Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The addition of ZnO, depleted in the Zn-64 isotope, to the water of boiling water nuclear reactors lessens the accumulation of Co-60 on the reactor interior surfaces, reduces radioactive wastes and increases the reactor service-life because of the inhibitory action of zinc on inter-granular stress corrosion cracking. To the same effect depleted zinc in the form of acetate dihydrate is used in pressurized water reactors. Gas centrifuge isotope separation method is applied for production of depleted zinc on the industrial scale. More than 20 years of depleted zinc application history demonstrates its benefits for reduction of NPP personnel radiation exposure and combating construction materials corrosion.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The zinc-air battery/fuel cell is an old technology invented one hundred years ago. However, there is renewed interest in this technology in response to the growing need for clean energy technology. The zinc-air battery/fuel cell is more attractive than similar technologies because its characteristics include high power density, safe operation and storage, and low cost. Zinc-air battery/fuel cells can be made in milliwatts to mega watts to accommodate different applications. The zinc-air battery/fuel cell has four major designs, namely primary, mechanically rechargeable, continuous feed and electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery/fuel cells. Among the different designs, the most common is the air cathode. There are 3 generations of catalysts used in the air cathodes. This paper discussed the different designs of the zinc-air battery/fuel ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

For intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) dose reconstruction, multileaf collimator (MLC) log files have been shown applicable for deriving delivered fluence maps. However, MLC log files are...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Micro-batteries are one of the key components that restrict the application of autonomous Microsystems. However little efforts were made to solve the problem. We have proposed a new planar zinc/air micro-battery, suitable for autonomous microsystem applications. The micro-battery has a layered structure of zinc electrode/alkaline electrolyte/air cathode. A 3D zinc electrode with a high density of posts was designed to obtain a high porosity, hence to offer a best performance. A model of the micro-battery is developed and the device performances were simulated and discussed. A four-mask process was developed to fabricate the prototype micro-batteries. The preliminary testing results showed the micro-batteries is able to deliver a maximum power up to 5 mW, and with an average power of 100 {mu}W at a steady period for up to 2hrs. Fabrication process is still under optimization for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This document reports the progress and accomplishments of a 16 month program to develop a rechargeable zinc-air battery for electric vehicle propulsion, from October 1988 through January 1990. The program was the first stage in the transition of alkaline zinc electrode technology, invented at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, to private industry. The LBL invention teaches the use of a copper metal foam substrate for the zinc electrode, in combination with forced convection of electrolyte through the foam during battery operation. Research at LBL showed promise that this approach would avoid shape change (densification and dendrite growth), the primary failure mode of this electrode. The program comprised five tasks; (1) cell design, (2) capacity maximization, (3) cycle testing, (4) materials qualification, and (5) a cost/design study. The cell design contemplates a plate and frame stack, with alternating ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Because of its high energy density, compatibility with aqueous electrolytes and the low toxicity of its active materials, the zinc-air battery system is an interesting candidate for electric vehicle applications. The use of O{sub 2} from the air as a reactant requires a partially open cell construction and a technologically challenging air interface. This report describes the research and development program at the Paul Scherrer Institute which finally led to the demonstration of a durable, electrically rechargeable zinc-oxygen battery. In a first phase the research program was focused on the development of bifunctional oxygen diffusion electrodes and pasted zinc electrodes. The current-potential behaviour and the cycle life performance of anodes and cathodes was tested in single electrode measurements (three-electrode arrangements) as well as in complete monopolar zinc-oxygen and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Some newly created wetland areas in the Scheldt estuary are heavily contaminated by metals. They are expected to be colonised by reed (Phragmites australis) and, on a longer term, willow (Salix ssp.). Supplying litter or stimulating plant biomass production on the short term could be possible management options to restrict metal mobility or availability in the upper soil layer. The influence of litter application on the mobility and availability of metals in the top layer of a soil of a recently created floodplain along the river Scheldt (Schelde) was studied in a greenhouse experiment. Reed stem, reed leaf and willow leaf litter were dried, ground and added to the soil. The treated soil was subsequently subjected to permanently flooded and alternately flooded/drained conditions. Metal con...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A flexible battery is printed on paper by screen-printing a zinc/carbon/polymer composite anode on one side of the sheet, polymerising a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) cathode on the other side of the sheet, and applying a lithium chloride electrolyte between the two electrodes. The PEDOT cathode is prepared by inkjet printing a pattern of iron(III)p-toluenesulfonate as a solution in butan-1-ol onto paper, followed by vapour phase polymerisation of the monomer. The electrolyte is prepared as a solution of lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide and also applied by inkjet printing on to paper, where it is absorbed into the sheet cross-section. Measurements on a zinc/carbon-PEDOT/air battery in a similar configuration on a polyethylene naphthalate substrate shows a discharge capacity of up to 1.4 mAh cm{sup -2} for an initial load of 2.5 mg zinc, equivalent to almost 70% of the zinc content of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This patent describes an improved zinc electrode for a rechargeable zinc-air battery comprising an outer frame and a porous foam electrode support within the frame which is treated prior to the deposition of zinc thereon to inhibit the formation of zinc dendrites on the external surface thereof. The outer frame is provided with passageways for circulating an alkaline electrolyte through the treated zinc-coated porous foam. A novel rechargeable zinc-air battery system is also disclosed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The invention comprises an improved rechargeable zinc-air cell/battery having recirculating alkaline electrolyte and a zinc electrode comprising a porous foam support material which carries the active zinc electrode material. 5 figs.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We analyzed the effect of short-term water deficits at different periods of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaf development on the spatial and temporal patterns of tissue expansion...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The results of Sandia National Laboratories' participation in the NASA Planetary Definition and Design Program are summarized. Areas reported include the characterization of large area cadmium zinc telluride spectrometers and the application of simulation techniques to the prediction of device performance. Also investigated was the response of mercuric iodide devices in the region from 1 to 100 KeV. A literature study to determine the status or radiation damage measurements in room temperature semiconductor devices is also reported.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The initiation and characteristics of mossy zinc electrodeposits have been investigated. Batteries with zinc electrodes are candidates for electric vehicle applications; however, this electrode is prone to form non-compact deposits that contribute to capacity loss and battery failure. Moss is deposited when the current density is far from the limiting current. This morphology first appears only after the bulk deposit is approximately 1 {mu}m thick. In this investigation, the effects of flow rate (Re=0--4000), current density (0--50 mA/cm{sup 2}), concentration of the electroactive species (0.25 and 0.5 M), and the concentration of supporting electrolyte (3, 6, and 12 M) on the initiation of moss were examined. The rotating concentric cylinder electrode was employed for most of the experiments; and a flow channel was used to study the development of morphology. After the experiment, the deposit was characterized using ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared.

KoreaScience (Korea)

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KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new type of zinc electrode is matched with new bifunctional air electrodes to produce a zinc-air battery of a novel design. The zinc electrode is a flow-thru type made from copper foam-metal. The air electrode uses corrosion resistant carbon black as a high area support for a highly dispersed spinel oxide electrocatalyst. The battery design employs flowing electrolyte, 12 M KOH saturated or supersaturated with zincate. Single cells as large as 200 cm{sup 2} (1/5 EV design scale) having a capacity of 20 AH have been tested with C/4--C/16 constant current cycling. More extensive and realistic life cycle testing was done with 2 Ah cells, including the Simplified Federal Urban Driving Schedule (SFUDS) cycle. This testing has confirmed that these cells can provide the necessary transient power response required for urban EV applications. The cells achieved an average of 72 SFUDS repetitions (7.2 hrs) per ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes zinc-air battery for electric vehicle (EV). This battery is composed of air electrode, zinc electrode, and alkali electrolyte. During the discharge, oxygen taken from the air is reduced at the air electrode, and zinc is dissolved at the zinc electrode. The whole reaction is formation of zinc oxide from oxygen and zinc. This is taken out to use as a secondary battery through exchange and regeneration, which is called mechanical charge. For Electric Fuel, discharged products in the zinc electrode from a spent EV are extracted by a vibrating crusher, and are dissolved in KOH to prepare zinc ion electrolyte. Thus, zinc is obtained through the electrolytic refining. Since the regenerated zinc is separated from the electrolytic electrode as a form of dendritic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The verification test program on zinc injection applicability to Japanese BWRs was started in 1997. Laboratory tests using high temperature water loops under BWR reactor water conditions are in progress. This paper is an interim report on results obtained so far. Co-58 and Zn-65 were simultaneously used in the Co radioactivity buildup test to evaluate zinc injection suppression effects towards cobalt deposition on pre-oxidized stainless steel. The following results were obtained. The Co deposition was suppressed effectively by Zn injection, even when there was a pre-oxide film. For the test piping that had the pre-oxide film formed under the NWC (normal water chemistry) condition, when soaked under the HWC (hydrogen water chemistry) condition a large amount of Co-58 was taken into a small part of the inner layer. The distribution ratio of Co-58 in the inner layer and outer layer of the oxide film was almost the same for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes a new idea for zinc-air battery design. The novel idea is a porous zinc electrode surrounded with a supersaturated zincate solution. 3 figs. (JDH)

CERN Document Server

This dissertation describes the evaluation of many-pixel Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CdZnTe) hard-X-ray detectors for future use with the High Energy Replicated Optics (HERO) telescope being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. The detector requirements for the HERO application are good energy resolution (sufficient to resolve cyclotron features and nuclear lines), spatial resolution of ∼200 μm, minimal charge loss of absorbed X rays, and minimal sensitivity to the background environment. This research concentrates on assessing the suitability of these detectors for the focus of HERO, and includes the development of a simulation of the physics involved in an X-ray-detector interaction, a study of the intrinsic material properties, measurements with prototype detectors such as the energy and spatial resolution, charge loss, and X-ray background reduction through 3-dimensional depth sensing. Two types of detectors were available ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Assimilatory nitrate reductase activity (NRA) in crude spinach leaf (Spinacia oleracea) extracts undergoes rapid changes following fluctuations in photosynthesis brought about by changes...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Scaling relations among plant traits are both cause and consequence of processes at organ-to-ecosystem scales. The relationship between leaf nitrogen and phosphorus is of particular interest, as both...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Exogenously supplied indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) stimulated ethylene production in tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) leaf discs but not in those of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

For identification of genes responsible for varietal differences in flowering time and leaf morphological traits, we constructed a linkage map of Brassica rapa DNA markers including...Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

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KoreaScience (Korea)

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Science.gov (United States)

... Accession Number : ADA547552. Title : Aluminum-Zinc (Al-Zn) Dust Analyses for Recycling Purposes. Descriptive Note : Technical rept. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Sida rhomboidea. Roxb leaf extract (SRLE) is being used by the populace of North-East India to alleviate symptoms of diabetes and obesity. We have previously reported its hypolipidemic and anti-diabetic properties. In this study, we report the effect of SRLE on (i) in vivo modulation of genes controlling high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity and (ii) in vitro 3T3L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation and leptin release. Supplementation with SRLE significantly prevented HFD induced increment in bodyweight, plasma lipids and leptin, visceral adiposity and adipocyte hypertrophy. Also, SRLE supplementation reduced food intake, down regulated PPAR?2, SREBP1c, FAS and LEP expressions and up-regulated CPT-1 in epididymal adipose tissue compared to obese mice. In vitro adipogenesis of 3T3L1 pre-adipocytes was significantly retarded in the presence of SRLE extract. Also decreased triglyceride accumulation, leptin release and glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate dehydrogenase activity along ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report summarizes the results of research conducted during the sixteen month continuation of a program to develop rechargeable zinc-air batteries for electric vehicles. The zinc-air technology under development incorporates a metal foam substrate for the zinc electrode, with flow of electrolyte through the foam during battery operation. In this ``soluble`` zinc electrode the zincate discharge product dissolves completely in the electrolyte stream. Cycle testing at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where the electrode was invented, and at MATSI showed that this approach avoids the zinc electrode shape change phenomenon. Further, electrolyte flow has been shown to be necessary to achieve significant cycle life (> 25 cycles) in this open system. Without it, water loss through the oxygen electrode results in high-resistance failure of the cell. The Phase I program, which focused ...

CERN Document Server

Zinc-fingers, which widely exist in eukaryotic cell and play crucial roles in life processes, depend on the binding of zinc ion for their proper folding. To computationally study the zinc coupled folding of the zinc-fingers, charge transfer and metal induced protonation/deprotonation effects have to be considered. Here, by attempting to implicitly account for such effects in classical molecular dynamics and performing intensive simulations with explicit solvent for the peptides with and without zinc binding, we investigate the folding of the Cys2His2 type zinc-finger motif and the coupling between the peptide folding and zinc binding. We find that zinc ion not only stabilizes the native structure, but also participates in the whole folding process. It binds to the peptide at early stage of folding, and directs or ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zirconium is a transition element located along with sister elements titanium and hafnium in Group IVB of the periodic table. It is grayish white metal, with a density somewhat less than carbon steel. Zirconium is the ninth most common metallic element in the earth's crust, and is more abundant than zinc, lead, nickel, or even copper. Zirconium is exceptionally resistant to corrosion by many common acids and alkalis. It is resistant to most organic acids, such as formic, acetic, lactic, and oxalic acids. It also has a high resistance to localized forms of corrosion, such as pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. Its corrosion resistance is caused by the formation of a dense, tenaciously adherent, chemically inert oxide film on the surface. This oxide film protects the base metal from both chemical and mechanical attack at temperatures up to about 400 C (750 F). This article describes zirconium's formability, machinability, corrosion resistance, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The spectroscopic properties of Cr{sup 2+}, Co{sup 2+}, and Ni{sup 2+}-doped single crystals of ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnTe have been investigated to understand their potential application as mid-IR tunable solid-state laser media. The spectroscopy indicated divalent Cr was the most favorable candidate for efficient room temperature lasing, and accordingly, a laser-pumped laser demonstration of Cr:ZnS and Cr:ZnSe has been performed. The lasers` output were peaked at {approximately} 2.35 {mu}m and the highest measured slope efficiencies were {approximately} 20% in both cases.

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english The rate of copper II/zinc cementation from copper sulphate solutions in the absence and in the presence of methanol (CH3OH) and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) has been studied and the reaction was found to follow first-order kinetics. The influence of several parameters on the course of the reaction, such as cylinder rotation speed, initial concentration of Cu2+ ions, temperature and concentration of organic solvent, was investigated. In the case of CH3OH, rotating zinc cyli (more) nder was used, while in the presence of DMSO stationary zinc sheet and rotating zinc cylinder were used. It was found that (1) the percentage inhibition caused by methanol ranged from 10.70 to 58.38 depending on the concentration of the alcohol used; (2) the rate of cementation in the presence of DMSO using rotating zinc cylinder > the rate of cementation in the presence of DMSO using ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Backgrounds and Aims The stem growth habit, determinate or indeterminate, of soybean, Glycine max, varieties affects various plant morphological and developmental traits. The objective of this study is to identify the effect of stem growth habit in soybean on the stomatal conductance of single leaves in relation to their leaf morphology in order to better understand the ecological and agronomic significance of this plant trait. Methods The stomatal conductance of leaves on the main stem was measured periodically under favourable field conditions to evaluate gmax, defined as the maximum stomatal conductance at full leaf expansion, for four varieties of soybean and their respective determinate or indeterminate near isogenic lines (NILs). Leaf morphological traits including stomatal density, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Field studies among diverse biomes demonstrate that nitrogen concentration (% N) at leaf- and canopy-scales is strongly related to carbon uptake and cycling ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... amino acids carbon 14 glutamine leaves nitrogen 14 nitrogen 15 nutrition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

W have introduced template-synthesized metal phosphate nanoparticle labels for electrochemical immunoassay. Such use of an apoferritin template offers a simple and convenient route to prepare metallic nanoparticle labels for electrochemical immunoassays and avoid the complicated and time-consuming nanoparticle synthesis process (QD synthesis). Releasing metal ions from metal phosphate in an acetate buffer (pH 4.6) eliminates the harsh condition in the traditional metallic nanoparticle dissolution (e.g., strong acid dissolution of QDs and gold nanoparticles). This method is ultrasensitive and its DL is low to 77fM. The simultaneous detection of multiple protein targets is easily performed by using different metal phosphate nanoparticle labels (cadmium phosphate and lead phosphate). This approach can be extended to prepare multiple metal (such as zinc, lead, cadmium, copper, indium, gold, silver) phosphate nanoparticle labels or hybrid metal (bimetallic or ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

With specific energy of more than 200 Wh/kg, the Electric Fuel zinc-air battery delivers as much as eight times the energy of lead-acid traction battery, more than twice the energy of the nearest advanced-battery competitor, and as much energy as a tank of gasoline. (author)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundZhx1 to 3 (zinc-fingers and homeoboxes) form a set of paralogous genes encoding multi-domain proteins. ZHX proteins consist of two zinc fingers followed...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objective: To evaluate effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the viability, membrane properties, and zinc distribution, with and without the presence of Zn²⁺, in human prostate...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Zinc modulates the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Low cerebrospinal...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We report tests of a refuelable zinc/air battery of modular, bipolar-cell design, intended for fleet electric busses and vans. The stack consists of twelve 250-cm{sup 2} cells built of two units: (1) a copper-clad glass-reinforced epoxy board supporting anode and cathode current collectors, and (2) polymer frame providing for air- and electrolyte distribution and zinc fuel storage. The stack was refueled in 4 min. by a hydraulic transfer of zinc particles entrained in solution flow.

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For the development of a rechargeable zinc/air battery, La{sub 0.6}Ca{sub 0.4}CoO{sub 3}-catalyzed (perovskite) bifunctional oxygen electrodes and pasted zinc electrodes were prepared and tested in monopolar zinc/air cells. The cells were cycled in moderately alkaline electrolyte. The maximum power as well as the cycle life of the cells were investigated. Up to 450 cycles could be reached, and attractive specific energies and powers were obtained. (author) 3 figs., 4 refs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The paper reports the recovery of zinc and cadmium following 6.1 MeV alpha particle irradiation at 4.2 K as studied by means of electrical reistivity measurements. Specimens of 10 #mu#m thick have been used in order to obtain a homogeneous defect distribution over the whole thickness of the specimen. The pre-irradiation resistivity ratios were 700 and 750 for cadmium and zinc, respectively. (Auth.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We have shown Xanthium strumarium exhibit two distinct leaf movement rhythms with one occurring in continuous light and presumably related to an endogenous rhythm initiated by the “light-on”...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Storing electrical energy in batteries is not a viable option for sustaining a country's energy economy. The mass and volume, as well as the costs, of electrochemical components required for this would be beyond all reason. Nevertheless, in certain applications the storage of electrical energy does have significant advantages over other technologies. For example, electrically powered road vehicles emit no exhaust fumes and very little noise at their place of operation. In this way they contribute substantially to air and noise pollution control in urban areas. Photovoltaic applications permit environmentally friendly electricity applications in places remote from the public grid where conventional solutions are prohibitively expensive. More than in the past, battery systems today have to meet a wide range of technical, economic and ecological requirements in order to be marketable. This is why the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Six commercial insecticides viz., decis 25EC (deltamethrin), thiodan 35EC (endosulfan), curacron 500EC (profenophos), somialfa 110EC (esfenvalerate), denitol 30EC (fenpropathrin) and advantage 20EC (carbosulfan) were tested with recommended doses against first instar larvae of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) to determine their degree of toxicity under controlled laboratory conditions. Leaf dip method was applied for these tests. Insect mortality was assessed after 24, 48 and 72 hours of insecticide application. Results showed that curacron 500EC gave significantly high mortality of 100 % after 24 hours of application followed by thiodan 35EC, somialfa 110EC and advantage 20EC causing 93, 80 and 72 % mortality, respectively. Whereas, denitol 30EC and decis 25EC showed the minimum, non-significant differences by giving mortality of 45 and 43 %, respectively. Effectiveness of all insecticides increased after 48 ...

CERN Document Server

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) have been regarded as promising semiconductor materials for hard X-ray and Gamma-ray detection. The high atomic number of the materials (Z_{Cd} =48, Z_{Te} =52) gives a high quantum efficiency in comparison with Si. The large band-gap energy (Eg ~ 1.5 eV) allows us to operate the detector at room temperature. However, a considerable amount of charge loss in these detectors produces a reduced energy resolution. This problem arises due to the low mobility and short lifetime of holes. Recently, significant improvements have been achieved to improve the spectral properties based on the advances in the production of crystals and in the design of electrodes. In this overview talk, we summarize (1) advantages and disadvantages of CdTe and CdZnTe semiconductor detectors and (2) technique for improving energy resolution and photopeak efficiencies. Applications of these imaging detectors in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

One of the most challenging topics in the area of organic electronic devices is the growth of transparent electrodes onto flexible polymeric substrates that will be characterized by enhanced conductivity in combination with high optical transparency. An essential aspect for these materials is their synthesis and/or microstructure which define the transparency, the stability and the interfacial chemistry which in turn determine the performance and stability of the organic electronic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, etc. In this work, we will discuss the latest advances in the growth of organic (e.g. PEDOT:PSS) and inorganic (e.g. zinc oxide-ZnO, indium tin oxide-ITO) conductive materials and their deposition onto flexible polymeric substrates. We will compare the optical, structural, nano-mechanical and nano-topographical properties of the inorganic and organic materials and we investigate the effect of their structure on their ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Extracts were prepared from leaf, bark, and seed of Azadirachta indica, leaf and seed of Prunus persica, bark of Mangifera indica, and leaf of Psidium guajava and were evaluated against Boophilus microplus. Of the eight extracts screened, the extracts prepared from the A. indica seed showed very high level of efficacy (80%) after 5?h of treatment. Besides the immediate effect on adult ticks, the egg-laying properties of the survived ticks was also assessed, and a significant reduction (P?A. indica seed extracts was noted in comparison to control. The efficacy of the neem seed extracts was compared with the commonly used synthetic pyrethroids, and comparable efficacy against B. microplus fed on animals treated with neem seed extracts and acaricide treated was noted. The possibility of using...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Severe depletion of nutrients through removal of the above ground litter caused a cessation of growth of a Eucalyptus exserta forest in tropical China. Since there is no above ground input of C in this forest, microbial biomass (C_m_i_c) and soil organic C (C_o_r_g) are maintained by the below ground input only. By determining the maintenance requirement of the soil microflora, it should be possible to estimate the below ground production of this forest. To check this hypothesis the authors performed an experiment with labelled C. Since large scale production and field application of "1"4C labelled Eucalyptus litter were not feasible, 'naturally labelled' C_4 plant litter (Zea mays) was used. Maize litter has a #delta#"1"3C of -12.7 per mille as compared with a #delta#"1"3C of -30.7 per mille for Eucalyptus leaf litter. The "1"3C abundance is used to determine the amount of maize C in each of the soil layers. Investigations were made of how ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monte Carlo simulation of beam modifiers such as physical wedges and compensating filters has been performed with a rectilinear voxel geometry module. A modified version of the EGS4/DOSXYZ code has been developed for this purpose. The new implementations have been validated against the BEAM Monte Carlo code using its standard component modules (CMs) in several geometrical conditions. No significant disagreements were found within the statistical errors of 0.5% for photons and 2% for electrons. The clinical applicability and flexibility of the new version of the code has been assessed through an extensive verification versus dosimetric data. Both Varian multi-leaf collimator (MLC) wedges and standard wedges have been simulated and compared against experiments for 6 MV photon beams and different field sizes. Good agreement was found between calculated and measured depth doses and lateral dose profiles along both wedged and unwedged directions for ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Uptake of the lipophilic cation triphenylmethylphosphonium into mesophyll protoplasts of oat (Avena sativa L. cv. “Garry”) approaches equilibrium at 3 to 4 hours. The...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thermal conductivity is an important property that governs the behaviour of leaf compost biofilters used in treating gaseous pollutants. Measurements were carried out for the thermal conductivity (K) of 44 samples of leaf compost, covering wide ranges of the volume fractions of water (#xi#_w), solids (#xi#_s) and air (#xi#_a), at 20 deg. C using an unsteady state thermal probe. The results indicated that the compost thermal conductivity increased with an increase in #xi#_w, with a decrease in #xi#_a, and with an increase in the degree of saturation (defined as the volumetric fraction of water in the total void space). The predictions from the Woodside-Messmer quadratic parallel (QP) model for the thermal conductivity of leaf compost were higher than the experimental values. A simple linear relationship was developed between the thermal conductivity and the degree of saturation, which provided a satisfactory correlation for ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Experiments on Xanthium leaf discs were carried out to determine whether concomitant photoreactivation could be detected and if so, to compare its effects with photoreactivation due...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Green leaf C6-volatiles are among the most important herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). They play important roles in mediating the behavior of herbivores and their natural enemies, and in triggering...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The levels of glucose, sugar phosphates, and adenosine phosphates were determined in primary leaves of intact bean plants during normal senescence and compared to leaves in which senescence was delayed...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The effect of water stress on patterns of nitrate reductase activity in the leaves and nodules and on nitrogen fixation were investigated in Medicago sativa L. plants watered 1 week...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Cell suspension cultures were initiated separately from leaf and nodal/internodal calluses for the study of influence of hormones and medium components on biomass growth and expression of dipyranocoumarins. Highest 6.2 times biomass was enhanced in suspension cultures of nodal/internodal callus supplemented with threefold total sulphate. Picloram 8.28mM along with BAP 8.88mM enhanced 295.05 times inophyllum A in suspension cultures of leaf callus whereas IBA 14.70mM along with BAP 4.44mM in suspension cultures of leaf callus enhanced 1065 times inophyllum B. IBA 4.90mM alone in suspension cultures of nodal/internodal callus enhanced maximum 616 times inophyllum C. Only IBA 9.80mM in suspension cultures of leaf callus enhanced 23.22 times inophyllum P. Variation in nitrate and sulphate had ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The definition of “minor” veins in leaves is arbitrary and of uncertain biological significance. Generally, the term refers to the smallest vein classes in the leaf, believed to function...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The uptake of "9"9Tc by trees intercepting contaminated groundwater from a radioactive waste storage site was measured to identify the major "9"9Tc pools within the woodland ecosystem and to assess the relative mobility of "9"9Tc in the existing element cycle. The highest average "9"9Tc concentrations in vegetation were found in herbaceous plants. Tree wood was the major above-ground pool for "9"9Tc because of the high concentrations in wood as well as the large amount of wood relative to other biomass at the site. Technetium was not easily leached from the trees by rainfall and was not readily extractable from forest floor leaf litter by water. The relative importance of return pathways for "9"9Tc to the forest floor was leaf fall > stemflow > throughfall, indicating that "9"9Tc was conserved by the trees. Snails and millipedes from the leaf litter layer concentrated technetium 20- and 16-fold, respectively, above ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Detecting plant health conditions plays a key role in farm pest management and crop protection. In this study, measurement of hyperspectral leaf reflectance in rice crop (Oryzasativa...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Saccharococcus sacchari is the primary colonizer of the developing “sterile” tissue between the leaf sheath and stem of sugar cane. The honeydew secreted by the mealybugs...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to determine the zinc content of the ''Perilacin'' powder and the ZnO content of the ''Epiderman-pix'' powder. The characteristic Ksub(#alpha#) line of zinc was excited using a "1"4"7Pm/Mo source (10"7 s"-"1) and the molybdenum Ksub(#alpha#) line (17.47 keV). 4 to 5% Zn and 45 to 49% ZnO were determined with a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The radiation intensity was found to decrease with particle size. (M.K.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A numerical model has been developed to simulate the charging and discharge behaviour of an electrically rechargeable alkaline zinc-air battery. Further a galvanostatic experiment including three charge/discharge cycles has been performed. The cell voltages, the Zn electrode potentials versus a Zn reference, and the O{sub 2} electrode potentials versus a Zn reference calculated with the model are in fairly good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The model is expected to be useful for zinc-air battery design and for analysis of experimental data. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report is an examination and analysis of the zinc-air system as the motive power source for electric vehicle propulsion. Various versions of the zinc-air system and operating schemes along with their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Baseline cost calculations are also presented in order to compare the cost effectiveness of each of the systems. The treatise is conceptual in nature and is not based on new experimental work. The information is based on published literature and investigations carried out at ERC in the past. The study also includes recommendations and suggestions in areas that require further research and development work to achieve a smooth transition from the conceptual stage to a practical, viable, and cost effective system.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The dithiocarbamate and thiuram compounds, including disulfiram, were compared for their efficacies in influencing tissue distribution of a trace dose of intravenously injected lead plus "2"0"3Pb in rats. The tested compounds were sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDTC), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (disulfiram), a complex of zinc and manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (mancozeb), manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (maneb), sodium monomethyldithiocarbamate (metham), zinc propylene bisdithiocarbamate (propineb), tetramethylthiuram disulfide (thiram), zinc ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (zineb), and zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (ziram). The results of this study show that interactions can occur between lead and DEDTC, DMDTC, disulfiram, metham, thiram, and ziram, resulting in increased levels of lead in brain and probably potentiation of the neurotoxic effects of lead.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to follow some of the changes induced by ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation in Phaseolus vulgaris and Brassica napus, experiments were designed to localize sites of changes in leaves and to correlate some of the physiological and biochemical changes with penetration of UV-B radiation. B.napus was exposed to 8.9 kJ m"-"2 day"-"1 biologically effective UV-B radiation (UV-B_B_E). The penetration of UV-B radiation into the leaf was followed using a quartz fibre optic microprobe. Monochromatic radiation at 310 nm was decreased by ca 50 and 34% in the adaxial and abaxial epidermis, respectively, in plants not exposed to UV-B, whereas the radiation was decreased by ca 70 and 42%, respectively, in the same region in UV-treated plants. Polychromatic radiation showed a wavelength dependent change mainly for the collimated radiation. The results correlated with the distribution of phenolic compounds analysed from 40 #mu#m paradermal leaf ...

Science.gov (United States)

By using a model dielectric matrix in electron self-energy evaluations the computational effort of a quasiparticle band-structure calculation for a semiconductor is greatly reduced. Applications to various systems with or without inversion symmetry, having narrow or wide band gaps, and semiconductor alloys demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the method. Calculations have been performed for thirteen semiconducting or insulating materials: Si, LiCl, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, InSb, and the Al{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}As and In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As alloys. Excellent agreement with experimental results is obtained for the quasiparticle energies for these materials. The only three exceptions, {ital E}({Gamma}{sub 1{ital c}}) of AlP, {ital E}({ital L}{sub 1{ital c}}) of AlAs, and {ital E}({ital L}{sub 1{ital c}}) of AlSb are discussed and attributed to various experimental uncertainties. Several other quasiparticle-excitation-related properties are ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the overview reports made by SFOE Heads of Program on work done in 2007. Projects reported on in the natural gas-fired fuel cell area include the EU-project REAL-SFOC, the long-term testing of anode-supported SOFC stacks, intermediate-temperature fuel cells based on proton conducting electrolytes, the interdisciplinary ONEBAT project and lifetime-enhancement of SOFC stacks for CHP applications. In the polymer-electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) area, projects concerning proton-conducting polymer membranes, factors limiting the lifetime of fuel cell membranes, a new highly active oxygen reduction electrode for PEM fuel cell and zinc/air battery applications, the enhancement of PEFC durability and reliability, model-based investigation of PEFC performance, and local gas analysis of PE fuel cells are briefly reported on. Long-term research activities in the hydrogen ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A Zinc/Air Battery Review and Strategic Planning Meeting was held in 1993. One outcome of the meeting was recognition of the need for a report on the current status of the technology. This report contains contributions from many of the attendees at the above meeting and expresses their views on where the technology is today and what could/should be done to improve its performance.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To evaluate the relationship between sperm motility and total seminal plasma zinc concentration and high molecular weight zinc bound protein values in infertile Iraqi men. A case-control study was conducted at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq between March 2005 to February 2006. The subjects for the study included 60 infertile male patients who were recruited Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital, and Institute of Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment, Baghdad, Iraq. They were categorized according to their seminal parameters to oligozoospermia (n=32), azoospermia (n=22), and asthenozoospermia (n=6). Thirty nine fertile men (age range 31.87 +/- 3.76 years) were selected as controls, whose partners had conceived within the last year before participation with this study, and having normal spermiogram parameters. Seminal plasma zinc concentration and high ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A zinc-air battery in a case including a zinc particle bed supported adjacent the current feeder and diaphragm on a porous support plate which holds the particles but passes electrolyte solution. Electrolyte is recycled through a conduit between the support plate and top of the bed by convective forces created by a density of differential caused by a higher concentration of high density discharge products in the interstices of the bed than in the electrolyte recycle conduit.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Defects are produced in zinc by 6.1 MeV #alpha#-particle irradiation at 4.2 K and the subsequent recovery between 4.2 and 22 K. No evidence is found for free migration of an interstitial in the temperature range investigated. The recovery spectra reveal a series of substages which are ascribed to recombination of close Frenkel pairs. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proof-of-principle experiments are reported for a new concept in electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery. The zinc electrode is a porous flow-thru type using a copper foam metal substrate with zinc deposition onto the foam metal from concentrated zincate electrolyte (as used in zinc-slurry type batteries). The bifunctional air electrode employs low-cost materials, being fabricated entirely from carbon-based precursors and small amounts of nickel and/or cobalt oxide. Corrosion measurements on the graphite materials in the air electrode indicate sufficient corrosion resistance for 8000 h life on charge. A prototype single cell was constructed having 1.5 Ah capacity producing 1.2 V discharge -2.0 charge at the three hour rate and has produced stable voltages for more than 150 cycles. Based on the 1.5 Ah prototype characteristics, design calculations for a 32 kWh battery project an energy density of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new leaf-sequencing approach has been developed that is designed to reduce the number of required beam segments for step-and-shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This approach to leaf sequencing is called continuous-intensity-map-optimization (CIMO). Using a simulated annealing algorithm, CIMO seeks to minimize differences between the optimized and sequenced intensity maps. Two distinguishing features of the CIMO algorithm are (1) CIMO does not require that each optimized intensity map be clustered into discrete levels and (2) CIMO is not rule-based but rather simultaneously optimizes both the aperture shapes and weights. To test the CIMO algorithm, ten IMRT patient cases were selected (four head-and-neck, two pancreas, two prostate, one brain, and one pelvis). For each case, the optimized intensity maps were extracted from the Pinnacle"3 treatment planning system. The CIMO algorithm was applied, and the optimized aperture ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new method for the separation and determination of trace amounts of cadmium and zinc in water as their thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) complexes with dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) in o-dichlorobenzene has been established by means of synergistic extraction and back-extraction combined with atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of various factors (synergism with TTA and DB18C6, shaking time, composition of the extracted species, and mutual separation etc.) on the extraction and back-extraction of cadmium and zinc has been in- vestigated. When the mixtures were extracted for 4 min at pH 4.9, only zinc was extracted quantitatively, whereas cadmium remained in the aqueous phase. After the phases were separated, cadmium was again extracted quantitatively at pH 7.5. Then, the two phases were each shaken with 0.05-0.1 mol/l HCl in order to back-extract cadmium and zinc from the organic phases; the ions were ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary The antioxidant properties and toxicity profile of roasted noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaf infusion were evaluated. The 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was greater than green tea infusion (81.6 +- 0.9% vs. 57.5 +- 1.8%, P < 0.001). The mean quercetin and kaempferol contents of roasted noni leaf infusion, as prepared by the consumer, were 0.24 +- 0.01 and 0.14 +- 0.01 mg mL-1, respectively. Tannic acid content was 10 +- 1 mg mL-1. The infusion was non-mutagenic in the reverse mutation test in Salmonella typhimurium and did not induce primary DNA damage in E. coli PQ37. Further, no significant primary DNA damage was induced by 5,15-dimethylmorindol, which was the only detectable anthraquinone in noni leaves. The infusion was not cytotoxic in the 24 h b...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this work, ZnO thin films have been grown on glass substrates by using a solution of propanol (C3H8O), water (H2O) and zinc acetate (Zn(CH3CO2)2) in acidified medium (pH 5). The obtained films were n doped with ytterbium (Yb) at the rates of 100, 200 and 300 ppm. The structural features of the doped films were investigated using XRD, atomic force microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy techniques. XRD analysis shows a strong (0 0 2) X-ray diffraction line for increasing Yb-doping amounts. This c-axis preferential orientation of ZnO crystallites is naturally required to use this oxide as transparent conductor in optoelectronic applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis shows an enhancement in the surface roughness of the doped ZnO:Yb thin films. Optical measurements were performed in 300-1800 nm domain via transmittance T(?) and reflectance R(?) spectra. Conjoint optical and thermal properties were deduced from the optical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The significant design features of a high-voltage dc (HVDC) circuit breaker based on the commutation concept were developed. Tests of components indicate the breaker is capable of interrupting a fault current of 10 kA on a 400 kV system and absorbing up to 10 MJ of system energy without generating more than 1.6 per unit (P.U.) voltage of the system. Interactions of the breaker with a three-terminal network were studied, using a system simulator. An ultrafast hydraulic actuator system was developed for this program which enables the breaker to initiate the current limiting process within 5 ms after receipt of a trip signal. A new hydraulic valve, operated by a repulsion coil, minimizes the delay before motion begins. Interruption will occur in series-connected vacuum interrupters. A 400 kV circuit breaker is estimated to require eight breaks in series. Only a single break was tested as part of this program because of the scale and cost required for multibreak tests. System energy will ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A protective film has been developed on the surface of carbon steel in low chloride aqueous environment using a synergistic mixture of an environmentally friendly phosphonic acid, N,N-bis(phosphonomethyl) glycine (BPMG), and zinc ions. Impedance studies of the metal/solution interface indicated that the surface film is highly protective against the corrosion of carbon steel in the chosen environment. Potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that the inhibitor is a mixed inhibitor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis (XPS) of the film showed the presence of the elements iron, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and zinc. Deconvolution spectra of these elements in the surface film showed the presence of oxides/hydroxides of iron(III), Zn(OH)2, and [Zn(II)-BPMG] complex. This infe...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The biosorption of lead, copper and zinc ions on Rhizopus arrhizus has been studied for three single-component and two binary systems. The equilibrium data have been analysed using the Freundlich adsorption model. The characteristic parameters for the Freundlich adsorption model have been determined and the competition coefficients for the competitive biosorption of Pb(II)-Cu(II) at pH 4.0 and 5.0, and Pb(II)-Zn(II) at pH 5.0 have been calcualted. For the individual single-component isotherms, lead has the highest biosorption capacity followed by copper, then zinc. The capacity of lead in the two binary systems is always significantly greater than those of the other metal ions, in agreement with the single-component data. Only a partial selectivity for copper ions has been obtained at pH 4.0. (orig.)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Various pyranocoumarins, calophyllolide, inophyllums B, C, G1, G2 and P, from Calophyllum inophyllum (Clusiaceae) leaves of French Polynesia (Austral, Marquesas, Society and Tuamotu archipelagos) have been determined in 136 leaf extracts using a high pressure liquid chromatography-UV-diode array detection (HPLC-UV-DAD) technique. Results show a wide range in chemical composition within trees growing on eighteen islands. The use of multivariate statistical analyses (PCA) shows geographical distribution of inophyllums and indicate those rich in HIV-1 active (+)-inophyllums. Inophyllum B and P contents (0.0-39.0 and 0.0-21.8mgkg-1, respectively) confirm the chemodiversity of this species within the large area of French Polynesia. The study suggests the presence of interesting chemotypes which...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Remote sensing is the most practical method available to managers of fire-prone forests for quantifying and mapping fire impacts. Differenced Normalised Burn Ratio (?NBR) is among the most widely used spectral indices for the mapping of burn severity but is difficult to interpret in terms of fire-related changes in key biophysical attributes and processes. We propose to quantify burn severity as a change in the leaf area index (?LAI) of a stand. LAI is a key biophysical attribute of forests, and is central to understanding their water and carbon cycles. Previous studies have suggested that changes in canopy LAI may be a major contributor to ?NBR and to the composite burn index (CBI) that is frequently used in combination with the NBR to assess burn severity on the ground. We applied remote...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose: In this paper, we present an alternative to the originally proposed technique for the delivery of spatially fractionated radiation therapy (GRID) using multi-leaf collimator (MLC) shaped fields. We employ the MLC to deliver various pattern GRID treatments to large solid tumors and dosimetrically characterize the GRID fields. Methods and materials: The GRID fields were created with different open to blocked area ratios and with variable separation between the openings using a MLC. GRID designs were introduced into the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system, and the dose was calculated in a water phantom. Ionization chamber and film measurements using both Kodak EDR2 and Gafchromic EBT film were performed in a SolidWater phantom to determine the relative output of each GRID design as w...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Continuing high rates of acidic deposition in the eastern United States may lead to long-term effects on stream communities, because sensitive catchments are continuing to lose anions and cations. A two-year study of the effects of pH and associated water chemistry variables on detrital processing in three streams with different bedrock geology in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia were investigated. Leaf pack processing rates and macroinvertebrate colonization and microbial biomass (ATP concentration) on the packs in the three stream were compared. It was found that macroinvertebrate and microbial communities differed both among streams that differed in their capacity to buffer the effects of acidic precipitation and among years in the same stream; these differences in biotic communities were not large enough to affect rates of leaf processing between the two years of the study, but they did significantly affect processing rates ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundChanges in ionic concentration have a fundamental effect on numerous physiological processes. For example, IP₃-gated thapsigargin sensitive intracellular calcium...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The development of new methods for gene addition to mammalian genomes is necessary to overcome the limitations of conventional genetic engineering strategies. Although a variety of DNA-modifying enzymes...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis was used for the determination of iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese and zinc in waste water from the production process of citric acid.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Osterix (Osx) is a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor that is expressed in osteoblasts of all endochondral and membranous bones. In Osx null ...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes a new concept in zinc-air battery technology and provides and insight into the role of the German Post Office and its former chairman in its commercial promotion. (UK)

Science.gov (United States)

The biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of various materials for use as sacrificial anodes in in vivo hybrid fuel cells were studied. Aluminium, zinc, and magnesium alloy AZ31B were studied, and the results are discussed.

Science.gov (United States)

At the St. Joe Minerals Corp.'s zinc smelter powerplant, an SO2 emission control program evolved into a cooperative program with the Bureau of Mines for installation and initial operation of a citrate process flue gas desulfurization demonstration plant. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Carbon steel, copper, zinc and aluminium samples were exposed in different sizes with known ambient parameters in Gran Canaria Island and atmospheric corrosion was investigated. Weight-loss measurements used to determine corrosion damage were complemented...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: A semiempirical algorithm for absorbed dose calculation at off-axis points in irregular beams was implemented. It is well known that semiempirical methods are very useful because of their easy implementation and its helpfulness in dose calculation in the clinic. These methods can be used as independent tools for dosimetric calculation in many applications of quality assurance. However, the applicability of such methods has some limitations, even in homogeneous media, specially at off axis points, near beam fringes or outside the beam. Only methods derived from tissue-air-ratio (TAR) or scatter-maximum-ratio (SMR) have been devised for those situations, many years ago. Despite there have been improvements for these manual methods, like the Sc-Sp ones, no attempt has been made to extend their usage at off axis points. In this work, a semiempirical formalism was introduced, based on the works of Venselaar et al. (1999) and Sanz et al. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A rechargeable cell is disclosed which is characterized in the following manner. A positive electrode is formed from a manganese oxide electrode material. This manganese oxide electrode material contains a heavy metal selected from the group comprising lead, bismuth, and mixtures of lead and bismuth. The cell also contains a negative electrode of zinc. A separator is provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. An alkaline electrolyte consisting essentially of an alcohol and an alkaline hydroxide is also contained in the rechargeable cell in contact with both the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The key component for improving the energy efficiency and cycle life of the electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery is the bifunctional air electrode. The air electrodes described in this paper contained different types of carbon black as the substrate for the perovskite catalyst (La{sub 0.6}Ca{sub 0.4}CoO{sub 3}). Morphological and physical properties of the carbon substrates play an important role in enhancing the activity and stability of the bifunctional air electrode. Current-potential curves and cycle-life tests were applied in order to gather information on the activity and stability of these electrodes. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This contribution describes our research and development effort towards an electrically rechargeable zinc/air battery which is capable of meeting the demands of a scaled power profile (driving-cycle tests). The power profiles DST (Dynamic Stress Test) and ECE15-L (European Driving Cycle for alkaline Batteries) were applied to our 200 and 50 cm{sup 2} electrically rechargeable Zn/O{sub 2} cells with nominal capacities of 30 and 7.5 Ah, respectively. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carbon steel, copper, zinc and aluminium samples were exposed in different sizes with known ambient parameters in Gran Canaria Island and atmospheric corrosion was investigated. Weight-loss measurements used to determine corrosion damage were complemented with metallographic and XP S determination in order to characterize the structure and morphology of surface corrosion products. The ambient aggressiveness could be well evaluated from meteorological and pollution data. All atmospheric corrosion and environmental data were statistically processed for establishing general corrosion damage functions for carbon steel, copper, aluminium and zinc in terms of Gran Canaria extreme meteorological and pollution parameters. (Author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The uptake of "2"3"8U and "2"3"2Th in different parts of some selected plants used in traditional treatment of hypertension and diabetes in south-eastern Morocco (Errachidia area) has been studied using two different types of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) LR-115 type II and CR-39. Plant uptake of radionuclides is one of many vectors for introduction of contaminants into the human food chain. Thus, it is critical to understand soil-plant relationships that control nuclide bioavailability. Soil concentrations of uranium ranged from 6.10 to 11.62 ppm, with a mean of 7.90 ppm. Soil concentrations of thorium ranged from 2.70 to 4.80 ppm, with a mean of 3.41 ppm. Mean uranium specific activities were 8.38 Bq kg"-"1 in root tissue, 5 Bq kg"-"1 in stem tissue and 6.02 Bq kg"-"1 in leaf tissue. Mean thorium specific activities were 2.53 Bq kg"-"1 in root tissue, 1.64 Bq kg"-"1 in stem tissue and 1.96 Bq kg"-"1 in leaf tissue. The transfer ...

Science.gov (United States)

Plant biomass, stem juice and stem sugar were determined for four sugarcane cultivars grown for three months at daytime [CO2] of 360 (ambient) and 720 (doubled) ppm and temperatures (T) of 1.5 (near-ambient) and 6.0C higher than outside ambient T. Leaf area and biomass, stem biomass, stem juice and ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Large (about 200 grams dry weight) and small (about 5 grams dry weight) specimens of the leaf succulent Agave vilmoriniana Berger were grown outdoors at Phoenix, Arizona. Potted plants...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In celery (Apium graveolens L.), the two major translocated carbohydrates are sucrose and the acyclic polyol mannitol. Their metabolism, however, is different and their specific functions are uncertain. To compare their roles in carbon partitioning and sink-source transitions, developmental changes in /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ labeling, pool sizes, and key enzyme activities in leaf tissues were examined. The proportion of label in mannitol increased dramatically with leaf maturation whereas that in sucrose remained fairly constant. Mannitol content, however, was high in all leaves and sucrose content increased as leaves developed. Activities of mannose-6-P reductase, cytoplasmic and chloroplastic fructose-1,6-bis-phosphatases, sucrose phosphate synthase, and sucrose synthase increased with leaf maturation and decreased as leaves senesced. Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and nonreversible glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: Pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), an introduced pest from Mexico, first occurred in United States cotton production in Texas in 1917. Unacceptable economic losses have occurred. The development of PBW sterile moth release technology, gossyplure sex pheromone behavioral control, cotton plant cultural control to reduce overwintered PBW populations, and the transfer of the insect toxin protein gene into cotton from Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Berliner) have provided an effective integrated pest management (IPM) system with PBW eradication potential. Sterile insect release was considered a potential option for PBW population suppression in the early 1960s. Research on the isolated island of St. Croix, (US Virgin Islands) demonstrated its validity. Reductions of larval infestations in bolls following sterile moth releases began when ratios of released PBW sterile male to native male moths averaged 70:1 in gossyplurebaited traps. Numbers of larvae per ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The role of macroinvertebrates and diatoms as indicator for metal pollution was investigated by assessing both biota along a metal gradient in the Belgian river the Dommel. Macroinvertebrates and diatoms were sampled in summer and winter and physical-chemical characteristics of the water were measured at four different sample periods and related to sediment characteristics. Although metal concentrations, except cadmium, in the water nowhere exceeded water quality standards, high metal concentrations were measured in the sediment, indicating historical contamination of the Dommel. At the sites that were situated downstream of the pollution source, high levels of conductivity and chloride were measured in the water. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) indicated pH, phosphate and zinc as the significant environmental variables explaining each respectively 7.7%, 11.6% and 22.6% of the macroinvertebrate community composition. Two clusters could be separated, with Gammarus pulex, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A zinc-air battery using zinc regeneration electrolysis with propanol oxidation as a counter electrode reaction is reported in this paper. It possesses functions of both zincate reduction and electrochemical preparation, showing the potential for increasing the electronic energy utilization. Charge/discharge tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs reveal that when a nickel sheet plated with the high-H{sub 2}-overpotential metal, cadmium, was used as the negative substrate electrode, the dendritic formation and hydrogen evolution are suppressed effectively, and granular zinc deposits become larger but relatively dense with the increase of charge time. The performance of batteries is favorable even if the charge time is as long as 5 h at the current density of 20 mA cm{sup -2}. Better discharge performance is achieved using a 'cavity-opening' configuration for the discharge cell rather than ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Increased use of wetlands for habitat and water quality improvement emphasize the need for further study of abiotic-biotic interactions in these systems. This research examined contaminant assimilation within the water column of two newly created Colorado prairie wetlands (RMA3 and RMA4). To examine the influence of abiotic factors (e.g., alkalinity, suspended solids), ten chronic toxicity tests were performed from December 1991 through November 1993. In the first set of tests, Ceriodaphnia dubia were exposed to water from the two wetlands which was spiked with various concentrations of zinc. These tests suggested that water from RMA4 had higher contaminant assimilative capacity than water from RMA3. Preliminary analysis suggested suspended solids, pH, conductivity, and temperature were important factors affecting neonate production by C. dubia when exposed to zinc-spiked wetland water. To test the importance of suspended solids in contaminant ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The solar thermal production of zinc is considered for the conversion of solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuels. The ultimate objective is to develop a technically and economically viable technology that can produce solar zinc. The program strategy for achieving such a goal involves research on two paths: a direct path via the solar thermal splitting of ZnO in the absence of fossil fuels, and an indirect path via the solar carbothermal/CH{sub 4}-thermal reduction of Zn O, with fossil fuels (coke or natural gas) as chemical reducing agents. Both paths make use of concentrated solar energy for high-temperature process heat. The direct path brings us to the complete substitution of fossil fuels with solar fuels for a sustainable energy supply system. The indirect path creates a link between today`s fossil-fuel-based technology and tomorrow`s solar chemical technology and builds bridges between present and future energy ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diagnostic x-ray spectrometry, a method based on x-ray fluorescence analysis, was used for noninvasive determination of iron and zinc in two distinct skin areas, representing predominantly dermal and epidermal tissues, in 56 patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia. The mean iron levels in the skin of patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia were elevated by greater than 200% and greater than 50%, respectively, compared with control values. The zinc levels of both skin areas examined were within the normal range. The data indicate that the rate and number of blood transfusions, which correlated well with serum ferritin levels (r . 0.8), are not the only factors that determine the amount of iron deposition in the skin (r less than 0.6). Other sources of iron intake contribute to the total iron load in the tissues, particularly in patients who are not given multiple transfusions. The noninvasive quantitation of skin levels ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Extraction of copper-, nickel-, zinc- and cadmium complexes with 4-(2 pyridilazo)-resorcin (PAR) is studied in the presence of 2-aminopyridine (Am). Maximum optical densities of the extracts are attained at pH=7.5-8.0; 6.0-7.0; 6.5-7.0 and 7.0-8.0, respectively. The ratio of components in the complexes extractable by chloroform was defined by the method of isomolar series and equilibrium shift. It is established that nickel and copper are extracted to the organic phase as the NiAm(PAR)_2 and CuAmPAR complexes, and, in the case of zinc and cadmium, complexes of different composition are extracted, for example Zn(Am)_2PAR and ZnAm(PAR)_2. The light absorption spectra are studied and molar extinction coefficients of complex extracts are determined at lambdasub(max). It is shown that the general low of light absorption is observed within a sufficiently wide range of concentrations for all the elements.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We tested the hypothesis that overstorey of eucalypt forest dominated by tall, large diameter trees uses less water than regrowth stands in the high rainfall zone (>1100mmyear^-^1) of the northern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in southwestern Australia. We measured leaf area, cover, sapwood area and sapwood density at three paired old and regrowth stands. We also measured sapflow velocity at one paired stand (Dwellingup) from June 2007 to October 2008. Old stands had more basal area but less foliage cover, less leaf area and slightly thinner sapwood. The ratio of sapwood area to basal area decreased markedly as tree size increased. Sapwood area of the regrowth forest stands (6.6+/-0.30m^2ha^-^1) was nearly double that of the old stands (3.4+/-0.17m^2ha^-^1), despite larger basal are...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Structural and functional responses of a benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage to pulses of the insecticide imidacloprid were assessed in outdoor stream mesocosms. Imidacloprid pulses reduced invertebrate abundance and community diversity in imidacloprid-dosed streams compared to control streams. These results correlated well with effects of imidacloprid on leaf litter decomposition and feeding rates of Pteronarcys comstocki, a stonefly, in artificial streams. Reductions in oxygen consumption of stoneflies exposed to imidacloprid were also observed in laboratory experiments. Our findings suggest that leaf litter degradation and single species responses can be sensitive ecotoxicological endpoints that can be used as early warning indicators and biomonitoring tools for pesticide contamination. The data generated illustrates the value of mesocosm experiments in environmental assessment and how the consideration of functional and structural ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sucrose and mannitol are major photosynthetic products and translocates in celery. Assimilate partitioning and transport were studied by pulse-labeling leaves with /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ followed by different length chases in ambient air. After a 2 h chase in the light there was more /sup 14/C in sucrose than mannitol in source leaves and their petioles. In contrast after a 2 h dark chase leaves contained more /sup 14/C in mannitol than sucrose but petioles had more /sup 14/C in sucrose than mannitol. After a 15 h chase (6 h light; 9 h dark) labeled sucrose was higher in source petiole vascular bundles than in adjacent parenchyma tissue but label in glucose and fructose was higher in the parenchyma tissue. After the 15 h chase most of the /sup 14/C remaining in developing sink leaves and their petioles was in mannitol. Although in the light mannitol:sucrose ratios are the same in leaf and petiole tissues, in the dark sucrose is initially the major translocate with ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Methyl halide fluxes were measured from fine (nonwoody) litter samples at a temperate deciduous forest site in Scotland on 16 occasions over more than a year and at a coniferous forest site. The resulting mean (+-1 sd) CH3Br and CH3Cl fluxes were 4.1 +- 3.7 ng kg-1 h-1 and 0.98 +- 0.62 mg kg-1 h-1, respectively, for dry mass leaf litter and 5.7 +- 6.3 ng kg-1 h-1 and 0.47 +- 0.14 mg kg-1 h-1 for dry mass needle litter. Temporal variations of net fluxes from leaf litter were significantly greater than spatial variations suggesting seasonality in the fluxes. The mean CH3Cl/CH3Br mass ratio of fluxes was 200 (to 1 sig. fig.), an order of magnitude larger than the ratio of their estimated global turnovers. Temperate forest litter may be a moderate net source of CH3Cl globally but a negligible ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The water culture experiment of Houttuynia cordata of the medicinal plant was carried out, and basic study on {sup 137}Cs accumulation characteristic and internal circulation in H. cordata in the fruiting stage was investigated since the flowering season. H. cordata accumulated 80% of {sup 137}Cs absorbed unlike K to the root, rhizome, terminal bud of the underground part for the rhizome reproduction. {sup 137}Cs content to the young leaf, spike, involucre increased in the flowering season. Thereafter, {sup 137}Cs was recirculated to the developing organs in second generations such as the rhizome and bud. (author)

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Stream invertebrates that feed on leaf litter are intimately tied to the nature and timing of the litter input. These invertebrates are called shredders; they consume streamside, riparian litter that has become trapped in the stream channel. This plant litter accumulates at the leading edge of obstructions in the current and settles out in pools, alcoves, and other depositional zones. Given the extensive literature that has accumulated over the last 20 years, researchers can now develop a general, testable model that relates riparian plant communities to the stream shredders, which depend upon litter derived from those communities.

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The overall purpose of this research was to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of elevated levels of CO{sub 2} and O{sub 3} on tree leaf litter quality and decomposition. This research was conducted at the Aspen FACE (Free Air CO{sub 2} Enrichment) facility near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. This research comprised one facet of a larger project assessing how CO{sub 2} and O{sub 3} pollutants will alter carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling in north temperate forest ecosystems.

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Elevation of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels in the blood has served as an indicator of lead poisoning and iron deficiency anemia for many years. We have discovered that sublethal doses of whole body irradiation with x-rays also elevates ZPP 2-3-fold over normal levels. The ZPP level does not begin to increase until days 12-14 postirradiation and peaks between days 18 and 20 before returning to normal levels between days 28 and 35. Increasing the radiation dose delays the onset of the rise in ZPP, but does not affect the magnitude of the elevation. At lethal doses, ZPP elevation is not observed. Neither of the two previously described mechanisms that cause elevations of ZPP, namely iron deficiency and inhibition of ferrochelatase, are responsible for the radiation-induced elevation of ZPP. The elevation of ZPP appears to be correlated with the recovery of the hematopoietic system from radiation injury.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new reagent 7-(6-Br-2-henzthiazolilazo)-8-oxyquinoline-5-sulphoacid has been studied spectrophotometrically. Dissociation constants have been determined in 50% acetone (pK_1=2.5 and pK_2=5.9) and 50% dioxane (pK_1=1.7 and pK_2=6.1) as well as molar extinction coefficients of the reagent dissociated form in the same solvents (71.1.10"3 and 72.4.10"3). The conditions have been studied of complexing the reagent with ions of uranium (6), zinc (2), and manganese (2) in 50% dioxane (pH 2.5-4.5) and the properties of the formed complexes.

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Mining of copper and zinc took place at the Clinton Mine located in the Estrie region of Quebec between 1973 and 1975, during which time 115,000 tons of mineral were treated at the Solbec plant. In this poster presentation, the authors provided the background information pertaining to this mine and described the state in which it was in 1994. The pit was covered with good quality water, with a pH of 7,1 and copper and zinc content ranging between 0,1 and 0,6 mg/l, and iron ranging between 0,2 and 1,8 mg/l. The tailings basin drainage was found to have a pH of between 3,6 and 6,1. A program for the characterization of the site was implemented and the concept for the restauration of the Clinton site was developed and implemented. The work carried out at the site is discussed during this presentation as well as the monitoring taking place. 27 figs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In the Carpathian Basin, significant percentage of watershed area and floodplains of rivers are utilised agriculturally. Several potential sources of poisonous metal pollution have been identified in these areas. Because of spills from some of them a few severe accidents have happened especially in the watershed area of Tisza River during the last decades. The motivation of our present work was to produce "6"2","6"5Zn and "2"0"3Pb radioisotopes because they can be used especially as tracers for studying the kinetics of uptake, transport and accumulation of zinc and lead by plants under different circumstances. (orig.)

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The concentrations of iron, chromium, zinc, and aluminum were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy in the lipid-soluble fractions of tar from the process stream of an experimental coal gasifier as part of large study on the health risks of coal gasification. Lipid solubility was inferred from octanol/water-partitioning and benzene-solubility tests. The properties of the lipid-soluble metals were compared to reference compounds by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. The ability of the lipid-soluble metals to remain lipid soluble after treatment with acid and base was also tested. Lipid-soluble iron, chromium, zinc, and aluminum were present at 360, 12, 3, and 1 ppM, respectively, in the gasifier coal tar. The presence of these metals in lipid-soluble form may have important consequences relative to the potential toxicity of the tar if persons are exposed to it.

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The Electric Fuel zinc-air battery yielded energy densities from 6.8 to 10.2 times higher than those of the lead-acid batteries. The higher the power and the more difficult the driving cycle, the higher this ratio of energy densities grew. Not only was the Electric Fuel battery capable of extended high-power discharge, the impact of such discharge conditions on energy and driving range was show to be quite small, and was much smaller than the comparable impact on lead-acid traction batteries. At the time of writing this paper, tests are scheduled to continue with the 110-kWh battery in the Mercedes van, and preliminary plans have been made for testing of additional batteries on other vehicle types.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A method is described for determination of aluminium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, manganese, nickel, lead, strontium, zinc, titanium and vanadium in iron ore. After dissolution, a 1 gram sample of iron ore is applied to a column of AGI-X8 anion exchange resin (chloride form), in 100 ml of 7M HCl. Aluminium, chromium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, manganese, nickel, lead, strontium, titanium and vanadium are eluted with 7M HCl; iron, copper and cobalt are eluted with 0.5M HCl; cadmium and zinc are eluted with 2M HNO_3. Iron is subsequently removed from copper and cobalt by a solvent extraction with methyl isobutyl ketone. The elements are determined in the eluates by atomic absorption spectrometry, except for titanium and vanadium, which are determined spectrophotometrically.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on ''Isotope-Aided Studies on the Bioavailability of Iron and Zinc from Human Diets'' was initiated by the IAEA in 1990, and presently encompasses participating institutes in 11 countries. A summary of the discussions that took place during thr second Research Co-ordination Meeting held in Hyderabad, India, between 16-20 November 1992, is given in this report together with 12 working papers (progress reports) presented by individual participants. A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers. Refs, figs and tabs.

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The cyclic voltammetry indicated that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) proceeded by the four-electron pathway mechanism on larger Ag particles (174 nm), and that the ORR proceeded by the four-electron pathway and the two-electron pathway mechanisms on finer Ag particles (4.1 nm), simultaneously. The kinetics towards ORR was measured at a rotating disk electrode (RDE) with Ag/C electrode. The number of exchanged electrons for the ORR was found to be close to four on larger Ag particles (174 nm) and close to three on finer Ag particles (4.1 nm). The zinc-air battery with Ag/C catalysts (25.9 nm) was fabricated and examined. (author)

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Highly water-repellent surfaces have been prepared from arrayed nanowires of zinc oxide (ZnO) by a treatment with stearic acid. The layers are electrochemically deposited on a nanocrystalline seed layer from an oxygenated aqueous zinc chloride solution. An advancing contact angle (CA) as high as 176{sup 0} is obtained with a very small hysteresis {approx}1{sup 0}. These results, supplemented by infrared spectroscopy, show that the stearic acid forms a very well-packed self-assembled monolayer. The CA measurements show a very good stability of the treated surface even when exposed to harsh conditions or long-term ambient illumination.

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Low operating power and short cycle life are 2 of the main draw-backs of zinc-air batteries, despite the fact that various attempts have been made to develop improved zinc (Zn) anodes. This study investigated the performance of a Zn anode with a substantial addition of aluminium (Al). Rolled sheets of Zn-Al alloys of varying amounts of Zn and Al were used to prepare the anodes. Results of the study showed that the cells had higher open circuit voltages (OCV) values as well as a higher specific anode capacity. It was observed that specific anode capacity increased with higher current loading. The Zn{sub 59}Al{sub 41} and Zn{sub 67}Al{sub 33} sheets showed the highest performance with high OCV values of between 1540 and 1560 mV, as well as the largest specific anode capacity of 750-800 mAh per g at a discharge current of 200 mA. The 2-phase structure of the Zn-Al sheets was considered to be useful in reducing anode-passivation, and increasing ...

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By the year 2000, the Postal Service aims to reduce its diesel transport by around 15000 vehicles. The advisory service, Detecon, is reviewing alternatives for postal deliveries as part of the ''Post 2000'' initiative. One such system is an electric-powered vehicle with a zinc-air battery from the Israeli firm Electric Fluid Limited (EFL). (orig.)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundOur previous studies indicate that either PEP-1-superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) or PEP-1-catalase (CAT) fusion proteins protects myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion-induced...Full Text Available

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A cathode of improved discharge characteristics for a zinc-air battery is prepared from mixtures containing gamma-MnO/sub 2/ 33-67 wt%, C 12-40 wt% and KOH 20-28 wt%.

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Energy storage can be a cost-effective component of hybrid remote power systems. Storage serves the special role of taking advantage of intermittent renewable power sources. Traditionally this role has been played by lead-acid batteries, which have high life-cycle costs and pose special disposal problems. Hydrogen or zinc-air storage technologies can reduce life-cycle costs and environmental impacts. Using projected data for advanced energy storage technologies, LLNL ran an optimization for a hypothetical Arctic community with a reasonable wind resource (average wind speed 8 m/s). These simulations showed the life-cycle annualized cost of the total energy system (electric plus space heating) might be reduced by nearly 40% simply by adding wind power to the diesel system. An additional 20 to 40% of the wind-diesel cost might be saved by adding hydrogen storage or zinc-air fuel cells to the system. Hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cadmium (Cd) exposure causes glucosuria (glucose in the urine). Previously, it was shown that Cd exposure of primary cultures of mouse kidney cells (PMKC) decreased mRNA levels of the glucose...Full Text Available

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PMID:16589753

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary The objective of this study was to examine the role of root carbohydrate levels and metabolism in the waterlogging tolerance of contrasting mung bean genotypes. An experiment was conducted with two cultivated mung bean (Vigna radiata) genotypes viz., T44 (tolerant) and Pusa Baisakhi (PB) (susceptible), and a wild Vigna species Vigna luteola under pot-culture to study the physiological and molecular mechanism of waterlogging tolerance. Waterlogging resulted in decrease in relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) in root and leaf tissues, and chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves, while the Chl a/b ratio increased. Waterlogging-induced decline in RWC, MSI, Chl and increase in Chl a/b ratio was greater in PB than V. luteola and T44. Waterlogging caused decline in tot...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Biological control agents can be more effective if their populations are genetically diverse, particularly when the target invasive plant comprises a range of genotypes with different susceptibilities and occurs across various microclimates. We report on the use of an efficient approach to find, in the native range, diverse isolates of a rust fungus for biological control. An outdoor trap garden containing various clones of invasive European blackberry (Rubus fruticosus agg.) collected in Australia, each with a different DNA phenotype, was established in France. Within 4?weeks of establishment, the leaf-rust fungus Phragmidium violaceum was recovered from all clones in the garden. Molecular analyses of eight recovered and purified isolates of the fungus from the garden revealed that they w...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The viability of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) eggs over time and the ovicidal activity of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) were investigated. Eggs were incubated in soil or leaf litter for up to 12?weeks at 26?C and 75%, 86% or >98% relative humidity (RH). Eggs were treated topically with M. anisopliae ICIPE-30 or B. bassiana I93-825 conidia in either water or oil-in-water formulations. Survival of eggs whether treated or not with fungus was similar, and untreated eggs generally did not survive longer than 2?weeks regardless of the substrate or humidity tested. After a minimal 5-day exposure, M. anisopliae at 5???106?conidia/cm2 clearly reduced the number of larvae. The...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The present paper describes the phytochemical investigation and biological activities of the chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaf decocts of M. truncata Reiss (Celastraceae). Our studies afforded two flavonoid glycosides, quercetin-3-O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-glucopyranosyl- O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-galactopyranoside (1) and kampferol-3-O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-glucopyranosyl- O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-galactopyranoside (2) from the methanolic extract and dulcitol (3) from the ethyl acetate extract. Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited considerable antiulcerogenic and analgesic activities. The results of the phytochemical studies suggest that the healing activity of methanol extracts can be related to the presence of glycosyl flavonoids. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ozone is the most important regional-scale air pollutant causing risks for vegetation and human health in many parts of the world. Ozone impacts on yield and quality of crops and pastures depend on precursor emissions, atmospheric transport and leaf uptake and on the plant?s biochemical defence capacity, all of which are influenced by changing climatic conditions, increasing atmospheric CO2 and altered emission patterns. In this article, recent findings about ozone effects under current conditions and trends in regional ozone levels and in climatic factors affecting the plant?s sensitivity to ozone are reviewed in order to assess implications of these developments for future regional ozone risks. Based on pessimistic IPCC emission scenarios for many cropland regions elevated mean ozone lev...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labelling of "1"4C-M-ISP and its absorption, translocation and distribution in peanut and soybean seedling were studied. The results of experiments showed that the radioactive substance could be translocated in xylem and phloem of two kinds of plants. The root of peanut seedling absorbed "1"4C-M-ISP from the nutrient solution more strong than the root of soybean seedling did. After leaf treatment with "1"4C-M-ISP, the soybean seedling absorbed more radioactive substance than peanut seedling did. But the translocation's speed of radioactive substance in pnloem of two kinds of plants were similar.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Restoration needs to consider more than just soils and plants. The role of terrestrial invertebrates in the restoration of Alcoa's bauxite mines in the Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest of Western Australia has been the subject of over 20 individual studies. Projects range from arthropods in soil and leaf litter, to the understorey vegetation, and the tree canopy. Moreover, projects span a range of trophic groups, including decomposers (e.g., springtails and termites), predators (e.g., ants and spiders), and herbivores (e.g., true bugs and ants preying on seeds). Elucidation of recolonization trajectories uses both space-for-time substitutions and long-term regular sampling. Importantly, many studies are at species level rather than coarser taxonomic ranks. This paper provides ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Water stress and fire disturbance can directly impact stand structure, biomass and composition by causing mortality and influencing competitive interactions among trees. However, open eucalypt forests of southwest Australia are highly resilient to fire and drought and may respond differently to increased fire frequency and aridity than forests dominated by non-eucalypt species. We measured the variation in stem density, basal area, stand biomass, sapwood area, leaf area and litterfall across 16 mixed jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and marri (Corymbia calophylla) forest stands along an aridity gradient in southwest Australia that had variable fire histories. Fire frequency was defined as the total number of fires over a ~30-year period and aridity as the ratio of potential evapotranspiration...

CERN Document Server

Let us call a sequence of numbers heapable if they can be sequentially inserted to form a binary tree with the heap property, where each insertion subsequent to the first occurs at a leaf of the tree, i.e. below a previously placed number. In this paper we consider a variety of problems related to heapable sequences and subsequences that do not appear to have been studied previously. Our motivation for introducing these concepts is two-fold. First, such problems correspond to natural extensions of the well-known secretary problem for hiring an organization with a hierarchical structure. Second, from a purely combinatorial perspective, our problems are interesting variations on similar longest increasing subsequence problems, a problem paradigm that has led to many deep mathematical connections. We provide several basic results. We obtain an efficient algorithm for determining the heapability of a sequence, and also prove that the question of whether a sequence can ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

As the main forestry species in the Canary Islands (Spain), Pinus canariensis is frequently used in afforestation programs. Several nursery techniques are commonly employed to modify its morphology and physiology with the aim of improving post-planting survival and growth. In this work, we studied how fertilization and light regime treatments applied during the nursery period modify biomass allocation patterns and produce effects in gas exchange and root hydraulic conductance. Seedlings were grown for a 6-month period in the nursery under two light regimes (full sunlight and 40% PAR reduction), and three fertilization levels were applied in each light regime. Morphology, biomass allocation patterns, leaf gas exchange and hydraulic conductance of the whole root system were evaluated. Fertil...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In the Mediterranean arc, vines for wine production are mainly grown without the support of irrigation. Under such conditions, site variables affecting the extent and seasonal timing of water deficits are the dominant environmental constraints for grape production. Moreover, water availability and vine water status are the factors most comprehensively determining fruit composition and, thus, wine quality. Therefore, monitoring the extent of water stress in vines might be a valuable tool for the optimisation of grape yield and quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the reflectance based Water Index (WI) to estimate vine water status at the leaf and canopy levels. The study was conducted on Vitis vinifera cv. Chardonnay potted plants submitted to contra...

CERN Document Server

Logic Programming languages and combinational circuit synthesis tools share a common "combinatorial search over logic formulae" background. This paper attempts to reconnect the two fields with a fresh look at Prolog encodings for the combinatorial objects involved in circuit synthesis. While benefiting from Prolog's fast unification algorithm and built-in backtracking mechanism, efficiency of our search algorithm is ensured by using parallel bitstring operations together with logic variable equality propagation, as a mapping mechanism from primary inputs to the leaves of candidate Leaf-DAGs implementing a combinational circuit specification. After an exhaustive expressiveness comparison of various minimal libraries, a surprising first-runner, Strict Boolean Inequality "<" together with constant function "1" also turns out to have small transistor-count implementations, competitive to NAND-only or NOR-only libraries. As a practical outcome, a more realistic ...

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Examples are given of the applicability and importance of radionuclide fluorescence analysis as a

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In a prior study, we demonstrated that certain disposable coils are contaminated with zinc and release substantial quantities of Zn during hemodialysis, producing high post-dialysis plasma Zn concentrations. The present investigation was designed to monitor plasma and dialysis fluid Zn and copper throughout dialysis and to estimate patient Zn and Cu uptake. Venous plasma, arterial plasma and coil chamber fluid were sampled periodically throughout dialysis; trace metal concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Release of considerable quantities of Zn from the coils into the dialysis fluid, with uptake into the patient's plasma, was found. Approximately one-half of the plasma Zn uptake occurred in the first 45 minutes. Coils from different lots released significantly different quantities of Zn. Patient uptake of Zn ranged from 3.2 mg-23.0 mg, with a mean of 15.0 +- 6.1 mg. Copper release and uptake was low. It is ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinc oxide thin films were obtained by laser ablation of a Zn target in oxygen reactive atmosphere, the oxygen being supplied either by a standard gas inlet valve or from a radio-frequency (rf) oxygen plasma. Pt-coated silicon and MgO were used as substrates. The influence of the deposition parameters as laser wavelength (266, 355, 1064 nm), laser fluence (1.5-20 J/cm2) and oxygen pressure (1-60 Pa) was studied. The influence of the rf plasma beam addition on the morphological proprieties of zinc oxide films was particularly investigated, simultaneously with several configurations of the direction of the ablation plasma, the rf plasma beam and the substrate. The obtained films, with thicknesses in the range of 50 nm to 1 ?m have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was studied on bare brass (B), nickel coated brass (B/Ni), nickel-zinc alloy coated brass (B/NiZn, leached Zn), nickel (under layer)/nickel-zinc alloy coated (top layer) brass electrodes (B/Ni/NiZn, leached Zn) in 1 M NaOH solution using electrolysis, cathodic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Long term tests were performed in order to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity and corrosion performance of the prepared electrodes with operation time. The results showed that leached electrodes, especially B/Ni/NiZn electrode, have a smaller overpotential than the others and a good electrocatalytic activity for the HER. Its electrocatalytic activity is also stable over electrolysis time. Contrary to the HER performance, B/NiZn cannot provide an adequate corrosion protection. However, when a thin Ni layer was coated under the NiZn alloy coating (B/Ni/NiZn), a greater ...

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Apparatus and methods are described for generating heat and electricity from the consumption of a variety of aluminum products. The method consists of (A) a reaction chamber containing an aqueous electrolyte solution and adapted for introduction therein of aluminum pieces of various shapes and sizes up to a certain maximum predetermined size and for effecting a chemical reaction between said aqueous electrolyte and said aluminum pieces yielding aluminum hydroxide and an intermediate reactant; (B) means for feeding said aluminum pieces into said reaction chamber in small quantities upon demand; (C) means for removing the heat generated in said chamber as a result of said reaction; (D) means for removing said aluminum hydroxide reaction product; and (E) means for oxidizing said intermediate reactant in an electrochemical cell, thereby generating electrical energy. The intermediate reactant is preferably hydrogen or zinc. The latter may be used in a slurry type ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasses in the system (1 - x) [29Na2O- 4Al2O3- 67B2O3]- xZnO (0 ? x ? 35 mol%), have been prepared by the melt quenching technique. Elastic properties, X-ray and FT-IR spectroscopic studies have been employed to study the role of ZnO on the structure of the investigated glass system. Elastic properties and Debye temperature have been investigated using sound wave velocity measurements at 4 MHz at room temperature. The results showed that the density increases and the molar volume decreases while both sound velocities and the determined glass transition temperatures decrease with increase in x. X-ray and infrared spectra of the glasses reveal that the borate network consists of diborate units and is affected by the increase in the concentration of ZnO content. These results are interpreted in terms of the decrease in the N4 values (fraction of tetrahedral coordinated boron atoms), and substitution of longer bond lengths of Zn-O in place of shorter B-O bond. The results indicate that ...

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To reconstruct the profiles of heavy metal levels in the South Ocean ecosystem of Antarctica, the concentrations of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in seal hairs and lake sediments spanning the past 1500 years from Fildes Peninsula of King George Island and in weathering lake sediments from Nelson Island of West Antarctica were determined. The lead contents in the seal hairs and the weathering sediments show a sharp increase since the late 1800s, very likely due to anthropogenic contamination from modern industries. After the 1980s, the Pb content in seal hairs dropped by one-third, apparently due to the reduced usage of leaded gasoline in the Southern Hemisphere. Copper arises mainly from the weathering process, and its level may be substantially affected by climatic conditions. The concentrations of Cd, As, and Zn do not show any clear temporal trends.

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The rechargeability of the slurry-Zn/air battery was demonstrated with a practical recharge cell that requires minimal hydraulic and mechanical energy for operation. A dendritic Zn was deposited on a Mg plate substrate from which it was easily, periodically and automatically scraped to regenerate dendritic Zn slurries. Excellent discharge results were obtained with the regenerated dendritic Zn slurry, comparable to those obtained with slurries made with mixtures of Zn powder. The dendritic Zn slurry allowed, however, twice the utilization of Zn. 13 refs., 24 figs., 2 tabs.

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The principle of conservation and transferability of chemical bonds explains the recent discovery by extended x-ray absorption fine-structure measurements of two unequal anion-cation bond lengths R/sub A/C and R/sub B/C in A/sub x/B/sub 1-x/C zinc-blende semiconductor alloys despite the close adherence of the lattice constant to the average value (Vegard rule). This bond alternation, manifested as a structural distortion to a local chalcopyrite coordination around the anions, explains also most of the observed optical bowing in semiconductor alloys.

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The long term goal is to determine the ecological importance of specific toxic metals (copper and zinc) in harbors, through an understanding of their chemistry and biological effects at the base of marine food chains. This work provides information on potential problems with Zn and Cu, which may help to foresee problems in the future. Anthropogenic inputs of both metals are increasing; they are derived from diverse sources and are a simple function of population growth in coastal regions.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A number of herbal drugs are used in the Unani (Greco-Arab) System of Medicine for cardiovascular diseases. The herbs were analyzed by flame AAS and ICP-AES to determine if their therapeutic actions can be associated with the elements present in them. Cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead and zinc were some of the elements which play various roles in cardiovascular affections. An effort was made to correlate the role of these elements in cardiac diseases. (Auth.). 2 tabs., 32 refs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The present invention provides a compound of the formula (Cat).sup.+.sub.z[M.sup.++(5-nitro-1H-tetrazolato-N2).sup.-.sub.x(H.sub.2- O).sub.y] where x is 3 or 4, y is 2 or 3, x+y is 6, z is 1 or 2, and M.sup.++ is selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, chromium, and manganese, and (Cat).sup.+ is selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium. A method of preparing the compound of that formula is also disclosed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This short communication aims to update the review of non-nitro radiation sensitizers (Shenoy and Singh 1985) and correct omissions. Work is mentioned and bibliography given for studied of cis-platinum, potassium permanganate, cobalt hexammine, sodium bromide, dimethylsulphoxide, zinc and copper ions, organic nitroxyl free radicals (TAN,TMPN and NPPN + PNAP), halogenated pyrimidines, organic and inorganic iodine containing compounds, diacetyl, acetone and acetophenone, rho-hydrobenzoic acid and its esters, pentobarbitone and secobarbitone, heparin and 9-anilinoacridines, dehydropiandosterone and paraquat. (U.K.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radioactive "1"4C sucrose was found to be an ideal marker for microleakage because it did not penetrate tooth tissue, dental cement, or mounting resin. The main finding is that the adhesive cements--the glass-ionomer and polycarboxylate--are significantly more effective at preventing microleakage than are the traditional phosphate cements--silicate and zinc phosphate. The differences can be as high as two orders of magnitude. The adhesive cements provide almost perfect and reliable seals. By contrast, the nonadhesive cements are erratic sealants with most of the restorations leaking.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are one of most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. The nuclear analytical methods (ENAA, SRXRF and XRF) were employed to study the effect of iodine deficiency on the metal ion changes during the stage of brain development, combined with biochemical methods. The results show that the distributions of iron, copper and zinc varied to different extent in different brain regions and subcellular fractions of the ID rat brains. These distributional changes of trace elements might be associated with the brain damage caused by the iodine deficiency. (author)

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The theoretical principles underlying the formation of oxide and, in particular, anodic oxide coatings on metals produced by chemical oxidation, anodizing in solutions, and anodizing in cold plasmas are reviewed. The mechanisms and conditions of anodic oxidation are described, and the structure of anodic oxide coatings on aluminum, magnesium, beryllium, zinc, cadmium, iron, cobalt, nickel, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, and chromium alloys is examined. Attention is also given to various applictins of anodized coatings. 54 references.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The existence of characteristic longitudinal optical and transverse optical phonons of cubic ZnO in ZnO nano-tetrapods is determined by Raman spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Stacking sequence change at the boundary of the core and legs is also identified by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Based on this experimental and theoretical evidence, we demonstrate that the lattice structure of ZnO nano-tetrapods is hierarchical with a zinc blende core connecting to four wurtzite legs. Furthermore, we establish the atomic configuration and propose a formation mechanism induced by Laplace pressure in the initial growth stage of ZnO nano-tetrapods.

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Electric vehicles that can`t reach trolley wires need batteries. In the early 1900`s electric cars disappeared when owners found that replacing the car`s worn-out lead-acid battery costs more than a new gasoline-powered car. Most of today`s electric cars are still propelled by lead-acid batteries. General Motors` Impact, for example, uses starting-lighting-ignition batteries, which deliver lots of power for demonstrations, but have a life of less than 100 deep discharges. Now promising alternative technology has challenged the world-wide lead miners, refiners, and battery makers into forming a consortium that sponsors research into making better lead-acid batteries. Horizon`s new bipolar battery delivered 50 watt-hours per kg (Wh/kg), compared with 20 for ordinary transport-vehicle batteries. The alternatives are delivering from 80 Wh/kg (nickel-metal hydride) up to 200 Wh/kg (zinc-bromine). A Fiat Panda travelled 260 km on a single charge of its ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full - grown pupae of the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littorals (Boisd.) were gamma - irradiated with low doses of 25,50,75, or 100 Gy for male line and with 50 or 100 Gy for female line . The effects on reproduction, development and sex ratio were the biological aspects studied among P1,F1,F2 and F 3 generations . Also, the effects of dose accumulation applied grown male pupae through two or three filial generations and the retarded influence on their F1,F2,and F 3 progeny were examined. In another trial the histological examinations for ovaries and testes of irradiated parents and for their generation were made . The F1 males were more sterile than irradiated parental males while F1 females were more fertile than their irradiated parental females. Irradiation of P1 males did not clearly affect neither the percentage of mated females nor the average number of spermatophores per mated female among the individuals of P1,F1,F2 and F 3 generations. Irradiation of P1 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: In this paper, we present an alternative to the originally proposed technique for the delivery of spatially fractionated radiation therapy (GRID) using multi-leaf collimator (MLC) shaped fields. We employ the MLC to deliver various pattern GRID treatments to large solid tumors and dosimetrically characterize the GRID fields. Methods and materials: The GRID fields were created with different open to blocked area ratios and with variable separation between the openings using a MLC. GRID designs were introduced into the Pinnacle"3 treatment planning system, and the dose was calculated in a water phantom. Ionization chamber and film measurements using both Kodak EDR2 and Gafchromic EBT film were performed in a SolidWater phantom to determine the relative output of each GRID design as well as its spatial dosimetric characteristics. Results: Agreement within 5.0% was observed between the Pinnacle"3 predicted dose distributions and the measurements for the ...

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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KoreaScience (Korea)

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KoreaScience (Korea)

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Science.gov (United States)

... the application of an acousto- optical tunable filter ... Couplers for Large Switch-Array Applications ... Symmetric Integrated Optic X Junction," Electronics ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The simultaneous effects of irradiating full grown pupae of Spodoptera Littoralis with doses 30 and 40 krad followed by topical treatment of adults with methomyl were studied. Gamma rays decreased the toxicity of methomyl against adult moths. The obtained LD_5_0 values for male moths emerging from unirradiated or irradiated pupae with 30 or 40 krad were 7, 9.93 and 10.33 u g/g. b.wt., respectively. F1 larvae (produced from unirradiated females mated to irradiated males) became more tolerant to methomyl by increasing radiation doses from 5 to 30 krad. The toxicity of methomyl to F1, F2 and F3 larvae (whose male parents had been irradiated in the pupal stage with 10 krad) was less than its toxicity to the larvae produced from unirradiated parents. F2 and F3 larvae were more tolerant to methomyl effect than the F1 larvae.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Attacks by herbivorous insects reduce biomass production in willow plantations. The long-term goal of our research is to develop sustainable plant protection against these insect pests. Two lines of research are pursued. The first concentrates on identifying factors involved in the regulation of leaf-eating beetles. These insects vary in density among plantations, sometimes reaching outbreak levels resulting in complete defoliation. Mortality factors of eggs and larvae in plantations with low and high beetle densities have been investigated. The importance of plant resistance has also been investigated. The second line of research considers the mechanisms behind an earlier demonstrated resistance in certain willow clones against a gall midge. By using molecular techniques we have searched for markers of resistance. Promising results have been found concerning so called PR proteins; in particular chitinase seems to be present in high activities in plants expressing ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Homozygous transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants that accumulated glycinebetaine (GB) in larger quantities were more tolerant to salt than wild-type (WT) plants. Four transgenic lines, namely 1, 3, 4, and 5, accumulated significantly higher levels of GB than WT plants did both before and after salt stress. At 175 and 275?mM NaCl, seeds of all the transgenic lines germinated earlier and recorded a higher final germination percentage, and the seedlings grew better, than those of the WT. Under salt stress, all the lines showed some characteristic features of salt tolerance, such as higher leaf relative water content (RWC), higher photosynthesis, better osmotic adjustment (OA), lower percentage of ion leakage, and lower peroxidation of the lipid membrane. Levels of endogenous GB in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (boisd.) were irradiated with 100,150 and 200 Gy to induce inherited sterility. the effects of the tested doses applied to these pupae through three consequent fillial generations and the retarded influence on their F_1,F_2 and F_3 generations progeny were examined . irradiation of parental male induced damage to their daughter females ovaries. the overioles of females among P_1 ,F_1 and F_2 generations showed that the follicular epithelial cells appeared abnormal beside their limited separation from developing oocytes which became shrinked, semi absorbed or completely absorbed leaving vacuoles. the nurse cells were reduced or absent in some parts. damage was obvious through the first and second generations especially at 150 and 200 Gy. in the third generation, ovaries were not greatly affected

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effect of raising the rate of photosynthesis on the allocation of carbon between sucrose and starch was studied by means of steady-state radiolabeling. Sugar beet source leaves on intact plants were exposed to ambient levels of CO{sub 2} and O{sub 2} for 3 hrs. Next CO{sub 2} was raised to 600 {mu}LL{sup {minus}3} for 3 hrs then O{sub 2} was decreased to 2% for 3 hrs. Rates of net carbon exchange (NCE), export, and starch and sucrose synthesis were measured. NCER increased by 30% under the combined treatments and the proportion of photosynthate allocated to starch and to sucrose did not change. When O{sub 2} concentration was lowered, NCER increased but export did not and sucrose accumulated. This observation, and our earlier conclusion that export rate usually equals sucrose synthesis rate, lead us to conclude that low O{sub 2} directly inhibited export. Low O{sub 2} treatment causes sucrose to accumulate in a sugar beet leaf which usually accumulates little ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a new technique--Integrated Bayesian Uncertainty Estimator (IBUNE) to account for the major uncertainties of hydrologic rainfall-runoff predictions explicitly. The uncertainties from the input (forcing) data--mainly the precipitation observations and from the model parameters are reduced through a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) scheme named Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM) algorithm which has been extended to include a precipitation error model. Afterwards, the Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) scheme is employed to further improve the prediction skill and uncertainty estimation using multiple model output. A series of case studies using three rainfall-runoff models to predict the streamflow in the Leaf River basin, Mississippi are used to examine the necessity and usefulness of this technique. The results suggests that ignoring either input forcings error or model structural uncertainty will lead to unrealistic model simulations and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the quality of a rural area near Faenza (Italy) by using an active biomonitoring approach, i.e., by placing homogeneous individuals of the perennial shrub Rosa rugosa in different sites throughout the area. Further sites, within the city or its environs, were used for comparison. Soil and leaves of R. rugosa were analyzed for their heavy metal content. The total heavy metal pattern of leaves closely paralleled the pattern registered in soil, with the highest content (both in total and assimilable forms) at the site in the urban area, which is exposed to heavy traffic. Pollen quality (abortiveness and viability) was also tested as a potential indicator of pollution. Pollen abortiveness was strictly related to Pb levels in leaves, while viability was inversely related to leaf Cr content. Our results suggest that R. rugosa has the potential to be a good biomonitoring system. - Rosa rugosa leaves and pollen are - to different ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Deutsche Post AG is a transport company that with approximately 55,000 vehicles owns one of the biggest fleets in Europe. Being aware of its responsibility in the field of environmental policy it is looking for an alternative solution of an environmentally friendly vehicle drive system that also takes into account economic efficiency. Extensive investigations have led to a new energy storage based on the zinc-air energy system that has been developed and manufactured by the Israeli Company Electric Fuel Ltd. First tests showed an extraordinarily high capacity potential, drive values and ranges, which had been considered as impossible until that point of time. After these tests the Deutsche Post AG decided together with other well-known partners at home and abroad to carry out a territorial test with the zinc-air energy system in order to obtain insight into the day-to-day capability, economic efficiency, environmental friendliness under ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wastes and dusts from steel industry, non-ferrous metallurgy and other branches can be utilised e.g. in agglomeration processes (sintering, pelletising or briquetting) and by injection into shaft furnaces. This paper deals with the second way. Combustion and reduction behaviour of iron- and carbon-rich metallurgical dusts and sludges containing lead, zinc and alkali as well as other wastes with and without pulverised coal (PC) has been studied when injecting into shaft furnaces. Following shaft furnaces have been examined: blast furnace, cupola furnace, OxiCup furnace and imperial-smelting furnace. Investigations have been done at laboratory and industrial scale. Some dusts and wastes under certain conditions can be not only reused but can also improve combustion efficiency at the tuyeres as well as furnace performance and productivity.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper deals with the preparation and characterization of polyaniline/TiO{sub 2} composite by XRD, UV-VIS spectra, TGA/DTA and FTIR. The composite is used as a cathode material for rechargeable battery comprising of zinc container as the anode, cellulose acetate as the separator and polyvinyl sulfate and carboxy methyl cellulose as the solid polymer electrolytes (SPE). By using the PAn/TiO{sub 2} composite as the cathode material, the cylindrical AA type rechargeable battery was fabricated and the following output was observed. The open circuit voltage (OCV) is 1.4 V and current is 250 mA to 1.0 A, 50 recharge cycles, power density is 350 A h/kg and power efficiency is 70%.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Statement of problem Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) titanium ceramic restorations were developed with the potential for replacing expensive, high noble metal ceramic restorations. However, there is a lack of information about the clinical performance of CAD/CAM titanium ceramic single crowns. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate CAD/CAM titanium ceramic single crowns after 3 years in function. Material and methods A total of 41 crowns were fabricated for 21 patients. The titanium copings were CAD/CAM milled (Everest CAD/CAM system) with an even thickness of 0.5 mm, and low-fusing veneering porcelain (Vita Titanium Porcelain) was added incrementally. The crowns were cemented using zinc phosphate cement after confirming that there were no mechanical...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stage III and stage IV recovery have been investigated resistometrically following 6.1 MeV alpha-particle irradiation at 4.2 K. The activation energy associated with stage III shows a gradual increase from 0.35 +- 0.02 eV to 0.39 +- 0.02 eV. Stage IV (155 to 180 K) is associated with an activation energy of 0.46 +- 0.03 eV. The present results are compared with those obtained after electron and neutron irradiation. The stage III recovery kinetics are interpreted in terms of the Goesele-Seeger theory for interstitial migration in highly anisotropic hexagonal metals. Stage IV is ascribed to monovacancy migration. (author).