This frequently-asked-questions feature provides answers about earthquakes, faults, plate tectonics, and earthstructure. Maps and diagrams are provided with some answers, and links to additional information and to related topics are included.
In this thesis the results are described of an investigation into the radiationless transfer of electronic excitation energies in various Eu"3"+ and Tb"3"+ compounds, which show structural peculiarities in the rare-earth sublattice. These peculiarities are an one-dimensional sublattice as well as two different crystallographic locations for the rare-earth ion. 154 refs.; 43 figs.; 12 tabs.
We describe the development of a fully coupled climate model configuration where the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) has been coupled with the VERDE (Visualizing Energy Resources Dynamically on the Earth) analysis modules that compute the response of the electric grid to temperature drivers. The VERDE model includes datasets characterizing the 26,500 sub-stations and 6,000 power generation stations fuel mix, efficiency, service areas, and future performance and these have been geo-located on a 1.4 degree latitude by 1.4 degree longitude CCSM grid (T85). The total electric customers have been computed using conversions derived from economic structure and population data. The carbon emissions per customer and the power generation in megawatts electric (MWe) have also been placed on reconciled 1 km, 4 km and the T85 climate model grid. The CCSM temperature for the present and future have been extracted from the climate model output and ...
The bright star 55 Cancri is known to host five planets, including a transiting super-Earth. The interferometric study presented here yields directly determined values for 55 Cnc's stellar astrophyiscal parameters: $R=0.943 \\pm 0.010 R_{\\odot}$, $T_{\\rm EFF} = 5196 \\pm 24$ K. We use isochrone fitting to determine 55 Cnc's age to be 10.2 $\\pm$ 2.5 Gyr, implying a stellar mass of $0.905 \\pm 0.015 M_{\\odot}$. Our analysis of the location and extent of the system's habitable zone (0.67--1.32 AU) shows that planet f ($M \\sin i = 0.155 M_{Jupiter}$) spends the majority of the duration of its elliptical orbit in the circumstellar habitable zone, where, with moderate greenhouse heating, it could harbor liquid water. Finally, our direct value for 55 Cancri's stellar radius allows for a model-independent calculation of the physical diameter of the transiting super-Earth 55 Cnc e ($\\sim 2.05 \\pm 0.15 R_{\\earth}$), which, ...
For the reuse of a waste salt from an electrorefining process of a spent oxide fuel, a separation of rare earth elements by an oxidative precipitation in a LiCl-KCl molten salt was tested without using precipitate agents. From the results obtained from the thermochemical calculations by HSC Chemistry software, the most stable rare earth compounds in the oxygen-used rare earth chlorides system were oxychlorides (EuOCl, NdOCl, PrOCl) and oxides (CeO{sub 2}, PrO{sub 2}), which coincide well with results of the Gibbs free energy of the reaction. In this study, similar to the thermochemical results, regardless of the sparging time and molten salt temperature, oxychlorides and oxides were formed as a precipitant by a reaction with oxygen. The structure of the rare earth precipitates was divided into two shapes: small cubic (oxide) and large plate-like (tetragonal) ...
For the reuse of a waste salt from an electrorefining process of a spent oxide fuel, a separation of rare earth elements by an oxidative precipitation in a LiCl-KCl molten salt was tested without using precipitate agents. From the results obtained from the thermochemical calculations by HSC Chemistry software, the most stable rare earth compounds in the oxygen-used rare earth chlorides system were oxychlorides (EuOCl, NdOCl, PrOCl) and oxides (CeO2, PrO2), which coincide well with results of the Gibbs free energy of the reaction. In this study, similar to the thermochemical results, regardless of the sparging time and molten salt temperature, oxychlorides and oxides were formed as a precipitant by a reaction with oxygen. The structure of the rare earth precipitates was divided into two shapes: small cubic (oxide) and large plate-like (tetragonal) structures. The ...
For the reuse of a waste salt from an electrorefining process of a spent oxide fuel, a separation of rare earth elements by an oxidative precipitation in a LiCl-KCl molten salt was tested without using precipitate agents. From the results obtained from the thermochemical calculations by HSC Chemistry software, the most stable rare earth compounds in the oxygen-used rare earth chlorides system were oxychlorides (EuOCl, NdOCl, PrOCl) and oxides (CeO2, PrO2), which coincide well with results of the Gibbs free energy of the reaction. In this study, similar to the thermochemical results, regardless of the sparging time and molten salt temperature, oxychlorides and oxides were formed as a precipitant by a reaction with oxygen. The structure of the rare earth precipitates was divided into two sha...
The possible physical linkage between galactic cosmic rays intensity and the Earth's cloud cover is discussed using the analysis of the first indirect aerosol effect (Twomey effect) and its experimental representation as the dependence of average cloud droplet effective radius on aerosol index characterizing the aerosol concentration in the atmospheric air column of unit section. It is shown that the basic kinetic equation of the Earth's climate energy-balance model is described by the bifurcation equation (with respect to the temperature of the Earth's surface) in the form of fold catastrophe with two governing parameters defining the variations of insolation and Earth's magnetic field (or galactic cosmic rays intensity in the atmosphere), respectively. The principle of hierarchical climatic models construction, which consists in the structural invariance of balance equations of ...
Periodontitis is an infectious process characterized by inflammation affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major oral bacterial species implicated...Full Text Available
Earth degassing specifically of carbon dioxide CO2 is of increasing interest with respect to the global carbon budget, related climate effects, earthquake and volcano eruption mechanisms, as well as plant physiological reactions in gas-rich environments. Investigations in all of these disciplines require the detection of surface CO2 degassing structures and quantification of their emissions. We introduce minimal thermal change detection based on infrared imaging as a new remote sensing tool for the detection of earth surface thermal anomalies suiting among others to discover earth degassing locations of any origin. The method allows for seamless areal search and monitoring of degassing structures in any terrain. As proof of concept infrared imaging measurements were performed at the Bossol...
Abstract The creation of chirality on Earth and the development of chiral life have been discussed in this highlight. Convincing evidence for the introduction of chirality on Earth is still fragmentary. We believe that by a combination of chiral crystallization and formation of helical polymers with preferred chiral conformational structure is the key to this question. This concept of macromolecular asymmetry has inspired ideas and resulted in possible rules for how chiral life as we know it, could have been introduced. These investigations needed the understanding of the requirements for chiral crystallization, for the stereochemistry of the initial formation of helical polymers, the measurements of optical activity of solids and their coordination with the fundamentals of chirality. Spac...
BackgroundSynonymous sites are freer to vary because of redundancy in genetic code. Messenger RNA secondary structure restricts this freedom, as revealed by previous findings in...Full Text Available
Electricity markets in the United States are undergoing unprecedented structural changes as a result of the confluence of regulatory, competitive, and technological forces. This paper introduces these structural changes and forces and discuss the implications, markets and commercialization scenarios for emerging fuel cells in evolving US electricity markets.
Clays and zeolites are among the most important of natural dusts by virtue of their occurrence through out the world on the earth`s surface and their important industrial uses. (The 1:1 layer silicates, including the serpentine and kaolin minerals, are not addressed in this chapter.) This chapter provides basic information on a variety of important aspects of each mineral, including crystal structure diagrams of each and references to more detailed discussions. 110 refs., 20 figs.
The luminescence spectra of trivalent europium ion embedded in various rare earth chromates were analysed. The spectroscopic data in most of chromates are in agreement with the structural determination but for some others the discrepancy between two methods is underlined. Energy level schemes were deducted from the experimental emission spectra and the crystal field simulation has been performed. The maximum splitting of the "7F_1 manifold of the Eu"3"+ ion as a function of N_v, the so-called crystal field strength parameter, is given. This allows us to classify the compounds according to their crystal field extent. (author)
Hard X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometers aboard two interplanetary spacecraft, Ulysses and Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO), and two near-Earth spacecraft, Yohkoh and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO/BATSE), are currently in operation. A unique set of circumstances have permitted the observation of the 15 November 1991 (2238 UT) flare by all the four instruments. This intense flare (GOES class X 1.5) was associated with the bright (3B) H-alpha flare located on the disk (S13, W19) in the active region 6919. At the time of the flare, the Ulysses and PVO spacecraft were located respectively 101[degree] and 52[degree] west of the Sun-Earth line. Thus the view angles for the PVO and Ulysses instruments were quite different from those of the near-Earth instruments on GRO and Yohkoh. The preliminary photon energy spectra observed by the four instruments at different times during the flare will be presented and their ...
The collision of the Earth with extra-terrestrial ice-volatile bodies is proposed as a mechanism to produce rapid changes in the geologic record. These bodies would be analogs of the ice satellites found for the Jovian planets and suspected for comets and certain low density bodies in the Asteroid belt. Five generic end-members are postulated: (1) water ice; (2) dry ice: carbon-carbon dioxide rich, (3) oceanic (chloride) ice; (4) sulfur-rich ice; (5) ammonia hydrate-rich ice; and (6) clathrate: methane-rich ice. Due to the volatile nature of these bodies, evidence for their impact with the Earth would be subtle and probably best reflected geochemically or in the fossil record. Actual boloids impacting the Earth may have a variable composition, generally some admixture with water ice. However for discussion purposes, only the effects of a dominant component will be treated. The general geological effects of such collisions, ...
Cilia are important cellular structures that have been implicated in a variety of signaling cascades. In this review, we discuss the current evidence for and against a link between cilia and both the...Full Text Available
A pore-forming peptide is implicated in the potent cytolytic activity of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica. Using NH2-terminal sequence information of this peptide, the corresponding cDNA was isolated....Full Text Available
The content of guanine+cytosine varies markedly along the chromosomes of homeotherms and great effort has been devoted to studying this heterogeneity and its biological implications. Already...Full Text Available
Although salamanders are characteristic amphibians in Holarctic temperate habitats, in tropical regions they have diversified evolutionarily only in tropical America. An adaptive radiation centered...Full Text Available
Earth`s history has been witness to recurrently alternating phases of catastrophic evolution and dominant tectonic deformations, contractions and extension of rifting and spreading leading to quasi-cyclic changes in sedimentary environment and various earth processes. Recent studies have shown quasi-periodicities of 32{+-}2 Million years (Myr) in various endogenic (geomagnetic reversals, magmatic events, mantle convection, various tectonic activities, climate change and biological extinctions) and exogenic (impact catering) processes indicating a remarkable kinship. A time series analysis is presented of the available CO{sub 2} record over the past 250 Myr decoded from global CaCO{sub 3} accumulation rates in sedimentary environment. The time series analysis reveals an intriguing evidence of a dominant periodicity of 33{+-}2 Myr which matches closely with a `common catastrophic periodicity` of 32 Myr identified in various terrestrial and ...
The desire to study negative ion structure and negative ion-photon interactions has spurred the development of ion sources for use in research and industry. The many different types of negative ion sources available today differ in their characteristics and abilities to produce anions of various species. Thus the importance of choosing the correct type of negative ion source for a particular research or industrial application is clear. In this study, the results of an investigation on the production of beams composed of negatively-charged rare-earth ions from a cylindrical-cathode-geometry, cesium-sputter-type negative ion source are presented. Beams of atomic anions have been observed for most of the first-row rare-earth elements, with typical currents ranging from hundreds of picoamps to several nanoamps.
The paramagnetic susceptibilities of all the RCo_2 compounds for which measurements are available are found to obey a Curie-Weiss law consistent with the modified indirect exchange model. The rare-earth ions are in a well defined tripositive valence state. Paramagnetic moments and paramagnetic Curie temperatures are obtained for these materials for the first time. The paramagnetic moments of these materials are changed from their free-ion values by the effects of itinerant electron polarisation, an effect which is particularly large for SmCo_2 whose paramagnetic moment is almost three times greater than the free-ion value. The modified indirect exchange model is found to be able to give a full description of the magnitude of the rare-earth, cobalt and diffuse moments in polarised neutron experiments. The band structures of the light RCo_2 compounds are found to be distinctly different to those of the heavy RCo_2 compounds. ...
... The relation between turbulence structure and a scalar detected using a new statistical test for the change in fractal dimension of a time-series, Department of Geography, University of Durham Workshop on Coherent Structures in Rivers Keylock C.J., Nishimura K., Nemoto M., Ito Y. 2006. The wake structure from fractal fences: implications for the control of turbulent suspensions, Warwick Turbulence ...
The use of europium as a local structural probe allows the various phases appearing in the NaCaPO_4-Na_3Eu(PO_4)_2 and NaSrPO_4-Na_3Eu(PO_4)_2 systems to be detected. The broadening of the europium emission lines in going from the calcium to the strontium phases illustrates the ease of displacement of the PO_4 groups. (Auth.).
An outline of Manitoba Hydro's Earth Power program was presented. Details of the heat pump market in Manitoba were provided, including details of residential and commercial sales. Total residential heat pump sales amounted to 577 units in 2004, equivalent to over $11.2 million in sales. Commercial installations amounted to approximately $12.7 million. An outline of industry players was presented. The goals of Manitoba Hydro were outlined in relation to geothermal energy and the Power Smart program. Their objectives included increasing awareness of geothermal energy, making heat pumps more accessible, and improving industry infrastructure. Other objectives included educating the public about life-cycle cost implications, residential loans and commercial incentives. To date, the residential power loan has provided financing to over 300 Manitoba home owners for installations, with electrical savings of over 1.34 Gwh and natural gas savings of ...
Three independent studies have been conducted for assessing the impact of rocket launches on the earth`s environment. These studies have addressed issues of acid rain in the troposphere, ozone depletion in the stratosphere, toxicity of chemical rocket exhaust products, and the potential impact on global warming from carbon dioxide emissions from rocket launches. Local, regional, and global impact assessments were examined and compared with both natural sources and anthropogenic sources of known atmospheric pollutants with the following conclusions: (1) Neither solid nor liquid rocket launches have a significant impact on the earth`s global environment, and there is no real significant difference between the two. (2) Regional and local atmospheric impacts are more significant than global impacts, but quickly return to normal background conditions within a few hours after launch. And (3) vastly increased space launch activities equivalent to 50 ...
The true nature of the progenitor to GRBs remains elusive; one characteristic that would constrain our understanding of the GRB mechanism considerably is gamma-ray polarimetry measurements of the initial burst flux. We present a method that interprets the prompt GRB flux as it Compton scatters off the Earth's atmosphere, based on detailed modelling of both the Earth's atmosphere and the orbiting detectors. The BATSE mission aboard the \\textit{CGRO} monitored the whole sky in the 20 keV - 1 MeV energy band continuously from April 1991 until June 2000. We present the BATSE Albedo Polarimetry System (BAPS), and show that GRB 930131 and GRB 960924 provide evidence of polarisation in their prompt flux that is consistent with degrees of polarisation of $\\Pi>35$% and $\\Pi>50$% respectively. While the evidence of polarisation is strong, the method is unable to strongly constrain the degree of polarisation beyond a systematics based estimation. ...
Three new phases with compositions, LaSr_2FeTiO_7, NdSr_2FeTiO_7 and GdSr_2FeTiO_7, were prepared by the traditional ceramic method. Lazy-Pulverix analysis of the X-ray diffraction data suggests that the phases crystallize in the RP-type (n = 2) structure in the space group, I4/mmm. The cell dimensions along the c-axis decrease with decrease in size of the rare earth ions. Electrical resistivity, as a function of temperature, shows that the materials are insulators and the resistivity decreases with decrease in the size of the rare earth ion, which is attributed to increase in the three-dimensional character. (author)
The luminescence spectra of trivalent europium ion embedded in various rare earth chromates were analysed. The spectroscopic data in most of chromates are in agreement with the structural determination but for some others the discrepancy between two methods is underlined. Energy level schemes were deducted from the experimental emission spectra and the crystal field simulation has been performed. The maximum splitting of the {sup 7}F{sub 1} manifold of the Eu{sup 3+} ion as a function of N{sub v}, the so-called crystal field strength parameter, is given. This allows us to classify the compounds according to their crystal field extent. (author) 11 refs, 8 figs, 2 tabs
The use of selective additives such as MgO as a sintering aid and a rare earth oxide as a grain growth inhibitor, has allowed the manufacture of beryllia ceramics having close to theoretical density. The grain size and grain size distribution can be controlled by an optimum firing schedule leaving a remnant porosity which is extremely fine (0.2 {mu}m). This structure is compared with conventional BeO ceramics, densified by liquid phase sintering, which develops a glassy grain boundary and retains large pores up to 3 {mu}m. The significantly improved strength properties, extremely fine pores,the 'pinning effect' of rare earth oxide, and the superior surface finish both in the as-fired and polished state are discussed in relation to the micro-structure. (orig.).
The structural instability in high temperature A-15 superconductors is examined from a phenomenological, Landau theoretic point of view, based on the picture of an electronically driven lattice instability. emphasis is given to lattice properties--in particular, the extended softening of phonons in k-pace and phonon linewidth. Implications of the extended softening on the microscopic picture of the transition, and the interplay between structural and superconducting instabilities in the A-15 compounds are discussed.
The optical properties of uranium monochalcogenides and monopnictides are discussed in terms of their electronic structure. A comparison is made with corresponding rare earth compounds. It is shown that there are close similarities to mixed valence CeN. the results support the occurrence of a dip in the density of d states near Esub(F), where the f density of states has its maximum. Empirical energy level schemes are derived which are found to agree with the existing information from XPS measurements and recent theories. (orig.).
Improvements in critical current capacity for superconducting film structures are disclosed and include the use of a superconducting RE-BCO layer including a mixture of rare earth metals, e.g., yttrium and europium, where the ratio of yttrium to europium in the RE-BCO layer ranges from about 3 to 1 to from about 1.5 to 1.
We present a study of the crystal field in PrNiAl, NdNiAl, ErNiAl and ErCuAl intermetallic compounds based on inelastic neutron spectroscopy. These compounds crystallize in the ZrNiAl-type hexagonal structure with an orthorhombic symmetry on rare-earth sites. The results are compared with the specific-heat data, and the lower parts of the crystal-field energy-level schemes are determined. (orig.)
We present a study of the crystal field in PrNiAl, NdNiAl, ErNiAl and ErCuAl intermetallic compounds based on inelastic neutron spectroscopy. These compounds crystallize in the ZrNiAl-type hexagonal structure with an orthorhombic symmetry on rare-earth sites. The results are compared with the specific-heat data, and the lower parts of the crystal-field energy-level schemes are determined. (orig.)
Reciprocity is one of the defining features of social exchange and social life, yet exchange theorists have tended to take it for granted. Drawing on work from a decade-long theoretical research program, I argue that reciprocity is structured and variable across different forms of exchange, that these variations in the structure of reciprocity have profound effects on the emergence of integrative bonds of trust and solidarity, and that these effects are explained and mediated by a set of risk- and conflict-based processes. I discuss the consequences of this work for organizational theories of embeddedness and the production of social capital through network ties. Finally, I ask how the structure of networks and the structure of reciprocity are related to one another, and explore possible implications of the structure of reciprocity for exchange theorists' ...
The crystal structure of borophosphates ABPO{sub 5} (A = alkaline earth or Pb) was resolved on a polycrystalline sample using the Rietveld method. The x-ray diffraction patterns data show that ABPO{sub 5} crystallize in a centrosymmetric space group P3{sub 1}21 and their structure is related to the borogermanates REBGeO{sub 5} with a stillwellite-type structure. Pr{sup 3+} ion was used as a local structural probe to corroborate the structural resolution results. Absorption and fluorescence spectra of A{sub 1-x}Pr{sub x}BP{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x}O{sub 5} (A alkaline earth or Pb; x = 0.05) have been investigated at different temperatures. At 9 K the 3{sup H}{sub 4}{yields}{sup 3}P{sub 0} transition of trivalent praseodymium ion (4f{sup 2} configuration) is observed as a single line. This indicates a unique crystallographic site for the rare ...
The crystal structure of borophosphates ABPO_5 (A = alkaline earth or Pb) was resolved on a polycrystalline sample using the Rietveld method. The x-ray diffraction patterns data show that ABPO_5 crystallize in a centrosymmetric space group P3_121 and their structure is related to the borogermanates REBGeO_5 with a stillwellite-type structure. Pr"3"+ ion was used as a local structural probe to corroborate the structural resolution results. Absorption and fluorescence spectra of A_1_-_xPr_xBP_1_-_xGe_xO_5 (A alkaline earth or Pb; x = 0.05) have been investigated at different temperatures. At 9 K the 3"H_4#->#"3P_0 transition of trivalent praseodymium ion (4f"2 configuration) is observed as a single line. This indicates a unique crystallographic site for the rare earth ion in these compounds replacing the divalent ...
Photoluminescence properties and local electronic structures of rare earth (Eu^3^+ and Ce^3^+) activated Sr3AlO4F have been studied. X-ray powder diffraction data indicated that the activator ions of Eu^3^+ and Ce^3^+ can be incorporated into the Sr3AlO4F lattice and formed limited solid solutions of Sr3-2xLnxNaxAlO4F (Ln=Eu, Ce) with Na^+ as a charge compensator ion. The local structure around Sr sites was initially explored using Eu-activated Sr3AlO4F as a structural probe. Sr3AlO4F:Eu^3^+ exhibits orange-red emission ranging from 520 to 740nm with a maximum peak at about 619nm mainly originating from the ^5D0->^7FJ (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions, indicating that Eu exists mainly in the trivalent state due to a strong oxidative lattice in Sr3AlO4F. Sr3AlO4F:Ce^3^+ shows an unusual long-wa...
The concepts of ''fast'' and ''slow'' time scale valence measurements are emphasized by a comparison of L/sub III/ absorption and Mossbauer effect measurements on the temperature induced valence change in EuPd/sub 2/Si/sub 2/. Further the authors show how synchrotron radiation based L/sub III/ measurements of the Ce-valence state can be used to demonstrate electronic structure trends under wide changes in chemical environment. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to researchers in the People's Republic of China to the field of mixed valent rate earth compounds. They hope to illustrate some of the basic concepts in this field, how the field is contributing to the overall insight into the chemical physics of solids and finally how synchrotron radiation measurements in particular are playing a key role in this field.
Motivated by the discovery of superconductivity in alkali and alkaline earth fullerides, this program was undertaken both to understand the nature of and expand the range of materials demonstrating superconductivity. The first approach involved attempts to modify the fullerene cage by incorporating heteroatoms in the structure and the preparation and photophysical properties of nitrogen and sulfur doped fullerenes were studied in detail. The second approach involved examining the stoichiometry and effect of preparative conditions on the behavior of alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide and mixed ion fullerides. In particular, the authors have elaborated on a technique for making such salts using liquid ammonia or aliphatic amines as solvents. Thirdly, modeling studies were undertaken to predict the properties of heterohedral fullerines and metal - C60 complexes, and theoretical guidelines were developed for understanding the ...
The phenomenon of global warming, its causes and implications for the future, and the relationship between global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer are discussed. The Shindell model of the greenhouse effect, which is responsible for planetary warming, also contributes to the high altitude thinning of the ozone layer. While greenhouse gas emissions contribute to retaining infrared radiation, thus warming the surface of the earth, their effect is reduced at stratospheric altitudes resulting in reduced temperatures in this region. At this altitude temperatures can reach minus 90 degrees C, creating a whirlwind effect, with ice crystals forming at the heart of the vortex, causing the surface to accelerate chemical reactions which in turn leads to destruction of ozone. Although since the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 the industrialized countries have significantly reduced their emissions of refrigerating gas ...
The use of europium as a local structural probe allows the various phases appearing in the NaCaPO/sub 4/-Na/sub 3/Eu(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ and NaSrPO/sub 4/-Na/sub 3/Eu(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ systems to be detected. The broadening of the europium emission lines in going from the calcium to the strontium phases illustrates the ease of displacement of the PO/sub 4/ groups.
The p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSKs) also known as MAPKAP-Ks are serine/threonine protein kinases that are activated by ERK or PDK1 and act as downstream effectors of mitogen-activated protein kinase...Full Text Available
Holmium doped barium based hexaferrites BaFe_1_2_-_2_xHo_2_xO_1_9 with (x = 0.0-1.0) were synthesized by solid state reaction method. Structural and magnetic characterization of these ferrites provide significant information about their reactive physical properties. X-ray analysis reveals that in all samples M-type structure exist with few secondary phases. Scanning electron microscope revealed the grain size of the specimen. The results show that grain size decreases with the substitution degree of Holmium. Thus rare earth element Holmium Ho"3"+ acts as a grain growth inhibitor. The magnetic hysteresis loops show the variation in the values of magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization (M_s), remanent magnetization (M_r) and coercivity (H_c) were observed by changing Ho"3"+ content in BaFe_1_2_-_2_xHo_2_xO_1_9 ferrites. Coercivity showed a maximum value of 2230 Oe for (x = 0.4) and then decreasing trend were ...
The paper reports extensive analyses of the fractal geometry of cellular dislocation structures observed in Cu deformed in multiple-slip orientation. Several methods presented for the determination of fractal dimensions are shown to give consistent results. Criteria are formulated which allow the distinguishing of fractal from non-fractal patterns, and implications of fractal dislocation patterning for quantitative metallography are discussed in detail. For an interpretation of the findings a theoretical model is outlined according to which dislocation cell formation is associated to a noise-induced structural transition far from equilibrium. This allows relating the observed fractal dimensions to the stochastic properties of deformation by collective dislocation glide.
The Green River Basin is a northwest-southeast elongate structural feature located in southwestern Wyoming. Bounded by three basement uplifts, this complex mountain front basin possesses tremendous gas reserves. Production has been limited to a few structures, such as the Pinedale Anticline, because of the great depth of the basin. The Pinedale Anticline is an elongate structure that parallels the front of the Wind River Thrust. Earlier research has suggested that the anticline is not related to basement, but rather is associated with a foreland detachment structure. A new, high-resolution aeromagnetic survey has been modelled in detail and the results indicate that the Pinedale Anticline may actually be a basement related structure. Profile modelling normal to the anticline from the LaBarge Platform to the Wind River Mountains suggests that not only is Pinedale Field situated on a ...
The nine title compounds were prepared from the elements by arc-melting and subsequent heat treatment in resistance and high-frequency furnaces. The crystal structure of these isotypic compounds was determined for YPdSi from single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data: Pmmn, a = 430.8(1) pm, b = 1391.2(1) pm, c = 743.1(1) pm, Z = 8, R = 0.024 for 417 structure factors and 40 variable parameters. The crystal structures of the isotypic compounds GdPdSi and ErPdSi were also refined from single-crystal data. The structure is of a new type. It consists of condensed, six-membered rings of alternating palladium and silicon atoms with Pd-Si bond distances varying between 249.6 and 258.8 pm. These two-dimensionally infinite nets are connected to each other via weak Pd-Si and Si-Si bonds with bond distances of 276.3 and 259.5 pm. The rare earth atoms are situated above and below the six-membered ...
The amygdala, perhaps more than any other brain region, has been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. It is part of a system initially evolved to detect dangers in the environment and modulate subsequent responses, which can profoundly influence human behavior. If its threshold is set too low, normally benign aspects of the environment are perceived as dangers, interactions are limited, and anxiety may arise. If set too high, risk taking increases and inappropriate sociality may occur. Given that many neurodevelopmental disorders involve too little or too much anxiety or too little of too much social interaction, it is not surprising that the amygdala has been implicated in many of them. In this chapter, we begin by providing a brief overview of the phy...
In this work we examine a five-dimensional brane-world model with brane structure driven by a real scalar field. From the deformation of a kink-like defect we find a new class of brane solutions containing internal structures which have implications for the way the background space-time is constructed and the way its curvature behaves. Initially, for spin 0 scalar field, we find a zero mode which can be localized on the deformed brane. However, this result can change by the gravitational interaction with the brane internal structure. Analyzing the massive modes of the scalar field, using two different methods, we find resonance structures similar to those found in the study of gravity localization. The main objective here is to observe the contributions of the deformation procedure to the resonances and to the well known field localization methods.
Metal iodates with a lone-pair containing I(V) that is in an asymmetric coordination geometry can form a diversity of unusual structures and many of them are promising new second homonic generation (SHG) materials. They exhibit wide transparency wavelength regions, large SHG coefficients and high optical-damage thresholds as well as moderately high thermal stability. In this paper, the structures and properties of the metal iodates are reviewed. The combination of d0 transition-metal cations with the iodate groups afforded a large number of metal iodates, with cations covering alkali metal, alkaline earth and lanthanide elements. Many of them are noncentrosymmetric (NCS) and display excellent SHG properties due to the additive effects of polarizations from both types of the asymmetric unit...
The crystal structure of Ca{sub 2}RuD{sub 6} has been determined by neutron powder diffraction: space group Fm3m, K{sub 2}PtCl{sub 6} structure, as found for other hexahydride salts of group 8 metals with alkaline earth or lanthanide counter ions. No structural phase transition was observed between 340 K and 50 K. The deuterium nuclear quadrupole coupling constant, 54.7 kHz, leads to an ionic character of the Ru-D bond of 76%. The known trends in the behaviour of A{sub 2}MH{sub 6} salts are interpreted in terms of the ionization energies of the cation and the central metal atom.
The crystal structure of Ca2RuD6 has been determined by neutron powder diffraction: space group Fm3m, K2PtCl6 structure, as found for other hexahydride salts of group 8 metals with alkaline earth or lanthanide counter ions. No structural phase transition was observed between 340K and 50K. The deuterium nuclear quadrupole coupling constant, 54.7kHz, leads to an ionic character of the Ru-D bond of 76%. The known trends in the behaviour of A2MH6 salts are interpreted in terms of the ionization energies of the cation and the central metal atom.
Magnetic properties of single crystals of nonstoichiometric fluorides M[sub 1-x]R[sub x]F[sub 2+x] (M = Ca, Sr, Ba; R = Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb; with 0.05 [le] x [le] 0.28) with the fluorite-type structure have been studied for the first time. The magnetic susceptibility was measured using a Faraday balance in the 15-300 K temperature range. The samples are paramagnetic following the Curie-Weiss law. The values of paramagnetic Curie temperatures and effective magnetic moments of rare-earth ions have been found. Deviations of the temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility from the Curie-Weiss law are observed for some nonstoichiometric fluorides at temperatures ranging from 60 to 85 K. Possible reaons for these deviations are discussed. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility provide an effective technique for a rapid and accurate determination of the concentration of rare-earth ions in nonstoichiometric ...
The effect of microalloying with carbide-forming (V,Ti,Nb) and rare-earth elements and of high-temperature thermomechanical processing (HTMP) on the structure, mechanical properties and low temperature behaviour of 38CrSi steel has been investigated. It has been shown that in the case of dissolution of carbides during heating for quench hardening, the tempering resistance of the steel increases. It has also been found that - as a result of HTMP - the susceptibility of the steel irreversible temper brittleness decreases, irrespective of the steel having been microalloyed or not. The data, originating from tensile testing and impact testing (with the help of laser interferometry) in the temperature range from +20 to -196 degC, has been explained in terms of fractographic analysis. It has been shown that microalloying and HTMP favour the occurrence of ductile microvoids in the fracture. On the other hand, HTMP and rare-earth ...
WR 104 is the prototype for a small but growing group of stars that present the remarkably striking appearance of pinwheels. High resolution images of WR 104 show the (apparently) face-on spiral turning with an 8 month period. The pinwheel is assumed to be composed of dust produced via colliding winds in a low-inclination WR+OB binary. These assumptions have been very successful in modeling the imaging, but remain largely untested by spectroscopy. Strong motivation for further study of this system has emerged. Recent theory suggests that some gamma-ray bursts (GRB's) are core-collapse supernovae viewed nearly pole-on. The WC class Wolf-Rayet star in WR 104 is the type of star thought to be a possible GRB progenitor. If the orbit (and thus stellar rotation axes) are pole-on, the effects on Earth's biosphere could be significant. Confrontation of the face-on colliding-wind binary model with eight years of spectroscopy, offering full phase coverage of WR 104, is ...
A stellar evolution computer model has been used to determine changes in the luminosity L and effective temperature T(e) of single stars during their time on the main sequence. The range of stellar masses investigated was from 0.5 to 1.5 times that of the Sun, each with a mass fraction of metals (metallicity, Z) from 0.008 to 0.05. The extent of each star's habitable zone (HZ) has been determined from its values of L and T(e). These stars form a reference framework for other main sequence stars. All of the 104 main sequence stars known to have one or more giant planets have been matched to their nearest stellar counterpart in the framework, in terms of mass and metallicity, hence closely approximating their HZ limits. The limits of HZ, for each of these stars, have been compared to its giant planet(s)'s range of strong gravitational influence. This allows a quick assessment as to whether Earth-mass planets could exist in stable orbits within the HZ of such systems, ...
The growing global public concern over deteriorating air quality and greenhouse gases emissions released from various combustion processes, and particularly power plants and transportation system, led governments and local authorities, especially in industrialised countries into taking these issues seriously and establishing standards to reduce air pollution down to acceptable levels, (clean air act, earth summit,...). The transportation sector has another unwanted product, noise pollution caused by different segments of this sector including the noise produced by the engine, tires noise and exhaust noise, in addition to the noise product by private standby generals operating during electricity cut-off periods. To be able to estimate the environmental impacts of the national power plants and the transportation sector, it is necessary to collect enough data (samples of lead emissions, SO_2 concentration, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, ozone and ...
This work is concentrated on growth, spectroscopy and laser performance of thulium-doped vanadate crystals. At the beginning the growth techniques are analyzed and then the matrix of vanadates crystal, its structure and physicochemical properties are explained together with the rare earth activators influence. Detailed spectroscopy of the thulium-doped vanadate crystals then follows. On the background of this theoretical analysis and state of the art of the subject the description of thulium vanadate lasers (especially Tm:YVO"4, Tm:GdVO"4, and Tm:LuVO"4) together with their generated output radiation characteristics are presented.
Sialons are phases in the Si-Al-O-N and M-Si-Al-O-N systems where M includes Li, Mg, Ca, Sc, Y and the rare earth elements. They are comparable in variety with the mineral silicates and are built up of one-, two-, and three-dimensional arrangements of (Si,Al)(O,N)/sub 4/ tetrahedra in the same way that the structural units of the silicates are SiO/sub 4/ tetrahedra. These new materials include N-containing ceramics, glasses and glass-ceramics that are being explored for their thermal, chemical and physical properties.
The effects of a modifier that contains Rare Earths (RE), low melting point alloy (Al-Bi-Sb) and Ca-Si alloy on an ultrahigh carbon steel containing 1.9wt.% C were studied. Microstructure characterization was carried out with optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Upon modification, the continuous eutectic carbide network structure was broken up and changed to a partly isolated and finer blocky structure in the as-cast alloy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the eutectoid temperature increased and the eutectic temperature decreased for the modified alloy. Modification also improved the impact toughness of the tempered steel, with a significant increase from 6.5 to 12.6Jcm^-^2, despite the har...
During the next 100 years, the mean annual temperature is expected to be 1-6 deg C higher than at present. It is also expected to be accompanied by a lengthening of the thermal growing season and increased precipitation. Consequently, climatic change will increase the uncertainty of the management of forest ecosystems in the future. In this context, this research project aimed to outline the ecological and silvicultural implications of climatic change with regard to (1) how the expected climatic change might modify the functioning and structure of the boreal forest ecosystem, and (2) how the silvicultural management of the forest ecosystem should be modified in order to maintain sustainable forest yield under changing climatic conditions. The experimental component of the project concerned first the effect that elevating temperature and elevating concentration of atmospheric carbon have on the ontogenetic development of Scots pine (Pinus ...
This study evaluated potential hydrogeologic mechanisms that may account for increasing moisture content conditions within the sediments of hydroelectric earth dams. Many such dams in Canada are reaching their life spans of approximately 40 years, therefore this study is considered to be an important and timely undertaking. The objective was to develop a method to numerically assess transient groundwater flow processes within old earthstructures. The focus of this study was central Manitoba's Grand Rapids Generating Station where progressive movement within the till overburden has been observed since 1977. The possible source of water which is causing higher moisture content and weakness in the overburden material may be the slow wetting-up of the core and progressive increase in seepage to the downstream side. The evolution of flow through the core was evaluated with a modelling program called FRAC3D-VS which ...
The isomeric and {beta}-decay properties of neutron-rich {sup 53-57}Sc and {sup 53,54}Ca nuclei near neutron number N = 32 are reported, and the low-energy level schemes of {sup 53,54,56}Sc and {sup 53-57}Ti are presented. The low-energy level structures of the {sub 21}Sc isotopes are discussed in terms of the coupling of the valence 1f{sub 7/2} proton to states in the corresponding {sub 20}Ca cores. Implications with respect to the robustness of the N = 32 subshell closure are discussed, as well as the repercussions for a possible N = 34 subshell closure.
By using a model independent Monte Carlo approach, we study the possible structure of charged and neutral lepton mass matrices, under the assumption of an U(2) horizontal symmetry (additional to the usual Standard Model ones) involving the light fermion generations. We assume the most general Majorana mass matrix for neutrinos. We update the results of our previous similar study, by inserting in the analysis the recent KamLAND data, that contributed to find a final solution to the Solar neutrino problem. The introduction of the new experimental data reduce the allowed regions in the nine dimensional space parameters, and show that our procedure gives stable solutions.
A new metaheuristic optimisation algorithm, called Cuckoo Search (CS), was developed recently by Yang and Deb (2009). This paper presents a more extensive comparison study using some standard test functions and newly designed stochastic test functions. We then apply the CS algorithm to solve engineering design optimisation problems, including the design of springs and welded beam structures. The optimal solutions obtained by CS are far better than the best solutions obtained by an efficient particle swarm optimiser. We will discuss the unique search features used in CS and the implications for further research.
The main purpose of this paper is to stress the importance of CT depiction of the mandibular incisive canal. This anatomical structure contains a major neurovascular bundle and is thus very important in the planning of mandibular implants in the canine-incisive area. The importance of careful assessment of the mandibular canal course before implantology is now widely recognized. The same holds true for the canine-incisive region in the jaw, to detect the incisive canal if present and prevent any complications from its accidental damage. CT with a dedicated software showed the incisive canal in a large number of patients, which calls for precise reporting of its presence, course, and relationships with teeth.
This work contains 27 chapters which cover recent advances in fracture mechanics applied to cement-based composites: concrete, reinforced concrete, and fiber reinforced concrete. The book, based on a NATO Advanced Study Institute, is a comprehensive survey of treating nonlinearity associated with crack growth in brittle materials such as cement composites, rocks and ice. The book is divided into 8 major themes: advances in nonlinear fracture mechanics; fracture processes; numerical modelling of fracture; experimental methods of determining fracture parameters; damage and continuum modelling; strain-rate and dynamic effects of crack propagation; stress-corrosion, time and temperature effects on fracture; and implications for concrete structures.
The isomeric and ?-decay properties of neutron-rich 53-57Sc and 53,54Ca nuclei near neutron number N=32 are reported, and the low-energy level schemes of 53,54,56Sc and 53-57Ti are presented. The low-energy level structures of the 21Sc isotopes are discussed in terms of the coupling of the valence 1f7/2 proton to states in the corresponding 20Ca cores. Implications with respect to the robustness of the N=32 subshell closure are discussed, as well as the repercussions for a possible N=34 subshell closure.
The US Army Engineers Waterways Experiment Station (WES) and US Army Engineer Division, Huntsville (HNDED) have developed general design criteria and specific design review criteria for the earth-mounded concrete bunker (EMCB) alternative method of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal. An EMCB is generally described as a reinforced concrete vault placed below grade, underneath a tumulus, surrounded by filter-blanket and drainage zones. The tumulus is covered over with a low permeability cover layer and top soil with vegetation. Eight major review criteria categories have been developed ranging from the loads imposed on the EMCB structure through material quality and durability considerations. Specific design review criteria have been developed in detail for each of the eight major categories. 63 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.
Three new rare earth metal-rich compounds, Gd_4NiTe_2, and Er_5M_2Te_2 (M=Ni, Co), were synthesized in direct reactions using R, R_3M, and R_2Te_3 (R=Gd, Er; M=Co, Ni) and single-crystal structures were determined. Gd_4NiTe_2 is orthorhombic and crystallizes in space group Pnma with four formula units per cell. Lattice parameters at 110(2)K are a=15.548(9), b=4.113(2), c=11.7521(15)A. Er_5Ni_2Te_2 and Er_5Co_2Te_2 are isostructural and crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm with two formula units per cell. Lattice parameters at 110(2)K are a=3.934(1), b=14.811(4), c=14.709(4)A, and a=3.898(1), b=14.920(3), c=14.889(3)A, respectively. Metal-metal bonding correlations were analyzed using the empirical Pauling bond order concept.
A preliminary design effort directed toward a low concentration ratio photovoltaic array system capable of delivering multihundred kilowatts (300 kW to 1000 kW range) in low earth orbit is described. The array system consists of two or more array modules each capable of delivering between 113 kW to 175 kW using silicon solar cells or gallium arsenide solar cells, respectively. The array module deployed area is 1320 square meters and consists of 4356 pyramidal concentrator elements. The module, when stowed in the Space Shuttle's payload bay, has a stowage volume of a cube with 3.24 meters on a side. The concentrator elements are sized for a geometric concentration ratio (GCR) of six with an aperture area of .25 sq. m. The structural analysis and design trades leading to the baseline design are discussed. It describes the configuration, as well as optical, thermal and electrical performance analyses that support the design and overall ...
Solar High Altitude Powered Platform (Solar HAPP) aircraft are unmanned remote sensing vehicles designed for cruises lasting up to one year at 20-km altitude, while carrying up to 250 pounds of cameras and electrooptic sensors in an underslung payload pod. It is anticipated that real time IR and UV images of earth features may be more inexpensively and accurately obtained by this means than by the conventional geosynchronous earth resources satellites. Solar HAPPs, with wing spans of over 300 ft and weights of only 2000 lb, require ultralight composite structures with external wire bracing. Solar cells will cover both sides of the vertical wing stabilizers and wing tips, which hinge up in daytime to capture the maximum amount of sunlight. A 15-hp electric propulsion unit drives a low-rpm, large diameter propeller; power will be derived from the solar cells diurnally, and from hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells nocturnally. The fuel ...
Pre-stacking depth migration treatment is studied for the estimation of the fold configuration from seismic survey cross sections. The estimation of a velocity structure is necessary for the execution of such treatment, and the utilization of structural-geological knowledge is required for its interpretation. The concept of balanced cross section in relation to the fault-bend fold constructs a stratum structure model under conditions that the deformation during fold and fault formation is a planar strain, that there is no change in volume due to deformation, and that a fold is a parallel fold. In addition to the above geometric and kinetic approach, there is another fold formation process simulation model using a Newtonian fluid for study from the viewpoint of dynamics. This simulation stands on the presumption that the boundary contains a ramp that had been in presence before fold formation and that an incompressible ...
We present a novel preparation method for studies of in vitro reconstituted mitotic chromosomes from Xenopus laevis egg extracts. This method involves a gentle adsorption of chromosomes from the extracts using surface affinity enrichment, followed by plunge freezing, freeze-substitution and cryo-embedding before examination by EM tomography. For comparison, chromosomes were also prepared by a conventional method, which included immobilization of chromosomes in agarose and a room-temperature dehydration (embedding) protocol. Three-dimensional reconstructions showed that samples prepared with the new method have a greater interconnectivity of sub-structural features and a higher compaction ratio together with an apparently less perturbed chromatin structure than those prepared using the conventional approach. The implications of the new method for the preparation of other difficult samples and additional application ...
The energy bands and the nature of the conduction electrons have been studied for three intermetallic compounds of dysprosium. e.g., DyZn, DyCu and DyRh, following the augmented plane wave method. Density of states results are given and have implications for the stability of the structure of the intermetallic compounds of dysprosium. The charge densities and the number of conduction electrons inside and outside the APW spheres in each of these compounds are calculated; it is shown that the character of conduction electrons within the Dy APW sphere is principally of d type for all the compounds. The consequence of the predominance of d electron in the conduction bands on the various physical parameters is discussed. (author).
Jun 8, 2006 ... It also reflects the large amount of deforestation that has occurred on the Haitian side of the border. One can easily see from satellite imagery ...
Feb 25, 2008 ... In the two Landsat scenes shown above, the pattern of deforestation can be clearly discerned. Deep green in these images shows lush ...
Mar 30, 2007 ... Tropical forests are home to half the Earth's species, and their trees are an immense standing reservoir of carbon. Deforestation will have ...
Jul 26, 2011 ... The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth hosts the best and most complete online collection of astronaut photographs of the Earth.
... of this material is, however, outside the currently approved earth fill materials collection area ... fill material suitable for its intended use. The currently approved site contains material that is ...
The rare-earth based nickelates RNiO{sub 3} (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Pr{sub 1-x}La{sub x}, 0{<=}x{<=}0.7) were studied by inelastic neutron scattering. Energy splittings due to the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) interaction at the R{sup 3+} site within the electronic ground-state J multiplet (for R = Pr, Nd, and Pr{sub 1-x}La{sub x}) as well as within the two lowest-lying J multiplets (for R = Sm and Eu) were directly observed, and the corresponding CEF energy-level schemes were reconstructed. The latter were rationalized in terms of CEF parameters, which vary smoothly over the rare-earth series and give magnetic properties associated with the R sublattice in agreement with results from neutron powder diffraction experiments. Across the metal-insulator transition, a continuous change in the electronic part of the CEF parameters is observed. However, an attempt to quantify a charge transfer from the observed variation of the CEF ...
The rare-earth based nickelates RNiO{sub 3} (R=Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Pr{sub 1-x}La{sub x}, 0{<=}x{<=}0.7) were studied by inelastic neutron scattering. Energy splittings due to the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) interaction at the R{sup 3+} site within the electronic ground-state J multiplet (for R=Pr, Nd, and Pr{sub 1-x}La{sub x}) as well as within the two lowest-lying J multiplets (for R=Sm and Eu) were directly observed, and the corresponding CEF energy-level schemes were reconstructed. The latter were rationalized in terms of CEF parameters, which vary smoothly over the rare-earth series and give magnetic properties associated with the R sublattice in agreement with results from neutron powder diffraction experiments. Across the metal-insulator transition, a continuous change in the electronic part of the CEF parameters is observed. However, an attempt to quantify a charge transfer from the observed variation of the CEF ...
The rare-earth based nickelates RNiO_3 (R=Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Pr_1_-_xLa_x, 0#<=#x#<=#0.7) were studied by inelastic neutron scattering. Energy splittings due to the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) interaction at the R"3"+ site within the electronic ground-state J multiplet (for R=Pr, Nd, and Pr_1_-_xLa_x) as well as within the two lowest-lying J multiplets (for R=Sm and Eu) were directly observed, and the corresponding CEF energy-level schemes were reconstructed. The latter were rationalized in terms of CEF parameters, which vary smoothly over the rare-earth series and give magnetic properties associated with the R sublattice in agreement with results from neutron powder diffraction experiments. Across the metal-insulator transition, a continuous change in the electronic part of the CEF parameters is observed. However, an attempt to quantify a charge transfer from the observed variation of the CEF parameters in an effective point charge ...
We have performed multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations of C-peptide of ribonuclease A. It is known by CD and NMR experiments that this peptide has high alpha-helix content in aqueous solution and that the side-chain charges of residues Glu-2$^-$ and His-12$^+$ play an important role in the stability of the alpha-helix. In order to confirm these experimental implications, we have used two analogues of the peptide with charged and neutral side chains of Glu-2 and His-12. Two dielectric functions, distance-dependent and constant, are considered to study the effects of solvent contributions. All the simulations were started from random initial conformations. Various thermodynamic quantities such as average helicity as a function of residue number and average distance between two side chains as a function of temperature are calculated. The results are found to be in accord with the implications of CD and NMR experiments. The lowest-energy ...
The study surveyed urban women's use of information media and drew attention to the implications for women in leadership positions and non-formal education. A questionnaire containing structured and unstructured items was administered to 300 women resident at Nsukka urban town Enugu State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty-five usable copies were used for the data analysis. The findings show that oral media are the most popular among women irrespective of level of education and type of occupation. The level of education influenced the use of radio and television. Popular radio and television programmes among women include newscasts, socio-cultural programmes, music and drama. Problems hindering women's use of radio and television include time constraint, poor reception, poor condition of available sets and lack of money for repairs among others. Based on these findings the implication for the achievement of the Universal ...
We report de Haas--van Alphen measurements of the Fermi surface of lutetium at temperatures down to 0.3 K and in fields up to 150 kG in the (1010) and (1120) planes. Lutetium, having a filled 4f shell, serves as a nonmagnetic prototype of the structurally similar (hcp), trivalent, heavy rare-earth elements from Gd to Tm. The fact that no complete frequency branches were observed indicates that there are no closed pieces of the Fermi surface. We observed all but one orbit predicted by relativistic augmented-plane-wave calculations of Keeton and Loucks and by recent spin-orbit--linearized-augmented-plane-wave calculations of Tibbetts and Harmon. The data support a geometry similar to that of yttrium, and in good qualitative agreement with energy-band theory.
In virtually all forms of life on earth, proteins in each cell are made according to a genetic blueprint, in the form of DNA. The translation of copies of this genetic blueprint (in the form of messenger RNA) into polypeptides is performed on the ribosome, a highly complex molecular machine composed of RNAs and proteins. To this end, special adaptor molecules called transfer RNAs are lined up by the ribosome in the sequence dictated by the genetic code, such that the amino acids carried by these molecules can be linked into a polypeptide. Several cofactors are involved in these processes, some of which require energy freed up by GTP hydrolysis. Although the ribosome was discovered more than 50 years ago, its structure has only been solved recently by X-ray crystallography. Another technique, cryo-electron microscopy, is starting to contribute toward our understanding of the ribosome's function, by portraying its conformational changes ...
The diffuse morphology and transient nature of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) make them difficult to identify and track using traditional image processing techniques. We apply multiscale methods to enhance the visibility of the faint CME front. This enables an ellipse characterisation to objectively study the changing morphology and kinematics of a sample of events imaged by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). The accuracy of these methods allows us to test the CMEs for non-constant acceleration and expansion. We exploit the multiscale nature of CMEs to extract structure with a multiscale decomposition, akin to a Canny edge detector. Spatio-temporal filtering highlights the CME front as it propagates in time. We apply an ellipse ...
The spectroscopic properties of Pr"3"+ doping two lanthanum chlorotungstate hosts: the orthorhombic LaWO4Cl (1-1) and the hexagonal La3WO4Cl6 (3-1), as well as those of PrWO4Cl and Pr3wO613 have been investigated. The simulations of the energy level schemes are carried out within the crystal field theory frame. Each simulation involves 7 free ion parameters and 14 non-zero crystal field parameters (cfps), corresponding to the C_s point symmetry of the site occupied by the rare earth, in both structures.
The spectroscopic properties of Pr{sup 3+} doping two lanthanum chlorotungstate hosts: the orthorhombic LaWO4Cl (1-1) and the hexagonal La3WO4Cl6 (3-1), as well as those of PrWO4Cl and Pr3wO613 have been investigated. The simulations of the energy level schemes are carried out within the crystal field theory frame. Each simulation involves 7 free ion parameters and 14 non-zero crystal field parameters (cfps), corresponding to the C{sub s} point symmetry of the site occupied by the rare earth, in both structures.
The magnetization of a series of intermetallic compounds Au_3R, where R is Gd through Yb, was investigated at 2.5 to 300"0K in applied fields up to 26 kOe. All the compounds studied exhibited the orthorhombic TiCu_3--Do/sub a/ type structure. For high temperatures, the temperature dependence of the inverse susceptibility followed a Curie--Weiss law, yielding effective paramagnetic moments in good agreement with the values calculated for free tripositive rare earth ions. At low temperatures, deviations from Curie--Weiss behavior were observed in all cases. These deviations are ascribed to the influence of crystal-field and exchange interactions. (auth).
The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. There are now more than 200 such objects known, and the recent detection of planets with masses approximately 5 times that of Earth demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass exist. In addition to providing a wealth of scientific information on the formation and structure of planetary systems, these discoveries capture the interest of both scientists and the wider public with the profound prospect of the search for life in the Universe. We propose an L-type mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is the study of terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life on them. By its very nature, Darwin advances the first Grand Theme of ESA Cosmic Vision. Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across disciplines ranging from planet formation and atmospheres to chemistry and biology, and these disciplines will ...
The author presents a detailed and quantitative description of all of the programs, systems, sensors and experiments associated with the next 30 years of space endeavors by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Derived from the fifth issue of the NASA Space Systems Technology Model, the missions and payloads are categorized by applications area: solar system exploration, astrophysics, earth sciences, communications, space transportation and utilization of the space environment. Far-term missions are described as opportunity missions and landmark missions, for the distant future. Technology requirements are collected by discipline: power, propulsion, materials, structures, information systems, navigation, guidance and control. Payload technology requirements are organized by instrument sensing range. This information defines in quantitative terms, the opportunities and limits for future civilian space system capabilities.
Holmium doped barium based hexaferrites BaFe{sub 12-2x}Ho{sub 2x}O{sub 19} with (x = 0.0-1.0) were synthesized by solid state reaction method. Structural and magnetic characterization of these ferrites provide significant information about their reactive physical properties. X-ray analysis reveals that in all samples M-type structure exist with few secondary phases. Scanning electron microscope revealed the grain size of the specimen. The results show that grain size decreases with the substitution degree of Holmium. Thus rare earth element Holmium Ho{sup 3+} acts as a grain growth inhibitor. The magnetic hysteresis loops show the variation in the values of magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization (M{sub s}), remanent magnetization (M{sub r}) and coercivity (H{sub c}) were observed by changing Ho{sup 3+} content in BaFe{sub 12-2x}Ho{sub 2x}O{sub 19} ferrites. Coercivity showed a maximum value of 2230 Oe for (x = ...
Three new rare earth metal-rich compounds, Gd_6MTe_2 (M=Co, Ni) and Er_6RuTe_2, were synthesized in direct reactions between the R, R_3M, and R_2Te_3 (R=Gd, Er, M=Co, Ni, Ru). These materials all adopt the same Zr_6CoAl_2 structure type with space group P6-bar 2m (No. 189, Z=1). Single crystal structures of Gd_6CoTe_2 and Er_6RuTe_2 were determined and lattice parameters are a=b=8.3799(5), c=3.9801(4) A, and a=b=8.1473(5) A, c=3.9962(4) A, respectively. Gd_6NiTe_2 was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction; lattice parameters are a=b=8.412(2), c=3.9577(9) A. Metal-metal bonding correlations were analyzed using the empirical Pauling bond order concept.
New rare earth metal rich cadmium compounds RE_4CoCd and RE_4RhCd (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) were prepared by high-frequency melting of the elements in sealed tantalum tubes. The samples were studied by x-ray powder and single-crystal diffraction. All the compounds crystallize with Gd_4RhIn-type structure, with space group F4-bar3m. The structures are built up from rigid three-dimensional networks of condensed, cobalt (rhodium) centred trigonal RE_6 prisms. The voids left by these networks are filled by Cd_4 cluster units and the coordination number 14 polyhedra of the RE1 atoms. The terbium and dysprosium compounds in both series undergo antiferromagnetic ordering, whereas the holmium compounds exhibit ferromagnetic ordering. The magnetic ordering in these compounds is characterized by broad peaks around the transition temperatures. The results of detailed crystallographic investigations and preliminary magnetic and specific heat ...
We present first-time measurements of the Fermi surface and low-energy electronic structure of intermetallic compounds Gd_2PdSi_3 and Tb_2PdSi_3 by means of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). We show that the Fermi surface in both compounds consists of an electron barrel at the #GAMMA# point surrounded by spindle-shaped electron pockets originating from the same band, with the band bottom of both features lying at 0.5 eV below the Fermi level. From the experimentally measured band structure, we estimate the momentum-dependent RKKY coupling strength and demonstrate that it is peaked at the 1/2#GAMMA# K wave vector. Comparison with neutron diffraction data from the same crystals shows perfect agreement of this vector with the propagation vector of the low-temperature in-plane magnetic order, thereby demonstrating the decisive role of the Fermi surface geometry in explaining the complex magnetically ordered ground state of ternary ...
Holmium doped barium based hexaferrites BaFe12-2xHo2xO19 with (x=0.0-1.0) were synthesized by solid state reaction method. Structural and magnetic characterization of these ferrites provide significant information about their reactive physical properties. X-ray analysis reveals that in all samples M-type structure exist with few secondary phases. Scanning electron microscope revealed the grain size of the specimen. The results show that grain size decreases with the substitution degree of Holmium. Thus rare earth element Holmium Ho^3^+ acts as a grain growth inhibitor. The magnetic hysteresis loops show the variation in the values of magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization (Ms), remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) were observed by changing Ho^3^+ content in BaFe12-2xH...
The umbrella magnetic structure of the terbium iron garnet (TbIG) has been studied using neutron diffraction experiments peformed in the 4.2 to 650 K temperature range which covers both the Neel temperature (Tsub(N) = 550 +- 10 K) and the compensation temperature (Tsub(comp) = 244 +- 2 K). When T > Tsub(N), the observed peak intensities originate from nuclear contribution only. When Tsub(comp) < T < Tsub(N), the results have been interpreted in the Neel theory of ferrimagnetism. Below Tsub(comp), three salient features have been observed: there appears superstructure lines forbiden by the cubic space group Ia3d, whereas the other superstructure peaks are found absent contrary to other heavy rare earth garnets; the strongest reflexion (110) vanishes near Tsub(comp). The magnetic modes associated to the rhombohedral symmetry space group R(-3)c have been calculated; the two inequivalent magnetic sites C_1 and C'_1 of the Tb"3"+ ion have ...
The electrogeometric model cannot consider the influence of some parameters on the screening of the wire conductor of the H.V. lines. For analysing the influence of these parameters (the conductor potential, the influence of the distance from phase conductor to earth wire, the influence of the reducing factor of the striking earth distance, the earth slope, etc.), the Monte Carlo method is preferable. The influence of the earth slope on the screening effect of the wire conductor for different conditions is presented in this paper. (author)
The rare earth metal rich compounds RE4NiMg (RE=Y, Pr-Nd, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu) were synthesized from the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in an induction furnace. All compounds were investigated by X-ray diffraction on powders and single crystals: Gd4RhIn type, space group F4-bar 3m, Z=16, a=1367.6(2) pm for Y4NiMg, a=1403.7(3) pm for Pr4NiMg, a=1400.7(1) pm for Nd4NiMg, a=1386.5(2) pm for Sm4NiMg, a=1376.1(2) pm for Gd4NiMg, a=1362.1(1) pm for Tb4NiMg, a=1355.1(2) pm for Dy4NiMg, a=1355.2(1) pm for Ho4NiMg, a=1354.3(2) pm for Er4NiMg, a=1342.9(3) pm for Tm4NiMg, and a=1336.7(3) pm for Lu4NiMg. The nickel atoms have trigonal prismatic rare earth coordination. These NiRE6 prisms are condensed via common edges to a three-dimensional network which leaves voids for Mg4 tetrahedra and the RE1 atoms which show only weak coordination to the nickel atoms. The single crystal data indicate two kinds of solid solutions. The RE1 positions reveal small RE1/Mg ...
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a public health agency with responsibility for assessing the public health implications associated with uncontrolled releases of hazardous...Full Text Available
The occurrence of stable decagonal quasicrystalline phase in Al-Co-Ni and Al-Cu-Co alloys through conventional solidification is well established. Earlier, we have studied the effect of Cu substitution in place of Co in the Al_7_0Co_1_5Ni_1_5 alloy. Here we report the structural/micro-structural changes with substitution of Cu for Ni in rapidly solidified Al-Co-Ni alloys. The melt spun ribbons have been characterized using X-ray diffractometry, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. With an increase in Cu content in the melt spun Al_7_0Co_1_5Cu _xNi_1_5_-_x (x = 0-15 at.%) alloys, the relative amount of the decagonal phase decreased up to 10 at.% of Cu. At this composition, the quaternary alloy showed the co-existence of decagonal quasicrystal and superstructure of #tau#_3 vacancy ordered crystalline phases. The decagonal phase containing Cu showed more disordering than Al-Co-Ni alloys. The implication of the ...
The cell's cytoskeleton, providing the cell with structure and shape, consists of a complex array of structural proteins, including microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments. Intermediate filaments play a crucial role in mechanotransduction and in providing mechanical stability to cells, in particular under large deformation. By utilizing molecular simulation, here we report a nanomechanical analysis of vimentin intermediate filament dimers, the basic building blocks of intermediate filaments. We describe a detailed analysis of the mechanical properties and associated deformation mechanisms, and find that mechanical stretch induces a transition from alpha-helices to beta-sheets, a phenomenon known as alpha-beta transition. A comparison of the Young's modulus predicted from simulation with experimental measurements is provided, and good agreement is found. We present an analysis of structural changes during ...
The crystal structure and the luminescence properties of a new carbonate, Na{sub 3}Eu(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}, are presented. Na{sub 3}Eu(CO{sub 3}){sub 3} is orthorhombic, acentric, Ama2, Z = 4; a = 9.942(2) {angstrom}, b = 11.024(3) {angstrom}, c = 7.147(2) {angstrom}; R = 0.019, R{sub w} = 0.051, 2374 unique reflections. The anionic subnetwork is built up from the stacking of {open_quotes}standing on edge{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}flat lying{close_quotes} carbonate layers into which Na{sup +} and Eu{sup 3+} ions are inserted. The symmetry of the EuO{sub 9} polyhedra is C{sub s}. The Eu{sup 3+} ions are inserted. The symmetry of the EuO{sub 9} polyhedra is C{sub s}. The Eu{sup 3+} luminescence technique confirms the presence of a unique low symmetry site for the rare earth atom. The electrostatic crystal field (cf) effects on the {sup 7}F multiplet are evaluated on the basis of the phenomenological cf theory. The simulation using C{sub 2v} ...
Buffer layers with 100% lattice match with YBa2Cu3O7 - ? (YBCO) were prepared from mixed rare-earth-oxides applying a simple sol-gel process and dip-coating method. Structural analysis of the sol-gel derived powder by X-ray diffraction revealed that the mixing parameter, which eliminates the lattice mismatch with YBCO, is x = 0.2382, 0.1852, 0.1252, 0.0906, 0.0793 and 0.0395 in (Eu1 - xHox)2O3, (Eu1 - xErx)2O3, (Eu1 - xYbx)2O3, (Gd1 - xHox)2O3, (Gd1 - xYx)2O3 and (Gd1 - xYbx)2O3, respectively. Microstructural investigations were carried out for Gd1.819Ho0.181O3 films epitaxially grown on cube-textured Ni (100) substrates by sol-gel dip-coating process. X-ray diffraction of the buffer showed strong out-of-plane orientation on Ni tape. The (Gd1 - xHox)2O3 (222) pole figure indicated a single cube-on-cube textured structure. The omega and phi scans revealed good out-of-plane and in-plane alne alignments. The full-width at ...
Pale colored BiY_1_-_xR_xGeO_5 (R=rare-earth from Pr to Yb) polycrystalline samples exhibit a crystalline phase isostructural with the orthorhombic Pbca (No. 61) structure-type established for BiYGeO_5 and BiYbGeO_5. R occupies a single point site in the host, with the lowest C_1 symmetry. While for Pr and Nd x must be #<=#0.35, for smaller R ions, Sm to Yb, the phase appears for any x content. Detailed crystallographic data for BiErGeO_5 have been determined from the structure refinement of its neutron diffraction profile at room temperature. Optical absorption and photoluminescence measurements at 10 K have been performed for BiEuGeO_5. An initial approach to the parametrization of crystal-field effects on this new host has been provided by results of the semi-empirical Simple Overlap Model, which considers the crystallographic positions of the nearest neighbors around R. Furthermore, the strongly reduced "7F_J_M set ...
The objective of this Task Group is the coordination of research studies on biokinetic models and the evaluation of the implications of new biokinetic models on dose assessment and safety standards. For this the new ICRP models, which will be used for a revision of ICRP Publications 30, 54, 68 and 78, are implemented into six different computer codes in five European countries and quality assured by intercomparison procedures. The work has started with the implementation of the new ICRP Alimentary Tract Model. New systemic models and the new NCRP wound model will follow. The work also includes the evaluation of experimental results in terms of formulation by the new model structures and a quality assurance of model formulation. PMID:17556343
The southern Alaska convergent margin contains several small belts of sedimentary and volcanic rocks metamorphosed to blueschist facies, located along the Border Ranges fault on the contact between the Wrangellia and Chugach terranes. These belts are significant in that they are the most inboard, and thus probably contain the oldest record of Triassic-Jurassic northward-directed subduction beneath Wrangellia. The Liberty Creek HP-LT schist belt is the oldest and the innermost section of the Chugach terrane. Within this belt lawsonite blueschists contains an initial high-pressure assemblage formed by lawsonite+phengite+chlorite+sphene+albite+/-apatite+/-carbonates and quartz. Epidote blueschists are composed of sodic, sodic-calcic and calcic amphiboles+epidote+phengite+chlorite+albite+sphen...
The Eady problem of baroclinic instability as applicable to quasi-geostrophic oceanic flows with zero internal PV gradients is revisited by introducing a mild slope and Ekman pumping on the lower boundary. The solution behaviour is determined by the isopycnal slope relative to either the bottom slope or the ratio of Ekman depth to horizontal wavenumber. Attention is paid to the physical interpretation of the growing, decaying and stable disturbances, with emphasis on the intimate connection between the quasigeostrophic edge waves and Eady waves, and the role of the isopycnal slope for the stability properties as opposed to the bottom density gradient. The disturbance structure is found to be strongly influenced by the boundary conditions. For a sloping bottom boundary, the growth rate is enhanced for the most unstable waves if the isopycnals tilt in the same direction as the bottom, but in general non-standard boundary conditions tend to retard the growth of ...
Zirconia has demonstrated a very moderate toughening effect in nitrogen-based ceramic composites because the reaction between tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO_2) and nitrogen results in additional zirconia stabilization to a nontransformable t' or cubic structure. In O'-SiAlON matrices, the oxygen concentration increases and the oxygen-rich intergranular glassy phase prevents zirconia from nitridation. As a result, tetragonal ZrO_2 is maintained and is transformable in the O'-SiAlON materials. The present study has provided transmission electron microscopy (TEM) evidence of the zirconia transformation and the associated toughening effect in a ZrO_2/O'-SiAlON composite. The implications and limitations of the transformation on toughening of the material are discussed.
Specimen damage and element loss induced by 3 MeV proton and 2 MeV alpha particle bombardment of thin sections of freeze-dried kidney tissue and embedding medium have been studied. Yields of ions scattered from H and C, and characteristic X-rays were measured versus accumulated charge, for curent densities in the range from 8x10{sup -15} to 1.1x10{sup -11} A/{mu}m{sup 2}. Structural damage, dissolouration and loss of S, Cl, C and H have been observed. Implications of this study for ion beam microanalysis of biological tissues are discussed with particular reference to the results for H loss. (orig.).
Cell surface glycosaminoglycans play important roles in cell adhesion and viral entry. Laboratory strains of two alphaviruses, Sindbis and Semliki Forest virus, have been shown to utilize heparan sulfate as an attachment receptor, whereas Ross River virus (RRV) does not significantly interact with it. However, a single amino acid substitution at residue 218 in the RRV E2 glycoprotein adapts the virus to heparan sulfate binding and expands the host range of the virus into chicken embryo fibroblasts. Structures of the RRV mutant, E2 N218R, and its complex with heparin were determined through the use of electron cryo-microscopy and image reconstruction methods. Heparin was found to bind at the distal end of the RRV spikes, in a region of the E2 glycoprotein that has been previously implicated in cell-receptor recognition and antibody binding.
Detailed geothermal studies of deep drill holes provide insights to heat transfer processes in the crust, and allow separation of different factors involved, such as palaeoclimatic and structural conductive effects as well as advective fluid flow effects. We present high resolution geothermal results of the 2516m deep Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole in eastern Finland drilled in 2004-2005 into a Palaeoproterozoic formation with metasedimentary rocks, ophiolite-derived altered ultramafic rocks and pegmatitic granite. The down-hole temperatures have been logged five times after end of drilling and extend to day 948 after drilling. The hole is completely cored (79% core coverage) and thermal conductivity measurements were done at 1m intervals. The geothermal results on temperature gradient, thermal...
We describe a large class of chemical reaction networks, those endowed with a subtle structural property called concordance. We show that the class of concordant networks coincides precisely with the class of networks which, when taken with any weakly monotonic kinetics, invariably give rise to kinetic systems that are injective --- a quality that, among other things, precludes the possibility of switch-like transitions between distinct positive steady states. We also provide persistence characteristics of concordant networks, instability implications of discordance, and consequences of stronger variants of concordance. Some of our results are in the spirit of recent ones by Banaji and Craciun, but here we do not require that every species suffer a degradation reaction. This is especially important in studying biochemical networks, for which it is rare to have all species degrade.
Tremendous progress in the science of extrasolar planets has been achieved since the discovery of a Jupiter orbiting the nearby Sun-like star 51 Pegasi in 1995. Theoretical models have now reached enough maturity to predict the characteristic properties of these new worlds, mass, radius, atmospheric signatures, and can be confronted with available observations. We review our current knowledge of the physical properties of exoplanets, internal structure and composition, atmospheric signatures, including expected biosignatures for exo-Earth planets, evolution, and the impact of tidal interaction and stellar irradiation on these properties for the short-period planets. We discuss the most recent theoretical achievements in the field and the still pending questions. We critically analyze the different solutions suggested to explain abnormally large radii of a significant fraction of transiting exoplanets. Special attention is devoted to the ...
The Yb{sup 3+}-doped non-linear rare-earth calcium oxoborate crystals GdCa{sub 4}O (BO{sub 3}){sub 3} (GdCOB) and YCa{sub 4}O(BO{sub 3}){sub 3} (YCOB) were investigated by low-temperature absorption and selective excitation spectroscopy. The selective excitation and emission spectra revealed the spectral features of the main Yb{sup 3+} centre and the principal minority one in both crystals. The energy level schemes for these centres in both hosts, as well as structural assignments, were proposed. It was established that the minority centre, which represents about 10% of the total intensity and was assigned to Yb{sup 3+} in a Ca{sup 2+} site, is not a trap but an energy donor for the main centre. Common features of and differences between the vibronic structure of the two centres in GdCOB and YCOB are discussed. The existence of additional features in YCOB:Yb spectra is pointed out. (author)
The Yb"3"+-doped non-linear rare-earth calcium oxoborate crystals GdCa_4O (BO_3)_3 (GdCOB) and YCa_4O(BO_3)_3 (YCOB) were investigated by low-temperature absorption and selective excitation spectroscopy. The selective excitation and emission spectra revealed the spectral features of the main Yb"3"+ centre and the principal minority one in both crystals. The energy level schemes for these centres in both hosts, as well as structural assignments, were proposed. It was established that the minority centre, which represents about 10% of the total intensity and was assigned to Yb"3"+ in a Ca"2"+ site, is not a trap but an energy donor for the main centre. Common features of and differences between the vibronic structure of the two centres in GdCOB and YCOB are discussed. The existence of additional features in YCOB:Yb spectra is pointed out. (author)
In the context of the research project, the physical basis of the direct decoupling of highly concentrated solar radiation in materials without the detour via absorbing heat exchanger walls was examined. Also, the first chemical processes suitable for the effective long-term storage of solar energy were analysed, relevant experiments were carried out and the necessary receiver techniques for high temperature applications were provided. The principle of direct coupling was examined on fluidized beds on the one hand and on cavity receivers, on the other hand. The contribution shows the results achieved in detail. It is recorded that first processes for storing solar energy in chemical reactions were able to be examined. Alkaline earth hydroxides accommodated in ceramic honeycomb structures seem to be possible as stores for medium temperature ranges around 500deg C. Investigations on receiver structure materials are also ...
DC resistivity, dc magnetization, and specific heat of eight Sc{sub 5}Co{sub 4}Ge{sub 10}-type crystal-structure compounds R{sub 5}T{sub 4}Ge{sub 10} for R = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and T = Rh and Ir are presented. The resistivity, single-crystal magnetization, and specific-heat results show that in all those compounds, the magnetic moments order antiferromagnetically in the c direction at low temperature. However, in the Er and Tm compounds, the magnetizations along x-y hard directions do not show any anomalies above 2.0 K. This suggests that the ordered Er and Tm ions, which have positive quadrupole coefficients, interact with a crystal field that has an electronic potential valley along the c axis. The fitting of the hard axis magnetizations to Curie-Weiss law suggests that the resulting antiferromagnetic-like {theta} reflects the strength of the crystal-field torque on the magnetic moments rather than the strength of antiferromagnetic exchange.
DC resistivity, dc magnetization, and specific heat of eight Sc/sub 5/Co/sub 4/Ge/sub 10/-type crystal structure compounds R/sub 5/T/sub 4/Ge/sub 10/ for R = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and T = Rh and Ir are presented. The resistivity, single crystal magnetization, and specific heat results show that in all those compounds, the magnetic moments order antiferromagnetically in the c direction at low temperature. However, in the Er and Tm compounds, the magnetizations along x-y hard directions do not show any anomalies above 2.0 K. This suggests that the ordered Er and Tm ions, which have positive quadrupole coefficients ..cap alpha../sub j/, interact with a crystal field that has an electronic potential valley along the c axis. The fitting of the hard axis magnetizations to Curie-Weiss law suggests that the resulting antiferromagnetic-like theta reflects the strength of the crystal field torque on the magnetic moments rather than the strength of antiferromagnetic exchange. 123 ...
Power plant components exposed to environments such as water and soil are susceptible to severe corrosion. Many times the effect of corrosion in power plant components can be catastrophic. The problem is aggravated for underground pipelines due to additional factors such as large network of pipelines, proximity to earth mat, high voltage transmission lines, corrosive chemicals, inadequate approach etc. Other components such as condenser water boxes, internals of pipelines, clarifier bridge structures, cooling water inlet gates and pipes etc. which are in continuous contact with water, are subjected to severe corrosion. The nature and locations of all such components are at places which are not accessible for routine maintenance and hence they require long term reliable protection against corrosion. Experience has shown that anti-corrosive coatings are inadequate in preventing corrosion and due to their location regular maintenance coatings are ...
The main compositions of iron-base amorphous self-fluxing alloy powders of 150 mesh, used in this work, are Fe, Cr, Ni, W, Mo, B, Si and C. The ranges of each element in at% are (65-70)Fe, (3-5)Cr, (2-4)Ni, (2-4)W, (1-2)Mo, (10-14)B, (4-7)Si and (2-3)C. The atomic ratio of metal-metalloid is about 80:20, so this alloy is abbreviated as M_8_0X_2_0. The material on which coatings were deposited is 1020 steel, austenitized for 1h at 880 C, water quenched, and tempered at 180 C for 1h. This heat treatment resulted in a low carbon martensite structure with a hardness of HRC35-45. After cleaning, shot blasting and preheating the steel to about 200 C, the authors sprayed a thin Ni-Al alloy layer of about 0.1--0.15mm in thickness onto the specimen by means of an oxygen-acetylene torch to provide better bonding of the coating with substrate. Then the M_8_0X_2_0 and M_8_0X_2_0+8%CeO_2 alloy coatings were sprayed to a thickness of about 0.6--0.8mm. The CeO_2 was added as ...
The title compounds were prepared by arc-melting of the elemental components. Whereas NdPdSi and SmPdSi are already present after the arc-melting, alpha-GdPdSi and alpha-TbPdSi are formed only during the annealing at 800 degC. The four compounds crystallize with the recently reported alpha-YbAuGe type structure, which was refined for alpha-GdPdSi: Pnma, a=2108.0(4) pm, b=433.9(1) pm, c=745.6(1) pm, Z=12, R=0.026 for 1447 structure factors and 62 variable parameters. The lanthanoid atoms are situated between two-dimensionally infinite nets of condensed, puckered hexagons formed by alternating palladium and silicon atoms, with Pd-Si distances varying between 251 and 262 pm. In the third dimension these nets are linked via weak Pd-Pd (300 pm), Pd-Si (283 pm), and Si-Si bonds (261 pm). The refinements of the occupancy parameters suggested that ca. 2% of the palladium sites are occupied by silicon atoms and vice versa. The ...
In this article, we describe the development and preliminary psychometric properties of the Structured Interview of Personality Organization (STIPO), a semistructured interview designed for the dimensional assessment of identity, primitive defenses, and reality testing, the three primary content domains in the model of personality health and disorder elaborated by Kernberg (1984; Kernberg & Caligor, 2005). Results of this investigation, conducted in a clinical sample representing a broad range of personality pathology, indicate that identity and primitive defenses as operationalized in the STIPO are internally consistent and that interrater reliability for all 3 content domains is adequate. Validity findings suggest that the assessment of one's sense of self and significant others (Identity) is predictive of measures of positive and negative affect, whereas the maladaptive ways in which the subject uses his or her objects for purposes of regulating one's self ...
The modular and periodic antenna structure in TCA is shown to produce an extremely pure spectrum of excited waves. This purity, together with precise measurements of the antenna loading in different parts of the spectrum, has allowed us to demonstrate that it is essential to include both toroidal coupling and the Hall effect (#omega#/#omega#/sub c//sub i/not =0) in order to explain our results. We show that toroidicity produces coupling from the directly excited Vertical BarmVertical Bar = 1 wave to Vertical BarmVertical Bar = 0,2 waves. Discrete Alfven Waves are also seen for Vertical BarmVertical Bar = 0,2 in addition to the directly driven Vertical BarmVertical Bar = 1. The importance of the Hall effect is most visible when a travelling wave is excited, in which case the antenna loading depends on the direction of the wave imposed. We present the antenna loading found with different excitation structures and discuss the ...
As part of a larger elastic numerical modeling project, we have been investigating how energy reflected from steeply dipping interfaces is recorded using typical multicomponent acquisition geometries. Specifically, we have been interpreting how rcflection events from the flanks of salt dome structures are distributed on 3C and 4C phones for vertical seismic profiles (VSPs) and ocean bottom seismic (OBS) or land surface surveys. The ultimate goal of this investigation is to improve the structural imaging of steeply dipping interfaces and eventually to evaluate the usc of the recorded elastic wavefield for fluid description near these interfaces. In the current work, we focus on a common assumption used when processing converted wave reflection seismic data that most PP energy is recorded on the vertical geophone and/or the hydrophone and that most PS energy is recorded on the horizontal geophones. This is a useful assumption when it is valid, ...
Atmospheric and ionospheric perturbations associated with the acoustic-gravity waves (AGW) with typical frequencies of a few hertz -millihertz are considered. These events may be caused by the influence from space and atmosphere as well as by oscillations of the Earth surface and other near-surface phenomena. The surface sources include long-period oscillations of the Earth's surface, earthquakes, explosions, thermal heating, seisches and tsunami waves. The wavelike phenomena manifest themself as travelling disturbances of air (in the atmosphere) and of electron density (in the ionosphere). Travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) are well detected by radio physical methods. AGW generation by near-surface sources is modeled by the numerical solution of the equation of geophysical fluid dynamics for different sources in two-dimensional non-linear dissipative compressible atmosphere. The numerical calculations are based on the FCT (Flux ...
of satellite, aircraft and ground-based observations. In ..... swarm traps by Utah Department of Food and Agriculture (DAF) personnel. Preliminary Results ..... the 150th anniversary of the book's publication and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. ...... cold war submarine missions to find that Arctic Ocean ...
Al Fleig, PITA Analytic Sciences. 7th Earth Science Data Systems Working Group Meeting ..... The Reuse Industry in Brazil, CESAR, and the Reuse in Software ...
Rare Earth Cobalt (REC) permanent magnets have unique properties that permit solutions to some optical tasks that cannot be accomplished with conventional magnets. A review of design and of performance characteristics of these magnets includes an analytical description of the three dimensional fringe fields of REC quadrupoles.
The estimation of numerical values of the mean distance of closest approach of ions, a, of alkaline-earth metal ion salts in aqueous solutions, determined from activity coefficients, as well as from different theoretical approaches, is presented and discussed.
The Grover S and X-band dual-wavelength radar system has been ...... A. H. Watkins (U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources. Observation Systems Data Center ...
We calculate the expected fluxes of cosmic ray nuclei with charge 5 ≤ Z ≤ 28 at various depths in the earth's atmosphere, taking into account the initial charge distribution,...Full Text Available
The prospect for the recovery of rare earths from red mud, the bauxite tailings from the production of alumina is examined. The Jamaican red mud by far has the higher trace concentrations of lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and yttrium. Scandium is also present. The dissolution of the rare earth is a major extraction problem because of the large volume of other materials. The recovery processes that have been proposed include the production of co-products such as iron, alumina, and titanium concentrates, with the rare earths going with the titanium. In this paper a critical examination of the possible processes are presented with the recommended research projects to be carried out.
NASA's Glory spacecraft is equipped to survey and map aerosols in Earth's atmosphere during a mission marking the return to flight of the Taurus XL rocket.
This paper presents an analysis of the performance of a selective emitter using small particles of rare earth compounds stable at high temperatures in a low emittance inert gas stream. An expression for the spectral emissive power excluding radiation scattering was derived to include the radiation in the emission band, produced by electronic transitions of the rare earth ion, and the continuum radiation outside the emission band produced by the rare earth host. Preliminary results suggest that a selective emitter based on suspended rare earth oxide particles will have high efficiency and merits further experimental investigation. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}
The rare earth antimonates RE_3Sb_5O_1_2 constitute an isostructural series, where the rare earth site symmetry is S_4. The spectroscopic properties of pure or doped compounds of this family are studied in order to derive their energy level schemes and to simulate them through the crystal field theory, by using the approximated D_2_d potential. The paramagnetic susceptibilities are calculated with the derived wavefunctions and compared to experiment.
We calculated the matter effect, including both the Earth and supernova, on the detection of neutrinos from type II supernovae at the proposed Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment. It is found that apart from the dependence on the flip probability P_H inside the supernova and the mass hierarchy of neutrinos, the amount of the Earth matter effect depends on the direction of the incoming supernova neutrinos, and reaches the biggest value when the incident angle of neutrinos is around 93^\\circ. In the reaction channel \\bar{\
Trihydroxynaphthalene reductase catalyzes two intermediate steps in the fungal melanin biosynthetic pathway. The enzyme, a typical short-chain dehydrogenase, is the biochemical target of three commercial fungicides. The fungicides bind preferentially to the NADPH form of the enzyme. Three X-ray structures of the Magnaporthe grisea enzyme complexed with NADPH and two commercial and one experimental fungicide were determined at 1.7 {angstrom} (pyroquilon), 2.0 {angstrom} (2,3-dihydro-4-nitro-1H-inden-1-one, 1), and 2.1 {angstrom} (phthalide) resolutions. The chemically distinct inhibitors occupy similar space within the enzyme's active site. The three inhibitors share hydrogen bonds with the side chain hydroxyls of Ser-164 and Tyr-178 via a carbonyl oxygen (pyroquilon and 1) or via a carbonyl oxygen and a ring oxygen (phthalide). Active site residues occupy similar positions among the three structures. A buried water molecule that is ...
Some of the results of property measurements of CeO{sub 2} and its solid solutions were reviewed. The deviation from stoichiometry of undoped and doped CeO{sub 2} was presented in several figures, which suggested that CeO{sub 2} fired at high temperatures in air might be nonstoichiometric in some degree. At low temperatures, the deviation from stoichiometry in doped CeO{sub 2} is higher than undoped CeO{sub 2}. As another interesting property, CeO{sub 2} shows high solubility to trivalent cations such as rare earth elements. A possible reason behind this high solubility was presented. The nonstoichiometric defect in undoped CeO{sub 2} and the trivalent cation in solid solution with CeO{sub 2} have to be compensated by other defects. The possible defect structures in this solid solution were reviewed and the most probable structure was chosen based on density measurement and impurity dependence of oxygen diffusion ...
'The objective of this project is to provide a means to optimize ligand architecture for f-block metal recognition. The authors strategy builds on an innovative and successful molecular modeling approach in developing polyether ligand design criteria for the alkali and alkaline earth cations. The hypothesis underlying this proposal is that differences in metal ion binding with multidentate ligands bearing the same number and type of donor groups are primarily attributable to intramolecular steric factors. They propose quantifying these steric factors through the application of molecular mechanics models. The research involves close integration of theoretical and experimental chemistry. The experimental work entails synthesizing novel ligands and experimentally determining structures and binding constants for metal ion complexation by series of ligands in which architecture is systematically varied. The theoretical work entails using ...
Recent advances in thin film solar photovoltaic converters (PV's) can furnish multimegawatt power levels during lunar daylight periods with only modest mass requirements. The extended duration of lunar night (ca. 354 hr) and the high specific mass of earth-imported energy storage systems (regenerative fuel cells, batteries, etc.) render PV plus import storage power systems non-competitive with nuclear power plants for lunar bases. However, power storage or generation methods which can be constructed using primarily lunar materials, used either alone or with lightweight PV's, can be attractive alternatives to nuclear power. Three separate generic systems which can provide favorable low import mass goals have been identified and studied. These are: gravitational energy generation using lunar soil, thermal energy storage using basalt rock or glass, and electrochemical storage using lunar derived electrodes or fuels. Design, structural and ...
Anorthosites are rocks consisting almost completely of calcic plagioclase, usually from andesine to labradorite. They are not widespread, and until recently were of no economic interest. However, with the advance of the new global tectonics, which has excited considerable interest in the structure and composition of upper-mantle rocks, interest in the anorthosites has grown. This has particularly been the case since the discovery of anorthosites on the moon, where they appear to be more widespread than on the earth. Data have recently been obtained on the strontium isotope compositions of anorthosite intrusions in the Dzhugdzhur-Stanovoy zone and in the rocks surrounding them, which have revealed some unexpected features. The paper describes the geological features of anorthosites, initial concepts on strontium isotope geochemistry, strontium isotope compositions of this region, and discusses some genetic consequences from the isotope data. ...
Abstract Lithium-indium oxide is one of the candidate materials as solid-state scintillators for solar neutrinos due to an inverse --decay of 115In to 115Sn. On the other hand, when doped with rare-earth ions such as Eu3+ or Sm3+, it becomes a promising phosphor material. In this report we present a simple solid-state procedure for preparation of LiInO2:Eu3+ powders. X-ray diffraction confirmed prod-uct in tetragonal structural form (space group: I41/amd) and no impurity phases were detected. Then, high resolution photoluminescence emission measurements were performed at room and low temperatures to find 5D0 - 7FJ. Emission kinetics from 5D0 level exhibited pure single exponential behavior with lifetime of about 1.5 ms. Maximum energy splitting of 7F1 manifold is recorded as a function of ...
Ternary R_2TSi_3 intermetallic compounds (R=Rare Earth, T=Transition Metal) with hexagonal AlB_2-type crystallographic structure are known because of their interesting physical properties. Pr_2PdSi_3 single crystals were grown by a vertical floating zone method. The compound exhibits congruent melting behavior at a liquidus temperature of about 1770 C. Single crystalline samples show a huge anisotropy at low temperatures due to the crystal electric field effect and order antiferromagnetically below the Neel temperature T_N=2.17 K. This value approximately obeys the linear de Gennes scaling for this class of compounds. The [001] orientation was identified as the magnetic easy axis at room temperature. At lower temperature (#approx#20 K) magnetic easy and hard axes interchange with each other. Two additional magnetic phase transitions were observed at temperatures below 1 K.
A concept is shown for a fully reusable, Earth-to-orbit launch vehicle with horizontal takeoff and landing, employing an air-turborocket for low speed and a rocket for high-speed acceleration, both using liquid hydrogen for fuel. The turborocket employs a modified liquid air cycle to supply the oxidizer. The rocket uses 90% pure liquid oxygen as its oxidizer that is collected from the atmosphere, separated, and stored during operation of the turborocket from about Mach 2 to 5 or 6. The takeoff weight and the thrust required at takeoff are markedly reduced by collecting the rocket oxidizer in-flight. This article shows an approach and the corresponding technology needs for using air liquefaction and enrichment system propulsion in a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. Reducing the trajectory altitude at the end of collection reduces the wing area and increases payload. The use of state-of-the-art materials, such as graphite polyimide, in a direct substitution for ...
The extraction of rare earth elements, yttrium and aluminium from red mud resulting from alumina production with the ion-exchange resin KU-2-8n was studied. Experimental results are presented. The technology of hydrometallurgical processing of pulps obtained by sorption extraction of scandium from red mud is developed. It is shown that in the process of precipitation from sulfate sulfuric acid desorbate it became possible to obtain a high degree of rare earths deposition. The use of sodium hydroxide makes it possible to obtain a maximum deposition of rare earths and aluminium - 99.9 %. Aluminium leaching from crude composite concentrate gives a possibility to get concentrates which 15 - 20 times richer in yttrium and rare earths
Radioactive rare earth chlorides in waste LiCl-KCl molten salts have to be separated as a stable form to minimize waste volume and to achieve stable solidification. In this work, thermal behavior of rare earth chlorides (CeCl3, GdCl3, NdCl3, PrCl3) was investigated in an oxygen condition to recover rare earth oxides from a LiCl-KCl-RECl3 system. The rare earth chlorides in the LiCl-KCl molten salts were smoothly converted to an oxychloride form at a higher temperature than 650degreeC, except for CeCl3. CeCl3 was totally converted to an oxide from at a higher temperature than 450degreeC. The rare earth oxychlorides (GdOCl, NdOCl, PrOCl) were effectively converted to oxide forms at a higher temperature than 1100degreeC. It was confirmed that rare earth oxides can be recovered from a LiCl-KCl...
Uranium dendrites which were deposited at a solid cathode of an electrorefiner contained a certain amount of salts. These salts should be removed for the recovery of pure metal using a cathode processor. In the uranium deposits from the electrorefining process, there are actinide chlorides and rare earth chlorides in addition to uranium chloride in the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. The evaporation behaviors of the actinides and rare earth chlorides in the salts should be investigated for the removal of salts in the deposits. Experiments on the salt evaporation of rare earth chlorides in a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt were carried out. Though the vapor pressures of the rare earth chlorides were lower than those of the LiCl and KCl, the rare earth chlorides were co-evaporized with the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. The Hertz-Langmuir relation was applied for this evaporation, and also the evaporation ...
Most of the presently identified exoplanets have masses similar to that of Jupiter and therefore are assumed to be gaseous objects. With the ever-increasing interest in discovering lower-mass planets, several of the so-called super-Earths (i.e., with masses in the interval 1 M_earth < M < 10 M_earth), which are predicted to be rocky, have already been found. Here we report the possible discovery of a planet around the M-type star GJ 436 with a minimum mass of 4.8+/-0.6 M_earth and a true mass of ~5 M_earth, which makes it the least massive planet around a main-sequence star found to date. In contrast with other discoveries, the planet is identified from its perturbations on an inner Neptune-mass transiting planet (GJ 436b), by pumping eccentricity and producing secular variations in the orbital inclination. Analysis of published radial velocity measurements indeed reveals a ...
Human senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30), which functions enzymatically as a lactonase, hydrolyzes various carbohydrate lactones. The penultimate step in vitamin-C biosynthesis is catalyzed by this enzyme in nonprimate mammals. It has also been implicated as an organophosphate hydrolase, with the ability to hydrolyze diisopropyl phosphofluoridate and other nerve agents. SMP30 was originally identified as an aging marker protein, whose expression decreased androgen independently in aging cells. SMP30 is also referred to as regucalcin and has been suggested to have functions in calcium homeostasis. The crystal structure of the human enzyme has been solved from X-ray diffraction data collected to a resolution of 1.4 {angstrom}. The protein has a 6-bladed {beta}-propeller fold, and it contains a single metal ion. Crystal structures have been solved with the metal site bound with either a Ca{sup 2+} or a Zn{sup 2+} atom. The ...
The effects of D-amino acids at Asp"2"3 and Ser"2"6 residues on the conformational preference of #beta#-amyloid (A#beta#) peptide fragment (A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9) have been studied using different spectroscopic techniques, namely vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), vibrational absorption, and electronic circular dichroism. To study the structure of the A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9, [D-Asp"2"3]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9, and [D-Ser"2"6]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptides under different conditions, the spectra were measured in 10 mM acetate buffer (pH 3) and in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE). The spectroscopic results indicated that at pH 3, A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptide takes random coil with #beta#-turn structure, while [D-Ser"2"6]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptide adopts significant amount of polyproline II (PPII) type structure along with #beta#-turn contribution and D-Asp-substituted peptide ([D-Asp"2"3]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9) adopts predominantly PPII type ...
The mouth is an obvious portal of entry to the body, and oral health reflects and influences general health and well being. Maternal oral health has significant implications for birth outcomes and infant...Full Text Available
A yellow-pigmented, gram-negative, gliding bacterium isolated from an industrial water spray air humidification system was implicated as a causative agent in several occurrences of lung disease with...Full Text Available
The 7 conference papers in Vol. 9 review the implications of environmental problems and discuss the consequences of pollution abatement measures, especially for the economics of energy conversion. The future developments of pollutant emissions are assessed.
"Correctional Health Care: Implications for Public Health Policy" is the first in a series of articles that examines the special health care needs of persons who are incarcerated in America's correctional...Full Text Available
Y2Te4O11:Eu3+ and Y2Te5O13:Eu3+ single crystals in sub-millimeter scale were synthesized from the binary oxides (Y2O3, Eu2O3 and TeO2) using CsCl as fluxing agent. Crystallographic structures of the undoped yttrium oxotellurates(IV) Y2Te4O11 and Y2Te5O13 have been determined and refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. In Y2Te4O11, a layered structure is present where the reticulated sheets consisting of edge-sharing [YO8]13- polyhedra are interconnected by the oxotellurate(IV) units, whereas in Y2Te5O13 only double chains of condensed yttrium-oxygen polyhedra with coordination numbers of 7 and 8 are left, now linked in two crystallographic directions by the oxotellurate(IV) entities. The Eu3+ luminescence spectra and the decay time from different energy levels of the doped compounds were investigated and all detected emission levels were identified. Luminescence properties of the Eu3+ cations have been interpreted in consideration ...
In this letter a method to estimate the visco-elastic response of monolithic ceramics to cyclic loading conditions at high temperatures is proposed. A relation is observed between the visco-elastic energy dissipation measured for two silicon nitride materials, and the structural characteristics of their respective intergranular phases. Some consequences for the fatigue resistance of the tested materials, and of non-transforming monolithic ceramics in general, are discussed. Two batches (G for glassy and C for crystalline) of SiAlON have been studied. The G-batch is obtained by pressureless sintering of silicon nitride powder with Y_2O_3 (6 wt%) and 6AlN-SiO_2 (5 wt%) as sintering additives. The main phase after sintering is #beta#-sialon. Upon cooling from the sintering temperature the amorphous intergranular residues of the sintering additives and of SiO_2, which is unavoidably present as a thin layer on the silicon nitride powder, crystallize partially into YAM ...
The delayed detonation model describes the observational properties of the majority of type Ia supernovae very well. Using numerical data from a three-dimensional deflagration model for type Ia supernovae, the intermittency of the turbulent velocity field and its implications on the probability of a deflagration-to-detonation (DDT) transition are investigated. From structure functions of the turbulent velocity fluctuations, we determine intermittency parameters based on the log-normal and the log-Poisson models. On the other hand, the analysis of the turbulent velocity fluctuations in the vicinity of the flame front by Roepke suggests a much higher probability of large velocity fluctuations on the grid scale in comparison to the log-normal intermittency model. Following Pan et al., we computed probability density functions for a DDT for the different distributions. Assuming that a DDT can occur in the stirred flame regime, as proposed by ...
Abstract in english Cytokines are molecules that were initially discovered in the immune system as mediators of communication between various types of immune cells. However, it soon became evident that cytokines exert profound effects on key functions of the central nervous system, such as food intake, fever, neuroendocrine regulation, long-term potentiation, and behavior. In the 80's and 90's our group and others discovered that the genes encoding various cytokines and their receptors are e (more) xpressed in vascular, glial, and neuronal structures of the adult brain. Most cytokines act through cell surface receptors that have one transmembrane domain and which transduce a signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. Of particular physiological and pathophysiological relevance is the fact that cytokines are potent regulators of hypothalamic neuropeptidergic systems that maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis and which regulate the body's response to stress. The mechanisms ...
In this study, the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Atelura formicaria (Hexapoda: Zygentoma) is described. The molecule is 15.205 bp in length and it is the third complete mt genome sequenced from the Zygentoma. The genome organization conforms with the putative ancestral insect gene arrangement. All protein coding genes use standard initiation codons (methionine and isoleucine). The exception is nad4 that starts with GTG, a codon used for this purpose in other insect species. A peculiar strand skew bias is observed, given that the PCGs encoded on the J-strand contain more thymines than adenines and more cytosines than guanines. This trend in nucleotide composition has been observed also in the "firebrat" Thermobia domestica (Zygentoma, Lepismatidae), but differs from that of the majority of hexapod species, including Tricholepidion gertschi (Zygentoma, Lepidotrichidae), where adenines and cytosines outnumber thymines and guanines. The presence of ...
Geothermal energy pile foundations are an alternative energy source for heating and cooling needs. Utilising this source of energy has great potential due to the environmental, economic and social benefits. This paper looks at an extensive amount of literature on the technology behind the system including the overall process, primary considerations for each of the main components including latest developments as well as design implications such as the integration of ground energy systems into structural piles of buildings. Environmental considerations including performance-dependent parameters of the subsurface are described. Main parameters include thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity and moisture content. Temperature and groundwater effects are also discussed and design considerations are provided. Mathematical models are available to aid in the design of these systems but there are various other issues and ...
The authors report that the replacement of Leu-93 in bacteriorhodopsin by Ala (L93A) or Thr (L93T) slows down the photocycle by approximately 100-fold relative to wild-type bacteriorhodopsin. Time-resolved visible absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman experiments, respectively, show the presence of long-lived O-like and N-like intermediates in the photocycles of the above mutants. We infer the existence of an equilibrium between the N and O intermediates in the photocycles of these mutants. The L93A and L93T mutants exhibit normal proton pumping under continuous illumination, suggesting that the decay of the N and/or O intermediate, and consequently, proton translocation, can be accelerated by the absorption of a second photon. Since the 13-cis----all-trans reisomerization of retinal is completed during the decay of the N and O intermediates, they conclude that the interaction of Leu-93 with retinal is important in this phase of the photocycle. This conclusion is supported by a ...
Data by Wiesmann et al. on the temperature coefficient of the upper critical field, dH/sub c/2(T)/dT, and the normal-state resistivity rho_0 near the superconducting transition temperature T/sub c/ are analyzed to estimate the bare density of states N (E/sub F/) as a function of structural disorder and T/sub c/ in various #alpha#-particle irradiated samples of A-15 Nb_3Ge and Nb_3Sn. By taking into account the change in the electron-phonon coupling strength with T/sub c/ and the effect of mass enhancement arising from the electron-phonon interaction, the results of the new analysis indicate that (i) the drop in N (E/sub F/) for Nb_3Ge is relatively small as T/sub c/ changes from approx. 21 to approx. 4 K, in agreement with a recent low-temperature specific-heat measurement; (ii) the value of N (E/sub F/) in Nb_3Sn decreases by a factor of approx. 4 as T/sub c/ varies from approx. 18 to approx. 3 K. The implication of these findings is discussed ...
Peer assessment provides a powerful avenue for students to receive feedback on their learning. Although student perceptions of peer assessment have been studied extensively in higher education, little qualitative research has been undertaken with medical students in problem-based learning (PBL) curricula. A qualitative study of students' attitudes to, and perceptions of, peer assessment was undertaken within the framework of a larger study of metacognition with first-year medical students at the University of Queensland. A highly structured format for provision of feedback was utilised in the study design. Many recommendations from the higher education literature on optimal implementation of peer-assessment procedures were put into practice. Results indicated the existence of six main themes: (1) increased responsibility for others, (2) improved learning, (3) lack of relevancy, (4) challenges, (5) discomfort, and (6) effects on the PBL process. Five of these themes ...
To systematically analyze the dynamical implications of the matter content in cosmology, we generalize earlier dynamical systems approaches so that perfect fluids with a general barotropic equation of state can be treated. We focus on locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type IX and Kantowski-Sachs orthogonal perfect fluid models, since such models exhibit a particularly rich dynamical structure and also illustrate typical features of more general cases. For these models, we recast Einstein's field equations into a regular system on a compact state space, which is the basis for our analysis. We prove that models expand from a singularity and recollapse to a singularity when the perfect fluid satisfies the strong energy condition. When the matter source admits Einstein's static model, we present a comprehensive dynamical description, which includes the qualitative asymptotic behavior, of models in the neighborhood of the Einstein model; the ...
Background: In order to reconceptualize somatoform disorders (SFDs), the psychological characteristics of SFD patients are increasingly investigated. The cognitive style of magical thinking (MT) has not been studied so far in patients with SFDs. Sampling and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 201 allergy workup patients were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV; they answered a set of self-report questionnaires including the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire subscale for MT and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The expression of MT was explored in 61 patients with SFDs compared to 140 patients without SFDs. Results: Patients with SFDs reached higher scores of MT, also when controlled for gender, depression, and anxiety. In particular, they stated more frequently that they were believers in telepathy (64 vs. 44%) and clairvoyance (43 vs. 16%). MT correlated only weakly with somatization/somatic symptom severity, depression, and ...
The authors will be conducting an integrated seismic experiment to image the structure of the crust and upper mantle of northern California immediately before and after passage of the Mendocino Triple Junction. The purpose of this representation is to describe the project to other scientists interested in geological and geophysical processes in this region and to solicit input relevant to detailed siting of the funded seismic profiles. The experiment encompasses two field seasons: onshore seismic refraction/wide angle reflection data acquisition along three long profiles scheduled for late summer, 1993; and MCS deep crustal seismic reflection data acquisition accompanied by simultaneous large aperture recording using both ocean bottom and onshore seismographs, tentatively scheduled for summer, 1994. This study represents a component of a long-term, multi-disciplinary effort on the part of many investigators to exploit this well defined system as an in-situ ...
Mechanisms that govern transport, accumulation and toxicity of persistent pollutants at interfaces in aquatic ecosystems were the foci of this thesis. Specific attention was paid to humic substances, their occurrence, composition, and role in exchange processes across interfaces. It was concluded that: The composition of humic substances in aquatic surface microlayers is different from that of the subsurface water and terrestrial humic matter. Levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aquatic surface microlayer reflect the DOC levels in the subsurface water. While the levels and enrichment of DOC in the microlayer generally show small variations, the levels and enrichment of particulate organic carbon (POC) vary to a great extent. Similarities exist between aquatic surface films, artificial semi-permeable and biological membranes regarding their structure and functioning. Acidification and liming of freshwater ecosystems affect DOC:POC ratio and humic ...
The thermal regime immediately downstream from bottom release reservoirs is often characterized by reduced diel and seasonal (winter warm/summer cool) conditions. These unusual thermal patterns have often been implicated as a primary factor underlying observed downstream changes in the species composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. The potential mechanisms for selective elimination of benthic species by unusual thermal regimes has been reviewed. Although the effects of temperature on the rate and magnitude of larval growth and development has been included in the list of potential mechanisms, only recently have field studies below dams focused on this interrelationship. This study investigates the overall community structure as well as the seasonal pattern of larval growth and development for several univoltine species of insects in the Delaware River below or near the hypolimnetic discharge of the Cannonsville and Pepeacton ...
Samples of pure Cu, bronze (Cu-10 wt.% Zn) and brass (Cu-30 wt.% Zn) with stacking fault energies (SFE) of 78, 35, and 14 mJ/m{sup 2}, respectively, were processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) and by a combination of HPT followed by cold-rolling (CR). X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that a decrease in SFE leads both to a decrease in crystallite size and to increases in microstrain, dislocation and twin densities for the HPT and HPT + CR processed ultrafine-grained (UFG) samples. Compared with processing by HPT, subsequent processing by CR refines the crystallite size of all samples, increases the twin densities of UFG bronze and brass, and increases the dislocation density in UFG bronze. It also decreases the dislocation density in UFG brass and leads to an unchanged dislocation density in UFG copper. The results suggest there may be an optimum stacking fault energy for dislocation accumulation in UFG Cu-Zn alloys and this has important implications in ...
Increases in atmospheric CO[sub 2] are predicted to cause an increase in the C:N ratio of plant substrates entering the soil organic matter pool. We experimentally increased soil C:N ratios by adding 40 g C/m[sup 2] as sucrose (metabolic C) or cellulose (structural C) in short-, mid-, and tall-grass plots in the Serengeti Ecosystem, and measured plant productivity, plant nutrient uptake rates, and mineralization rates. Experimental treatments also included fencing to exclude grazing and additions of 40 g N/m[sup 2] as urea to simulate a urine hit from an average-sized ungulate. Productivity was only 60% of controls in C-addition plots, and was similar for sucrose and cellulose. However, this response was not observed in the short-grass site, an area of relatively low rainfall and high fertility. These results support the role of a plant-microbe negative feedback mechanism on plant growth in which increased C to microbes results in increased immobilization, reduced ...
Iron undergoes a polymorphic phase transformation from alpha phase (bcc) to the epsilon phase (hcp) when compressed to stresses exceeding 13 CPa. Bccause the epsilon phase is denser than the alpha phase, a single shock wave is unstable and breaks up into an elastic wave, a plastic wave, and a phase transition wave. Examination of this structured wave coupled with various phase transformation models has been used to indirectly examine the transition kinetics. Recently, multimillion atom simulations (molecular dynamics) have been used to examine the shock-induced transition in single crystal iron illustrating an orientation dependence of the transition stress, mechanisms, and kinetics. The objective of the current work was to perform plate impact experiments to examine the shock-response of polycrystalline and single crystal iron with nanosecond resolution for impact stresses spanning the {alpha} - {epsilon} transition. The current data reveal an orientation ...
In an effort to evaluate the feasibility of introducing computed radiography (FCR) into mass screening for lung cancer, the ability of FCR to detect nodules one cm in diameter was examined using a humanoid chest phantom. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the detectability of FCR was compared with that of conventional radiography and photofluorography. The values of area under ROC curves were higher for FCR (0.963 for image similar to that with conventional film-intensifying screen system, image A; and 0.952 for processed image, image B) than the other two methods (0.774 for radiography and 0.789 for photofluorography). Degradation of image quality in FCR could be avoided by a wide latitude even if proper exposure techniques might not be employed. Images A and B in FCR yielded excellent delineation for nodules in the lung field and in the retrocardiac and subdiaphragmatic regions, respectively. This may have implications for the value of ...
In an effort to evaluate the feasibility of introducing computed radiography (FCR) into mass screening for lung cancer, the ability of FCR to detect nodules one cm in diameter was examined using a humanoid chest phantom. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the detectability of FCR was compared with that of conventional radiography and photofluorography. The values of area under ROC curves were higher for FCR (0.963 for image similar to that with conventional film-intensifying screen system, image A; and 0.952 for processed image, image B) than the other two methods (0.774 for radiography and 0.789 for photofluorography). Degradation of image quality in FCR could be avoided by a wide latitude even if proper exposure techniques might not be employed. Images A and B in FCR yielded excellent delineation for nodules in the lung field and in the retrocardiac and subdiaphragmatic regions, respectively. This may have implications for the value of ...
Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool (age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust predictor for both parent-and child-reported anxiety outcomes and mediated the effects of maternal and ...
To illustrate the implementation of a bottom-up approach to the study of culture in health disparities, this article describes the development of a cultural cancer screening scale (CCSS) using mixed methodologies. The aim was to identify cultural factors relevant to breast and cervical cancer screening, develop an instrument to assess them and examine its preliminary psychometric properties among Latin American (Latino) and non-Latino White (Anglo) women in Southern California. Seventy-eight Latino and Anglo women participated in semi-structured interviews, which were content coded based on Triandis' methods for the analysis of subjective culture. Based on the emerging cultural elements, items relevant to cancer screening were developed and pilot tested with 161 participants. After the instrument was refined, 314 Latino and Anglo women from various socioeconomic backgrounds completed the CCSS and data were factor analyzed resulting in five cultural factors: cancer ...
The objectives of this research were to investigate the possibility of controlling the #alpha#'/#beta#' phase ratio and morphology in Sialon ceramics. These objectives have been sought by the control of the starting composition, and by post sintering heat treatment. The main emphasis has been on the production of a series of #alpha#' and (#alpha#'+#beta#') Sialon ceramics with a minimum amount of the glass phase by the pressureless sintering technique and using ytterbium (Yb) as an #alpha#' stabilising element. The Yb additions were made via the oxide or the alumino- silicate presynthesised glass; the latter was found to improve the density. The XRD analysis of the as sintered materials revealed #alpha#' to be the dominant phase with minor contributions from #beta#' sialon and/ or 12H A1N polytype. Additions of SiO_2 or #beta#-Si_3N_4 were made to various materials to assess potential mechanisms for obtaining control over the microstructural development of #alpha#'/#beta#' sialon ...
The series of cubic pyrochlore structure compounds, R_2Mo_2O_7 (R = Nd-Yb, Y; R not= Eu), were prepared as single phase materials by solid state reaction between R_2O_3 and MoO_2 at 1400 "0C in a CO/CO_2 = 1 buffer gas atmosphere. Lattice constants obtained from X-ray powder data compare well with results from previous studies. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization data were obtained for all samples between 300 K and 4.2 K (700 K for R = Gd) and a range of applied fields. For R = Nd, Sm, and Gd magnetic ordering is observed at 97 K, 93 K and 83 K respectively which is assigned to ferromagnetism on the Mo(IV) sublattice. The Mo(IV) moment in the ordered state is about 1 #mu#/sub B/. At low temperatures, the Gd(III) and Mo(IV) moments are apparently coupled feromagnetically in Gd_2Mo_2O_7 yet the high temperature susceptibility data seem to indicate a ferrimagnetic (antiparallel) Gd(III)-Mo(IV) coupling. The low-temperature magnetic properties of Nd_2Mo_2O_7 and ...
When the foundations of the building are designed and worked, the prediction calculation of immediate settlement of the building exercised practically is to calculate assuming the earth is a linear elastic body, but the actual stress-strain relationship of the earth is nonlinear and rigidity of the earth becomes lower as strain (or stress) increases. Hence in order to grasp the actual settling behavior of the earth, it is necessary to elucidate the nonlinear relationship between stress and strain. In this article, a prediction method of building settlement is introduced which uses an analytical technique of the multi-layered earth by the linear elasticity theory and takes into consideration strain dependency of rigidity of the earth. Part of the conclusion is as follows which has been obtained by studying the settling behaviors observed in examples of vertical ...
The rare earth antimonates RE{sub 3}Sb{sub 5}O{sub 12} constitute an isostructural series, where the rare earth site symmetry is S{sub 4}. The spectroscopic properties of pure or doped compounds of this family are studied in order to derive their energy level schemes and to simulate them through the crystal field theory, by using the approximated D{sub 2d} potential. The paramagnetic susceptibilities are calculated with the derived wavefunctions and compared to experiment.
A method to achieve NMR of dilute samples in the earth's magnetic field by applying para-hydrogen induced polarization is presented. Maximum achievable polarization enhancements were calculated by numerically simulating the experiment and compared to the experimental results and to the thermal equilibrium in the earth's magnetic field. Simultaneous 19F and 1H NMR detection on a sub-milliliter sample of a fluorinated alkyne at millimolar concentration (1018 nuclear spins) was realized with just one single scan. A highly resolved spectrum with a signal/noise ratio higher than 50:1 was obtained without using an auxiliary magnet or any form of radio frequency shielding.
A series of Model Tests of Embedment Effect on Reactor Buildings has been carried out by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan. Seismic response of an embedded reactor building is greatly affected by the non-linearity of the backfill soil. However, quite few experimental data have been obtained so far. The objective of this study is to qualitatively evaluate the non-linear behavior of the backfill soil through shaking table tests. Its effects to the seismic response of a reactor building constructed at a soft rock site can be made clear through the tests. Non-linear effects of the backfill soil on the seismic response of the embedded reactor building model were evaluated experimentally. Based on the sinusoidal and seismic wave excitation tests, the following conclusions were obtained regarding the changes in vibrational characteristics of the building model which occurred according to ...
Laser excited luminescence and site selective excitation spectra of trivalent terbium (Tb{sup 3+}) in two rare earth oxyfluoride (ROF) matrices, LaOF and GdOF, were detected at temperatures down to liquid helium. From the analyses of spectra, the crystal field (c.f.) fine structure of the {sup 7}F{sub J} (J=0-6) ground multiplet was obtained for the 4f{sup 8} electron configuration. The energy level schemes comprising 26 c.f. sublevels out of 33 allowed for the C{sub 3v} point symmetry of the R{sup 3+} site were simulated according to a phenomenological model taking into account only the c.f. effect. The simulation including six c.f. parameters (B{sub 0}{sup 2}, B{sub 0}{sup 4}, B{sub 3}{sup 4}, B{sub 0}{sup 6}, B{sub 3}{sup 6}, and B{sub 6}{sup 6}) reproduced the experimental energy level schemes in a satisfactory manner with rms deviations of 5 and 6 cm{sup -1} for the LaOF and GdOF hosts, respectively. The c.f. parameter sets are ...
Laser excited luminescence and site selective excitation spectra of trivalent terbium (Tb"3"+) in two rare earth oxyfluoride (ROF) matrices, LaOF and GdOF, were detected at temperatures down to liquid helium. From the analyses of spectra, the crystal field (c.f.) fine structure of the "7F_J (J=0-6) ground multiplet was obtained for the 4f"8 electron configuration. The energy level schemes comprising 26 c.f. sublevels out of 33 allowed for the C_3_v point symmetry of the R"3"+ site were simulated according to a phenomenological model taking into account only the c.f. effect. The simulation including six c.f. parameters (B_0"2, B_0"4, B_3"4, B_0"6, B_3"6, and B_6"6) reproduced the experimental energy level schemes in a satisfactory manner with rms deviations of 5 and 6 cm"-"1 for the LaOF and GdOF hosts, respectively. The c.f. parameter sets are characterized by B_0"2 values close to zero while the fourth and sixth rank parameters assumed rather ...
Heterochromatin constitutes a significant portion of the genome in higher eukaryotes; approximately 30% in Drosophila and human. Heterochromatin contains a high repeat DNA content and a low density of protein-encoding genes. In contrast, euchromatin is composed mostly of unique sequences and contains the majority of single-copy genes. Genetic and cytological studies demonstrated that heterochromatin exhibits regulatory roles in chromosome organization, centromere function and telomere protection. As an epigenetically regulated structure, heterochromatin formation is not defined by any DNA sequence consensus. Heterochromatin is characterized by its association with nucleosomes containing methylated-lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me), heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) that binds H3K9me, and Su(var)3-9, which methylates H3K9 and binds HP1. Heterochromatin formation and functions are influenced by HP1, Su(var)3-9, and the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. My thesis project ...
The gravitational torque applied on the Earth by the other celestial bodies generates periodic variations in the orientation of the Earth's rotation axis in space which are called nutations. Observations of Earth's nutations allow for insights into the physical properties of the inner core because of the presence of a normal mode, the Free Inner Core Nutation (FICN), which is characterized by a tilt of the inner core figure and rotation axes with respect to the mantle and outer core. The frequency of the FICN is controlled by the strength of the mechanical coupling acting at the inner core boundary (ICB) and by the ability of the inner core to deform under the action of centrifugal and gravitational forces. Attenuation of the FICN reflects energy dissipated by electromagnetic (EM) and visc...
Nov 8, 2010 ... Ihring Mission 11, the radiation dosimetry measurement system functioned normally and provided data on the Earth's trapped radiation belts ...
Aug 25, 2004 ... The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite provided this image of Typhoon Aere over the western Philippine Sea as it was ...
An oxidative precipitation reaction of rare-earth chlorides in a LiCl-KCl molten salt was successfully carried out by a lab-scale apparatus. The conversion efficiency of the used rare earth chlorides into the insoluble precipitates was increased with the sparging time and temperature and was affected on oxygen sparger type. In the conditions of 700 .deg. C molten salt temperature and above 540min sparging time, the final conversion efficiencies were over 99% for all the experimented rare-earth chlorides. The hydrodynamic characteristics of an oxygen-molten salt two phase flow system are very important for a co-oxidative precipitation of rare earth elements.
An oxidative precipitation reaction of rare-earth chlorides in a LiCl-KCl molten salt was successfully carried out by a lab-scale apparatus. The conversion efficiency of the used rare earth chlorides into the insoluble precipitates was increased with the sparging time and temperature and was affected on oxygen sparger type. In the conditions of 700 .deg. C molten salt temperature and above 540min sparging time, the final conversion efficiencies were over 99% for all the experimented rare-earth chlorides. The hydrodynamic characteristics of an oxygen-molten salt two phase flow system are very important for a co-oxidative precipitation of rare earth elements
... Astronomy & Space Biology Chemistry & Materials Computing Earth & Environment Education ... Materials Research Center at the University of Chicago, one of nearly 30 NSF-supported Materials ...
Jan 5, 2004 ... Even if dinosaurs were cold-blooded, in the Mesozoic Era (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth), Antarctica was warm enough to have them. ...
... rivers of the world, the Zaire is not an efficient transportation link because of many rapids and falls to negotiate between Kinshasa and the port city of Matadi. ...
Apr 22, 2010 ... I believe that space exploration is not a ... plan for space exploration, especially in .... space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. ...
Federal regulators were set to vote on a plan to protect deep water corals and other sensitive fish habitats that will likely include a permanent ban on ...
The geographical arrangement of people on the surface of the earth is approximated by a mathematical equation of 361 terms. This is a convenient form for comparison with other distributions and for...Full Text Available
This study presents new software, called Google Earth-based Optimal HAulage RouTing System (GEOHARTS), to improve the functionality of Google Earth for optimal haulage routing of off-road dump trucks in construction and mining sites. A modified least-cost path algorithm, which is applicable to working areas with both paved and unpaved temporary roads and can consider the effects of terrain relief and curves along a route on the route planning, was proposed and utilized for the software development. GEOHARTS can determine optimal haulage routes between loaders and dumps that ensure the least travel time or fuel consumption of off-road dump trucks and can visualize the results using an embedded 3D render window of Google Earth. The application to the Pasir open-pit coal mine in Indonesia dem...
Satellite Observations of the Southeast Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone During 1993-1998, Halpern, D.; Hung, C.-W., Journal of Geophysical Research ? ...
of Earth Science data and information management capabilities. Dale Schulz/400 . For your exceptional achievement in leading the joint LaRC/GSFC team in ...
... Zinn, J., Hoerlin, H., and Petschek, AG, "The Motion of Bomb Debris Follow- ing the Starfish Test," Radiation Trapped in the Earth's Magnetic Field ...
The portion of the Waterpocket Fold illustrated in this image includes layered rocks formed during the Mesozoic Era (~ 250 65 million years ago) the oldest ...
Hie synthesis of diverse biologically important compounds, under condi- tions which existed on the earth in the initial period of its evolution, ha; ...
The abstract is additional with repect to the paper published in JGCD. Ordinary Earth satellites are usually placed into five categories of special orbits: sun-synchronous orbits, orbits at the critical inclination, frozen orbits, repeating ground track orbits, and geostationary orbits. This paper investigates their counterparts around Mars and examines the basic nature of these orbits, which are of special interest for missions conducted around Mars, including Mars reconnaissance. Mars' gravity field is much more complicated, with relatively smaller J2, compared to Earth's, which makes the behaviors of these Martian orbits different from those of Earth. Analytical formulations and numerical simulations are used to analyze these Martian orbits and compare them with their Earth counterparts. First, mean element theory is employed to describe variations of orbital elements and give the constraint ...
The SHARP cannon. Hydrogen is compressed in the tube on top, the gun barrel is on bottom. When Jules Verne wrote in 1865 "From Earth to the Moon" he ...
Turbine Afterword The SHARP cannon. Hydrogen is compressed in the tube on top, the gun barrel is on bottom. When Jules Verne wrote in 1865 "From Earth to the Moon" he envisioned...
Extraction of rare earths (La, Ce, Pr, Eu, Gd, Er, Yb) from nitrate solutions by melts of carboxylic acids of the C/sub 17/-C/sub 20/ fraction and stearic acid with paraffin, depending on the temperature (60-90 deg), phase contact time and their volume ratio (O:B from 1:5 up to 1:100), pH of the aqueous phase (2-6), rare earth concentration (10/sup -6/-10/sup -3/ m) is studied. It is shown that in the whole concentration range investigated rare earths are extracted quantitatively into the carboxylic acid melt of C/sub 17/-C/sub 20/ fraction at the equilibrium value of pH>=3.8, while into the melt of 0.1 M stearic acid in paraffin at pH>=4.5.
Aug 23, 2011 ... Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Stubborn Instruments ... And if earthquakes and stubborn instruments aren't enough, there's this giant hurricane ...
World demand for rare-earth elements and the metal yttrium?which are crucial for novel electronic equipment and green-energy technologies?is increasing rapidly. Several types of seafloor sediment harbour high concentrations of these elements. However, seafloor sediments have not been regarded as a rare-earth element and yttrium resource, because data on the spatial distribution of these deposits are insufficient. Here, we report measurements of the elemental composition of over 2,000 seafloor sediments, sampled at depth intervals of around one metre, at 78 sites that cover a large part of the Pacific Ocean. We show that deep-sea mud contains high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium at numerous sites throughout the eastern South and central North Pacific. We estimate that an a...
switch when this cavity matching condition is determined. This results is a ... MHz offset is provided by an acousto-optic modulator. (AOM). The AOM will be shut ...
Zinn, John;. Hoerlin,. Herman; and Petschek,. Albert. G.: The Motion of Bomb. Debris. Following the Starfish. Test. Radiation. Trapped in the Earth's ...
Metagenomics projects based on shotgun sequencing of populations of micro-organisms yield insight into protein families. We used sequence similarity clustering to explore proteins with a comprehensive dataset consisting of sequences from available databases together with 6.12 million proteins predicted from an assembly of 7.7 million Global Ocean Sampling (GOS) sequences. The GOS dataset covers nearly all known prokaryotic protein families. A total of 3,995 medium- and large-sized clusters consisting of only GOS sequences are identified, out of which 1,700 have no detectable homology to known families. The GOS-only clusters contain a higher than expected proportion of sequences of viral origin, thus reflecting a poor sampling of viral diversity until now. Protein domain distributions in the GOS dataset and current protein databases show distinct biases. Several protein domains that were previously categorized as kingdom specific are shown to have GOS examples in other kingdoms. About ...
Seismic stratigraphy based chronostratigraphic (SSBC) analysis of the Serbian Banat region allows the delineation of the spatial and stratigraphic relationships of the generally regressive and shallowing upward Neogene depositional fill of a tectonically unstable central portion of the Pannonian Basin. When geometrically restored in time and space, the sediment dispersal directions, sediment source directions, types of sedimentation breaks and the tectonic events influencing basin evolution can be delineated. For such an analysis the time-transgressive lithostratigraphic units used in the neighbouring Hungarian part of the Pannonian Basin are conveniently introduced based upon their characteristic seismic facies and constrained borehole log records as mappable seismic stratigraphic sequence units, termed "seismic operational sequences". The respective Neogene stage and operational sequence equivalents (Hungarian lithostratigraphic units or formations) are the Middle Miocene (Badenian, ...
Thermal (gas) nitridation of stainless steel alloys can yield low interfacial contact resistance (ICR), electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant nitride containing surface layers (Cr{sub 2}N, CrN, TiN, V{sub 2}N, VN, etc.) of interest for fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. This paper presents results of scale-up studies to determine the feasibility of extending the nitridation approach to thin 0.1 mm stainless steel alloy foils for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates. Developmental Fe-20Cr-4V alloy and type 2205 stainless steel foils were treated by pre-oxidation and nitridation to form low-ICR, corrosion-resistant surfaces. As-treated Fe-20Cr-4V foil exhibited target (low) ICR values, whereas 2205 foil suffered from run-to-run variation in ICR values, ranging up to 2 x the target value. Pre-oxidized and nitrided surface structure examination revealed surface-through-layer-thickness V-nitride particles for the treated Fe-20Cr-4V, but ...
Thermal (gas) nitridation of stainless steels can yield low interfacial contact resistance (ICR), electrically-conductive and corrosion-resistant nitride containing surfaces (Cr2N, CrN, TiN, V2N, VN, etc) of interest for fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. This paper presents the results of scale up studies to determine the feasibility of extending the nitridation approach to thin 0.1 mm stainless steel alloy foils for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates. A major emphasis was placed on selection of alloy foil composition and nitidation conditions potentially capable of meeting the stringent cost goals for automotive PEMFC applications. Developmental Fe-20Cr-4V alloy and type 2205 stainless steel foils were treated by pre-oxidation and nitridation to form low-ICR, corrosion-resistant surfaces. Promising behavior was observed under simulated aggressive anode- and cathode- side bipolar plate conditions for both materials. Variation in ICR values were observed for ...
Endothelial dysfunction is involved in radiation responses in many normal tissues, including intestine. Endothelium-directed interventions ameliorate intestinal radiation injury (radiation enteropathy) in animal models, and anecdotal reports also suggest a beneficial effect of heparin. This study assessed low molecular weight heparin as an intestinal radiation response modifier. Rats underwent localized small bowel irradiation. Groups of rats were treated with saline, nadroparin (3 mg/kg/d), or a non-anticoagulant heparin (SR80258, 3 mg/kg/d), from 3 days before to 2 weeks after irradiation. The intestinal radiation response was assessed 2 weeks and 6 weeks after irradiation using quantitative histology; morphometry, and cellular and molecular end-points. Compared to vehicle-treated controls, nadroparin significantly exacerbated structural radiation injury, neutrophil infiltration, and TGFbeta and collagen I immunoreactivity levels 2 weeks after irradiation. ...
(3H)Cyclofoxy (CF: 17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14-dihydroxy-4,5-alpha-epoxy-6-beta-fluoromorp hinan) is an opioid antagonist with affinity to both mu and kappa subtypes that was synthesized for quantitative evaluation of opioid receptor binding in vivo. Two sets of experiments in rats were analyzed. The first involved determining the metabolite-corrected blood concentration and tissue distribution of CF in brain 1 to 60 min after i.v. bolus injection. The second involved measuring brain washout for 15 to 120 s following intracarotid artery injection of CF. A physiologically based model and a classical compartmental pharmacokinetic model were compared. The models included different assumptions for transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB); estimates of nonspecific tissue binding and specific binding to a single opiate receptor site were found to be essentially the same with both models. The nonspecific binding equilibrium constant varied modestly in different brain ...
Under support from the French Space Agency (CNES), a 3D+t dusty-gas model of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is being developed, to compute, from the first 2014 Rosetta orbital data, the aerodynamic forces exerted on the Rosetta orbiter and on the descent lander. We report the recently developed dust dynamics part of the code. The multi-species (presently H2O and CO) gas code is optimized in terms of computational speed owing to the use of two complementary methods: (a) 3D+t Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) runs in the non-equilibrium regions adjacent to the surface and very distant from it, and (b) solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations in-between. The model is used presently using Lamy et al. (Space Sci. Rev., 2007, 128, 23) coarse information on 67P nucleus shape and rotation, and a range of possible gas production rates Q for the early Rosetta observations at rh 3 AU (Q 1026 - 1027 s-1). In the interim version, simplifying assumptions are made with respect to the physical ...
In this paper, we first discuss the detection of supernova neutrino on Earth. Then we propose a possible method to acquire information about $\\theta_{13}$ smaller than $1.5^\\circ$ by detecting the ratio of the event numbers of different flavor supernova neutrinos. Such an sensitivity cannot yet be achieved by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment.
Aimed at post-graduate and post-doctoral researchers in geochemistry, this book reflects the rapid changes in the applications of radioactive and stable isotope analysis to a range of geological and geochemical problems. Isotropic chemistry and methods used in mass spectroscopy are discussed initially. The second section deals with radiometric dating methods. The role of isotopes in climate and environmental research is also explored. The book closes with a section on extra-terrestrial matter, geothermometry and the isotopic geochemistry of the Earth`s lithosphere. (UK).
Molar extinction coefficients for the solid solutes in aqueous solutions of some alkaline earth chlorides such as MgCl_2.6H_2O, CaCl_2, SrCl_2.6H_2O and BaCl_2.2H_2O have been determined at 81, 356, 511, 662, 1173 and 1332 keV energies in different concentration using the narrow beam transmission methods. (author)
Measurement of the magnetic susceptibility of powder samples of heavy rare-earth (Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb) tungstates have been reported in the temperature range 300 to 900 K. Curie-Weiss law behaviour has been observed for all samples. The Curie constant, paramagnetic Curie temperature and magneton number for the magnetic ions have also been evaluated for each material. (author).
Among the billions of planetary systems that fill the Universe, we would like to know how ours fits in. Exoplanet data can already be used to address the question: How common are Jupiters? Here we discuss a simple analysis of recent exoplanet data indicating that Jupiter is a typical massive planet rather than an outlier. A more difficult question to address is: How common are Earths? However, much indirect evidence suggests that wet rocky planets are common.
Summaries of the highlights of programs in the Earth Sciences Division are presented under four headings; Geosciences, Geothermal Energy Development, Nuclear Waste Isolation, and Marine Sciences. Utilizing both basic and applied research in a wide spectrum of topics, these programs are providing results that will be of value in helping to secure the nation's energy future. Separate abstracts have been prepared for each project for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (DMC)
...Observatory Edinburgh SkyView Virtual Observatory Solar System Simulator Space Telescope Science Institute Space Weather : A Research Perspective Subaru Telescope Project Two Micron All ...Universities for Research in Astronomy Subjects: space observation DeweyClass: 522 Resource type: index Space Weather : A Research Perspective Documents discussing space weather , the ...elements of near-Earth space, Earth-space meteorology and practical consequences of space weather . Glossary included. Author: National Academy of ...
...6 Resource type: reference data Global Change Master Directory An extensive source of information about satellite and in situ Earth science data, with broad coverage of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, oceans, solid earth, and biosphere. Author: NASA Subjects: climatology, global change, oceanographic data DeweyClass: 551.6 Resource type: documents, news International ...
When a bipolar HVDC transmission system is operating monopolar using the earth as a return path, it is often desired to divert the return current from the earth to the line from the unused pole. To do so requires either that the system be shut down temporarily or that a dc circuit breaker be used. This paper describes the development of such a new dc circuit breaker, and its application on the Pacific Intertie as a Metallic Return Transfer Breaker (MRTB).
An electric propulsion concept suitable for delivering heavy payloads from low earth orbit (LEO) to high energy earth orbit is proposed. The system consists of a number of pulsed inductive plasma thrusters powered by a 100 kWe space nuclear power system. The pulsed plasma thruster is a relatively simple electrodeless device. It also exhibits adequate conversion to thrust power in the desired I sub sp regime of 1500 to 3000 seconds for optimal payload transfer from low earth to high earth orbit. Because of these features and the fact that the nuclear power unit will be capable of delivering sustained high power levels throughout the duration of any given mission, the system presented appears to be a very promising propulsion candidate for advanced orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) applications. An OTV, which makes use of this propulsion system and which has been designed to lift a 9000-lb payload into ...
implications for treatment. In M.A. Chesney 8,. R. H. Rosenman (Eds.) Anqer and hostility in cardiovascular and behavioral disorders (pp. 103-126). ...
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in premature aging, age-related diseases, and tumor initiation and progression. Alterations of the mitochondrial genome accumulate both in aging tissue...Full Text Available
... In a HEAO 1 study of active galaxies, principally Seyfert 1s, in the 2, 165 keV energy range, Rothschild et al. ... As discussed by Rothschild et al. ...
Described as the body's largest organ, the skin is strategically located at the interface with the external environment where it has evolved to detect, integrate and respond to a diverse range...Full Text Available
sive star evolution based on our new calculations of this pulsational instability, where the initial mass of SNe progenitors increases according to the ...
This dissertation is devoted to the study of the phenomenological consequences of the three-generation heterotic string models based on the Calabi-Yau compactifications and the N = 2 superconformal constructions.
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder in which multiple neurotransmitter systems have been implicated. Increased and decreased dopamine transmission in the subcortical meso-limbic and...Full Text Available
BackgroundFloating knee injuries are usually associated with other significant injuries. Do these injuries have implications on the management of the floating knee and the final...Full Text Available
and the implications for massive star evolution. In recent years, the complex nature of the circumstellar regions of evolved massive stars has become apparent. ...
Jan 7, 2010 ... Deforestation. The environmental implications of the word are as numerous as the syllables. And scientists like Jim Collatz have the job of ...
Phosphorylation is one of the most frequent modifications in intracellular signaling and is implicated in many processes ranging from transcriptional control to signal transduction in innate immunity....Full Text Available
The importance of designating criteria for diagnosing dementia lies in its implications for clinical treatment, research, caregiving, and decision-making. Dementia diagnosis in Huntington's...Full Text Available
Although coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) have been implicated in certain human infections, they are generally regarded as contaminants, and their clinical significance is questioned. To assess...Full Text Available
A brief review of standard big bang nucleosynthesis theory and the related observations of the light element isotopes is presented. Implications of BBN on chemical evolution and constraints on particle properties will also be discussed.
The synapsin III gene, SYN3, which belongs to the family of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins, has been implicated in the modulation of neurotransmitter...Full Text Available
DescriptionThis Studentship will focus on the implications of material nutrition and health for reproduction in green turtles, and specifically the role played by dietary carotenoids.
This report is the culmination of approximately three and one-half years of research on the design and demonstration of a mineral endowment appraisal system which has as its foundation a formalization of geological decisions within a probabilistic framework. Basically, the probabilistic decision structure of a geologist or team of geologists is captured in a system of computer programs which can be used by a geologist for the estimation of the magnitude of uranium endowment by providing information to this system about the states of earth processes and geologic conditions that pertain to that region being evaluated. Research performed under this contract had two main objectives: demonstration of the endowment appraisal system on the San Juan Basin of New Mexico; a comparison of estimates by the appraisal system with estimates made using other methodologies. The scope of this report is restricted to a demonstration of the appraisal system and ...
Magnetization of R_2CuO_4 (R=Y, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) crystallizing in the Nd_2CuO_4-type (T') structure has been measured between 4 and 300 K. In Y_2CuO_4 antiferromagnetic ordering of Cu"2"+ spins at 260 K has been detected clearly, without being interfered with by the paramagnetic contribution of rare-earth elements as in the other compositions. Weak ferromagnetic behavior with a moment of 9x10"-"4 #mu#_B/Cu accompanies the antiferromagnetic transition. Dy"3"+, Ho"3"+, Er"3"+, and Tm"3"+ ions obey the Curie-Weiss law at relatively high temperatures, and the effective moments are in good agreement with the values anticipated from their lowest multiplet levels. Various types of deviations from the law occur at low temperatures. Specifically, a sharp kink possibly suggesting antiferromagnetic ordering of the Dy"3"+ moments has been found at 7 K. Anomalies around 200 K for Ho_2CuO_4 and Er_2CuO_4 reflect the weak ferromagnetic contribution of the ...
The SIEN 2009 symposium organized by Romanian Nuclear Energy Association, AREN, in co-operation with Romanian Atomic Forum, ROMATOM, was primarily targeting the expert community involved in developing new nuclear power projects and implementing the National Nuclear Program. The symposium was also open as a discussion and information forum for scientists, engineers, technicians and students interested in scientific and technologic topics of Nuclear Power. It was structured in the following 6 sections: - Nuclear new builds and developments; - Operation, inspection and maintenance; - Increasing nuclear safety features; - Fuel cycle and decommissioning; - Public perception and confidence strengthening; - Environmental management. The symposium began with three plenary lectures dealing with: - Sustainable Nuclear Energy European Technology Platform; - Nuclear new-build; - Current issues of nuclear equipment standardization in Romania. A poster session of 5 presentations ...
In many parts of the United States, as well as other regions of the world, competing demands for fresh water or water suitable for desalination are outstripping sustainable supplies. In these areas, new water supplies are necessary to sustain economic development and agricultural uses, as well as support expanding populations, particularly in the Southwestern United States. Increasing the supply of water will more than likely come through desalinization of water reservoirs that are not suitable for present use. Surface-deployed seismic and electromagnetic (EM) methods have the potential for addressing these critical issues within large volumes of an aquifer at a lower cost than drilling and sampling. However, for detailed analysis of the water quality, some sampling utilizing boreholes would be required with geophysical methods being employed to extrapolate these sampled results to non-sampled regions of the aquifer. The research in this report addresses using seismic and EM methods in ...
Substitution of various rare earths R within the class of R2PdSi3 single crystals with hexagonal AlB2-type crystallographic structure reveals the systematic dependence of anisotropic magnetic properties governed by the interplay of crystal-electric field effects and magnetic two-ion interactions. Here we compare the floating zone (FZ) crystal growth with radiation heating of compounds with R = Tb, Tm, Pr, and Gd. The congruent melting behavior enabled moderate growth velocities of 3 to 5 mmh-1. The preferred growth directions are close to the basal plane of the hexagonal unit cell. The composition of the crystals, except of Tb2PdSi3, is slightly Pd-depleted with respect to the nominal composition 16.7 at.% Pd. Thin precipitates of RSi secondary phases were detected in the crystal matrix. Their phase fraction can be diminished by growth from Pd-rich melt compositions and annealing treatments. The compounds exhibit antiferromagnetic order below ...
For several decades most of the efforts to develop new scintillator materials have concentrated on high-light-yield inorganic single-crystals while polycrystalline ceramic scintillators, since their inception in the early 1980 s, have received relatively little attention. Nevertheless, transparent ceramics offer a promising approach to the fabrication of relatively inexpensive scintillators via a simple mechanical compaction and annealing process that eliminates single-crystal growth. Until recently, commonly accepted concepts restricted the polycrystalline ceramic approach to materials exhibiting a cubic crystal structure. Here, we report our results on the development of two novel ceramic scintillators based on the non-cubic crystalline materials: Lu SiO:Ce (LSO:Ce) and LaBr:Ce. While no evidence for texturing has been found in their ceramic microstructures, our LSO:Ce ceramics exhibit a surprisingly high level of transparency/ translucency and very good ...
Porosity evolution at reactive interfaces is a key process that governs the evolution and performances of many engineered systems that have important applications in earth and environmental sciences. This is the case, for example, at the interface between cement structures and clays in deep geological nuclear waste disposals. Although in a different transport regime, similar questions arise for permeable reactive barriers used for biogeochemical remediation in surface environments. The COMEDIE project aims at investigating the coupling between transport, hydrodynamics and chemistry when significant variations of porosity occur. The present work focuses on a numerical benchmark used as a design exercise for the future COMEDIE-2D experiment. The use of reactive transport simulation tools like Hytec and Crunch provides predictions of the physico-chemical evolutions that are expected during the future experiments in laboratory. Focus is given in ...
One- and two-dimensional NMR techniques have been used to investigate the solution structures of (2S,6S,11S,15S)-2,6,11,15-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane (I) and (2R,3R,11R,12R)-2,3,11,12-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxyacyclooctadecane (II) macrocycle complexes of CaCl{sub 2} and Ca(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} in CDCl{sub 3}. Previous chiroptical studies of these and similar crown complexes by circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), total luminescence (TL), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy have shown that the macrocycle asymmetric carbons in these complexes constrain the ring such that the sense of the ring twist in the S chiral ring complexes is opposite to that in the R chiral ring complexes. These studies have also shown that there is an added chirality element in the di- and trivalent (alkaline earth and lanthanide metal, respectively) nitrate complexes of I and II associated with the twist of the nitrate anions ...
A.C.R.O. (Association pour le Controle de la Radioactivite dans l'Ouest) is a French non governmental organisation that operates a laboratory for radioactivity analysis. It was created in 1986 as a response to people demands for information and reliable, independent testing. The organisation mainly carries out missions of information and training for its correspondents and more generally for a wide audience, particularly for people who worry about problems of environment, health, management of radioactive waste and emissions. Thanks to its structure, it enables citizens to involve themselves together with scientists so as to gain access to information that was hither to reserved to specialists. The organisation can vouchsafe its independence from the diversity of its members and volunteers, as well as from the diversity of its money resources. Besides its headquarters situated on the city of Caen area (Normandy), three branches situated in North Normandy, ...
This report documents a case history in which a cadaver and the associated burial objects were found well preserved after being buried for more than 2100 years in Southern China. The preservation is attributed to a layer of kaolin that surrounded the coffin and served as a barrier to water and air movement. The implications for the disposal of nuclear fuel waste are discussed.
DescriptionNanotechnology is rapidly expanding, and is forecast to become a trillion dollar industry in the near future. It is inevitable that as nanotechnology applications increase, increasing amounts of manufactured nanoparticles (mNPs) will be released into the environment. The environmental and human health implications of the release of most of the huge range of possible particle types are as yet largely unknown, but in the context of groundwaters, apart from implications for the drinking of contam [continued...
Direct visualization of rare earths in @a- and @b-SiAlON unit-cells is performed through Z-contrast imaging technique in an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. The preferential occupation of Yb and Ce atoms in different interstitial locations of @b-SiAlON lattice is demonstrated, yielding higher solubility for Yb than Ce. The triangular-like host sites in @a-SiAlON unit cell accommodate more Ce atoms than hexagonal sites in @b-SiAlON. We think that our results will be applicable as guidelines for many kinds of rare-earth-doped materials.
The need for alternative energy increases steadily???especially due to the climate change and the limited availability of fossil fuels. Geothermal power uses the intrinsic heat which is stored in the accessible part of the Earth???s crust. Its importance among the renewable energy resources originates from the almost unlimited energy supply of the Earth and its independence from external influences such as seasonal or even daily climatic variability. Nevertheless, there are risks which have to be assessed. From a mathematical point of view there are four building blocks of the characterization of deep geothermal systems: seismic exploration, gravimetry, modeling transport processes, and modeling the stress field. In particular, local depletion poses a significant risk during the industrial...
'Glass Earth' represents a number of current and planned projects within CSIRO aimed at making 'transparent' the top 1000 m of the Earth's crust It builds upon current technologies developed within a number of CSIRO divisions as well as the Australian Mineral Exploration Technologies CRC (AMET CRC), the Australian Geodynamics CRC (AG CRC) and the CRC for Landscape Evolution and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME). New geophysical and geochemical technologies will be developed to complement these, together with new capabilities in modelling, data integration and visualisation, including hydrogeochemistry, hydrogeology, surface geochemistry and isotope geochemistry, modelling of chemical, fluid and heat flows in rock and regolith, advanced visualisation and data fusion. This paper describes some recent work in the field of isotope geochemistry, with the principal aim of 'seeing through' cover to understand basement geology and detect hidden ore ...
A study has been made of the colour reaction involved in the interaction or rare-earth elements with the reagent orthanyl K, the optimum conditions for the reaction being: pH=4.0-4.5 and lambda=660-670 nm. The ratio of components in the complex is Me:R=1:2. Consideration of the relative optical density values of the complex solutions as a function of the serial number of the rare-earth elements made it possible to recommend orthanyl K as a selective reagent for determining La, Ce, Pr and Nb in a mixture of Tu, Yb, Lu and Y oxides. The molar extinction coefficients, the sensitivity of the reaction and the concentration limits where Beer's law applies were calculated. Lanthanum was determined in a binary mixture with thulium and yttrium. (author).
The object of this program was to design and build a self-contained system for remote monitoring of the atmosphere in mines. The system developed uses the mine pager phone line as the primary communication channel and also has the capability of using 208 Hz in the ELF band for wireless transmission through the earth. The depth for through-the-earth transmission is expected to be about 80 to 90 meters in high conductivity soil and is limited by the noise level in the ELF band-pass filters. The underground components of the TEM System are energized by mine power through a battery charger-storage battery power supply. In the event of mine power failure the battery capacity is more than sufficient for 1 week's operation with interrogations every 4 hours.
Spacecraft studies of the three terrestrial planets with atmospheres have made it possible to make meaningful comparisons that shed light on their common origin and divergent evolutionary paths. Early in their histories, all three apparently had oceans and extensive volcanism; Mars and Earth, at least, had magnetic fields, and Earth, at least, had life. All three currently have climates determined by energy balance relationships involving carbon dioxide, water and aerosols, regulated by solar energy deposition, atmospheric and ocean circulation, composition, and cloud physics and chemistry. This paper addresses the extent to which current knowledge allows us to explain the observed state of each planet, its planetology, climatology and biology, within a common framework. Areas of ignorance...
We present an empirical model for periodic variations of diurnal and sub-diurnal Earth rotation parameters (ERPs) that was derived based on the transformation of normal equation (NEQ) systems of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observing sessions. NEQ systems that contain highly resolved polar motion and UT1-TAI with a temporal resolution of 15?min were generated and then transformed to the coefficients of the tidal ERP model to be solved for. To investigate the quality of this model, comparisons with empirical models from the Global Positioning System (GPS), another VLBI model and the model adopted by the conventions of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) were performed. The absolute coefficients of these models agree almost completely within 7.5?...
The crystal structure, electronic structure, and photoluminescence properties of EuxSi6-zAlz-xOz+xN8-z-x (x=0-0.1, 0xMySi6-zAlz-x-yOz+x+yN8-z-x-y (M=2Li, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) have been studied. Single-phase EuxSi6-zAlz-xOz+xN8-z-x can be obtained in very narrow ranges of x?0.06 (z=0.15) and z2+ ions can be incorporated into nitrogen-rich Si6-zAlzOzN8-z. The Eu2+ ion is found to occupy the 2b site in a hexagonal unit cell (P63/m) and directly connected by six adjacent nitrogen/oxygen atoms ranging 2.4850-2.5089 A. The calculated host band gaps by the relativistic DV-X? method are about 5.55 and 5.45 eV (without Eu2+ 4f5d levels) for x=0 and 0.013 in EuxSi6-zAlz-xOz+xN8-z-x (z=0.15), in which the top of the 5d orbitals overlap with the Si-3s3p and N-2p orbitals within the bottom of the conduction band of the host. EuxSi6-zAlz-xOz+xN8-z-x shows a strong green emission with a broad Eu2+ band centered at about 530 nm under UV to near-UV excitation range. ...
This paper describes research and development activities at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on Optimization of CO{sub 2} Extraction Process Technologies. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop better and more effective CO{sub 2} separation processes which can be used to recover CO{sub 2} from industrial sources such as coal-fired power plants and coal gasification complexes at the lowest possible capital and operating costs. The research program has been supported by Saskatchewan Power Corporation, Saskatchewan Energy and Mines, Prairie Coal Ltd., the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET), Fluor Daniel Inc. (USA), Sulzer Chemtech (Switzerland), Wascana Energy Inc., and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Currently, six parallel and complementary projects have been carried out at the Process Systems Laboratory. These projects are: (1) Searching for new sterically hindered amines for high capacity absorption of ...
Leaded gasoline has been used as fuel for trucks and automobiles in the United States since 1924; it has been implicated as a source of lead that is deposited on the soil and eventually can be ingested by small children, contributing to their burden of this toxic metal. The lead content of 667 surface-soil samples (taken at depths of 0-5 cm) and 159 subsurface-soil samples (from depths of 25-30 cm) collected from Illinois play areas near roads was measured and related to traffic variables. The samples were collected between June and October of 1985, and their measured lead levels exceeded the average natural background level for Illinois soil. The highest lead concentrations were found in samples from the six-county metropolitan Chicago region, where both traffic volume and traffic density are higher than in the rest of the state. Regression analysis showed significant correlation of lead concentration in the top 5 cm of soil with three variables (traffic density, ...
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a powerful technique that can be used in a wide range of applications, such as the structural characterization of high molecular weight molecules, conformational studies on enzymes in solution, enzyme-substrate or DNA-protein interactions, monitoring of cell metabolism in vivo, and for diagnostic purposes, employing spectroscopic and imaging techniques. This course was organized in order to introduce the participants to the fundamentals of NMR spectroscopy, and offer practical advice on performing NMR experiments on cell systems, cell and tissue extracts and animal models. The main implications regarding human experiments were also discussed. Finally the quantification of information and the interpretation of data were considered with regard to the main nuclei observed. [Italiano] La risonanza magnetica nucleare e` una delle tecniche spettroscopiche che meglio risponde all`ampio spettro di condizioni imposto dalla ...
The amino acid residues 114-118 in actin were found to be implicated strongly in the binding of nucleotide, and as would be expected for such an important binding site, they are located in a completely conserved region of the actin sequence. A 19-residue peptide with the actin sequence 106-124 was synthesized in order to span the putative triphosphate binding site. Proton NMR spectra of the actin peptide 114-118 in the presence and absence of ATP indicated that Arg-116 and Lys-118 are particularly involved in binding ATP. A strong binding of ATP to the peptide 106-124 also was measured. Tripolyphosphate bound to the peptide 106-124 somewhat more weakly than ATP. Binding involved residues 115-118 and 121-124, indicating the presence of a reverse turn between these segments. Proton resonances were assigned by using two-dimensional double quantum correlated spectroscopy, one-dimensional spin decoupling techniques, one-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement ...
As part of the work scope set in the French law on high level long lived waste R&D passed in 1991, CEA is conducting a research program to establish the scientific basis and assess the feasibility of long term storage as an option for the safe management of nuclear waste for periods as long as centuries. This goal is a significant departure from the current industrial practice where storage facilities are usually built to last only a few decades. From a technical viewpoint such an extension in time seems feasible provided care and maintenance is exercised. Considering such long periods of time, the risk for Society of loosing oversight and control of such a facility is real, which triggers the question of whether and how long term storage safety can be actually achieved. Therefore CEA commissioned a study (1) in which MUTADIS Consultants (2) and CEPN (3) were both involved. The case study looks into several past and actual human enterprises conducted over significant periods o ...
The total and state-specific electron-ion recombination rate coefficients are obtained for FeI. The calculations are carried out using a new ab initio method that incorporates both the radiative and the dielectronic recombination processes in an unified and self-consistent manner. The computations employ the close coupling approximation and the R-matrix method from atomic collision theory. A 52 state close coupling eigenfunction expansion dominated by the states of the ground 3d{sup 6}4s and excited 3d{sup 7}, 3d{sup 6}4p, 3d{sup 5}4s{sup 2}, and 3d{sup 5}4s4p configurations of FeII are used in the present calculations. The important electron correlation and radiation damping effects are included via explicit coupling of autoionization and radiative channels. This is the first detailed atomic calculation for the recombination rates for FeI. The present rates are considerably higher than the radiative recombination rates being used currently in the low-temperature region, T{le}10{sup ...
The main purpose of this paper is to stress the importance of CT depiction of the mandibular incisive canal. This anatomical structure contains a major neurovascular bundle and is thus very important in the planning of mandibular implants in the canine-incisive area. The importance of careful assessment of the mandibular canal course before implantology is now widely recognized. The same holds true for the canine-incisive region in the jaw, to detect the incisive canal if present and prevent any complications from its accidental damage. CT with a dedicated software showed the incisive canal in a large number of patients, which calls for precise reporting of its presence, course, and relationships with teeth. [Italian] Scopo di questo lavoro e' sottolineare l'importanza di rilevare e segnalare la visibilita' con Tomografia Computerizzata del canale incisivo mandibolare, struttura anatomica al cui interno decorre un fascio vasculo nervoso e ...
The Drosophila sequence-specific DNA binding protein, Adf-1, is capable of activating transcription of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, Adh, and is implicated in the transcriptional control of other developmentally regulated genes. We have cloned the cDNA encoding Adf-1 by generating specific DNA probes deduced from partial amino acid sequence of the protein. Several cDNA clones encoding an extended open reading frame were isolated from a phage lambda library. The complete amino acid sequence of Adf-1 deduced from the longest cDNA reveals structural similarities to the putative helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif of Myb and Myb-related proteins. DNA sequence analysis of genomic clones and Northern blot analysis of mRNA suggest that Adf-1 is a single-copy gene encoding a 1.9-kb transcript. Purified recombinant Adf-1 expressed in Escherichia coli binds specifically to Adf-1 recognition sites and activates transcription of a synthetic Adh promoter ...
A geological study was conducted to better understand the nature of cleat development and degree of mineralization in coal seams of the Scollard and Coalspur Formations in western Alberta. The results can be applied to equivalent formations. The source and reservoir rocks of a coalbed methane (CBM) system were described. Coal seams are basically fractured reservoirs with 7 types of cleats. The field work involved cleat minerals sampling and determining cleat attributes such as type, strike and spacing from open-cut mines and outcrops. The laboratory work involved X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive microscopy, stable isotope analysis, and fluid inclusions analysis. The study showed that coal seams of the Scollard and Coalspur Formations are widespread and cleated to various degrees. The face and butt cleats strike northeast-southwest and northwest southeast respectively along the structural grain of the Laramide Orogeny. The major ...
Before large-scale anthropogenetic emissions the environmental factors have been rather stable for thousands of years, varying yearly, seasonally and daily in rather regular manners around some mean values. In this century the emissions of CO{sub 2}, sulphur and nitrogen from society to atmosphere are changing both atmospheric and soil environment at rates not experienced before. The fluxes to soil affect the contents of plant available nutrients and solubility of toxic compounds in the forest soil. Additionally, the chemical state of soil environment is coupled to tree growth, litter production and nutrient uptake as well as to the activity of biological organisms in soil, which decompose litter and release nutrients from it. Trees have developed effective regulation systems to cope with the environment during the evolution. The resulting acclimations improve the functioning of the trees if the environmental factors remain within their range of variation during the evolution. Outside ...
Ab initio total energy calculations within the framework of density functional theory have been performed for atomic hydrogen and oxygen chemisorption on the (0001) surface of double hexagonal packed (dhcp) americium using a full-potential all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals method. Chemisorption energies were optimized with respect to the distance of the adatom from the relaxed surface for three adsorption sites, namely top, bridge, and hollow hcp sites, the ad-layer structure corresponding to the coverage of a 0.25 monolayer in all cases. Chemisorption energies were computed at the scalar-relativistic level (no spin-orbit coupling NSOC) and at the fully relativistic level (with spin-orbit coupling SOC). The two-fold bridge adsorption site was found to be the most stable site for O at both the NSOC and SOC theoretical levels with chemisorption energies of 8.204 eV and 8.368 eV respectively, while the three-fold hollow hcp adsorption ...
Incoming solar energy had to be assimilated to sustain it. .... Roll stability was achieved with an Earth sensor mounted on the directional antenna. .... Once more a rocket becomes the means of producing a vector change in velocity. ...
Wildlife Monitoring System Schematic .......................... 40 ...... sentinel species - healthy fish are placed in an environment of water (where they arc not .... The way ir! which data for the fnre mdor study groups will be gathered tor managciacilt ...... Earth Resources Aircraft Program (ERAP) Camera ...
BackgroundDinoflagellates are unicellular, often photosynthetic protists that play a major role in the dynamics of the Earth's oceans and climate. Sequencing of dinoflagellate nuclear...Full Text Available
In this activity, students create two- and three-dimensional maps by using a data grid of an imaginary section of Earth's surface. They are challenged to create six different maps of various surface features and answer questions about them.
Dolores Beasley Headquarters, Washington, DC July 19, 2000 (Phone: 202/358- 1753) Bill Steigerwald Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (Phone: ...
Oct 2, 2007 ... The Payload combines some of the most sensitive particle sensors .... provide state-of-the-art measurements of incoming x-ray, ultraviolet, .... It will be launched into a low-Earth orbit on a Delta 7320 rocket in September 2004. ...
BackgroundGeographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide valuable insight into patterns of human activity. Online spatial display applications, such as Google Earth, can democratise...Full Text Available
As the presence of humans in space expands in scope and duration, the quality of life in space as well as on Earth becomes pertinent. .... Military uses of space, such as the introduction of space-based laser or particle beam weapons, may have a major impact on the way people think and relate to .... AIAA Student Journal. ...
Types of disorders in the earth's surface as a result of open pit mining operations are analyzed. Trends for recultivation of lands are defined. Formulas are presented for calculating the economic expediency of the selected direction of recultivation.
More than 30 years ago, human beings looked back from the Moon to see the magnificent spectacle of Earth-rise. The technology that put us into space has since been used to assess the damage...Full Text Available
A procedure was developed to monitor boundaries within which secondary mining operations can be applied. Principal techniques include instrument and operative-remote observations of earth shifts and aerial photography of displacements on the surface of the trough.
ISS022, E, 8269, CHILE, OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS E. OF SIERRA GORDA, ROADS, DRAINAGE, -22.9, -69.1, 20091209. ISS022, E, 8270, CHILE, OPEN PIT MINING ...
The Earth`s troposphere and hydrosphere contain abundant naturally generated dust. The ultimate source materials from which the terrestrially produced dust is generated are the various rock types exposed at the Earth`s surface. Natural dust is a composite of (1) lithic, primary mineral grains; (2) mineral grains formed by secondary chemical reactions; (3) volcanic ash and dust; (4) salts from sea sprays; (5) extra-terrestrial dust; and (6) biologic materials. In this paper the various pathways to the natural generation of dust (via the hydrologic cycle) will be discussed, and two geologically well-known natural dust sources will be described, paying particular attention to quantitative measurements of the dusts from these areas. General dust studies that provide data on possibly global background levels will be presented as well.. A few general aspects of the mineralogical characterization of dust particles and a discussion of some of the ...
5 days ago... Sun sensors, 2 secondary Sun sensors, and an Earth sensor. ... This continued intermittently until the rocket burn, at which time ... with incoming asymptotic direction at an angle of -13.6 degrees from the lunar equator. ...
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis (RXFA) were used for the determination of rare earth elements. For INAA, solution obtained by sample decomposition was dripped onto filter paper, enclosed and sealed into a polyethylene foil. The sample was activated in reactor WWR-S over a period of 4 to 6 hours with a neutron fluence of 10"1"3cm"-"2. Gamma radiation measurement was carried out with a planar and a coaxial HP-Ge detector in three decay periods. La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Tm, Yb and Lu were determined. The advantage of the method is its accuracy and high sensitivity, the disadvantage is the time-consuming analysis. The RXFA method was used as a rapid and operative method for the analysis of loose ore samples, aqueous and organic solutions of rare earth elements. For exciting X-ray radiation, "2"4"1Am was used and the radiation of K-lines was detected with a planar Si(Li) detector. ...
Absorption and emission measurements at liquid-helium temperature, liquid-nitrogen temperature and room temperature have been performed on tetragonal scheelite-type rare earth sodium double molybdates Na[sub 5]RE(MoO[sub 4])[sub 4] and on RE-doped Na[sub 5]Gd(MoO[sub 4])[sub 4] samples. The rare earth occupies one single crystallographic position with S[sub 4] as point symmetry. The spectra were analysed according to the crystal field theory. From the experimental data, nearly complete energy level schemes of the Pr[sup 3+] and Nd[sup 3+], on the 4f [sup 2] and 4f [sup 3] configurations were derived. Very good correlation was obtained between the experimental and simulated energy level schemes, first for the approximated D[sub 2d] and then for the true S[sub 4] symmetries. The crystal field parameters vary smoothly with the atomic number of the rare earth, when compared with those determined previously for Eu[sup 3+] in the ...
Recent proposals have shown that a quantum degenerate gas of alkaline earth atoms can be used for a number of novel quantum computing and quantum simulation experiments. Strontium is a good candidate for such experiments because it can be controlled with high precision, as demonstrated in recent atomic clock experiments. Unfortunately, the small scattering length of strontium is not amenable to evaporative cooling techniques that are used to reach quantum degeneracy. Furthermore, increasing the scattering length of alkaline earths with a magnetic Feshbach resonance is not possible due to their spinless electronic ground state configuration. However, recent theoretical and experimental work suggests the possibility of changing scattering lengths in alkaline earths with laser light. Using this optical Feshbach resonance near strontium's narrow ^1S0->^3P1 intercombination transition might allow its scattering length to be ...
Apr 25, 2010... oil per day were leaking from an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico in late April, following an explosion at an offshore drilling rig on April 20, 2010. ...
BackgroundNematoda diverged from other animals between 600–1,200 million years ago and has become one of the most diverse animal phyla on earth. Most nematodes are free-living...Full Text Available
In 18 months the Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund (CMDF) has attracted investments worth $180 million to spend on biotechnology and medical research. Although eight initial investments totalled only...Full Text Available
BackgroundLake Tanganyika (LT) is the oldest of the African Rift Lakes and is one of the richest freshwater ecosystems on Earth, with high levels of faunal diversity and endemism....Full Text Available
An introduction to time-of-flight neutron spectroscopy is presented in the context of the study of magnetic materials. Examples are taken from the class of rare earth and actinide magnetic materials known as `strongly correlated electron` systems. (author) 11 figs., 24 refs.
Features: CHUQUICAMATA, LARGE OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS, ROADS, HILLS Center Point Latitude: -22.3 Center Point Longitude: -68.9 (Negative numbers indicate ...
Features: CHUQUICAMATA, LARGE OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS, ROADS, HILLS Center Point Latitude: -22.3 Center Point Longitude: -68.9 (Negative numbers indicate ...
From the gross conservation laws of thermodynamics in a convecting material we derive a bound on the ratio of the rate of production of mechanical or magnetic energy to the rate of internal radioactive...Full Text Available
It was thus actually the fourth stage of the rocket assembly. ... package, and several temperature sensors - was mounted in the cross-lattice frame. ... Earth's geomagnetic field and incoming charged particles from the Sun and extra-solar space. ...
retrieve detailed aerosol and cloud particle size distribution and shape ...... but on rain types, and hydrometeor characteristics. ..... of ice streams, decreasing sea ice cover in the Arctic, poleward movement of forest cover, and ...
... say for sure if the signal is coming from hail, lots of graupel, or some other hydrometeor . ... Precipitation forms when cloud droplets or ice particles in clouds grow and .... A landslide is the movement of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. ...
Sep 9, 2009... a French Ariane rocket successfully launched a new Earth-observing satellite ... The payload is a pair of identical sensors known as "high-resolution ... the resulting image) are activated simultaneously by incoming radiation; ...
... 03, 2001 | Rate It Lake Superior Streams http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/ (1 vote) interactively examine real-time water quality data from 5 ...north shore Lake Superior trout streams and learn about other streams in the region, how they \\
... In recent years workers in this field have focused on nucleation by nano-porous materials . This was in part motivated by a theoretical study by Page and Sear (2006) who proposed a two step model for nucleation in pores which suggest that there is ...
...October 2006 - present: University of Leeds, UK PhD Candidate in Geochemistry Thesis Title: Magnetite formation in reducing natural environments Supervisors: Dr Liane G. Benning ...Germany Bachelor of Science in Geosciences and Astrophysics Project Details Project Title: \\
One tiny marine plant makes life on Earth possible: phytoplankton. These microscopic photosynthetic drifters form the basis of the marine food web, they regulate carbon in the atmosphere, and are responsible for half of the photosynthesis that takes place on this planet.
BackgroundDengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness that places significant burden on tropical developing countries with unplanned urbanization. A surveillance system using Google...Full Text Available
The broad bands in the room-temperature excitation spectra of Sm"3"+-, Dy"3"+- and Tm"3"+-activated Ca-#alpha#-SiAlON phosphors are interpreted as the N"3"--to-rare earth charge transfer transition (CTT). From the energies of the charge transfer transitions and from the optical data presented for the Eu"2"+ ion, the location of the divalent rare earth ion energy levels relative to the valence and the conduction band of Ca-#alpha#-SiAlON is derived. The salient features of the energy-level diagram are shown to be practical in explaining the temperature-dependent variations of the Eu"2"+ and Yb"2"+ luminescence efficiency in Ca-#alpha#-SiAlON. A comparative study pertaining to the nature of the Yb"2"+ and Eu"2"+ ion luminescence in Ca-#alpha#-SiAlON and in SrSi_2O_2N_2 is presented. A tentative energy-level diagram of the trivalent rare earth ions in Ca-#alpha#-SiAlON is also constructed.
Investigations of psychrotrophic microorganisms have been limited even though the dominant environment of the Earth is cold and enzymes with high activities at low temperatures could have commercial...Full Text Available
is approximately 327000 km from the Earth's center (58000 km from the Moon's ...... source (figure 7-4). NEXT developed funding requirements for those ...... Code SF 2. 2101 NASA Rd. 1. Houston, TX 77058. Phone: (281) 483-7224 ...
ISS022, E, 8260, CHILE, CHUQUICAMATA, LARGE OPEN PIT MINING OPERATIONS, ROADS, HILLS, -22.3, -68.9, 20091209. ISS022, E, 8261, CHILE, CHUQUICAMATA, ...
Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams, aboard the International Space Station 220 miles above Earth, responds to questions posted on YouTube concerning the station's orientation, life in space and the recent butterfly experiment.
Sep 9, 2009 ... You are here: GES DISC Home Geomorphology from Space By Location Landforms by Location: Asia. Info. Landforms by Location: Asia. KEY, ASIA ...
Aluminium is an abundant metal consisting about 8 per cent of the earth's crust. It has long been considered as essentially nontoxic and nonabsorbable from the gastrointestinal tract. More recent studies have, however, due to better analytical capabilitie...
An ascending node occurs when the subsatellite point crosses the earth's equator going from .... 11dB sigma-naught. This error budget includes the altimeter noise, ...... it is also recommended to filter the data as follows to ...
Rare-earth oxides are doped into ZnO varistors as grain growth inhibitors for increasing the varistors' voltage gradients. However, their leakage currents become large and their nonlinear coefficients decrease at the same time. The reasonable explanation for such a phenomenon has not yet been available. In this paper, the temperature dependences of varistor samples' leakage currents are investigated, which reveal that the increased leakage currents of ZnO varistors with Y2O3 doping are mainly due to the bypass paths through the intergranular materials at grain corners.
This paper summarizes the establishment and current development of space activities in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Space activities in Venezuela are focused on the areas of telecommunications, Earth observation and research on the physical properties of the Earth, and have as a primary goal the satisfaction of social needs. Current development of space activities started in 1999 when the new National Constitution recognized the value of outer space as the common heritage of mankind, and the key role of science and technology in promoting human welfare. The Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) was created in 2007. Its legal framework recognizes three key elements that drive its policy: the participation of society, capacity building and human training, and international c...
The statistical {gamma}-spectra of highly excited even-even rare earth nuclei are simulated applying appropriate level density and strength function to a given nucleus. Hindrance effects due to K-conservation are taken into account. Simulations are compared to experimental data from the {sup 163}Dy({sup 3}He,{alpha}){sup 162}Dy and {sup 173}Yb({sup 3}He,{alpha}){sup 172}Yb reactions. The influence of the K quantum number at higher energies is discussed. 21 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.
When in resonance, Raman scattering exhibits strong enhancement ranging from four to six orders of magnitude. This physical phenomenon has been applied to remote sensing of the Earth`s atmosphere. With a 16 inch Cassegrain telescope and spectrometer/ CCD-detector system, 70-150 ppm-m of SO{sub 2} in the atmosphere has been detected at a distance of 0.5 kilometer. This system can be used to detect/monitor chemical effluence in the atmosphere by their unique Raman fingerprints. Experimental result together with detailed resonance Raman and atmospheric laser propagation effects will be discussed.
Radon is often used as a natural tracer for geochemical studies. In many cases radon interacts with water. The aim of this study is to assess the time required for radon to dissolve in water and reciprocally to degas from it, and to estimate the partition ratio between the two phases. A special setup has been devised and built for this purpose. Several experiments carried out with this equipment show that both dissolution and degassing are rapidly achieved phenomena. The qualitative consequence of these results in the field of Earth science are shortly discussed in the paper.
This patent describes a process for preparing poly(aryl ether ketones) by nucleophilic displacement polymerization in the presence of at least one alkali metal base selected from potassium, rubidium or cesium, and fluoride ions, which comprises adding to the polymerization: (a) an effective amount of at least one metal salt selected from lithium, sodium, alkaline earth or lanthanide chloride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, alkyl or aryl carboxylate, cyanide, borate or phosphate to slow or stop advancement of molecular weight and (b) an end-capping agent.
We discuss how magnetic phenomena affect superconductivity in simple metals, transition metals and alloys thereof, and dilute Rare-Earth alloys. It is shown both qualitatively and quantitatively that superconductors are sensitive probes for studying itinerant spin excitations, local spin excitations associated with nearly magnetic impurities, the effect of the atomic environment on the stability of local magnetic moments, and the nature of the spin order in Rare-Earth alloys. Also, we discuss how magnetic impurities can be used to study the electronic configuration which is responsible for superconductivity in Laves-phase crystals like A-15 compounds and ..beta..-W crystals, for example.
Protecting Earth and planets against the invasion of 'alien life forms' is not military science fiction, but it is the peaceful daily job of engineers and scientists of space agencies. 'Planetary Protection' is preventing microbial contamination of both the target planet and the Earth when sending robots on interplanetary space mission. It is important to preserve the 'natural' conditions of other planets and to not bring with robots 'earthly microbes' (forward contamination) when looking for 'spores of extra terrestrial life'. The Earth and its biosphere must be protected from potential extraterrestrial biological contamination when returning samples of other planets to the Earth (backward contamination). The NASA-Caltech Laboratory for Planetary Protection of Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (California, USA) routinely monitors and characterizes ...
Climates at regional scale are strongly dependent on the interaction between atmosphere and its lower boundary, the oceans and the land surface mosaic. Land surfaces influence climate through their albedo, and the aerodynamic roughness, the processes of the biosphere and many soil hydrological properties; all these factors vary considerably geographically. Land surfaces receive a certain portion of the solar irradiance depending on the cloudiness, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo. Short-wave solar irradiance is the source of the heat energy exchange at the earth`s surface and also regulates many biological processes, e.g. photosynthesis. Methods for estimating solar irradiance, atmospheric transparency and surface albedo were reviewed during the course of this project. The solar energy at earth`s surface is consumed for heating the soil and the lower atmosphere. Where moisture is available, evaporation is one of the key components of ...
The Jewish philosopher and educator Martin Buber (1878-1965) is considered one of the twentieth century's greatest contributors to the philosophy of religion and is also recognized as the pre-eminent scholar of Hasidism. He has also attracted considerable attention as a philosopher of education. However, most commentaries on this aspect of his work have focussed on the implications of his philosophy for formal education and for the education of the child. Given that much of Buber's philosophy is based on dialogue, on community and on mutuality, it is puzzling that relatively little has been written on the implications of Buber's thought for the theory and practice of non-formal adult education. The article provides a discussion of the philosophy underpinning this aspect of Martin Buber's l...
Aim To determine the fate and clinical implication of large (?2cm), non-hypervascular nodules depicted on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the cirrhotic liver. Materials and methods In 21 patients with cirrhosis (14 hepatitis B, two ethanol abuse, four cryptogenic, one Wilson's disease), 25 large (?2cm in the longest dimension) non-hypervascular nodules were identified on dynamic MRI. The implications for diagnosis of the initial size, contour, and signal characteristics on MRI in addition to patients' age and cause of cirrhosis were assessed in our analysis. Results Twelve (75%) out of 16 lesions were malignant or potentially-malignant from 14 hepatitis B patients, while seven (78%) of the nine lesions from other patients were benign (p=0.016). The mean age of the patients who ha...
The last decade has produced an explosion in neuroscience research examining young children's early processing of language that has implications for education. Noninvasive, safe functional brain measurements have now been proven feasible for use with children starting at birth. In the arena of language, the neural signatures of learning can be documented at a remarkably early point in development, and these early measures predict performance in children's language and pre-reading abilities in the second, third, and fifth year of life, a finding with theoretical and educational import. There is evidence that children's early mastery of language requires learning in a social context, and this finding also has important implications for education. Evidence relating socioeconomic status (SES) ...
The use of global three-dimensional (3-D) models with satellite observations of CO2 in inverse modeling studies is an area of growing importance for understanding Earth s carbon cycle. Here we use the GEOS-Chem model (version 8-02-01) CO2 mode with multiple modifications in order to assess their impact on CO2 forward simulations. Modifications include CO2 surface emissions from shipping (0.19 PgC yr 1), 3-D spatially-distributed emissions from aviation (0.16 PgC yr 1), and 3-D chemical production of CO2 (1.05 PgC yr 1). Although CO2 chemical production from the oxidation of CO, CH4 and other carbon gases is recognized as an important contribution to global CO2, it is typically accounted for by conversion from its precursors at the surface rather than in the free troposphere. We base our model 3-D spatial distribution of CO2 chemical production on monthly-averaged loss rates of CO (a key precursor and intermediate in the oxidation of organic carbon) and apply an ...
This is the second revision of the ETDE/INIS Joint Thesaurus, including all updates up to September 2006. It contains 21 147 valid descriptors and 9 114 forbidden terms. The Joint Thesaurus contains the controlled terminology for indexing all information within the subject scopes of the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) and the Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE). The terminology is intended for use in subject descriptions for input or retrieval of information in these systems. The thesaurus is a terminological control device used in translating from the natural language of documents, indexers or users into a more constrained system language It is also a controlled and dynamic vocabulary of semantically and generically related terms which covers a specific domain of knowledge. The basic terminology in this thesaurus goes back to the 1969 edition of the EURATOM Thesaurus. The structure subsequently given to that terminology was the result of a ...
The phosphatidylinositol pathway is implicated in the regulation of numerous cellular functions and responses to extracellular signals. An important branching point in the pathway is the phosphorylation...Full Text Available
The side effects of cancer therapy on normal tissues limit the success of therapy. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been implicated for numerous chemotherapeutic agents including doxorubicin...Full Text Available
Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels have been implicated in detecting chemical, thermal and mechanical stimuli in organisms ranging from mammals to Caenorhabditis elegans....Full Text Available
To date few reports have provided direct comparison of psychosocial vulnerability and resources among youth with victimization and perpetration histories. Within a racially diverse, high-risk...Full Text Available
Objective To establish current practice in the use of Read codes for diabetes.Design Cross sectional study.Setting 17 practices in the Battersea...Full Text Available
BackgroundProlylcarboxypeptidase (Prcp) gene, along with altered PRCP and kallikrein levels, have been implicated in inflammation pathogenesis. PRCP regulates angiotensin...Full Text Available
In a "nutrition transition", the consumption of foods high in fats and sweeteners is increasing throughout the developing world. The transition, implicated in the rapid rise of obesity and diet-related...Full Text Available
I report on some recent work done in collaboration with E. de Rafael on the connection between ultraviolet renormalons in QCD and Nambu-Jona-Lasinio-like Lagrangians as its effective description at low energies. (orig.)
In addition to the well documented role of cytokines in mediating tissue-level interactions, it is now clear that matrix macromolecules fulfil a complementary regulatory function. Data highlighted in...Full Text Available
Recent research has implicated the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in consolidating recently acquired goal-directed appetitive memories, including spatial learning and other instrumental processes. However,...Full Text Available
Memory consolidation requires transcription and translation of new protein. Arc, an effector immediate early gene, and zif268, a regulatory transcription factor, have been implicated in synaptic plasticity...Full Text Available
BackgroundInterim analysis of accumulating trial data is important to protect participant safety during randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs) often...Full Text Available
PurposeHeavy metals and other forms of oxidative stress have been implicated as key factors in the formation of age-related cataract in humans. Metallothioneins are...Full Text Available
Krabbe disease (KD) is an inherited neurological disorder caused by the deficiency of galactocerebrosidase activity resulting in accumulation of psychosine, which leads to energy depletion,...Full Text Available
Mouse genetic resources include inbred strains, recombinant inbred lines, chromosome substitution strains, heterogeneous stocks, and the Collaborative Cross (CC). These resources were generated through...Full Text Available
Peri-prosthetic infections are notoriously difficult to treat as the biomaterial implant is ideal for bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, resulting in decreased antibiotic sensitivity....Full Text Available
The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway regulates cell growth and aging in various organisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, silent information regulator 2 (Sir2) modulates cellular senescence. Moreover,...Full Text Available
DNA methylation of cytosine residues is a widespread phenomenon and has been implicated in a number of biological processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This methylation occurs at the 5-position...Full Text Available
What do we mean when we say that a mental condition is a medical disorder rather than a normal form of human suffering or a problem in living? The status of psychiatry as a medical discipline depends...Full Text Available
Paraquat poisoning in mammals results in a characteristic lung lesion manifested principally as progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Paraquat is actively concentrated into the lung but the site of uptake remains undefined. A method is described for the autoradiographic localization of paraquat in rats. Preliminary evidence for the site of uptake implicates the bronchiol. (author).
Anthocyanins are flavonoid pigments that accumulate in the large central vacuole of most plants. Inside the vacuole, anthocyanins can be found uniformly distributed or as part of sub-vacuolar pigment...Full Text Available
The fungal pathogen Candida albicans is one of the leading causative agents of death in immunocompromised individuals. It harbors an arsenal of cell wall anchored factors that are implicated...Full Text Available
The proliferation of stem cell research, conflated with its ethical and moral implications, has led governments to attempt regulation of both the science and funding of stem cells. Due to a diversity...Full Text Available
Comparative studies of flocculent and grand-design spirals suggest that density waves are not the predominant trigger of star formation in most galaxies. Implications for chemical evolution are profound. It may be possible to ignore the details of the spiral-wave phenomenon in research aimed at unifying the chemical properties of spiral disks. 16 references.
1. Miniature end-plate potentials (m.e.p.p.s) were intra- and extracellularly recorded from neuromuscular junctions in rat phrenic nerve—diaphragm preparations in vitro....Full Text Available
The length polymorphism of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter gene promoter region has been implicated in altered 5-HT function and, in turn, neuropsychiatric illnesses, such as anxiety and depression....Full Text Available
BackgroundUnderstanding the interactions between ion channels and blockers remains an important goal that has implications for delineating the basic mechanisms of ion channel function...Full Text Available
Destress blasting is commonly used as a stress control technique at the Galena Mine, Wallace, Idaho, where the U.S. Bureau of Mines maintains a cooperative research program with the mine operators (ASARCO). A digital seismic array and an array of borehole...
BackgroundMagnetic Resonance Imaging scanners have become ubiquitous in hospitals and high-field systems (greater than 3 Tesla) are becoming increasingly common. In light of recent...Full Text Available
A vast amount of circumstantial evidence implicates oxygen-derived free radicals (especially, superoxide and hydroxyl radical) and high-energy oxidants [such as peroxynitrite (OONO−)]...Full Text Available
The etiology of major depression remains unknown, but dysfunction of serotonergic signaling has long been implicated in the pathophysiology of this disorder. p11 is an S100 family member recently...Full Text Available
That regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a crucial role in controlling allergic diseases such as asthma is now undisputed. The cytokines most commonly implicated in Treg-mediated suppression of...Full Text Available
The prevalence of obesity among children, adolescents and adults has been dramatically increasing worldwide during the last several decades. The obesity epidemic has been recognized as one of...Full Text Available
IntroductionRecent Food and Drug Administration legislation enables the mandating of product performance standards for cigarette smoke and the evaluation of manufacturers’...Full Text Available
RasGRF1 is a Ras-guanine nucleotide exchange factor implicated in a variety of physiological processes including learning and memory and glucose homeostasis. To determine the role of RASGRF1 in aging,...Full Text Available
Preterm and low birthweight (PTLBW) continues to be a major cause of mortality and morbidity across the world. In recent years, maternal periodontal disease has been implicated as a risk factor for...Full Text Available
Human longevity is in part genetically determined, and the insulin/IGF-1 signal transduction (IIS) pathway has consistently been implicated. In humans, type 2 diabetes is a frequent disease that results...Full Text Available
To resolve the phylogeny of the autochthonous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups of India and determine the relationship between the Indian and western Eurasian mtDNA pools more precisely, a diverse...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVENicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD+ and NADH) play a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism, and a dysregulated NAD+-to-NADH ratio is implicated...Full Text Available
... be rare or absent as leaves in the forest litter. The differences between the amount of leaf and ... the relative proportions of leaf species in a forest litter when compared with standing biomass has sig...
SummaryPAS domains sense oxygen, redox potential and light, and are implicated in behavior, circadian rhythmicity, development and metabolic regulation. Although PAS domains are...Full Text Available
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of retroviruses plays a major role in genomic RNA packaging, and some evidence has implicated the matrix protein (MA) of certain retroviruses in viral RNA binding. To further...Full Text Available
Neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP, CD10) is a cell-surface enzyme expressed by prostatic epithelial cells that cleaves and inactivates neuropeptides implicated in the growth of androgen-independent prostate...Full Text Available
Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) has been implicated in inhibition of nerve regeneration in the CNS. This results from interactions between MAG and the Nogo receptor and gangliosides on...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe precise mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not known. Early stages of RA often have non-specific symptoms, delaying...Full Text Available
Out of nearly 900 women in a research study of human immunodeficiency virus infection in pregnancy, 8 were subsequently found not to be infected. Misdiagnoses could have resulted from (a) laboratory...Full Text Available
The discussion of energy usage falls naturally into three parts. The first is a review of what the problem is, the second is a description of steps that can be taken to conserve energy at existing facilities, and the third is a review of the implications of energy consumption on future facilities.
Antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) have been implicated in Multiple Sclerosis demyelination through activation of complement and/or macrophage-effector processes. We presented...Full Text Available
There has been great interest in understanding the methods by which collagen-based load-bearing tissue is constructed, grown and maintained in vertebrate animals. To date, the responsibility for this...Full Text Available
Over the last two centuries, there has been a significant increase in average lifespan expectancy in the developed world. One unambiguous clinical implication of getting older is the risk of experiencing...Full Text Available
... on a transgressive surface; examples from the Silurian Whirlpool Sandstone of southern Ontario, Canada. Journal of Sedimentary ... and C. J. Salas. 1991. The Lower Silurian Whirlpool Sandstone. in Cheel, ...
To determine the mechanism of the cardiac dilatation and reduced contractility of obese Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats, myocardial triacylglycerol (TG) was assayed chemically and morphologically. TG was...Full Text Available
Decitabine, an epigenetic modifier that reactivates genes otherwise suppressed by DNA promoter methylation, is effective for some, but not all cancer patients, especially those with solid tumors. It...Full Text Available
The receptors for IGF-I (IGF-IR) and insulin (IR) have been implicated in physiological cardiac growth, but it is unknown whether IGF-IR or IR signaling are critically required. We generated mice with...Full Text Available
Stargardt disease (STGD) is the major form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration. Pyridinium bis-retinoid A2E is a major component of lipofuscin which accumulates in retinal pigment epithelium...Full Text Available
BackgroundApproximately 80% of all new HIV-1 infections are acquired through sexual contact. Currently, there is no clinically approved microbicide, indicating a clear and...Full Text Available
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). However, the underlying mechanisms by which oxidative stress contributes to sarcopenia have not been thoroughly...Full Text Available
Infections have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of autoimmune diseases, and Yersinia enterocolitica (YE) might play a role in the development of autoimmune thyroid disease...Full Text Available
Electronic personal health records (ePHRs) can potentially maximize access and coordination of health information and improve patient/clinician collaboration, patient self-management, and health outcomes....Full Text Available
Sauropod dinosaurs, the dominant herbivores throughout the Jurassic, challenge general rules of large vertebrate herbivory. With body weights surpassing those of any other megaherbivore, they relied...Full Text Available
Records of past climates contained in ice cores, ocean sediments, and other archives show that large, abrupt, widespread climate changes have occurred repeatedly in the past. These changes were especially...Full Text Available
IntroductionPrevious observations suggest that active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is associated with a prominent erythropoiesis gene-expression signature. The aim...Full Text Available
Illthrift was observed in 20/60 lambs aged 40–45 days in a dairy sheep flock in Greece. Cryptosporidiosis had been diagnosed and successfully treated with halofuginone lactate a month earlier....Full Text Available
The hyaluronic acid capsule of Streptococcus uberis has been implicated in conferring resistance to phagocytosis by bovine neutrophils. Construction of a bank of random insertion mutants...Full Text Available
Objectives. Thousands of Louisiana residents were asked to boil water because of widespread disruptions in electricity and natural gas services after Hurricane Rita. We sought to assess...Full Text Available
Childhood cancer survivors often experience complications related to cancer and its treatment that may adversely affect quality of life and increase the risk of premature death. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
BackgroundHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) E2 plays several important roles in the viral cycle, including the transcriptional regulation of the oncogenes E6 and E7, the regulation of the...Full Text Available
Neonatal administration of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX) retards brain growth, alters adult behaviors and induces cell death in the rat brain, thereby implicating glucocorticoids...Full Text Available
The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered....Full Text Available
SummaryBlastomycosis is a serious and potentially fatal infection by the thermally dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. PCR assays targeting the BAD-1 virulence...Full Text Available
BackgroundEpidemiological studies showed that physical exercise, specifically moderate lifelong training, is protective against cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Most experimental...Full Text Available
Free radical formation has been implicated in the toxicity of a wide range of xenobiotics. In recent years, particular interest has been paid to compounds which can undergo a one electron reduction...Full Text Available
BackgroundLeukotrienes (LTs) belong to the large family of lipid mediators implicated in various inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Four distinct types...Full Text Available
Bisretinoid lipofuscin compounds that accumulate in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of some forms of macular degeneration. In the development of approaches...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. It is implicated in the development of a variety of chronic disease states and is associated with increased...Full Text Available
Neurons containing the neuropeptide hypocretin (orexin) are localized only in the lateral hypothalamus from where they innervate multiple regions implicated in arousal, including the basal forebrain....Full Text Available
Purpose.To determine the effects of vasodilators on intraocular pressure (IOP) and the protein content of sheep aqueous humor (AH), because the vasodilators may increase fluid leakage...Full Text Available
Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated as a causative pathogen in periodontitis. Immunotherapeutic approaches have recently been suggested to aid in the clearance of P....Full Text Available
Molecular life science is one of the fastest-growing fields of scientific and technical innovation, and biotechnology has profound effects on many aspects of daily life—often with deep, ethical...Full Text Available
The sirtuin Sirt6 is a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase that is implicated in gene regulation and lifespan control. Sirt6 can interact with the stress-responsive transcription factor NF-κB...Full Text Available
Several Bartonella species have now been implicated as human pathogens. The recovery of these fastidious organisms in the clinical microbiology laboratory remains difficult, and current...Full Text Available
Merozoite surface proteins have been implicated in the initial attachment to the host red blood cell membrane that begins the process of invasion, an important step in the life cycle of the malaria...Full Text Available
The worldwide decline in honeybee colonies during the past 50 years has often been linked to the spread of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and its interaction with certain honeybee...Full Text Available
Circadian clock is implicated in the regulation of aging. The transcription factor CLOCK, a core component of the circadian system, operates in complex with another circadian clock protein BMAL1. Recently...Full Text Available
Details of ion transporting abnormalities in cystic fibrosis airway epithelium are now known. The central hypothesis, that excessive drying of the airway surfaces is a primary event that leads to all...Full Text Available
Magnetotactic bacteria contain chains of magnetically interacting crystals (magnetosome crystals), which they use for navigation (magnetotaxis). To improve magnetotaxis efficiency, the magnetosome crystals...Full Text Available
Since polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregate formation has been implicated as playing an important role in expanded CAG repeat diseases, it is important to understand the biophysics underlying the...Full Text Available
Communication problems have been implicated in many safety and quality issues, but tools to examine communication networks and their impact on patient outcomes are only beginning to become available....Full Text Available
Objective: Hamstring injuries can be quite debilitating and often result in chronic problems. Eccentric muscle actions are often the last line of defense against muscle injury...Full Text Available
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated to play key roles in normal physiological functions, and altered expression of specific miRNAs has been associated with a number of diseases. It is of great interest...Full Text Available
Our understanding of the development of neurotransmitter systems in the central nervous system has increased greatly over the past three decades and it has become apparent that drug effects...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of nodal micrometastasis detected by immunohistochemistry in patients that had undergone curative surgery for pancreatic cancer....Full Text Available
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the endpoint of a complex and still poorly understood process which results in inflammation, demyelination and axonal and neuronal degeneration....Full Text Available
Urethral and endocervical swabs and self-collected vaginal swabs (SCVSs) and urine specimens are all used as samples for diagnosis of urogenital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis....Full Text Available
Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary arteriography for the evaluation of chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries. These patients have a survival rate comparable to...Full Text Available
The synthesis of an extracellular ribbon of cellulose in the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum takes place from linearly arranged, membrane-localized, cellulose-synthesizing and extrusion complexes that...Full Text Available
Growing evidences indicate that proteases are implicated in adipogenesis and in the onset of obesity. We previously reported that the cysteine protease cathepsin K (ctsk) is overexpressed in the white...Full Text Available
Previous work has implicated prefrontal cortices in selecting among and retrieving conceptual information stored elsewhere. However, recent neurophysiological work in monkeys suggests that prefrontal...Full Text Available
The concordance of standard big bang nucleosynthesis theory and the related observations of the light element isotopes (including some new higher {sup 4}He abundances) will be reviewed. Implications of BBN on chemical evolution, dark matter and constraints on particle properties will be discussed.
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradative pathway that has been implicated in a number of physiological events important for human health. This process was originally identified as a response...Full Text Available
Purposes1. To determine the optimal pelvic nodal clinical target volume for post-operative treatment of endometrial cancer. 2. To compare the DVH of different treatment planning...Full Text Available
Chagas disease, caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiovascular disease. It is increasingly clear that parasite-derived prostaglandins potently modulate...Full Text Available
BackgroundFormation of site specific genomic double strand breaks (DSBs), induced by the expression of a pair of engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), dramatically increases the...Full Text Available
Allometric equations are often used to extrapolate traits in animals for which only body mass estimates are known, such as dinosaurs. One important decision can be whether these equations should be...Full Text Available
Calcium ions represent universal second messengers within neuronal cells integrating multiple cellular functions, such as release of neurotransmitters, gene expression, proliferation, excitability,...Full Text Available
This paper introduces briefly neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and discusses its implications for neutrino physics. After a presentation of general experimental concepts, such as the various proposed methodological approaches and the sensitivity, the current experimental situation is concisely reviewed.
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was initially viewed as energy sensor and activated by increased intracellular concentrations of AMP following nutrient deprivation. Physiological or pathological...Full Text Available
Amyloid precursor protein (APP), implicated in Alzheimer's disease, is a transmembrane protein of undetermined function. APP is cleaved by gamma-secretase that releases the APP intracellular domain...Full Text Available
Advanced Glycated End Products (AGEs) are formed by non-enzymatic protein glycation and are implicated in several physiological aspects including cell aging and diseases. Recent data indicate that bacteria...Full Text Available
BackgroundCentrosome aberrations can cause genomic instability and correlate with malignant progression in common human malignancies such as breast and prostate cancer. Deregulation...Full Text Available
Aberrant transglutaminase (TG) activity has been implicated in the pathology of numerous diseases including Huntington disease and Alzheimer disease. To fully characterize the role of TGs in...Full Text Available
A new method of random data analysis has been developed with special implications for membrane noise. The integral spectrometer uses overlapping broad-band filters of simple design, whose bandwidth...Full Text Available
The decline in immune function with aging, known as immunosenescence, has been implicated in evolutionarily diverse species, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not understood. During aging...Full Text Available
The objective of this paper is to analyze the implications of varying degrees of financial openness for the impact of technology shocks on a real, small open economy with financial and informational frictions. Aggregate fluctuations and propagation mechanisms under increasing financial openness are investigated in a dynamic, stochastic, general equilibrium framework in the case of positive technology shocks. The imperfections in the economy in the form of informational asymmetries among the agents and uncertainty in the production process necessitate financial intermediation and collateralized borrowing in the economy. The reason to abstract from money in the setup of the framework is to be able to concentrate on the real implications of increasing financial openness for the effect of tech...
The Beyond the Standard Model Working Group discussed a variety of topics relating to exotic searches at current and future colliders, and the phenomenology of current models beyond the Standard Model. For example, various supersymmetric (SUSY) and extra dimensions search possibilities and constraints are presented. Fine-tuning implications of SUSY searches are derived. The implications of Higgs (non)-discovery are discussed, as well as the program HDECAY. The individual contributions are included seperately. Much of the enclosed work is original, although some is reviewed.
Anxiety disorders are a highly prevalent and disabling class of psychiatric disorders. This review focuses on new directions in neurobiological research and implications for the development of novel psychopharmacological treatments. Neuroanatomical and neuroimaging research in anxiety disorders has centered on the role of the amygdala, reciprocal connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, and, most recently, alterations in interoceptive processing by the anterior insula. Anxiety disorders are characterized by alterations in a diverse range of neurochemical systems, suggesting ample novel targets for drug therapies. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) concentrations are elevated in a subset of anxiety disorders, which suggests the potential utility of CRF receptor antagoni...
While there is growing interest in Real Time Pricing as a competitive tool, its adoption to date has been constrained by wariness on the part of many utilities and many of their customers. That wariness is not misplaced, for Real Time Pricing is not for everyone. In order for both utilities and their customers to benefit, the pricing system must be properly tailored for, and offered to, the appropriate audience. This paper discusses needs for identifying targets, implications of targeting of Real Time Pricing to various types of customers, and implications for design and marketing of such pricing systems. Examples from utility experiences are provided, and recommendations are offered for development of improved targeting of Real Time Pricing.
The global demand for platinum has consistently outgrown supply in the past decade. This trend likely will continue and the imbalance may possibly escalate into a crisis. Platinum plays pivotal roles in both conventional automobile emissions control and the envisioned hydrogen economy. A platinum crisis would have profound implications on energy and environment. On the one hand, inadequate platinum supply will prevent widespread commercialization of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. On the other hand, expensive platinum may enhance the competitiveness of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-powered electric cars. Policymakers should weigh the potential impacts of a platinum crisis in energy policy.
Based on results from recent studies of elemental dietary intake and organ or tissue content for adult Chinese men, quoted nationwide elemental concentrations in Chinese soil and newly published national average consumption of dietary foods, values of both transfer coefficients and discrimination factor (DF) for transfer from soil via the diet to both critical organs and the whole body have been calculated for important elements in radiation protection, including alkaline earths, alkali metals, rare earths and other related elements. These calculations have used both the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) model and the DF method. In the UNSCEAR model, the basic parameters used to describe the transport of radionuclides are the transfer coefficients P_i_j, which describe the relationship of concentrations or other amounts between compartment i and the following compartment j, whereas the DF is the ...
We investigate the evolution of Type Ib/c supernova (SN Ib/c) progenitors in close binary systems, using new evolutionary models that include the effects of rotation, with initial masses of 12-25 M_s_u_n for the primary components, and of single helium stars with initial masses of 2.8-20 M_s_u_n. We find that, despite the impact of tidal interaction on the rotation of primary stars, the amount of angular momentum retained in the core at the presupernova stage in different binary model sequences converges to a value similar to those found in previous single star models. This amount is large enough to produce millisecond pulsars, but too small to produce magnetars or long gamma-ray bursts. We employ the most up-to-date estimate for the Wolf-Rayet mass-loss rate, and its implications for SN Ib/c progenitors are discussed in detail. In terms of stellar structure, SN Ib/c progenitors in binary systems at solar metallicity are predicted to have a ...
In laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), the properties of laser-generated aerosols, such as size and composition, are crucial for matrix-independent quantification. In this study, the aerosol particle morphology and elemental composition generated by two state-of-the-art laser systems (ArF excimer nanosecond-UV laser and Ti:sapphire femtosecond-IR laser) were investigated by electron microscopic techniques. Electrostatic sampling of the aerosols directly onto transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids allowed us to study the morphology and elemental composition of the aerosols using TEM and TEM-EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analyses, respectively. The results of the electron microscopic studies were finally compared to the LA-ICPMS signals of the main matrix components. The investigations were carried out for non-conducting materials (glass and zircon), metallic samples (steel and brass) and semiconductors (sulfides). The studies ...
Solid fuels such as coal, wood, and crop straw supply some fraction of household cooking and heating fuel for more than one billion people in China. As these fuels do not generally combust cleanly in household stoves, their use levies large health and environmental burdens, particularly in rural regions. Production of clean-burning fuels from agricultural residue offers one prospect for mitigating health and social burdens imposed by household use of solid fuels. This dissertation explores the question: how might production of clean-burning household fuels from agricultural residues affect human health and social conditions in rural China? I approach this question from three perspectives. First, a technically plausible but currently unproven village-scale energy technology is explored in a scenario bounded by natural resources and substantiated by engineering specifications, estimates of indoor exposures to air pollution, and epidemiological analyses. This analysis asks at the national ...
The heterogeneous processing of atmospheric aerosols by reaction with nitrogen oxides results in the formation of particulate and adsorbed nitrates. The water content of these hygroscopic nitrate aerosols and consequently the nitrate ion concentration depend on relative humidity, which can impact the physicochemical properties of these aerosols. This report focuses on the 310 nm photolysis of aqueous sodium and calcium nitrate solutions at pH 4 over a wide concentration range of nitrate ion concentrations representative of atmospheric aerosols. In particular, the quantum yield (phi) of nitrite formation was measured and found to significantly decrease at high concentrations of nitrate for Ca(NO(3))(2). In particular, phi for Ca(NO(3))(2) was found to have a maximum value of (7.8 +/- 0.1) x 10(-3) for nitrate ion solution concentrations near one molal, with the smallest quantum yield for the highest concentration solution above 14 m nitrate ion, phi = (2.3 +/- 2.0) x 10(-4). The effect ...