcited at only the doping level could not easily transfer to the surface because of the discontinuity of this path. The observed two-step photoexcitation from the valence band to the conduction band through the doping level significantly contributes to the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance.

Enhancing the Hardness of Sintered SS 17-4PH Using Nitriding Process for Bracket Orthodontic Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suharno, B.; Supriadi, S.; Ayuningtyas, S. T.; Widjaya, T.; Baek, E. R.

2018-01-01

Brackets orthodontic create teeth movement by applying force from wire to bracket then transferred to teeth. However, emergence of friction between brackets and wires reduces load for teeth movement towards desired area. In order to overcome these problem, surface treatment like nitriding chosen as a process which could escalate efficiency of transferred force by improving material hardness since hard materials have low friction levels. This work investigated nitriding treatment to form nitride layer which affecting hardness of sintered SS 17-4PH. The nitride layers produced after nitriding process at various temperature i.e. 470°C, 500°C, 530°C with 8hr holding time under 50% NH3 atmosphere. Optical metallography was conducted to compare microstructure of base and surface metal while the increasing of surface hardness then observed using vickers microhardness tester. Hardened surface layer was obtained after gaseous nitriding process because of nitride layer that contains Fe4N, CrN and Fe-αN formed. Hardness layers can achieved value 1051 HV associated with varies thickness from 53 to 119 μm. The presence of a precipitation process occurring in conjunction with nitriding process can lead to a decrease in hardness due to nitrogen content diminishing in solid solution phase. This problem causes weakening of nitrogen expansion in martensite lattice.

Exogenous attention facilitates location transfer of perceptual learning.

PubMed

Donovan, Ian; Szpiro, Sarit; Carrasco, Marisa

2015-01-01

Perceptual skills can be improved through practice on a perceptual task, even in adulthood. Visual perceptual learning is known to be mostly specific to the trained retinal location, which is considered as evidence of neural plasticity in retinotopic early visual cortex. Recent findings demonstrate that transfer of learning to untrained locations can occur under some specific training procedures. Here, we evaluated whether exogenous attention facilitates transfer of perceptual learning to untrained locations, both adjacent to the trained locations (Experiment 1) and distant from them (Experiment 2). The results reveal that attention facilitates transfer of perceptual learning to untrained locations in both experiments, and that this transfer occurs both within and across visual hemifields. These findings show that training with exogenous attention is a powerful regime that is able to overcome the major limitation of location specificity.

Exogenous attention facilitates location transfer of perceptual learning

PubMed Central

Donovan, Ian; Szpiro, Sarit; Carrasco, Marisa

2015-01-01

Perceptual skills can be improved through practice on a perceptual task, even in adulthood. Visual perceptual learning is known to be mostly specific to the trained retinal location, which is considered as evidence of neural plasticity in retinotopic early visual cortex. Recent findings demonstrate that transfer of learning to untrained locations can occur under some specific training procedures. Here, we evaluated whether exogenous attention facilitates transfer of perceptual learning to untrained locations, both adjacent to the trained locations (Experiment 1) and distant from them (Experiment 2). The results reveal that attention facilitates transfer of perceptual learning to untrained locations in both experiments, and that this transfer occurs both within and across visual hemifields. These findings show that training with exogenous attention is a powerful regime that is able to overcome the major limitation of location specificity. PMID:26426818

Characterizing Mobile/Less-Mobile Porosity and Solute Exchange in Dual-Domain Media Using Tracer Experiments and Electrical Measurements in a Hassler-Type Core Holder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falzone, S.; Slater, L. D.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Parker, B. L.; Keating, K.; Robinson, J.

2017-12-01

Mass transfer is the process by which solute is retained in less-mobile porosity domains, and later released into the mobile porosity domain. This process is often responsible for the slow arrival and gradual release of contaminants and solute tracers. Recent studies have outlined methods using dual-domain mass transfer (DDMT) models for characterizing this phenomenon. These models use the non-linear relationship of bulk (σb) and fluid (σf) conductivity, collected from electrical methods during tracer experiments, to characterize the less-mobile/mobile porosity ratio (β) and the mass-transfer rate coefficient (α). DDMT models use the hysteretic σb-σf relationship observed while solute tracers are injected and then flushed from a sample media. Due to limitations in observing the hysteretic σb-σf relationship, this method has not been used to characterize low permeability samples. We have developed an experimental method for testing porous rock cores that allows us to develop a fundamental understanding of contaminant storage and release in consolidated rock. We test the approach on cores from sedimentary rock sites where mass transfer is expected to occur between hydraulically connected fractures and the adjacent low permeability rock matrix. Our method uses a Hassler-type core holder, designed to apply confining pressure around the outside of a sample core, which hydraulically isolates the sample core, allowing water to be injected into it at increased pressures. The experimental apparatus was also designed to measure σb with spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements, and σf from a sampling port located at the center of the core. Cores were initially saturated with a solution with high electrical conductivity ( 80000 μS/cm). DI water was then injected into the cores at elevated pressures (>60 psi) and the saturating solution was flushed from the cores, in order to generate flow rates fast enough to capture the non-linear σb-σf relationship expected when DDMT occurs. Our initial results demonstrate the existence of a non-linear σb-σf relationship indicative of DDMT for a tight sandstone core from a contaminated fractured rock site. Integrating the electrical results with known physical characteristics of the cores, we are able to quantify the mass transfer characteristics of the cores.

Single-molecule electrocatalysis by single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Xu, Weilin; Shen, Hao; Kim, Yoon Ji; Zhou, Xiaochun; Liu, Guokun; Park, Jiwoong; Chen, Peng

2009-12-01

We report a single-molecule fluorescence study of electrocatalysis by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) at single-reaction resolution. Applying super-resolution optical imaging, we find that the electrocatalysis occurs at discrete, nanometer-dimension sites on SWNTs. Single-molecule kinetic analysis leads to an electrocatalytic mechanism, allowing quantification of the reactivity and heterogeneity of individual reactive sites. Combined with conductivity measurements, this approach will be powerful to interrogate how the electronic structure of SWNTs affects the electrocatalytic interfacial charge transfer, a process fundamental to photoelectrochemical cells.

DNA Uptake by Transformable Bacteria

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

Lacks, Sanford A.

1999-03-31

The various processes of DNA uptake by cells can be categorized as: viral DNA entry, conjugation, or transformation. Within each category, a variety of mechanisms have been found. However, considerable similarities occur among the different mechanisms of conjugation and, especially, transformation. All of these natural mechanisms of DNA transfer are quite elaborate and involve multiple protein components, as the case may be, of the virus, the donor cell, and the recipient cell. The mechanisms of viral infection and conjugation will be discussed mainly with respect to their relevance to transformation.

DNA UPTAKE BY TRANSFORMABLE BACTERIA

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

LACKS,S.A.

1999-09-07

The various processes of DNA uptake by cells can be categorized as: viral DNA entry, conjugation, or transformation. Within each category, a variety of mechanisms have been found. However, considerable similarities occur among the different mechanisms of conjugation and, especially, transformation. All of these natural mechanisms of DNA transfer are quite elaborate and involve multiple protein components, as the case may be, of the virus, the donor cell, and the recipient cell. The mechanisms of viral infection and conjugation will be discussed mainly with respect to their relevance to transformation.

pH-dependent reduction potentials and proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms in hydrogen-producing nickel molecular electrocatalysts.

PubMed

Horvath, Samantha; Fernandez, Laura E; Appel, Aaron M; Hammes-Schiffer, Sharon

2013-04-01

The nickel-based P2(Ph)N2(Bn) electrocatalysts comprised of a nickel atom and two 1,5-dibenzyl-3,7-diphenyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane ligands catalyze H2 production in acetonitrile. Recent electrochemical experiments revealed a linear dependence of the Ni(II/I) reduction potential on pH with a slope of 57 mV/pH unit, implicating a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process with the same number of electrons and protons transferred. The combined theoretical and experimental studies herein provide an explanation for this pH dependence in the context of the overall proposed catalytic mechanism. In the proposed mechanisms, the catalytic cycle begins with a series of intermolecular proton transfers from an acid to the pendant amine ligand and electrochemical electron transfers to the nickel center to produce the doubly protonated Ni(0) species, a precursor to H2 evolution. The calculated Ni(II/I) reduction potentials of the doubly protonated species are in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed reduction potential in the presence of strong acid, suggesting that the catalytically active species leading to the peak observed in these cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments is doubly protonated. The Ni(I/0) reduction potential was found to be slightly more positive than the Ni(II/I) reduction potential, indicating that the Ni(I/0) reduction occurs spontaneously after the Ni(II/I) reduction, as implied by the experimental observation of a single CV peak. These results suggest that the PCET process observed in the CV experiments is a two-electron/two-proton process corresponding to an initial double protonation followed by two reductions. On the basis of the experimental and theoretical data, the complete thermodynamic scheme and the Pourbaix diagram were generated for this catalyst. The Pourbaix diagram, which identifies the most thermodynamically stable species at each reduction potential and pH value, illustrates that this catalyst undergoes different types of PCET processes for various pH ranges. These thermodynamic insights will aid in the design of more effective molecular catalysts for H2 production.

Energy and Electron Transfer in Enhanced Two-Photon-Absorbing Systems with Triplet Cores

PubMed Central

Finikova, Olga S.; Troxler, Thomas; Senes, Alessandro; DeGrado, William F.; Hochstrasser, Robin M.; Vinogradov, Sergei A.

2008-01-01

Enhanced two-photon-absorbing (2PA) systems with triplet cores are currently under scrutiny for several biomedical applications, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and two-photon microscopy of oxygen. The performance of so far developed molecules, however, is substantially below expected. In this study we take a detailed look at the processes occurring in these systems and propose ways to improve their performance. We focus on the interchromophore distance tuning as a means for optimization of two-photon sensors for oxygen. In these constructs, energy transfer from several 2PA chromophores is used to enhance the effective 2PA cross section of phosphorescent metalloporphyrins. Previous studies have indicated that intramolecular electron transfer (ET) can act as an effective quencher of phosphorescence, decreasing the overall sensor efficiency. We studied the interplay between 2PA, energy transfer, electron transfer, and phosphorescence emission using Rhodamine B-Pt tetrabenzoporphyrin (RhB-PtTBP) adducts as model compounds. 2PA cross sections (σ2) of tetrabenzoporphyrins (TBPs) are in the range of several tens of GM units (near 800 nm), making TBPs superior 2PA chromophores compared to regular porphyrins (σ2 values typically 1-2 GM). Relatively large 2PA cross sections of rhodamines (about 200 GM in 800-850 nm range) and their high photostabilities make them good candidates as 2PA antennae. Fluorescence of Rhodamine B (λfl = 590 nm, ϕfl = 0.5 in EtOH) overlaps with the Q-band of phosphorescent PtTBP (λabs = 615 nm, ϵ = 98 000 M-1 cm-1, ϕp ∼ 0.1), suggesting that a significant amplification of the 2PA-induced phosphorescence via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) might occur. However, most of the excitation energy in RhB-PtTBP assemblies is consumed in several intramolecular ET processes. By installing rigid nonconducting decaproline spacers (Pro10) between RhB and PtTBP, the intramolecular ETs were suppressed, while the chromophores were kept within the Förster r0 distance in order to maintain high FRET efficiency. The resulting assemblies exhibit linear amplification of their 2PA-induced phosphorescence upon increase in the number of 2PA antenna chromophores and show high oxygen sensitivity. We also have found that PtTBPs possess unexpectedly strong forbidden S0 → T1 bands (λmax = 762 nm, ϵ = 120 M-1 cm-1). The latter may overlap with the laser spectrum and lead to unwanted linear excitation. PMID:17608457

In-situ analysis of the slip activity during tensile deformation of cast and extruded Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr (wt.%) at 250 °C

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

Wang, H.; The State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824

The slip activity and slip interaction in tensile deformation of peak-aged cast and extruded Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.5Zr (wt.%) at 250 °C was investigated using in-situ scanning electron microscopy. Basal slip was the most likely system to be activated during the tensile deformation, while prismatic < a > and pyramidal < c + a > slip also contributed to the deformation. No twinning was observed. The number of non-basal slip systems accounted for ~ 36% of the total active slip systems for the cast alloy, while non-basal slip accounted for 12–17% of the total deformation observations in the extruded alloy. Multiple-slip was observedmore » within grains, and the basal/prismatic pairing type dominated the multiple-slip observations. Slip transfer occurred across grain boundaries and most of the slip transfer observations showed basal-basal type. The involved slip systems of slip transfer pairs were always associated with the same < a > direction. The slip transfer occurred more easily at low angle boundaries (LABs) and boundaries with misorientations greater than 75°. - Highlights: • Slip deformation of a Mg-RE alloy at 250 °C was investigated using in-situ SEM. • The extruded-T5 GW103 alloy did not exhibit a high anisotropic behavior. • Multiple-slip was observed within grains, and basal/prismatic type dominated. • Slip transfer occurred and most of the observations showed basal-basal type. • Slip transfer occurred more easily at LABs and boundaries with misorientations > 75°.« less

Energy transfer dynamics in trimers and aggregates of light-harvesting complex II probed by 2D electronic spectroscopy

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

Enriquez, Miriam M.; Zhang, Cheng; Tan, Howe-Siang, E-mail: howesiang@ntu.edu.sg

2015-06-07

The pathways and dynamics of excitation energy transfer between the chlorophyll (Chl) domains in solubilized trimeric and aggregated light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) are examined using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). The LHCII trimers and aggregates exhibit the unquenched and quenched excitonic states of Chl a, respectively. 2DES allows direct correlation of excitation and emission energies of coupled states over population time delays, hence enabling mapping of the energy flow between Chls. By the excitation of the entire Chl b Q{sub y} band, energy transfer from Chl b to Chl a states is monitored in the LHCII trimers and aggregates. Global analysismore » of the two-dimensional (2D) spectra reveals that energy transfer from Chl b to Chl a occurs on fast and slow time scales of 240–270 fs and 2.8 ps for both forms of LHCII. 2D decay-associated spectra resulting from the global analysis identify the correlation between Chl states involved in the energy transfer and decay at a given lifetime. The contribution of singlet–singlet annihilation on the kinetics of Chl energy transfer and decay is also modelled and discussed. The results show a marked change in the energy transfer kinetics in the time range of a few picoseconds. Owing to slow energy equilibration processes, long-lived intermediate Chl a states are present in solubilized trimers, while in aggregates, the population decay of these excited states is significantly accelerated, suggesting that, overall, the energy transfer within the LHCII complexes is faster in the aggregated state.« less

In situ solid-state electrochemistry of mass-selected ions at well-defined electrode–electrolyte interfaces

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

Prabhakaran, Venkateshkumar; Johnson, Grant E.; Wang, Bingbing

2016-11-07

Molecular-level understanding of electrochemical processes occurring at electrode-electrolyte interfaces (EEI) is key to the rational development of high-performance and sustainable electrochemical technologies. This article reports the development and first application of solid-state in situ electrochemical probes to study redox and catalytic processes occurring at well-defined EEI generated using soft-landing of mass- and charge-selected cluster ions (SL). In situ electrochemical probes with excellent mass transfer properties are fabricated using carefully-designed nanoporous ionic liquid membranes. SL enables deposition of pure active species that are not obtainable with other techniques onto electrode surfaces with precise control over charge state, composition, and kinetic energy.more » SL is, therefore, a unique tool for studying fundamental processes occurring at EEI. For the first time using an aprotic electrochemical probe, the effect of charge state (PMo12O403-/2-) and the contribution of building blocks of Keggin polyoxometalate (POM) clusters to redox processes are characterized by populating EEI with novel POM anions generated by electrospray ionization and gas phase dissociation. Additionally, a proton conducting electrochemical probe has been developed to characterize the reactive electrochemistry (oxygen reduction activity) of bare Pt clusters (Pt40 ~1 nm diameter), thus demonstrating the capability of the probe for studying reactions in controlled gaseous environments. The newly developed in situ electrochemical probes combined with ion SL provide a versatile method to characterize the EEI in solid-state redox systems and reactive electrochemistry at precisely-defined conditions. This capability will advance molecular-level understanding of processes occurring at EEI that are critical to many energy-related technologies.« less

Bilingualism and Phonological Awareness: Re-examining Theories of Cross-Language Transfer and Structural Sensitivity

PubMed Central

Kuo, Li-Jen; Uchikoshi, Yuuko; Kim, Tae-Jin; Yang, Xinyuan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bilingualism and phonological awareness by re-evaluating structural sensitivity theory and expanding cross-language transfer theory. The study was conducted with three groups of 1st and 2nd graders matched in age, SES and non-verbal IQ: a) monolingual English-speaking children from a general education program, b) native Japanese-speaking children from a Japanese-English two-way immersion bilingual program and c) native English-speaking children from the same bilingual program. An odd-man-out task that took into account the phonological and orthographical contrasts between English and Japanese was developed to assess onset awareness. The results showed that the bilingual children outperformed their monolingual peers in processing onsets that are shared between the two languages, which provided empirical support for the first hypothesis derived from structural sensitivity theory and highlighted the importance of contextual variability in bilingual metalinguistic processing. The second hypothesis derived from structural sensitivity theory, which predicated that bilingual advantage would be more evident in processing novel stimuli, was not confirmed in the present study. The absence of the predicted group difference may be attributed to the disparity in the extent of novelty of the stimuli and the difference in the comparability of participants’ degrees of bilingualism between the present study and previous research. Finally, expanding existing research, results from this study showed that cross-language transfer can occur at a phonetic featural level. Future research and theoretical implications were discussed. PMID:28025589

Defining the origins of electron transfer at screen-printed graphene-like and graphite electrodes: MoO2 nanowire fabrication on edge plane sites reveals electrochemical insights.

PubMed

Rowley-Neale, Samuel J; Brownson, Dale A C; Banks, Craig E

2016-08-18

Molybdenum (di)oxide (MoO2) nanowires are fabricated onto graphene-like and graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) for the first time, revealing crucial insights into the electrochemical properties of carbon/graphitic based materials. Distinctive patterns observed in the electrochemical process of nanowire decoration show that electron transfer occurs predominantly on edge plane sites when utilising SPEs fabricated/comprised of graphitic materials. Nanowire fabrication along the edge plane sites (and on edge plane like-sites/defects) of graphene/graphite is confirmed with Cyclic Voltammetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Raman Spectroscopy. Comparison of the heterogeneous electron transfer (HET) rate constants (k°) at unmodified and nanowire coated SPEs show a reduction in the electrochemical reactivity of SPEs when the edge plane sites are effectively blocked/coated with MoO2. Throughout the process, the basal plane sites of the graphene/graphite electrodes remain relatively uncovered; except when the available edge plane sites have been utilised, in which case MoO2 deposition grows from the edge sites covering the entire surface of the electrode. This work clearly illustrates the distinct electron transfer properties of edge and basal plane sites on graphitic materials, indicating favourable electrochemical reactivity at the edge planes in contrast to limited reactivity at the basal plane sites. In addition to providing fundamental insights into the electron transfer properties of graphite and graphene-like SPEs, the reported simple, scalable, and cost effective formation of unique and intriguing MoO2 nanowires realised herein is of significant interest for use in both academic and commercial applications.

A New Model for Simulating Gas Metal Arc Welding based on Phase Field Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yongyue; Li, Li; Zhao, Zhijiang

2017-11-01

Lots of physical process, such as metal melting, multiphase fluids flow, heat and mass transfer and thermocapillary effect (Marangoni) and so on, will occur in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) which should be considered as a mixture system. In this paper, based on the previous work, we propose a new model to simulate GMAW including Navier-Stokes equation, the phase field model and energy equation. Unlike most previous work, we take the thermocapillary effect into the phase field model considering mixture energy which is different of volume of fluid method (VOF) widely used in GMAW before. We also consider gravity, electromagnetic force, surface tension, buoyancy effect and arc pressure in momentum equation. The spray transfer especially the projected transfer in GMAW is computed as numerical examples with a continuous finite element method and a modified midpoint scheme. Pulse current is set as welding current as the numerical example to show the numerical simulation of metal transfer which fits the theory of GMAW well. From the result compared with the data of high-speed photography and VOF model, the accuracy and stability of the model and scheme are easily validated and also the new model has the higher precieion.

Cryogenic two-phase flow during chilldown: Flow transition and nucleate boiling heat transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Jelliffe Kevin

The recent interest in space exploration has placed a renewed focus on rocket propulsion technology. Cryogenic propellants are the preferred fuel for rocket propulsion since they are more energetic and environmentally friendly compared with other storable fuels. Voracious evaporation occurs while transferring these fluids through a pipeline that is initially in thermal equilibrium with the environment. This phenomenon is referred to as line chilldown. Large temperature differences, rapid transients, pressure fluctuations and the transition from the film boiling to the nucleate boiling regime characterize the chilldown process. Although the existence of the chilldown phenomenon has been known for decades, the process is not well understood. Attempts have been made to model the chilldown process; however the results have been fair at best. A major shortcoming of these models is the use of correlations that were developed for steady, non-cryogenic flows. The development of reliable correlations for cryogenic chilldown has been hindered by the lack of experimental data. An experimental facility was constructed that allows the flow structure, the temperature history and the pressure history to be recorded during the line chilldown process. The temperature history is then utilized in conjunction with an inverse heat conduction procedure that was developed, which allows the unsteady heat transfer coefficient on the interior of the pipe wall to be extracted. This database is used to evaluate present predictive models and correlations for flow regime transition and nucleate boiling heat transfer. It is found that by calibrating the transition between the stratified-wavy and the intermittent/annular regimes of the Taitel and Dukler flow regime map, satisfactory predictions are obtained. It is also found that by utilizing a simple model that includes the effect of flow structure and incorporating the enhancement provided by the local heat flux, significant improvement in the predictive capabilities of the Muller-Steinhagen and Jamialahmadi correlation for nucleate flow boiling is achieved.

Folding of the natural hammerhead ribozyme is enhanced by interaction of auxiliary elements

PubMed Central

PENEDO, J. CARLOS; WILSON, TIMOTHY J.; JAYASENA, SUMEDHA D.; KHVOROVA, ANASTASIA; LILLEY, DAVID M.J.

2004-01-01

It has been shown that the activity of the hammerhead ribozyme at μM magnesium ion concentrations is markedly increased by the inclusion of loops in helices I and II. We have studied the effect of such loops on the magnesium ion-induced folding of the ribozyme, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer. We find that with the loops in place, folding into the active conformation occurs in a single step, in the μM range of magnesium ion concentration. Disruption of the loop–loop interaction leads to a reversion to two-step folding, with the second stage requiring mM concentrations of magnesium ion. Sodium ions also promote the folding of the natural form of the ribozyme at high concentrations, but the folding occurs as a two-stage process. The loops clearly act as important auxiliary elements in the function of the ribozyme, permitting folding to occur efficiently under physiological conditions. PMID:15100442

Ionization-Enhanced Decomposition of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Molecules

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

Wang, Bin; Wright, David; Cliffel, David

2011-01-01

The unimolecular decomposition reaction of TNT can in principle be used to design ways to either detect or remove TNT from the environment. Here, we report the results of a density functional theory study of possible ways to lower the reaction barrier for this decomposition process by ionization, so that decomposition and/or detection can occur at room temperature. We find that ionizing TNT lowers the reaction barrier for the initial step of this decomposition. We further show that a similar effect can occur if a positive moiety is bound to the TNT molecule. The positive charge produces a pronounced electronmore » redistribution and dipole formation in TNT with minimal charge transfer from TNT to the positive moiety.« less

Transfer of molybdenum disulfide to various metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barton, G. C.; Pepper, S. V.

1977-01-01

Sliding friction experiments were conducted with molybdenum disulfide single crystals in contact with sputter cleaned surfaces of copper, nickel, gold, and 304 stainless steel. Transfer of the molybdenum disulfide to the metals was monitored with Auger electron spectroscopy. Results of the investigation indicate molybdenum disulfide transfers to all clean metal surfaces after a single pass over the metal surface with film thickness observed to increase with repeated passes over the same surfaces. Large particle transfer occurs when the orientation of the crystallites is other than basal. This is frequently accompanied by abrasion of the metal. Adhesion of molybdenum disulfide films occurred readily to copper and nickel, less readily to 304 stainless steel, and even less effectively to the gold, which indicates a chemical effect.

Plume effects on the flow around a blunted cone at hypersonic speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atcliffe, P.; Kumar, D.; Stollery, J. L.

1992-01-01

Tests at M = 8.2 show that a simulated rocket plume at the base of a blunted cone can cause large areas of separated flow, with dramatic effects on the heat transfer rate distribution. The plume was simulated by solid discs of varying sizes or by an annular jet of gas. Flow over the cone without a plume is fully laminar and attached. Using a large disc, the boundary layer is laminar at separation at the test Reynolds number. Transition occurs along the separated shear layer and the boundary layer quickly becomes turbulent. The reduction in heat transfer associated with a laminar separated region is followed by rising values as transition occurs and the heat transfer rates towards the rear of the cone substantially exceed the values obtained without a plume. With the annular jet or a small disc, separation occurs much further aft, so that heat transfer rates at the front of the cone are comparable with those found without a plume. Downstream of separation the shear layer now remains laminar and the heat transfer rates to the surface are significantly lower than the attached flow values.

Charge transfer process at the Ag/MPH/TiO2 interface by SERS: alignment of the Fermi level.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaolei; Sui, Huimin; Wang, Xiaolei; Su, Hongyang; Cheng, Weina; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing

2016-11-02

A nanoscale metal-molecule-semiconductor assembly (Ag/4-mercaptophenol/TiO 2 ) has been fabricated over Au nanoparticle (NP) films as a model to study the interfacial charge transfer (CT) effects involved in Ag/MPH/TiO 2 . Due to the interaction between Au NPs and Ag NPs, some distinct differences occur in the SERS spectra. We also measured the SERS of Ag/MPH (4-mercaptophenol), Ag/MPH/TiO 2 , and Au/Ag/MPH/TiO 2 assemblies at excitation wavelengths of 477, 514, 532, 633, and 785 nm. We found that the changes in the CT process, caused by the introduction of TiO 2 and Au, can be reflected in SERS. Then in combination with other detection methods, we proposed a possible CT process involved in the Ag/MPH, Ag/MPH/TiO 2 , and Au/Ag/MPH/TiO 2 assemblies. A Pt/Ag/MPH/TiO 2 assembly was also constructed to verify our proposed CT mechanism. This work not only provides more details about CT between metal-molecule-semiconductor interfaces but also aids in constructing nanoscale models to study interfacial problems with the SERS technique.

Diffusion, decolonializing, and participatory action research.

PubMed

Woodward, William R; Hetley, Richard S

2007-03-01

Miki Takasuna describes knowledge transfer between elite communities of scientists, a process by which ideas become structurally transformed in the host culture. By contrast, a process that we have termed knowledge transfer by deelitization occurs when (a) participatory action researchers work with a community to identify a problem involving oppression or exploitation. Then (b) community members suggest solutions and acquire the tools of analysis and action to pursue social actions. (c) Disadvantaged persons thereby become more aware of their own abilities and resources, and persons with special expertise become more effective. (d) Rather than detachment and value neutrality, this joint process involves advocacy and structural transformation. In the examples of participatory action research documented here, Third World social scientists collaborated with indigenous populations to solve problems of literacy, community-building, land ownership, and political voice. Western social scientists, inspired by these non-Western scientists, then joined in promoting PAR both in the Third World and in Europe and the Americas, e.g., adapting it for solving problems of people with disabilities or disenfranchised women. Emancipatory goals such as these may even help North American psychologists to break free of some methodological chains and to bring about social and political change.

Detection of oxygen isotopic anomaly in terrestrial atmospheric carbonates and its implications to Mars.

PubMed

Shaheen, R; Abramian, A; Horn, J; Dominguez, G; Sullivan, R; Thiemens, Mark H

2010-11-23

The debate of life on Mars centers around the source of the globular, micrometer-sized mineral carbonates in the ALH84001 meteorite; consequently, the identification of Martian processes that form carbonates is critical. This paper reports a previously undescribed carbonate formation process that occurs on Earth and, likely, on Mars. We identified micrometer-sized carbonates in terrestrial aerosols that possess excess (17)O (0.4-3.9‰). The unique O-isotopic composition mechanistically describes the atmospheric heterogeneous chemical reaction on aerosol surfaces. Concomitant laboratory experiments define the transfer of ozone isotopic anomaly to carbonates via hydrogen peroxide formation when O(3) reacts with surface adsorbed water. This previously unidentified chemical reaction scenario provides an explanation for production of the isotopically anomalous carbonates found in the SNC (shergottites, nakhlaites, chassignites) Martian meteorites and terrestrial atmospheric carbonates. The anomalous hydrogen peroxide formed on the aerosol surfaces may transfer its O-isotopic signature to the water reservoir, thus producing mass independently fractionated secondary mineral evaporites. The formation of peroxide via heterogeneous chemistry on aerosol surfaces also reveals a previously undescribed oxidative process of utility in understanding ozone and oxygen chemistry, both on Mars and Earth.

Photofragment Coincidence Imaging of Small I- (H2O)n Clusters Excited to the Charge-transfer-to-solvent State

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

Neumark, D. E. Szpunar, K. E. Kautzman, A. E. Faulhaber, and D. M.; Kautzman, K.E.; Faulhaber, A.E.

2005-11-09

The photodissociation dynamics of small I{sup -}(H{sub 2}O){sub n} (n = 2-5) clusters excited to their charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) states have been studied using photofragment coincidence imaging. Upon excitation to the CTTS state, two photodissociation channels were observed. The major channel ({approx}90%) is a 2-body process forming neutral I + (H{sub 2}O){sub n} photofragments, and the minor channel is a 3-body process forming I + (H{sub 2}O){sub n-1} + H{sub 2}O fragments. Both process display translational energy (P(E{sub T})) distributions peaking at E{sub T} = 0 with little available energy partitioned into translation. Clusters excited to the detachment continuum rather thanmore » to the CTTS state display the same two channels with similar P(E{sub T}) distributions. The observation of similar P(E{sub T}) distributions from the two sets of experiments suggests that in the CTTS experiments, I atom loss occurs after autodetachment of the excited (I(H{sub 2}O){sub n}{sup -})* cluster, or, less probably, that the presence of the excess electron has little effect on the departing I atom.« less

Detection of oxygen isotopic anomaly in terrestrial atmospheric carbonates and its implications to Mars

PubMed Central

Shaheen, R.; Abramian, A.; Horn, J.; Dominguez, G.; Sullivan, R.; Thiemens, Mark H.

2010-01-01

The debate of life on Mars centers around the source of the globular, micrometer-sized mineral carbonates in the ALH84001 meteorite; consequently, the identification of Martian processes that form carbonates is critical. This paper reports a previously undescribed carbonate formation process that occurs on Earth and, likely, on Mars. We identified micrometer-sized carbonates in terrestrial aerosols that possess excess 17O (0.4–3.9‰). The unique O-isotopic composition mechanistically describes the atmospheric heterogeneous chemical reaction on aerosol surfaces. Concomitant laboratory experiments define the transfer of ozone isotopic anomaly to carbonates via hydrogen peroxide formation when O3 reacts with surface adsorbed water. This previously unidentified chemical reaction scenario provides an explanation for production of the isotopically anomalous carbonates found in the SNC (shergottites, nakhlaites, chassignites) Martian meteorites and terrestrial atmospheric carbonates. The anomalous hydrogen peroxide formed on the aerosol surfaces may transfer its O-isotopic signature to the water reservoir, thus producing mass independently fractionated secondary mineral evaporites. The formation of peroxide via heterogeneous chemistry on aerosol surfaces also reveals a previously undescribed oxidative process of utility in understanding ozone and oxygen chemistry, both on Mars and Earth. PMID:21059939

Photoluminescence properties of Mn2+/Yb3+ co-doped oxyfluoride glasses for solar cells application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Ying; Chen, Zeng; Jia, Xiyang; Li, Shengjun

2018-01-01

Mn2+/Yb3+ co-doped oxyfluoride glasses were facilely synthesized in the SiO2-Al2O3-Na2O-CaF2 system. Partial crystallization processed during the preparation of the glasses, by which small amounts of CaF2 nano-crystals were formed. Under ultraviolet and blue (370-500 nm) light excitation, an efficient down-conversion involving the emission of near-infrared is realized in the Mn2+/Yb3+ co-doped oxyfluoride glasses. The near-infrared emission peaks mainly at 976 nm and secondarily at 1020 nm, which is a comfortable match with the band gap of c-Si. The variation in visible and near-infrared spectra and the decay curves of Mn2+:4T1 → 6A1 emission have been investigated to verify the possible energy transfer from Mn2+ ions to Yb3+ ions. On analyzing the energy transfer processes theoretically and experimentally, we propose that quantum cutting and down-shifting processes may occur simultaneously in the samples. We suggest that the Mn2+-Yb3+ co-doped materials can provide a novel direction to realize UV-Vis to NIR down-conversion for Si solar cells.

Energy transfer and radiative recombination processes in (Gd, Lu)3Ga3Al2O12:Pr3+ scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuntao; Ren, Guohao

2013-10-01

(GdxLu3-x)Ga3Al2O12:0.3 at.%Pr (x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) (GLGAG:Pr) polycrystalline powders are prepared by solid-state reaction method. To better understand the luminescence mechanism, the optical diffuse reflectance, photoluminescence emission and excitation, X-ray excited luminescence spectra and decay kinetics of GLGAG:Pr were investigated in detailed, allowing the determination of energy transfer from 5d state of Pr3+ to 4f state of Gd3+, and the non-radiative relaxation from 5d to 4f state of Pr3+. Besides, the former process plays more negative role in the emission quenching of GLGAG:Pr than later one. Pr3+ ion is regarded as an ineffective activation ion in Gd-based multicomponent aluminate garnets. In addition, the wavelength-resolved thermoluminescence spectra of GLGAG:Pr were studied after UV and X-ray irradiation. It is revealed that the localized recombination processes from electron traps to lower lying 4f levels of Pr3+ occurs without populating the higher 5d levels of Pr3+.

The Effects of L2 Reading Skills on L1 Reading Skills through Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altmisdort, Gonca

2016-01-01

This study investigated whether transfer from L2 to L1 in reading occurs, and if so, which reading sub-skills are transferred into L1 reading. The aim is to identify the role of second language reading skills in L1 reading skills by means of transfer. In addition, the positive effects of the second language transfer to the first language in the…

Right ventricular beneficial effects of beta adrenergic receptor kinase inhibitor (betaARKct) gene transfer in a rat model of severe pressure overload.

PubMed

Molina, Ezequiel J; Gupta, Dipin; Palma, Jon; Gaughan, John P; Macha, Mahender

2009-06-01

Heart failure is associated with abnormalities in betaAR cascade regulation, calcium cycling, expression of inflammatory mediators and apoptosis. Adenoviral mediated gene transfer of betaARKct has beneficial indirect effects on these pathologic processes upon the left ventricular myocardium. The concomitant biochemical changes that occur in the right ventricle have not been well characterized. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent aortic banding and were followed by echocardiography. After a decrease in fractional shortening of 25% from baseline, intracoronary injection of adenoviral-betaARKct (n=14) or adenoviral-beta-galactosidase (control, n=13) was performed. Rats were randomly euthanized on post-operative day 7, 14 or 21. Protein analysis including RV myocardial levels of betaARKct, betaARK1, SERCA(2a), inflammatory tissue mediators (IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha), apoptotic markers (bax and bak), and MAP kinases (jnk, p38 and erk) was performed. ANOVA was employed for group comparison. Adenoviral-betaARKct treated animals showed increased expression of betaARKct and decreased levels of betaARK1 compared with controls. This treatment group also demonstrated normalization of SERCA(2a) expression and decreased levels of the inflammatory markers IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. The pro-apoptotic markers bax and bak were similarly improved. Ventricular levels of the MAP kinase jnk were increased. Differences were most significant 7 days after gene transfer, but the majority of these changes persisted at 21 days. These results suggest that attenuation of the pathologic mechanisms of beta adrenergic receptor desensitization, SERCA(2a) expression, inflammation and apoptosis, not only occur in the left ventricle but also in the right ventricular myocardium after intracoronary gene transfer of betaARKct during heart failure.

Insight into multi-site mechanisms of glycosyl transfer in (1-->4)beta-D-glycans provided by the cereal mixed-linkage (1-->3),(1-->4)beta-D-glucan synthase.

PubMed

Buckeridge, M S; Vergara, C E; Carpita, N C

2001-08-01

Synthases of cellulose, chitin, hyaluronan, and all other polymers containing (1-->4)beta-linked glucosyl, mannosyl and xylosyl units have overcome a substrate orientation problem in catalysis because the (1-->4)beta-linkage requires that each of these sugar units be inverted nearly 180 degrees with respect to its neighbors. We and others have proposed that this problem is solved by two modes of glycosyl transfer within a single catalytic subunit to generate disaccharide units, which, when linked processively, maintain the proper orientation without rotation or re-orientation of the synthetic machinery in 3-dimensional space. A variant of the strict (1-->4)beta-D-linkage structure is the mixed-linkage (1-->3),(1-->4)beta-D-glucan, a growth-specific cell wall polysaccharide found in grasses and cereals. beta-Glucan is composed primarily of cellotriosyl and cellotetraosyl units linked by single (1-->3)beta-D-linkages. In reactions in vitro at high substrate concentration, a polymer composed of almost entirely cellotriosyl and cellopentosyl units is made. These results support a model in which three modes of glycosyl transfer occur within the synthase complex instead of just two. The generation of odd numbered units demands that they are connected by (1-->3)beta-linkages and not (1-->4)beta-. In this short review of beta-glucan synthesis in maize, we show how such a model not only provides simple mechanisms of synthesis for all (1-->4)beta-D-glycans but also explains how the synthesis of callose, or strictly (1-->3)beta-D-glucans, occurs upon loss of the multiple modes of glycosyl transfer to a single one.

Describing long-range charge-separation processes with subsystem density-functional theory

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

Solovyeva, Alisa; Neugebauer, Johannes, E-mail: j.neugebauer@uni-muenster.de; Pavanello, Michele, E-mail: m.pavanello@rutgers.edu

2014-04-28

Long-range charge-transfer processes in extended systems are difficult to describe with quantum chemical methods. In particular, cost-effective (non-hybrid) approximations within time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are not applicable unless special precautions are taken. Here, we show that the efficient subsystem DFT can be employed as a constrained DFT variant to describe the energetics of long-range charge-separation processes. A formal analysis of the energy components in subsystem DFT for such excitation energies is presented, which demonstrates that both the distance dependence and the long-range limit are correctly described. In addition, electronic couplings for these processes as needed for rate constants inmore » Marcus theory can be obtained from this method. It is shown that the electronic structure of charge-separated states constructed by a positively charged subsystem interacting with a negatively charged one is difficult to converge — charge leaking from the negative subsystem to the positive one can occur. This problem is related to the delocalization error in DFT and can be overcome with asymptotically correct exchange–correlation (XC) potentials or XC potentials including a sufficiently large amount of exact exchange. We also outline an approximate way to obtain charge-transfer couplings between locally excited and charge-separated states.« less

Electronic perturbation investigations into excitation and ionization in the millisecond pulsed glow discharge plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lei; Robertson-Honecker, Jennifer; Vaghela, Vishal; King, Fred L.

2006-06-01

This study employed a power perturbation method to examine the energy transfer processes at different locations within the afterpeak regime of a millisecond pulsed glow discharge plasma. Brief power perturbation pulses were applied during the afterpeak regime altering the environment of the collapsing plasma. Responses of several transitions to the power perturbations were measured via atomic emission and absorption spectroscopic methods at various distances from the surface of the cathode. The experimental data provide further insight into the energy transfer processes that occur at different spatial locations and in different temporal regimes of these pulsed glow discharge plasmas. Although the enhancement of the large population of metastable argon atoms is again confirmed, the mechanism responsible for this enhancement remains unclear. The most likely possibility involves some form of ion-electron recombination followed by radiative relaxation of the resulting species. The metastable argon atoms subsequently Penning ionize sputtered copper atoms which then appear to undergo a similar ion-electron recombination process yielding variable degrees of observable afterpeak emission for copper atom transitions. The kinetic information of these processes was approximated from the corresponding relaxation time. The electron thermalization time allowing for recombination with ions was found to be ˜25 μs after the discharge power termination.

Artisanal Extraction and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Medicinal Use of Crabwood Oil (Carapa guianensis Aublet.) in a Peri-Urban Várzea Environment in the Amazon Estuary.

PubMed

Nardi, Mariane; Lira-Guedes, Ana Cláudia; Albuquerque Cunha, Helenilza Ferreira; Guedes, Marcelino Carneiro; Mustin, Karen; Gomes, Suellen Cristina Pantoja

2016-01-01

Várzea forests of the Amazon estuary contain species of importance to riverine communities. For example, the oil extracted from the seeds of crabwood trees is traditionally used to combat various illnesses and as such artisanal extraction processes have been maintained. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the process involved in artisanal extraction of crabwood oil in the Fazendinha Protected Area, in the state of Amapá; (2) characterise the processes of knowledge transfer associated with the extraction and use of crabwood oil within a peri-urban riverine community; and (3) discern medicinal uses of the oil. The data were obtained using semistructured interviews with 13 community members involved in crabwood oil extraction and via direct observation. The process of oil extraction is divided into four stages: seed collection; cooking and resting of the seeds; shelling of the seeds and dough preparation; and oil collection. Oil extraction is carried out within the home for personal use, with surplus marketed within the community. More than 90% of the members of the community involved in extraction of crabwood oil highlighted the use of the oil to combat inflammation of the throat. Knowledge transfer occurs via oral transmission and through direct observation.

Artisanal Extraction and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Medicinal Use of Crabwood Oil (Carapa guianensis Aublet.) in a Peri-Urban Várzea Environment in the Amazon Estuary

PubMed Central

Lira-Guedes, Ana Cláudia; Albuquerque Cunha, Helenilza Ferreira; Guedes, Marcelino Carneiro; Mustin, Karen; Gomes, Suellen Cristina Pantoja

2016-01-01

Várzea forests of the Amazon estuary contain species of importance to riverine communities. For example, the oil extracted from the seeds of crabwood trees is traditionally used to combat various illnesses and as such artisanal extraction processes have been maintained. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the process involved in artisanal extraction of crabwood oil in the Fazendinha Protected Area, in the state of Amapá; (2) characterise the processes of knowledge transfer associated with the extraction and use of crabwood oil within a peri-urban riverine community; and (3) discern medicinal uses of the oil. The data were obtained using semistructured interviews with 13 community members involved in crabwood oil extraction and via direct observation. The process of oil extraction is divided into four stages: seed collection; cooking and resting of the seeds; shelling of the seeds and dough preparation; and oil collection. Oil extraction is carried out within the home for personal use, with surplus marketed within the community. More than 90% of the members of the community involved in extraction of crabwood oil highlighted the use of the oil to combat inflammation of the throat. Knowledge transfer occurs via oral transmission and through direct observation. PMID:27478479

Evaluation of critical distances for energy transfer between Pr{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 3+} in yttrium aluminium garnet

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

Zeng, Peng; Wei, Xiantao; Yin, Min

A series of Pr{sup 3+}/Ce{sup 3+} doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} or simply YAG) phosphors were synthesized to investigate the energy transfer between Pr{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 3+} for their potential application in a white light-emitting diode and quantum information storage and processing. The excitation and emission spectra of YAG:Pr{sup 3+}/Ce{sup 3+} were measured and analyzed, and it revealed that the reabsorption between Pr{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 3+} was so weak that it can be ignored, and the energy transfer from Pr{sup 3+} (5d) to Ce{sup 3+} (5d) and Ce{sup 3+} (5d) to Pr{sup 3+} ({sup 1}D{submore » 2}) did occur. By analyzing the excitation and the emission spectra, the energy transfer from Pr{sup 3+} (5d) to Ce{sup 3+} (5d) and Ce{sup 3+} (5d) to Pr{sup 3+} ({sup 1}D{sub 2}) was examined in detail with an original strategy deduced from fluorescence dynamics and the Dexter energy transfer theory, and the critical distances of energy transfer were derived to be 7.9 Å and 4.0 Å for Pr{sup 3+} (5d) to Ce{sup 3+} (5d) and Ce{sup 3+} (5d) to Pr{sup 3+} ({sup 1}D{sub 2}), respectively. The energy transfer rates of the two processes of various concentrations were discussed and evaluated. Furthermore, for the purpose of sensing a single Pr{sup 3+} state with a Ce{sup 3+} ion, the optimal distance of Ce{sup 3+} from Pr{sup 3+} was evaluated as 5.60 Å, where the probability of success reaches its maximum value of 78.66%, and meanwhile the probabilities were evaluated for a series of Y{sup 3+} sites in a YAG lattice. These results will be of valuable reference for achievement of the optimal energy transfer efficiency in Pr{sup 3+}/Ce{sup 3+} doped YAG and other similar systems.« less

Maximizing Interhospital Transfer Resources for Neurosurgical Patients.

PubMed

Schnurman, Zane; Chin, Robert; Fishkin, Edward R; Huang, Paul P

2017-08-01

Delays in patient transfers are associated with worse outcomes for some neurosurgical conditions. One of the primary causes of transfer delay is lack of neurosurgery intensive care unit bed availability. In the present study, we characterize the results of implementing an interhospital transfer protocol to reduce unnecessary transfers and improve bed availability. A transfer protocol was implemented in July 2012 at the Bellevue Hospital Department of Neurosurgery that screened for and prevented transfer of low-risk patients who were unlikely to require specialized inpatient neurosurgical care. The impact of this protocol was assessed with prospectively recorded data on all potential interhospital transfers from May 2011 through June 2016. Of the 1978 calls (regarding 1886 individual patients), 402 occurred before the implementation of the transfer protocol and 1576 occurred after. Before the protocol, 84.1% of transfer requests were accepted, but 15.2% were subsequently denied for bed unavailability. After the protocol, a smaller share of transfer requests were accepted after protocol screening (71.8%, P < 0.001), but only 1.9% (P < 0.001) were subsequently denied because of bed unavailability. The diagnosis demographics changed significantly (P < 0.001), with a larger share of arriving transfers suffering from aneurysms or tumors after the protocol and a smaller share suffering from stenosis/disc disease without neurological symptoms. The transfer protocol implemented in the present study allowed transfer determination based on the need for specialized neurosurgical care rather than chance unavailability of beds. Developing interhospital transfer protocols may be an effective strategy to efficiently allocate limited hospital resources and improve transfer systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A production-theory-based framework for analysing recycling systems in the e-waste sector

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

Schmidt, Mario

2005-07-15

Modern approaches in the production theory of business and management economics propose that objects (e.g. materials) be divided into good, bad or neutral. In transformation processes such as occur in production or recycling this makes it possible to distinguish stringently between the economic revenue of a process and the economic and ecological expenditures for it. This approach can be transferred to entire systems of processes in order to determine the system revenue and the system expenditure. Material flow nets or graphs are used for this purpose. In complex material flow systems it becomes possible to calculate not only the costs,more » but also the direct and indirect environmental impacts of an individual process or a system revenue (for example a product or the elimination of waste) consistently. The approach permits a stringent analysis as well as different analysis perspectives of a material flow system. It is particularly suitable for closed-loop economic systems in which material backflows occur. With the aid of an example developed jointly with Hewlett Packard Europe, the paper outlines how this approach can be employed in the field of e-waste management.« less

Charge transfer in TATB and HMX under extreme conditions.

PubMed

Zhang, Chaoyang; Ma, Yu; Jiang, Daojian

2012-11-01

Charge transfer is usually accompanied by structural changes in materials under different conditions. However, the charge transfer in energetic materials that are subjected to extreme conditions has seldom been explored by researchers. In the work described here, the charge transfer in single molecules and unit cells of the explosives TATB and HMX under high temperatures and high pressures was investigated by performing static and dynamic calculations using three DFT methods, including the PWC functional of LDA, and the BLYP and PBE functionals of GGA. The results showed that negative charge is transferred from the nitro groups of molecular or crystalline TATB and HMX when they are heated. All DFT calculations for the compressed TATB unit cell indicate that, generally, negative charge transfer occurs to its nitro groups as the compression increases. PWC and PBE calculations for crystalline HMX show that negative charge is first transferred to the nitro groups but, as the compression increases, the negative charge is transferred from the nitro groups. However, the BLYP calculations indicated that there was gradual negative charge transfer to the nitro groups of HMX, similar to the case for TATB. The unrelaxed state of the uniformly compressed TATB causes negative charge to be transferred from its nitro groups, in contrast to what is seen in the relaxed state. Charge transfer in TATB is predicted to occur much more easily than in HMX.

Heat Transfer and Thermal Stability Research for Advanced Hydrocarbon Fuel Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeWitt, Kenneth; Stiegemeier, Benjamin

2005-01-01

In recent years there has been increased interest in the development of a new generation of high performance boost rocket engines. These efforts, which will represent a substantial advancement in boost engine technology over that developed for the Space Shuttle Main Engines in the early 1970s, are being pursued both at NASA and the United States Air Force. NASA, under its Space Launch Initiative s Next Generation Launch Technology Program, is investigating the feasibility of developing a highly reliable, long-life, liquid oxygen/kerosene (RP-1) rocket engine for launch vehicles. One of the top technical risks to any engine program employing hydrocarbon fuels is the potential for fuel thermal stability and material compatibility problems to occur under the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions required for regenerative fuel cooling of the engine combustion chamber and nozzle. Decreased heat transfer due to carbon deposits forming on wetted fuel components, corrosion of materials common in engine construction (copper based alloys), and corrosion induced pressure drop increases have all been observed in laboratory tests simulating rocket engine cooling channels. To mitigate these risks, the knowledge of how these fuels behave in high temperature environments must be obtained. Currently, due to the complexity of the physical and chemical process occurring, the only way to accomplish this is empirically. Heated tube testing is a well-established method of experimentally determining the thermal stability and heat transfer characteristics of hydrocarbon fuels. The popularity of this method stems from the low cost incurred in testing when compared to hot fire engine tests, the ability to have greater control over experimental conditions, and the accessibility of the test section, facilitating easy instrumentation. These benefits make heated tube testing the best alternative to hot fire engine testing for thermal stability and heat transfer research. This investigation used the Heated Tube Facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center to perform a thermal stability and heat transfer characterization of RP-1 in an environment simulating that of a high chamber pressure, regenerative cooled rocket engine. The first step in the research was to investigate the carbon deposition process of previous heated tube experiments by performing scanning electron microscopic analysis in conjunction with energy dispersive spectroscopy on the tube sections. This analysis gave insight into the carbon deposition process and the effect that test conditions played in the formation of deleterious coke. Furthermore, several different formations were observed and noted. One other crucial finding of this investigation was that in sulfur containing hydrocarbon fuels, the interaction of the sulfur components with copper based wall materials presented a significant corrosion problem. This problem in many cases was more life limiting than those posed by the carbon deposition process. The results of this microscopic analysis was detailed and presented at the December 2003 JANNAF Air-Breathing Propulsion Meeting as a Materials Compatibility and Thermal Stability Analysis of common Hydrocarbon Fuels (reference 1).

Numerical Simulation of Internal Heat Transfer Phenomena Occurring During De-Icing of Aircraft Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeWitt, Keneth J.

1996-01-01

An experimental study to determine the convective heat transfer coefficient from castings made from ice-roughened plates is reported. A corresponding topic, 'Measurements of the Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient from Ice Roughened Surfaces in Parallel and Accelerated Flows,' is presented.

Structured heterogeneity in a marine terrace chronosequence: Upland mottling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schulz, Marjorie S.; Stonestrom, David A.; Lawrence, Corey R.; Bullen, Thomas D.; Fitzpatrick, John; Kyker-Snowman, Emily; Manning, Jane; Mnich, Meagan

2016-01-01

Soil mottles generally are interpreted as a product of reducing conditions during periods of water saturation. The upland soils of the Santa Cruz, CA, marine terrace chronosequence display an evolving sequence of reticulate mottling from the youngest soil (65 ka) without mottles to the oldest soil (225 ka) with well-developed mottles. The mottles consist of an interconnected network of clay and C-enriched regions (gray, 2.5Y 6/1) bordered by leached parent material (white, 2.5Y 8/1) within a diminishing matrix of oxidized parent material (orange, 7.5YR 5/8). The mottles develop in soils that formed from relatively uniform nearshore sediments and occur below the depth of soil bioturbation. To explore how a presumably wetland feature occurs in an unsaturated upland soil, physical and chemical characteristics of mottle separates (orange, gray, and white) were compared through the deep time represented by the soil chronosequence. Mineralogical, isotopic, and surface-area differences among mottle separates indicate that rhizogenic centimeter-scale mass transfer acting across millennia is an integral part of weathering, pedogenesis, and C and nutrient transfer. Elemental analysis, electron microscopy, and Fe-isotope systematics indicate that mottle development is driven by deep roots together with their fungal and microbial symbionts. Taken together, these data suggest that deep soil horizons on old stable landforms can develop reticulate mottling as the long-term imprint of rhizospheric processes. The processes of rhizogenic mottle formation appear to regulate pedogenesis, nutrients, and C sequestration at depth in unsaturated zones.

On the properties of energy transfer in solar wind turbulence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorriso-Valvo, Luca; Marino, Raffaele; Chen, Christopher H. K.; Wicks, Robert; Nigro, Giuseppina

2017-04-01

Spacecraft observations have shown that the solar wind plasma is heated during its expansion in the heliosphere. The necessary energy is made available at small scales by a turbulent cascade, although the nature of the heating processes is still debated. Because of the intermittent nature of turbulence, the small-scale energy is inhomogeneously distributed in space, resulting for example in the formation of highly localized current sheets and eddies. In order to understand the small-scale plasma processes occurring in the solar wind, the global and local properties of such energy distribution must be known. Here we study such properties using a proxy derived from the Von Karman-Howart relation for magnetohydrodynamics. The statistical properties of the energy transfer rate in the fluid range of scales are studied in detail using WIND spacecraft plasma and magnetic field measurements and discussed in the framework of the multifractal turbulent cascade. Dependence of the energy dissipation proxy on the solar wind conditions (speed, type, solar activity...) is analysed, and its evolution during solar wind expansion in the heliosphere is described using Helios II and Ulysses measurements. A comparison with other proxies, such as the PVI, is performed. Finally, the local singularity properties of the energy dissipation proxy are conditionally compared to the corresponding particle velocity distributions. This allows the identification of specific plasma features occurring near turbulent dissipation events, and could be used as enhanced mode trigger in future space missions.

Risk analysis of emergent water pollution accidents based on a Bayesian Network.

PubMed

Tang, Caihong; Yi, Yujun; Yang, Zhifeng; Sun, Jie

2016-01-01

To guarantee the security of water quality in water transfer channels, especially in open channels, analysis of potential emergent pollution sources in the water transfer process is critical. It is also indispensable for forewarnings and protection from emergent pollution accidents. Bridges above open channels with large amounts of truck traffic are the main locations where emergent accidents could occur. A Bayesian Network model, which consists of six root nodes and three middle layer nodes, was developed in this paper, and was employed to identify the possibility of potential pollution risk. Dianbei Bridge is reviewed as a typical bridge on an open channel of the Middle Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project where emergent traffic accidents could occur. Risk of water pollutions caused by leakage of pollutants into water is focused in this study. The risk for potential traffic accidents at the Dianbei Bridge implies a risk for water pollution in the canal. Based on survey data, statistical analysis, and domain specialist knowledge, a Bayesian Network model was established. The human factor of emergent accidents has been considered in this model. Additionally, this model has been employed to describe the probability of accidents and the risk level. The sensitive reasons for pollution accidents have been deduced. The case has also been simulated that sensitive factors are in a state of most likely to lead to accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetically designed conditions for the catalytic formation of disfavored products. The reaction of ({eta}{sup 5}-C{sub 5}H{sub 5})Mo(CO){sub 3}* with N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine

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

Balla, J.; Espenson, J.H.; Bakac, A.

1995-03-16

In the absence of other reagents, the 17e molybdenum radical, ($eta{sup 5}-C{sub 5}H{sub 5})Mo(CO){sub 3}*, combines to form the stable dimer, [CpMo(CO){sub 3}]{sub 2}. In the presence of TMPD, however, an electron transfer process ensues, in which the normally persistent radical TMPD*{sup +} is produced. Under these conditions, the absorbance of the TMPD*{sup +} radical disappear shortly thereafter. Various kinetic tests have been applied to show that this is the result of a sequence of two electron transfer steps. One is the reaction between CpMo(CO){sub 3}* (Mo*) and TMPD, and the other is the reaction between Mo* and TMPD*{sup +}.more » The net result of the two reactions occurring in sequence is the disproportionation of the molybdenum radical, rather than the combination reaction that occurs in the absence of this redox-active amine. To the contrary, PhNMe{sub 2} shows no such effect, confirming that these observations are correctly attributed to electron transfer and not to ligand-catalyzed disproportionation. That the TMPD-catalyzed sequence really is disproportionation was confirmed by the chemical identification of the products, CpMo(CO){sub 3}{sup -} and CpMo(CO){sub 3}NCCH{sub 3}{sup +}. 40 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.« less

Wine oxidation and the role of cork.

PubMed

Karbowiak, Thomas; Gougeon, Régis D; Alinc, Jean-Baptiste; Brachais, Laurent; Debeaufort, Frédéric; Voilley, Andrée; Chassagne, David

2010-01-01

The present review aims to show the state of the art of oxidation mechanisms occurring especially in white wines by taking into account knowledge from different fields in relation to the subject. It is therefore divided into three main parts. First, the mechanisms of oxidation relevant to white wine are discussed in the light of recent scientific literature. Next, the phenomenon of oxygen solubility in wine during the winemaking process, and in particular during bottling is stated theoretically as well as practically. Finally, the aspect of wine conservation after bottling is examined with respect to mass transfers which may occur through the closure, with a special emphasis on cork. Currently, specific physico-chemical properties still make cork closures the most important closure type used for the wine market, and especially for high quality wines. This final section will also include a review of studies performed on this subject, which have been analyzed in detail from a theoretical mass transfer point of view, in order to assess the extent to which the proposed scientific tools and the observed tendencies are relevant to progress in the understanding of the impact of this parameter on the behavior of a wine.

[Mass-transfer, utilization, and diffusion of oxygen in skeletal muscles of the stenohaline goby Gobius cobitus Pallas under conditions of hypoosmotic medium].

PubMed

Soldatov, A A

2012-01-01

Effect of hypoosmotic conditions of medium on oxygen regime of skeletal muscles of the stenohalin goby Gobius cobitus Pallas was studied under conditions of experiment. The control fish group was maintained at 12-14 %o, the experimental one - at 4.8-5.6 per thousand. Duration of the experiment - 44-45 days, water temperature - 15 +/- 1 degrees C, photoperiod - 12 day/12 night. It was established that under conditions of external hypoosmia there occurred hydration of the goby skeletal muscles and a decrease of their diffusion capability with respect to oxygen. The latter was accompanied by the tissue P(O2) decrease, which is indicated by low values of P(O2) in the venous blood outflowing from muscles. For the first 14-16 days of adaptation to the hypoosmotic medium there were restricted processes of mass transfer and oxygen utilization, which was associated with a decrease of the voluminous tissue blood flow and the blood oxygen concentration. These changes occurred on the background of the blood plasma hydration and a decrease of the number of circulated erythrocytes, and then they were completely compensated.

The role of sleep in declarative memory consolidation--direct evidence by intracranial EEG.

PubMed

Axmacher, Nikolai; Haupt, Sven; Fernández, Guillén; Elger, Christian E; Fell, Juergen

2008-03-01

Two step theories of memory formation assume that an initial learning phase is followed by a consolidation stage. Memory consolidation has been suggested to occur predominantly during sleep. Very recent findings, however, suggest that important steps in memory consolidation occur also during waking state but may become saturated after some time awake. Sleep, in this model, specifically favors restoration of synaptic plasticity and accelerated memory consolidation while asleep and briefly afterwards. To distinguish between these different views, we recorded intracranial electroencephalograms from the hippocampus and rhinal cortex of human subjects while they retrieved information acquired either before or after a "nap" in the afternoon or on a control day without nap. Reaction times, hippocampal event-related potentials, and oscillatory gamma activity indicated a temporal gradient of hippocampal involvement in information retrieval on the control day, suggesting hippocampal-neocortical information transfer during waking state. On the day with nap, retrieval of recent items that were encoded briefly after the nap did not involve the hippocampus to a higher degree than retrieval of items encoded before the nap. These results suggest that sleep facilitates rapid processing through the hippocampus but is not necessary for information transfer into the neocortex per se.

Nitrogen and phosphorus economy of a legume tree-cereal intercropping system under controlled conditions.

PubMed

Isaac, M E; Hinsinger, P; Harmand, J M

2012-09-15

Considerable amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers have been mis-used in agroecosystems, with profound alteration to the biogeochemical cycles of these two major nutrients. To reduce excess fertilizer use, plant-mediated nutrient supply through N(2)-fixation, transfer of fixed N and mobilization of soil P may be important processes for the nutrient economy of low-input tree-based intercropping systems. In this study, we quantified plant performance, P acquisition and belowground N transfer from the N(2)-fixing tree to the cereal crop under varying root contact intensity and P supplies. We cultivated Acacia senegal var senegal in pot-culture containing 90% sand and 10% vermiculite under 3 levels of exponentially supplied P. Acacia plants were then intercropped with durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum) in the same pots with variable levels of adsorbed P or transplanted and intercropped with durum wheat in rhizoboxes excluding direct root contact on P-poor red Mediterranean soils. In pot-culture, wheat biomass and P content increased in relation to the P gradient. Strong isotopic evidence of belowground N transfer, based on the isotopic signature (δ(15)N) of tree foliage and wheat shoots, was systematically found under high P in pot-culture, with an average N transfer value of 14.0% of wheat total N after 21 days of contact between the two species. In the rhizoboxes, we observed limitations on growth and P uptake of intercropped wheat due to competitive effects on soil resources and minimal evidence of belowground N transfer of N from acacia to wheat. In this intercrop, specifically in pot-culture, facilitation for N transfer from the legume tree to the crop showed to be effective especially when crop N uptake was increased (or stimulated) as occurred under high P conditions and when competition was low. Understanding these processes is important to the nutrient economy and appropriate management of legume-based agroforestry systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aquifer recharge with stormwater runoff in urban areas: Influence of vadose zone thickness on nutrient and bacterial transfers from the surface of infiltration basins to groundwater.

PubMed

Voisin, Jérémy; Cournoyer, Benoit; Vienney, Antonin; Mermillod-Blondin, Florian

2018-10-01

Stormwater infiltration systems (SIS) have been built in urban areas to reduce the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff. Infiltration basins allow the transfer of stormwater runoff to aquifers but their abilities to retain contaminants depend on vadose zone properties. This study assessed the influence of vadose zone thickness (VZT) on the transfer of inorganic nutrients (PO 4 3- , NO 3 - , NH 4 + ), dissolved organic carbon (total -DOC- and biodegradable -BDOC-) and bacteria. A field experiment was conducted on three SIS with a thin vadose zone (<3 m) and three SIS with a thick vadose zone (>10 m). Water samples were collected at three times during a rainy period of 10 days in each infiltration basin (stormwater runoff), in the aquifer impacted by infiltration (impacted groundwater) and in the same aquifer but upstream of the infiltration area (non-impacted groundwater). Inorganic nutrients, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured on all water samples. Bacterial community structures were investigated on water samples through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) scheme of 16S rRNA gene amplicons (V5-V6). The concentrations of DO and phosphate measured in SIS-impacted groundwaters were significantly influenced by VZT due to distinct biogeochemical processes occurring in the vadose zone. DOC and BDOC were efficiently retained in the vadose zone, regardless of its thickness. Bacterial transfers to the aquifer were overall low, but data obtained on day 10 indicated a significant bacterial transfer in SIS with a thin vadose zone. Water transit time and water saturation of the vadose zone were found important parameters for bacterial transfers. Most bacterial taxa (>60%) from impacted groundwaters were not detected in stormwater runoff and in non-impacted groundwaters, indicating that groundwater bacterial communities were significantly modified by processes associated with infiltration (remobilization of bacteria from vadose zone and/or species sorting). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Study of the Constrained Vapor Bubble Thermosyphon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wayner, Peter C., Jr.; Plawsky, J. L.

2000-01-01

The objective of this effort is to better understand the physics of evaporation, condensation, and fluid flow as they affect the heat transfer processes in a constrained vapor bubble heat exchanger (CVBHX). This CVBHX consists of a small enclosed container with a square cross section (inside dimensions. 3 x 3 x 40 mm) partially filled with a liquid. The major portion of the liquid is in the corners, which act as arteries. When a temperature difference is applied to the ends of the CVBHX, evaporation occurs at the hot end and condensation at the cold end resulting in a very effective heat transfer device with great potential in space applications. Liquid is returned by capillary flow in the corners. A complete description of the system and the results obtained to date are given in the papers listed.

Calibration of fluorescence resonance energy transfer in microscopy

DOEpatents

Youvan, Dougalas C.; Silva, Christopher M.; Bylina, Edward J.; Coleman, William J.; Dilworth, Michael R.; Yang, Mary M.

2003-12-09

Imaging hardware, software, calibrants, and methods are provided to visualize and quantitate the amount of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) occurring between donor and acceptor molecules in epifluorescence microscopy. The MicroFRET system compensates for overlap among donor, acceptor, and FRET spectra using well characterized fluorescent beads as standards in conjunction with radiometrically calibrated image processing techniques. The MicroFRET system also provides precisely machined epifluorescence cubes to maintain proper image registration as the sample is illuminated at the donor and acceptor excitation wavelengths. Algorithms are described that pseudocolor the image to display pixels exhibiting radiometrically-corrected fluorescence emission from the donor (blue), the acceptor (green) and FRET (red). The method is demonstrated on samples exhibiting FRET between genetically engineered derivatives of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) bound to the surface of Ni chelating beads by histidine-tags.

Calibration of fluorescence resonance energy transfer in microscopy

DOEpatents

Youvan, Douglas C.; Silva, Christopher M.; Bylina, Edward J.; Coleman, William J.; Dilworth, Michael R.; Yang, Mary M.

2002-09-24

Imaging hardware, software, calibrants, and methods are provided to visualize and quantitate the amount of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) occurring between donor and acceptor molecules in epifluorescence microscopy. The MicroFRET system compensates for overlap among donor, acceptor, and FRET spectra using well characterized fluorescent beads as standards in conjunction with radiometrically calibrated image processing techniques. The MicroFRET system also provides precisely machined epifluorescence cubes to maintain proper image registration as the sample is illuminated at the donor and acceptor excitation wavelengths. Algorithms are described that pseudocolor the image to display pixels exhibiting radiometrically-corrected fluorescence emission from the donor (blue), the acceptor (green) and FRET (red). The method is demonstrated on samples exhibiting FRET between genetically engineered derivatives of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) bound to the surface of Ni chelating beads by histidine-tags.

Spontaneous trait transference to familiar communicators: is a little knowledge a dangerous thing?

PubMed

Mae, L; Carlston, D E; Skowronski, J J

1999-08-01

In most social cognition research participants are presented with unattributed information about unfamiliar stimulus persons. However, in the real world it is more common for people to learn about others through social communication and to know something about those with whom they communicate. Such issues are explored in relation to spontaneous trait transference, a phenomenon in which communicators are perceived as having traits that they merely describe in others. Three studies show that even familiar communicators became associated with, and attributed, the traits implied by their remarks. Surprisingly, these effects occurred even when the implied traits were incongruent with participants' prior knowledge about these communicators. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the generalizability of social cognition research, (b) the automaticity of simple associative phenomena, and (c) the interplay of simple associative and higher level processes.

Population trapping in the excited states using vacuum-induced coherence and adiabatic process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal Kumawat, Babu; Kumar, Pardeep; Dasgupta, Shubhrangshu

2018-02-01

We theoretically investigate how population can be trapped in the closely spaced excited levels in presence of vacuum-induced coherence (VIC). We employ delayed pulses to transfer population from a meta-stable state to the excited states. Subsequently, spontaneous emission from these excited states builds coherence between them. This coherence can be probed by using chirping, which leads to the decoupling of the excited states from the ground state thereby ensuring population transfer via delayed pulses. Our results indicate that the existence of VIC leads to the generation of a mixed state in the excited state manifold, where trapping of the population occurs even in the presence of large decay. This trapping may be realized in molecular systems and can be interpreted as a sensitive probe of VIC. We present suitable numerical analysis to support our results.

Hydrogen atom transfer reactions in thiophenol: photogeneration of two new thione isomers.

PubMed

Reva, Igor; Nowak, Maciej J; Lapinski, Leszek; Fausto, Rui

2015-02-21

Photoisomerization reactions of monomeric thiophenol have been investigated for the compound isolated in low-temperature argon matrices. The initial thiophenol population consists exclusively of the thermodynamically most stable thiol form. Phototransformations were induced by irradiation of the matrices with narrowband tunable UV light. Irradiation at λ > 290 nm did not induce any changes in isolated thiophenol molecules. Upon irradiation at 290-285 nm, the initial thiol form of thiophenol converted into its thione isomer, cyclohexa-2,4-diene-1-thione. This conversion occurs by transfer of an H atom from the SH group to a carbon atom at the ortho position of the ring. Subsequent irradiation at longer wavelengths (300-427 nm) demonstrated that this UV-induced hydrogen-atom transfer is photoreversible. Moreover, upon irradiation at 400-425 nm, the cyclohexa-2,4-diene-1-thione product converts, by transfer of a hydrogen atom from the ortho to para position, into another thione isomer, cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1-thione. The latter thione isomer is also photoreactive and is consumed if irradiated at λ < 332 nm. The obtained results clearly show that H-atom-transfer isomerization reactions dominate the unimolecular photochemistry of thiophenol confined in a solid argon matrix. A set of low-intensity infrared bands, observed in the spectra of UV irradiated thiophenol, indicates the presence of a phenylthiyl radical with an H- atom detached from the SH group. Alongside the H-atom-transfer and H-atom-detachment processes, the ring-opening photoreaction occurred in cyclohexa-2,4-diene-1-thione by the cleavage of the C-C bond at the alpha position with respect to the thiocarbonyl C[double bond, length as m-dash]S group. The resulting open-ring conjugated thioketene adopts several isomeric forms, differing by orientations around single and double bonds. The species photogenerated upon UV irradiation of thiophenol were identified by comparison of their experimental infrared spectra with the spectra theoretically calculated for the candidate structures at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level.

Safety, risk and mental health: decision-making processes prescribed by Australian mental health legislation.

PubMed

Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Caple, Andrew

2014-03-01

Adverse events in mental health care occur frequently and cause significant distress for those who experience them, derailing treatment and sometimes leading to death. These events are clustered around particular aspects of care and treatment and are therefore avoidable if practices in these areas are strengthened. The research reported in this article takes as its starting point coronial recommendations made in relation to mental health. We report on those points and processes in treatment and discharge where coronial recommendations are most frequently made. We then examine the legislative requirements around these points and processes in three Australian States. We find that the key areas that need to be strengthened to avoid adverse events are assessment processes, communication and information transfer, documentation, planning and training. We make recommendations for improvements in these key areas.

Tracing Surrogates for Enteric Pathogens Inoculated on Hide through the Beef Harvesting Process.

PubMed

Villarreal-Silva, Mariana; Genho, Daniel P; Ilhak, Irfan; Lucia, Lisa M; Dickson, James S; Gehring, Kerri B; Savell, Jeffrey W; Castillo, Alejandro

2016-11-01

Multiple antimicrobial interventions have been validated for use during the beef postharvesting process. However, little has been done to determine the impact of the postharvest environment on pathogen contamination. In this study, surrogate microorganisms were used to simulate pathogen cross-contamination through the postharvest environment at three different abattoirs. At each abattoir, the brisket areas of 13 hide-on carcasses were inoculated after stunning, with a gelatin slurry containing a cocktail (~7 log CFU/ml) of fluorescent Escherichia coli biotype I. These microorganisms are approved as surrogates for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella . From these carcasses, samples (300 cm 2 ) were taken at different stages during the harvesting process: after hide opening, prior to evisceration, after evisceration, after splitting, and after final intervention. The carcass (noninoculated) immediately following (adjacent to) each hide-inoculated carcass was also tested to determine cross-contamination. Environmental (floor, walls, air) and personal garment (gloves, boots, aprons) samples were collected. Other sampled equipment included knives, meat hooks, hide pullers, and splitting saws. Results demonstrated that cross-contamination occurred between the inoculated hide and the carcass and also by transfer of microorganisms to the adjacent, noninoculated carcasses. Microbial transfer also occurred from hides or carcasses to the environment, personal garments, and equipment. Counts of the surrogate bacteria used were higher in equipment samples (15%) than in environment samples (10%). Personal garments had the lowest occurrence of cross-contamination (7%). For all abattoirs, surrogates were undetected on the carcass (<1.4 log CFU/300cm 2 ) after the final intervention stage. This study confirms the importance of following adequate procedures for carcass dressing and highlights an adequate hide opening procedure as a crucial step to prevent carcass contamination.

The melting and solidification of nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florio, B. J.; Myers, T. G.

2016-06-01

A mathematical model is developed to describe the melting of nanowires. The first section of the paper deals with a standard theoretical situation, where the wire melts due to a fixed boundary temperature. This analysis allows us to compare with existing results for the phase change of nanospheres. The equivalent solidification problem is also examined. This shows that solidification is a faster process than melting; this is because the energy transfer occurs primarily through the solid rather than the liquid which is a poorer conductor of heat. This effect competes with the energy required to create new solid surface which acts to slow down the process, but overall conduction dominates. In the second section, we consider a more physically realistic boundary condition, where the phase change occurs due to a heat flux from surrounding material. This removes the singularity in initial melt velocity predicted in previous models of nanoparticle melting. It is shown that even with the highest possible flux the melting time is significantly slower than with a fixed boundary temperature condition.

Theoretical Studies of Gas Phase Elementary and Carbon Nanostructure Growth Reactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-19

time dynamics of electron transfer in a prototype redox reaction that occurs in reactive collisions between neutral and ionic fullerenes is discussed...The LvNMD show that the electron transfer occurs within 60 fs directly preceding the collision of the fullerenes , followed by structural changes...collisions between neutral and multiply charged fullerenes . 2 B. Collaboration with the AFRL. Collaboration with the VIggiano group at AFRL at

Investigating the mixture and subdivision of perceptual and conceptual processing in Japanese memory tests.

PubMed

Gabeza, R

1995-03-01

The dual nature of the Japanese writing system was used to investigate two assumptions of the processing view of memory transfer: (1) that both perceptual and conceptual processing can contribute to the same memory test (mixture assumption) and (2) that both can be broken into more specific processes (subdivision assumption). Supporting the mixture assumption, a word fragment completion test based on ideographic kanji characters (kanji fragment completion test) was affected by both perceptual (hiragana/kanji script shift) and conceptual (levels-of-processing) study manipulations kanji fragments, because it did not occur with the use of meaningless hiragana fragments. The mixture assumption is also supported by an effect of study script on an implicit conceptual test (sentence completion), and the subdivision assumption is supported by a crossover dissociation between hiragana and kanji fragment completion as a function of study script.

Phytoavailability, human risk assessment and transfer characteristics of cadmium and zinc contamination from urban gardens in Kano, Nigeria.

PubMed

Abdu, Nafiu; Agbenin, John O; Buerkert, Andreas

2011-12-01

Quantitative data about phytoavailability and transfer into consumed plant parts for heavy metals in intensively managed urban vegetable production areas of sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. We therefore studied the transfer of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) from soil to the root and subsequent translocation to edible portions of four vegetables in six urban gardens. While respective diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-available Zn and Cd concentrations ranged from 18 to 66 mg kg(-1) and from 0.19 to 0.35 mg kg(-1) , respectively, in soils, total Zn and Cd were 8.4-256 mg kg(-1) and 0.04-1.7 mg kg(-1) in shoot parts. Metal transfer factor (MTF) ratios were higher in Zn (0.2-0.9) than in Cd (0.1-0.6). Our data suggest that total Zn concentration in soil is a reliable indicator to assess its transfer from soil to crop in lettuce, carrot and parsley, while for Cd DTPA-extractable concentration may be used to estimate soil-crop transfer of Cd in amaranthus and carrot. Overall, Cd was more easily translocated to the aerial plant parts than Zn. Zinc and Cd accumulation by vegetables in our soils is mainly a metabolically controlled process. Such accumulation can contaminate the ecosystem but under our conditions intake and ingestion of these metals will likely have to occur over a prolonged period to experience health hazard. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synergistic effect of electrical and chemical factors on endocytosis in micro-discharge plasma gene transfection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jinno, M.; Ikeda, Y.; Motomura, H.; Isozaki, Y.; Kido, Y.; Satoh, S.

2017-06-01

We have developed a new micro-discharge plasma (MDP)-based gene transfection method, which transfers genes into cells with high efficiency and low cytotoxicity; however, the mechanism underlying the method is still unknown. Studies revealed that the N-acetylcysteine-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity completely abolished gene transfer. In this study, we used laser-produced plasma to demonstrate that gene transfer does not occur in the absence of electrical factors. Our results show that both electrical and chemical factors are necessary for gene transfer inside cells by microplasma irradiation. This indicates that plasma-mediated gene transfection utilizes the synergy between electrical and chemical factors. The electric field threshold required for transfection was approximately 1 kV m-1 in our MDP system. This indicates that MDP irradiation supplies sufficient concentrations of ROS, and the stimulation intensity of the electric field determines the transfection efficiency in our system. Gene transfer by plasma irradiation depends mainly on endocytosis, which accounts for at least 80% of the transfer, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a dominant endocytosis. In plasma-mediated gene transfection, alterations in electrical and chemical factors can independently regulate plasmid DNA adhesion and triggering of endocytosis, respectively. This implies that plasma characteristics can be adjusted according to target cell requirements, and the transfection process can be optimized with minimum damage to cells and maximum efficiency. This may explain how MDP simultaneously achieves high transfection efficiency with minimal cell damage.

Transfer of difenoconazole and azoxystrobin residues from chrysanthemum flower tea to its infusion.

PubMed

Xue, Jiaying; Li, Huichen; Liu, Fengmao; Xue, Jian; Chen, Xiaochu; Zhan, Jing

2014-04-01

Investigations of the transfer of pesticide residues from tea to its infusion can be important in the assessment of the possible health benefits of tea consumption. In this work the transfer of difenoconazole and azoxystrobin residues from chrysanthemum tea to its infusion was investigated at different water temperatures, infusion intervals and times. The transfer percentages were in the range of 18.7-51.6% for difenoconazole and of 38.1-71.2% for azoxystrobin, and increased considerably with longer infusion intervals. The results indicated that azoxystrobin with a lower octanol-water partition coefficient of 2.5, showed a higher transfer than that of difenoconazole with a relatively high octanol-water partition coefficient of 4.4. Water temperature had no significant effect on the transfer of the two residues, and no obvious loss of difenoconazole and azoxystrobin occurred during the infusion process. The concentrations in the infusions decreased gradually from 0.67 to 0.30 μg kg(-1) for difenoconazole and from 2.3 to 0.46 μg kg(-1) for azoxystrobin after five infusions. To assess the potential health risk, the values of estimate expose risk were calculated to be 0.016 for difenoconazole and 0.0022 for azoxystrobin, meaning the daily residue intake of the two analytes from chrysanthemum tea was safe. This research may help assure food safety and identify the potential exposure risks from pesticides in chrysanthemum that may be health concerns.

Groundwater recharge to a sedimentary aquifer in the topographically closed Uley South Basin, South Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordens, Carlos M.; Werner, Adrian D.; Post, Vincent E. A.; Hutson, John L.; Simmons, Craig T.; Irvine, Benjamin M.

2012-02-01

The chloride mass balance (CMB) and water-table fluctuation (WTF) analysis methods were used to estimate recharge rates in the Uley South Basin, South Australia. Groundwater hydrochemistry and isotope data were used to infer the nature of recharge pathways and evapotranspiration processes. These data indicate that some combination of two plausible processes is occurring: (1) complete evaporation of rainfall occurs, and the precipitated salts are washed down and redissolved when recharge occurs, and (2) transpiration dominates over evaporation. It is surmised that sinkholes predominantly serve to by-pass the shallow soil zone and redistribute infiltration into the deeper unsaturated zone, rather than transferring rainfall directly to the water table. Chlorofluorocarbon measurements were used in approximating recharge origins to account for coastal proximity effects in the CMB method and pumping seasonality was accounted for in the WTF-based recharge estimates. Best estimates of spatially and temporally averaged recharge rates for the basin are 52-63 and 47-129 mm/year from the CMB and WTF analyses, respectively. Adaptations of both the CMB and WTF analyses to account for nuances of the system were necessary, demonstrating the need for careful application of these methods.

Two-dimensional signal processing using a morphological filter for holographic memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondo, Yo; Shigaki, Yusuke; Yamamoto, Manabu

2012-03-01

Today, along with the wider use of high-speed information networks and multimedia, it is increasingly necessary to have higher-density and higher-transfer-rate storage devices. Therefore, research and development into holographic memories with three-dimensional storage areas is being carried out to realize next-generation large-capacity memories. However, in holographic memories, interference between bits, which affect the detection characteristics, occurs as a result of aberrations such as the deviation of a wavefront in an optical system. In this study, we pay particular attention to the nonlinear factors that cause bit errors, where filters with a Volterra equalizer and the morphologies are investigated as a means of signal processing.

The photoluminescent properties of Y2O3:Bi3+, Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphors for white-light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Han, Xiumei; Feng, Xu; Qi, Xiwei; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Li, Mingya

2014-05-01

Bi3+, Eu3+, Dy3+ activated Y2O3 phosphors were prepared through the sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the resulting phosphors. The XRD patterns show the refined crystal structure of Y2O3. The energy transfer processes of Bi(3+)-Eu3+ occurred in the host lattices. The thermal stability of Y2O3:Bi3+, Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphors was studied. Under short wavelength UV excitation, the phosphors show excellent characteristic red, blue, and yellow emission with medium intensity.

Wintertime Air-Sea Gas Transfer Rates and Air Injection Fluxes at Station Papa in the NE Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeil, C.; Steiner, N.; Vagle, S.

2008-12-01

In recent studies of air-sea fluxes of N2 and O2 in hurricanes, McNeil and D'Asaro (2007) used a simplified model formulation of air-sea gas flux to estimate simultaneous values of gas transfer rate, KT, and air injection flux, VT. The model assumes air-sea gas fluxes at high to extreme wind speeds can be explained by a combination of two processes: 1) air injection, by complete dissolution of small bubbles drawn down into the ocean boundary layer by turbulent currents, and 2) near-surface equilibration processes, such as occurs within whitecaps. This analysis technique relies on air-sea gas flux estimates for two gases, N2 and O2, to solve for the two model parameters, KT and VT. We present preliminary results of similar analysis of time series data collected during winter storms at Station Papa in the NE Pacific during 2003/2004. The data show a clear increase in KT and VT with increasing NCEP derived wind speeds and acoustically measured bubble penetration depth.

Application of spectroscopy and super-resolution microscopy: Excited state

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

Bhattacharjee, Ujjal

Photophysics of inorganic materials and organic molecules in complex systems have been extensively studied with absorption and emission spectroscopy.1-4 Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies are commonly carried out to characterize excited-state properties of fluorophores. Although steady-state fluorescence measurements are widely used for analytical applications, time-resolved fluorescence measurements provide more detailed information about excited-state properties and the environment in the vicinity of the fluorophore. Many photophysical processes, such as photoinduced electron transfer (PET), rotational reorientation, solvent relaxation, and energy transfer, occur on a nanosecond (10 -9 s) timescale, thus affecting the lifetime of the fluorophores. Moreover, time-resolved microscopy methods, such asmore » lifetimeimaging, combine the benefits of the microscopic measurement and information-rich, timeresolved data. Thus, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy combined with microscopy can be used to quantify these processes and to obtain a deeper understanding of the chemical surroundings of the fluorophore in a small area under investigation. This thesis discusses various photophysical and super-resolution microscopic studies of organic and inorganic materials, which have been outlined below.« less

Real-time electroholography using a multiple-graphics processing unit cluster system with a single spatial light modulator and the InfiniBand network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niwase, Hiroaki; Takada, Naoki; Araki, Hiromitsu; Maeda, Yuki; Fujiwara, Masato; Nakayama, Hirotaka; Kakue, Takashi; Shimobaba, Tomoyoshi; Ito, Tomoyoshi

2016-09-01

Parallel calculations of large-pixel-count computer-generated holograms (CGHs) are suitable for multiple-graphics processing unit (multi-GPU) cluster systems. However, it is not easy for a multi-GPU cluster system to accomplish fast CGH calculations when CGH transfers between PCs are required. In these cases, the CGH transfer between the PCs becomes a bottleneck. Usually, this problem occurs only in multi-GPU cluster systems with a single spatial light modulator. To overcome this problem, we propose a simple method using the InfiniBand network. The computational speed of the proposed method using 13 GPUs (NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X) was more than 3000 times faster than that of a CPU (Intel Core i7 4770) when the number of three-dimensional (3-D) object points exceeded 20,480. In practice, we achieved ˜40 tera floating point operations per second (TFLOPS) when the number of 3-D object points exceeded 40,960. Our proposed method was able to reconstruct a real-time movie of a 3-D object comprising 95,949 points.

Optical impedance spectroscopy with single-mode electro-active-integrated optical waveguides.

PubMed

Han, Xue; Mendes, Sergio B

2014-02-04

An optical impedance spectroscopy (OIS) technique based on a single-mode electro-active-integrated optical waveguide (EA-IOW) was developed to investigate electron-transfer processes of redox adsorbates. A highly sensitive single-mode EA-IOW device was used to optically follow the time-dependent faradaic current originated from a submonolayer of cytochrome c undergoing redox exchanges driven by a harmonic modulation of the electric potential at several dc bias potentials and at several frequencies. To properly retrieve the faradaic current density from the ac-modulated optical signal, we introduce here a mathematical formalism that (i) accounts for intrinsic changes that invariably occur in the optical baseline of the EA-IOW device during potential modulation and (ii) provides accurate results for the electro-chemical parameters. We are able to optically reconstruct the faradaic current density profile against the dc bias potential in the working electrode, identify the formal potential, and determine the energy-width of the electron-transfer process. In addition, by combining the optically reconstructed faradaic signal with simple electrical measurements of impedance across the whole electrochemical cell and the capacitance of the electric double-layer, we are able to determine the time-constant connected to the redox reaction of the adsorbed protein assembly. For cytochrome c directly immobilized onto the indium tin oxide (ITO) surface, we measured a reaction rate constant of 26.5 s(-1). Finally, we calculate the charge-transfer resistance and pseudocapacitance associated with the electron-transfer process and show that the frequency dependence of the redox reaction of the protein submonolayer follows as expected the electrical equivalent of an RC-series admittance diagram. Above all, we show here that OIS with single-mode EA-IOW's provide strong analytical signals that can be readily monitored even for small surface-densities of species involved in the redox process (e.g., fmol/cm(2), 0.1% of a full protein monolayer). This experimental approach, when combined with the analytical formalism described here, brings additional sensitivity, accuracy, and simplicity to electro-chemical analysis and is expected to become a useful tool in investigations of redox processes.

Learning, neural plasticity and sensitive periods: implications for language acquisition, music training and transfer across the lifespan

PubMed Central

White, Erin J.; Hutka, Stefanie A.; Williams, Lynne J.; Moreno, Sylvain

2013-01-01

Sensitive periods in human development have often been proposed to explain age-related differences in the attainment of a number of skills, such as a second language (L2) and musical expertise. It is difficult to reconcile the negative consequence this traditional view entails for learning after a sensitive period with our current understanding of the brain’s ability for experience-dependent plasticity across the lifespan. What is needed is a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying auditory learning and plasticity at different points in development. Drawing on research in language development and music training, this review examines not only what we learn and when we learn it, but also how learning occurs at different ages. First, we discuss differences in the mechanism of learning and plasticity during and after a sensitive period by examining how language exposure versus training forms language-specific phonetic representations in infants and adult L2 learners, respectively. Second, we examine the impact of musical training that begins at different ages on behavioral and neural indices of auditory and motor processing as well as sensorimotor integration. Third, we examine the extent to which childhood training in one auditory domain can enhance processing in another domain via the transfer of learning between shared neuro-cognitive systems. Specifically, we review evidence for a potential bi-directional transfer of skills between music and language by examining how speaking a tonal language may enhance music processing and, conversely, how early music training can enhance language processing. We conclude with a discussion of the role of attention in auditory learning for learning during and after sensitive periods and outline avenues of future research. PMID:24312022

Low light adaptation: energy transfer processes in different types of light harvesting complexes from Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

PubMed

Moulisová, Vladimíra; Luer, Larry; Hoseinkhani, Sajjad; Brotosudarmo, Tatas H P; Collins, Aaron M; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Blankenship, Robert E; Cogdell, Richard J

2009-12-02

Energy transfer processes in photosynthetic light harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes isolated from purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris grown at different light intensities were studied by ground state and transient absorption spectroscopy. The decomposition of ground state absorption spectra shows contributions from B800 and B850 bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a rings, the latter component splitting into a low energy and a high energy band in samples grown under low light (LL) conditions. A spectral analysis reveals strong inhomogeneity of the B850 excitons in the LL samples that is well reproduced by an exponential-type distribution. Transient spectra show a bleach of both the low energy and high energy bands, together with the respective blue-shifted exciton-to-biexciton transitions. The different spectral evolutions were analyzed by a global fitting procedure. Energy transfer from B800 to B850 occurs in a mono-exponential process and the rate of this process is only slightly reduced in LL compared to high light samples. In LL samples, spectral relaxation of the B850 exciton follows strongly nonexponential kinetics that can be described by a reduction of the bleach of the high energy excitonic component and a red-shift of the low energetic one. We explain these spectral changes by picosecond exciton relaxation caused by a small coupling parameter of the excitonic splitting of the BChl a molecules to the surrounding bath. The splitting of exciton energy into two excitonic bands in LL complex is most probably caused by heterogenous composition of LH2 apoproteins that gives some of the BChls in the B850 ring B820-like site energies, and causes a disorder in LH2 structure.

Synthesis and photophysical properties of new catenated electron donor-acceptor materials with magnesium and free base porphyrins as donors and C60 as the acceptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirner, Sabrina V.; Guldi, Dirk M.; Megiatto, Jackson D., Jr.; Schuster, David I.

2014-12-01

A new series of nanoscale electron donor-acceptor systems with [2]catenane architectures has been synthesized, incorporating magnesium porphyrin (MgP) or free base porphyrin (H2P) as electron donor and C60 as electron acceptor, surrounding a central tetrahedral Cu(i)-1,10-phenanthroline (phen) complex. Model catenated compounds incorporating only one or none of these photoactive moieties were also prepared. The synthesis involved the use of Sauvage's metal template protocol in combination with the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes (``click chemistry''), as in other recent reports from our laboratories. Ground state electron interactions between the individual constituents was probed using electrochemistry and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, while events occurring following photoexcitation in tetrahydrofuran (under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions) at various wavelengths were followed by means of time-resolved transient absorption and emission spectroscopies on the femtosecond and nanosecond time scales, respectively, complemented by measurements of quantum yields for generation of singlet oxygen. From similar studies with model catenates containing one or neither of the chromophores, the events following photoexcitation could be elucidated. The results were compared with those previously reported for analogous catenates based on zinc porphyrin (ZnP). It was determined that a series of energy transfer (EnT) and electron transfer (ET) processes take place in the present catenates, ultimately generating long-distance charge separated (CS) states involving oxidized porphyrin and reduced C60 moieties, with lifetimes ranging from 400 to 1060 nanoseconds. Shorter lived short-distance CS states possessing oxidized copper complexes and reduced C60, with lifetimes ranging from 15 to 60 ns, were formed en route to the long-distance CS states. The dynamics of the ET processes were analyzed in terms of their thermodynamic driving forces. It was clear that intramolecular back ET was occurring in the inverted region of the Marcus parabola correlating rates and driving forces for electron transfer processes. In addition, evidence for triplet excited states as a product of either incomplete ET or back ET was found. The differences in behavior of the three catenates upon photoexcitation are analyzed in terms of the energy levels of the various intermediate states and the driving forces for EnT and ET processes.

Charge transfer from TiO2 into adsorbed benzene diazonium compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merson, A.; Dittrich, Th.; Zidon, Y.; Rappich, J.; Shapira, Yoram

2004-08-01

Electron transfer from sol-gel-prepared TiO2 into adsorbed benzene diazonium compounds has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact potential difference, and surface photovoltage spectroscopy. The results show that the potential of maximum electron transfer depends strongly on the dipole moment of the benzene compound. Two reactive surface sites at which electron transfer occurs have been identified.

Dynamic, continuous multitasking training leads to task-specific improvements but does not transfer across action selection tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Angela D.; Filmer, Hannah L.; Naughtin, Claire K.; Dux, Paul E.

2017-12-01

The ability to perform multiple tasks concurrently is an ever-increasing requirement in our information-rich world. Despite this, multitasking typically compromises performance due to the processing limitations associated with cognitive control and decision-making. While intensive dual-task training is known to improve multitasking performance, only limited evidence suggests that training-related performance benefits can transfer to untrained tasks that share overlapping processes. In the real world, however, coordinating and selecting several responses within close temporal proximity will often occur in high-interference environments. Over the last decade, there have been notable reports that training on video action games that require dynamic multitasking in a demanding environment can lead to transfer effects on aspects of cognition such as attention and working memory. Here, we asked whether continuous and dynamic multitasking training extends benefits to tasks that are theoretically related to the trained tasks. To examine this issue, we asked a group of participants to train on a combined continuous visuomotor tracking task and a perceptual discrimination task for six sessions, while an active control group practiced the component tasks in isolation. A battery of tests measuring response selection, response inhibition, and spatial attention was administered before and immediately after training to investigate transfer. Multitasking training resulted in substantial, task-specific gains in dual-task ability, but there was no evidence that these benefits generalized to other action control tasks. The findings suggest that training on a combined visuomotor tracking and discrimination task results in task-specific benefits but provides no additional value for untrained action selection tasks.

Energy-independent intracellular gene delivery mediated by polymeric biomimetics of cell-penetrating peptides.

PubMed

Chae, Su Young; Kim, Hyun June; Lee, Min Sang; Jang, Yeon Lim; Lee, Yuhan; Lee, Soo Hyeon; Lee, Kyuri; Kim, Sun Hwa; Kim, Hong Tae; Chi, Sang-Cheol; Park, Tae Gwan; Jeong, Ji Hoon

2011-09-09

Efficient gene transfer into mammalian cells mediated by small molecular amphiphile-polymer conjugates, bile acid-polyethylenimine (BA-PEI), is demonstrated, opening an efficient transport route for genetic materials across the cell membrane. This process occurs without the aid of endocytosis or other energy-consuming processes, thus mimicking macromolecular transduction by cell-penetrating peptides. The exposure of a hydrophilic face of the amphiphilic BA moiety on the surface of BA-PEI/DNA complex that mediates direct contact of the BA molecules to the cell surface seems to play an important role in the endocytosis- and energy-independent internalization process. The new modality of the polymeric biomimetics can be applied to enhanced delivery of macromolecular therapeutics. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

On Heat Transfer - Stress Analysis of Modified Brick (Reed Filler) Upon Its Production Stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ornam, Kurniati; Kimsan, Masykur; Teguh Prakasa, Cadas; Ode Ngkoimani, La; Santi

2017-05-01

This paper aimed to scrutinize how burning process in modified brick’s production impinge on crack as a result of stress differentiation between two consecutive layers of the brick’s element. Diffusion engages in burning process of bricks, hence it generates thermal stress on element for different temperature between layers. This research focused on burning process in traditional production ward. Analytical of nonlinear equation and numerical solution, finite difference, were involved to obtain temperature value in each layer, followed by stress calculation. Based on the results, it can be concluded that crack occurs particularly on boundary area, since difussion tends to yield relatively more different value on it. Therefore, certain strategies, that may decrease this differentiation, are required to minimize number of cracks during brick’s production.

Quantitative analysis of recombination between YFP and CFP genes of FRET biosensors introduced by lentiviral or retroviral gene transfer

PubMed Central

Komatsubara, Akira T.; Matsuda, Michiyuki; Aoki, Kazuhiro

2015-01-01

Biosensors based on the principle of Förster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been developed to visualize spatio-temporal dynamics of signalling molecules in living cells. Many of them adopt a backbone of intramolecular FRET biosensor with a cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) as donor and acceptor, respectively. However, there remains the difficulty of establishing cells stably expressing FRET biosensors with a YFP and CFP pair by lentiviral or retroviral gene transfer, due to the high incidence of recombination between YFP and CFP genes. To address this, we examined the effects of codon-diversification of YFP on the recombination of FRET biosensors introduced by lentivirus or retrovirus. The YFP gene that was fully codon-optimized to E.coli evaded the recombination in lentiviral or retroviral gene transfer, but the partially codon-diversified YFP did not. Further, the length of spacer between YFP and CFP genes clearly affected recombination efficiency, suggesting that the intramolecular template switching occurred in the reverse-transcription process. The simple mathematical model reproduced the experimental data sufficiently, yielding a recombination rate of 0.002–0.005 per base. Together, these results show that the codon-diversified YFP is a useful tool for expressing FRET biosensors by lentiviral or retroviral gene transfer. PMID:26290434

IR-Driven Ultrafast Transfer of Plasmonic Hot Electrons in Nonmetallic Branched Heterostructures for Enhanced H2 Generation.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhenyi; Jiang, Xiaoyi; Liu, Benkang; Guo, Lijiao; Lu, Na; Wang, Li; Huang, Jindou; Liu, Kuichao; Dong, Bin

2018-03-01

The ultrafast transfer of plasmon-induced hot electrons is considered an effective kinetics process to enhance the photoconversion efficiencies of semiconductors through strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of plasmonic nanostructures. Although this classical sensitization approach is widely used in noble-metal-semiconductor systems, it remains unclear in nonmetallic plasmonic heterostructures. Here, by combining ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy with theoretical simulations, IR-driven transfer of plasmon-induced hot electron in a nonmetallic branched heterostructure is demonstrated, which is fabricated through solvothermal growth of plasmonic W 18 O 49 nanowires (as branches) onto TiO 2 electrospun nanofibers (as backbones). The ultrafast transfer of hot electron from the W 18 O 49 branches to the TiO 2 backbones occurs within a timeframe on the order of 200 fs with very large rate constants ranging from 3.8 × 10 12 to 5.5 × 10 12 s -1 . Upon LSPR excitation by low-energy IR photons, the W 18 O 49 /TiO 2 branched heterostructure exhibits obviously enhanced catalytic H 2 generation from ammonia borane compared with that of W 18 O 49 nanowires. Further investigations by finely controlling experimental conditions unambiguously confirm that this plasmon-enhanced catalytic activity arises from the transfer of hot electron rather than from the photothermal effect. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quantitative transfer of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to equipment during small-scale production of fresh-cut leafy greens.

PubMed

Buchholz, Annemarie L; Davidson, Gordon R; Marks, Bradley P; Todd, Ewen C D; Ryser, Elliot T

2012-07-01

Postharvest contamination and subsequent spread of Escherichia coli O157:H7 can occur during shredding, conveying, fluming, and dewatering of fresh-cut leafy greens. This study quantified E. coli O157:H7 transfer from leafy greens to equipment surfaces during simulated small-scale commercial processing. Three to five batches (22.7 kg) of baby spinach, iceberg lettuce, and romaine lettuce were dip inoculated with a four-strain cocktail of avirulent, green fluorescent protein-labeled, ampicillinresistant E. coli O157:H7 to contain ∼10(6), 10(4), and 10(2) CFU/g, and then were processed after 1 h of draining at ∼23°C or 24 h of storage at 4°C. Lettuce was shredded using an Urschel TransSlicer at two different blade and belt speeds to obtain normal (5 by 5 cm) and more finely shredded (0.5 by 5 cm) lettuce. Thereafter, the lettuce was step conveyed to a flume tank and was washed and then dried using a shaker table and centrifugal dryer. Product (25-g) and water (40-ml) samples were collected at various points during processing. After processing, product contact surfaces (100 cm(2)) on the shredder (n = 14), conveyer (n = 8), flume tank (n = 11), shaker table (n = 9), and centrifugal dryer (n = 8) were sampled using one-ply composite tissues. Sample homogenates diluted in phosphate or neutralizing buffer were plated, with or without prior 0.45- m m membrane filtration, on Trypticase soy agar containing 0.6% yeast extract supplemented with 100 ppm of ampicillin to quantify green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli O157:H7 under UV light. During leafy green processing, ∼90% of the E. coli O157:H7 inoculum transferred to the wash water. After processing, E. coli O157:H7 populations were highest on the conveyor and shredder (P<0.05), followed by the centrifugal dryer, flume tank, and shaker table, with ∼29% of the remaining product inoculum lost during centrifugal drying. Overall, less (P<0.05) of the inoculum remained on the product after centrifugally drying iceberg lettuce that was held for 1 h (8.13%) as opposed to 24 h (42.18%) before processing, with shred size not affecting the rate of E. coli O157:H7 transfer.

Modeling of Heating During Food Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheleva, Ivanka; Kamburova, Veselka

Heat transfer processes are important for almost all aspects of food preparation and play a key role in determining food safety. Whether it is cooking, baking, boiling, frying, grilling, blanching, drying, sterilizing, or freezing, heat transfer is part of the processing of almost every food. Heat transfer is a dynamic process in which thermal energy is transferred from one body with higher temperature to another body with lower temperature. Temperature difference between the source of heat and the receiver of heat is the driving force in heat transfer.

Experimental insights on the electron transfer and energy transfer processes between Ce{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} and Ce{sup 3+}-Tb{sup 3+} in borate glass

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

Sontakke, Atul D., E-mail: sontakke.atul.55a@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Katayama, Yumiko; Tanabe, Setsuhisa

2015-03-30

A facile method to describe the electron transfer and energy transfer processes among lanthanide ions is presented based on the temperature dependent donor luminescence decay kinetics. The electron transfer process in Ce{sup 3+}-Yb{sup 3+} exhibits a steady rise with temperature, whereas the Ce{sup 3+}-Tb{sup 3+} energy transfer remains nearly unaffected. This feature has been investigated using the rate equation modeling and a methodology for the quantitative estimation of interaction parameters is presented. Moreover, the overall consequences of electron transfer and energy transfer process on donor-acceptor luminescence behavior, quantum efficiency, and donor luminescence decay kinetics are discussed in borate glass host.more » The results in this study propose a straight forward approach to distinguish the electron transfer and energy transfer processes between lanthanide ions in dielectric hosts, which is highly advantageous in view of the recent developments on lanthanide doped materials for spectral conversion, persistent luminescence, and related applications.« less

Mechanism of explosive eruptions of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dvorak, J.J.

1992-01-01

A small explosive eruption of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, occurred in May 1924. The eruption was preceded by rapid draining of a lava lake and transfer of a large volume of magma from the summit reservoir to the east rift zone. This lowered the magma column, which reduced hydrostatic pressure beneath Halemaumau and allowed groundwater to flow rapidly into areas of hot rock, producing a phreatic eruption. A comparison with other events at Kilauea shows that the transfer of a large volume of magma out of the summit reservoir is not sufficient to produce a phreatic eruption. For example, the volume transferred at the beginning of explosive activity in May 1924 was less than the volumes transferred in March 1955 and January-February 1960, when no explosive activity occurred. Likewise, draining of a lava lake and deepening of the floor of Halemaumau, which occurred in May 1922 and August 1923, were not sufficient to produce explosive activity. A phreatic eruption of Kilauea requires both the transfer of a large volume of magma from the summit reservoir and the rapid removal of magma from near the surface, where the surrounding rocks have been heated to a sufficient temperature to produce steam explosions when suddenly contacted by groundwater. ?? 1992 Springer-Verlag.

Transfer from primary maternity unit to tertiary hospital in New Zealand - timing, frequency, reasons, urgency and outcomes: Part of the Evaluating Maternity Units study.

PubMed

Grigg, Celia P; Tracy, Sally K; Tracy, Mark; Schmied, Virginia; Monk, Amy

2015-09-01

to examine the transfers from primary maternity units to a tertiary hospital in New Zealand by describing the frequency, timing, reasons and outcomes of those who had antenatal or pre-admission birthplace plan changes, and transfers in labour or postnatally. mixed methods prospective (concurrent) cohort study, which analysed transfer and clinical outcome data (407 primary unit cohort, 285 tertiary hospital cohort), and data from the six week postpartum survey (571 respondents). well, pregnant women booked to give birth in a tertiary maternity hospital or primary maternity unit in one region in New Zealand (2010-2012). All women received midwifery continuity of care, regardless of their intended or actual birthplace. fewer than half of the women who planned a primary unit birth gave birth there (191 or 46.9%). A change of plan may have been made either antenatally or before admission in labour; and transfers were made after admission to the primary unit in labour or during the postnatal stay (about 48 hours). Of the 117 (28.5%) planning a primary unit birth who changed their planned birthplace type antenatally 73 (62.4%) were due to a clinical indication. Earthquakes accounted for 28.1% of birthplace change (during the research period major earthquakes occurred in the study region). Most (73.8%) labour changes occurred before admission in labour to the primary unit. For the 76 women who changed plan at this stage the most common reasons to do so were a rapid labour (25.0%) or prolonged rupture of membranes (23.7%). Transfers in labour from primary unit to tertiary hospital occurred for 27 women (12.6%) of whom 26 (96.3%) were having their first baby. "Slow progress" of labour accounted for 21 (77.8%) of these and 17 (62.9%) were classified as 'non-emergency'. The average transfer time for 'emergency' transfers was 58 minutes. The average time for all labour transfers from specialist consultation to birth was 4.5 hours. Nine postnatal transfers (maternal or neonatal) from a primary unit occurred (4.7%), making a total post-admission transfer rate of 17.3% for the primary unit cohort. birthplace changes were not uncommon, with many women changing their birthplace plan antenatally or prior to admission in labour and some transferring between facilities during or soon after birth. Most changes were due to the development of complications or 'risk factors'. Most transfers were not urgent and took approximately one hour from the decision to arrival at the tertiary hospital. Despite the transfers the neonatal clinical outcomes were comparable between both primary and tertiary cohorts, and there was higher maternal morbidity in the tertiary cohort. although the study size is relatively small, its comprehensive documentation of transfers has the potential to inform future research and the birthplace decision-making of childbearing women and midwives. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Conformational selection in protein binding and function

PubMed Central

Weikl, Thomas R; Paul, Fabian

2014-01-01

Protein binding and function often involves conformational changes. Advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments indicate that these conformational changes can occur in the absence of ligand molecules (or with bound ligands), and that the ligands may “select” protein conformations for binding (or unbinding). In this review, we argue that this conformational selection requires transition times for ligand binding and unbinding that are small compared to the dwell times of proteins in different conformations, which is plausible for small ligand molecules. Such a separation of timescales leads to a decoupling and temporal ordering of binding/unbinding events and conformational changes. We propose that conformational-selection and induced-change processes (such as induced fit) are two sides of the same coin, because the temporal ordering is reversed in binding and unbinding direction. Conformational-selection processes can be characterized by a conformational excitation that occurs prior to a binding or unbinding event, while induced-change processes exhibit a characteristic conformational relaxation that occurs after a binding or unbinding event. We discuss how the ordering of events can be determined from relaxation rates and effective on- and off-rates determined in mixing experiments, and from the conformational exchange rates measured in advanced NMR or single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments. For larger ligand molecules such as peptides, conformational changes and binding events can be intricately coupled and exhibit aspects of conformational-selection and induced-change processes in both binding and unbinding direction. PMID:25155241

Direct observation of sequential oxidations of a titania-bound molecular proxy catalyst generated through illumination of molecular sensitizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiang-Yun; Ardo, Shane

2018-01-01

Natural photosynthesis uses the energy in sunlight to oxidize or reduce reaction centres multiple times, therefore preparing each reaction centre for a multiple-electron-transfer reaction that will ultimately generate stable reaction products. This process relies on multiple chromophores per reaction centre to quickly generate the active state of the reaction centre and to outcompete deleterious charge recombination. Using a similar design principle, we report spectroscopic evidence for the generation of a twice-oxidized TiO2-bound molecular proxy catalyst after low-intensity visible-light excitation of co-anchored molecular Ru(II)-polypyridyl dyes. Electron transfer from an excited dye to TiO2 generated a Ru(III) state that subsequently and repeatedly reacted with neighbouring Ru(II) dyes via self-exchange electron transfer to ultimately oxidize a distant co-anchored proxy catalyst before charge recombination. The largest yield for twice-oxidized proxy catalysts occurred when they were present at low coverage, suggesting that large dye/electrocatalyst ratios are also desired in dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells.