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Sample records for detect unlabeled inorganic

  1. Unlabeled probes for the detection and typing of herpes simplex virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dames, Shale; Pattison, David C; Bromley, L Kathryn; Wittwer, Carl T; Voelkerding, Karl V

    2007-10-01

    Unlabeled probe detection with a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding dye is one method to detect and confirm target amplification after PCR. Unlabeled probes and amplicon melting have been used to detect small deletions and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in assays where template is in abundance. Unlabeled probes have not been applied to low-level target detection, however. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was chosen as a model to compare the unlabeled probe method to an in-house reference assay using dual-labeled, minor groove binding probes. A saturating dsDNA dye (LCGreen Plus) was used for real-time PCR. HSV-1, HSV-2, and an internal control were differentiated by PCR amplicon and unlabeled probe melting analysis after PCR. The unlabeled probe technique displayed 98% concordance with the reference assay for the detection of HSV from a variety of archived clinical samples (n = 182). HSV typing using unlabeled probes was 99% concordant (n = 104) to sequenced clinical samples and allowed for the detection of sequence polymorphisms in the amplicon and under the probe. Unlabeled probes and amplicon melting can be used to detect and genotype as few as 10 copies of target per reaction, restricted only by stochastic limitations. The use of unlabeled probes provides an attractive alternative to conventional fluorescence-labeled, probe-based assays for genotyping and detection of HSV and might be useful for other low-copy targets where typing is informative.

  2. Autonomic intrusion detection: Adaptively detecting anomalies over unlabeled audit data streams in computer networks

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Wei; Guyet, Thomas; Quiniou, René ; Cordier, Marie-Odile; Masseglia, Florent; Zhang, Xiangliang

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we propose a novel framework of autonomic intrusion detection that fulfills online and adaptive intrusion detection over unlabeled HTTP traffic streams in computer networks. The framework holds potential for self-managing: self-labeling, self-updating and self-adapting. Our framework employs the Affinity Propagation (AP) algorithm to learn a subject’s behaviors through dynamical clustering of the streaming data. It automatically labels the data and adapts to normal behavior changes while identifies anomalies. Two large real HTTP traffic streams collected in our institute as well as a set of benchmark KDD’99 data are used to validate the framework and the method. The test results show that the autonomic model achieves better results in terms of effectiveness and efficiency compared to adaptive Sequential Karhunen–Loeve method and static AP as well as three other static anomaly detection methods, namely, k-NN, PCA and SVM.

  3. Autonomic intrusion detection: Adaptively detecting anomalies over unlabeled audit data streams in computer networks

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Wei

    2014-06-22

    In this work, we propose a novel framework of autonomic intrusion detection that fulfills online and adaptive intrusion detection over unlabeled HTTP traffic streams in computer networks. The framework holds potential for self-managing: self-labeling, self-updating and self-adapting. Our framework employs the Affinity Propagation (AP) algorithm to learn a subject’s behaviors through dynamical clustering of the streaming data. It automatically labels the data and adapts to normal behavior changes while identifies anomalies. Two large real HTTP traffic streams collected in our institute as well as a set of benchmark KDD’99 data are used to validate the framework and the method. The test results show that the autonomic model achieves better results in terms of effectiveness and efficiency compared to adaptive Sequential Karhunen–Loeve method and static AP as well as three other static anomaly detection methods, namely, k-NN, PCA and SVM.

  4. Development and inter-laboratory validation of unlabeled probe melting curve analysis for detection of JAK2 V617F mutation in polycythemia vera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhiyuan; Yuan, Hong; Zhang, Xinju; Liu, Weiwei; Xu, Jinhua; Zhang, Wei; Guan, Ming

    2011-01-01

    JAK2 V617F, a somatic point mutation that leads to constitutive JAK2 phosphorylation and kinase activation, has been incorporated into the WHO classification and diagnostic criteria of myeloid neoplasms. Although various approaches such as restriction fragment length polymorphism, amplification refractory mutation system and real-time PCR have been developed for its detection, a generic rapid closed-tube method, which can be utilized on routine genetic testing instruments with stability and cost-efficiency, has not been described. Asymmetric PCR for detection of JAK2 V617F with a 3'-blocked unlabeled probe, saturate dye and subsequent melting curve analysis was performed on a Rotor-Gene® Q real-time cycler to establish the methodology. We compared this method to the existing amplification refractory mutation systems and direct sequencing. Hereafter, the broad applicability of this unlabeled probe melting method was also validated on three diverse real-time systems (Roche LightCycler® 480, Applied Biosystems ABI® 7500 and Eppendorf Mastercycler® ep realplex) in two different laboratories. The unlabeled probe melting analysis could genotype JAK2 V617F mutation explicitly with a 3% mutation load detecting sensitivity. At level of 5% mutation load, the intra- and inter-assay CVs of probe-DNA heteroduplex (mutation/wild type) covered 3.14%/3.55% and 1.72%/1.29% respectively. The method could equally discriminate mutant from wild type samples on the other three real-time instruments. With a high detecting sensitivity, unlabeled probe melting curve analysis is more applicable to disclose JAK2 V617F mutation than conventional methodologies. Verified with the favorable inter- and intra-assay reproducibility, unlabeled probe melting analysis provided a generic mutation detecting alternative for real-time instruments.

  5. Development and inter-laboratory validation of unlabeled probe melting curve analysis for detection of JAK2 V617F mutation in polycythemia vera.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiyuan Wu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: JAK2 V617F, a somatic point mutation that leads to constitutive JAK2 phosphorylation and kinase activation, has been incorporated into the WHO classification and diagnostic criteria of myeloid neoplasms. Although various approaches such as restriction fragment length polymorphism, amplification refractory mutation system and real-time PCR have been developed for its detection, a generic rapid closed-tube method, which can be utilized on routine genetic testing instruments with stability and cost-efficiency, has not been described. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Asymmetric PCR for detection of JAK2 V617F with a 3'-blocked unlabeled probe, saturate dye and subsequent melting curve analysis was performed on a Rotor-Gene® Q real-time cycler to establish the methodology. We compared this method to the existing amplification refractory mutation systems and direct sequencing. Hereafter, the broad applicability of this unlabeled probe melting method was also validated on three diverse real-time systems (Roche LightCycler® 480, Applied Biosystems ABI® 7500 and Eppendorf Mastercycler® ep realplex in two different laboratories. The unlabeled probe melting analysis could genotype JAK2 V617F mutation explicitly with a 3% mutation load detecting sensitivity. At level of 5% mutation load, the intra- and inter-assay CVs of probe-DNA heteroduplex (mutation/wild type covered 3.14%/3.55% and 1.72%/1.29% respectively. The method could equally discriminate mutant from wild type samples on the other three real-time instruments. CONCLUSIONS: With a high detecting sensitivity, unlabeled probe melting curve analysis is more applicable to disclose JAK2 V617F mutation than conventional methodologies. Verified with the favorable inter- and intra-assay reproducibility, unlabeled probe melting analysis provided a generic mutation detecting alternative for real-time instruments.

  6. Efficient use of unlabeled data for protein sequence classification: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuksa, Pavel; Huang, Pai-Hsi; Pavlovic, Vladimir

    2009-04-29

    Recent studies in computational primary protein sequence analysis have leveraged the power of unlabeled data. For example, predictive models based on string kernels trained on sequences known to belong to particular folds or superfamilies, the so-called labeled data set, can attain significantly improved accuracy if this data is supplemented with protein sequences that lack any class tags-the unlabeled data. In this study, we present a principled and biologically motivated computational framework that more effectively exploits the unlabeled data by only using the sequence regions that are more likely to be biologically relevant for better prediction accuracy. As overly-represented sequences in large uncurated databases may bias the estimation of computational models that rely on unlabeled data, we also propose a method to remove this bias and improve performance of the resulting classifiers. Combined with state-of-the-art string kernels, our proposed computational framework achieves very accurate semi-supervised protein remote fold and homology detection on three large unlabeled databases. It outperforms current state-of-the-art methods and exhibits significant reduction in running time. The unlabeled sequences used under the semi-supervised setting resemble the unpolished gemstones; when used as-is, they may carry unnecessary features and hence compromise the classification accuracy but once cut and polished, they improve the accuracy of the classifiers considerably.

  7. Enhancement of breast CADx with unlabeled data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamieson, Andrew R; Giger, Maryellen L; Drukker, Karen; Pesce, Lorenzo L

    2010-08-01

    Unlabeled medical image data are abundant, yet the process of converting them into a labeled ("truth-known") database is time and resource expensive and fraught with ethical and logistics issues. The authors propose a dual-stage CADx scheme in which both labeled and unlabeled (truth-known and "truth-unknown") data are used. This study is an initial exploration of the potential for leveraging unlabeled data toward enhancing breast CADx. From a labeled ultrasound image database consisting of 1126 lesions with an empirical cancer prevalence of 14%, 200 different randomly sampled subsets were selected and the truth status of a variable number of cases was masked to the algorithm to mimic different types of labeled and unlabeled data sources. The prevalence was fixed at 50% cancerous for the labeled data and 5% cancerous for the unlabeled. In the first stage of the dual-stage CADx scheme, the authors term "transductive dimension reduction regularization" (TDR-R), both labeled and unlabeled images characterized by extracted lesion features were combined using dimension reduction (DR) techniques and mapped to a lower-dimensional representation. (The first stage ignored truth status therefore was an unsupervised algorithm.) In the second stage, the labeled data from the reduced dimension embedding were used to train a classifier toward estimating the probability of malignancy. For the first CADx stage, the authors investigated three DR approaches: Laplacian eigen-maps, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), and principal component analysis. For the TDR-R methods, the classifier in the second stage was a supervised (i.e., utilized truth) Bayesian neural net. The dual-stage CADx schemes were compared to a single-stage scheme based on manifold regularization (MR) in a semisupervised setting via the LapSVM algorithm. Performance in terms of areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the CADx schemes was evaluated in leave-one-out and .632+ bootstrap analyses on a by

  8. Sensitive optical biosensors for unlabeled targets: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Xudong; White, Ian M.; Shopova, Siyka I.; Zhu Hongying; Suter, Jonathan D.; Sun Yuze

    2008-01-01

    This article reviews the recent progress in optical biosensors that use the label-free detection protocol, in which biomolecules are unlabeled or unmodified, and are detected in their natural forms. In particular, it will focus on the optical biosensors that utilize the refractive index change as the sensing transduction signal. Various optical label-free biosensing platforms will be introduced, including, but not limited to, surface plasmon resonance, interferometers, waveguides, fiber gratings, ring resonators, and photonic crystals. Emphasis will be given to the description of optical structures and their respective sensing mechanisms. Examples of detecting various types of biomolecules will be presented. Wherever possible, the sensing performance of each optical structure will be evaluated and compared in terms of sensitivity and detection limit

  9. Enhancement of breast CADx with unlabeled data1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamieson, Andrew R.; Giger, Maryellen L.; Drukker, Karen; Pesce, Lorenzo L.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Unlabeled medical image data are abundant, yet the process of converting them into a labeled (“truth-known”) database is time and resource expensive and fraught with ethical and logistics issues. The authors propose a dual-stage CADx scheme in which both labeled and unlabeled (truth-known and “truth-unknown”) data are used. This study is an initial exploration of the potential for leveraging unlabeled data toward enhancing breast CADx. Methods: From a labeled ultrasound image database consisting of 1126 lesions with an empirical cancer prevalence of 14%, 200 different randomly sampled subsets were selected and the truth status of a variable number of cases was masked to the algorithm to mimic different types of labeled and unlabeled data sources. The prevalence was fixed at 50% cancerous for the labeled data and 5% cancerous for the unlabeled. In the first stage of the dual-stage CADx scheme, the authors term “transductive dimension reduction regularization” (TDR-R), both labeled and unlabeled images characterized by extracted lesion features were combined using dimension reduction (DR) techniques and mapped to a lower-dimensional representation. (The first stage ignored truth status therefore was an unsupervised algorithm.) In the second stage, the labeled data from the reduced dimension embedding were used to train a classifier toward estimating the probability of malignancy. For the first CADx stage, the authors investigated three DR approaches: Laplacian eigenmaps, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), and principal component analysis. For the TDR-R methods, the classifier in the second stage was a supervised (i.e., utilized truth) Bayesian neural net. The dual-stage CADx schemes were compared to a single-stage scheme based on manifold regularization (MR) in a semisupervised setting via the LapSVM algorithm. Performance in terms of areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the CADx schemes was evaluated in leave-one-out and .632

  10. Bidirectional Active Learning: A Two-Way Exploration Into Unlabeled and Labeled Data Set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao-Yu; Wang, Shupeng; Yun, Xiaochun

    2015-12-01

    In practical machine learning applications, human instruction is indispensable for model construction. To utilize the precious labeling effort effectively, active learning queries the user with selective sampling in an interactive way. Traditional active learning techniques merely focus on the unlabeled data set under a unidirectional exploration framework and suffer from model deterioration in the presence of noise. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel bidirectional active learning algorithm that explores into both unlabeled and labeled data sets simultaneously in a two-way process. For the acquisition of new knowledge, forward learning queries the most informative instances from unlabeled data set. For the introspection of learned knowledge, backward learning detects the most suspiciously unreliable instances within the labeled data set. Under the two-way exploration framework, the generalization ability of the learning model can be greatly improved, which is demonstrated by the encouraging experimental results.

  11. Use of Unlabeled Samples for Mitigating the Hughes Phenomenon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landgrebe, David A.; Shahshahani, Behzad M.

    1993-01-01

    The use of unlabeled samples in improving the performance of classifiers is studied. When the number of training samples is fixed and small, additional feature measurements may reduce the performance of a statistical classifier. It is shown that by using unlabeled samples, estimates of the parameters can be improved and therefore this phenomenon may be mitigated. Various methods for using unlabeled samples are reviewed and experimental results are provided.

  12. Quantification of isotope-labelled and unlabelled folates in plasma, ileostomy and food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Büttner, Barbara E; Öhrvik, Veronica E; Witthöft, Cornelia M; Rychlik, Michael

    2011-01-01

    New stable isotope dilution assays were developed for the simultaneous quantitation of [(13)C(5)]-labelled and unlabelled 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid, folic acid along with unlabelled tetrahydrofolic acid and 10-formylfolic acid in clinical samples deriving from human bioavailability studies, i.e. plasma, ileostomy samples, and food. The methods were based on clean-up by strong anion exchange followed by LC-MS/MS detection. Deuterated analogues of the folates were applied as the internal standards in the stable isotope dilution assays. Assay sensitivity was sufficient to detect all relevant folates in the respective samples as their limits of detection were below 0.62 nmol/L in plasma and below 0.73 μg/100 g in food or ileostomy samples. Quantification of the [(13)C(5)]-label in clinical samples offers the possibility to differentiate between folate from endogenous body pools and the administered dose when executing bioavailability trials.

  13. A Paper-Based Sandwich Format Hybridization Assay for Unlabeled Nucleic Acid Detection Using Upconversion Nanoparticles as Energy Donors in Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Feng; Noor, M Omair; Krull, Ulrich J

    2015-09-24

    Bioassays based on cellulose paper substrates are gaining increasing popularity for the development of field portable and low-cost diagnostic applications. Herein, we report a paper-based nucleic acid hybridization assay using immobilized upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as donors in luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET). UCNPs with intense green emission served as donors with Cy3 dye as the acceptor. The avidin functionalized UCNPs were immobilized on cellulose paper and subsequently bioconjugated to biotinylated oligonucleotide probes. Introduction of unlabeled oligonucleotide targets resulted in a formation of probe-target duplexes. A subsequent hybridization of Cy3 labeled reporter with the remaining single stranded portion of target brought the Cy3 dye in close proximity to the UCNPs to trigger a LRET-sensitized emission from the acceptor dye. The hybridization assays provided a limit of detection (LOD) of 146.0 fmol and exhibited selectivity for one base pair mismatch discrimination. The assay was functional even in undiluted serum samples. This work embodies important progress in developing DNA hybridization assays on paper. Detection of unlabeled targets is achieved using UCNPs as LRET donors, with minimization of background signal from paper substrates owing to the implementation of low energy near-infrared (NIR) excitation.

  14. Active learning in the presence of unlabelable examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzoni, Dominic; Wagstaff, Kiri

    2004-01-01

    We propose a new active learning framework where the expert labeler is allowed to decline to label any example. This may be necessary because the true label is unknown or because the example belongs to a class that is not part of the real training problem. We show that within this framework, popular active learning algorithms (such as Simple) may perform worse than random selection because they make so many queries to the unlabelable class. We present a method by which any active learning algorithm can be modified to avoid unlabelable examples by training a second classifier to distinguish between the labelable and unlabelable classes. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of the method on two benchmark data sets and a real-world problem.

  15. Statistical-mechanics analysis of Gaussian labeled-unlabeled classification problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Toshiyuki

    2013-01-01

    The labeled-unlabeled classification problem in semi-supervised learning is studied via statistical-mechanics approach. We analytically investigate performance of a learner with an equal-weight mixture of two symmetrically-located Gaussians, performing posterior mean estimation of the parameter vector on the basis of a dataset consisting of labeled and unlabeled data generated from the same probability model as that assumed by the learner. Under the assumption of replica symmetry, we have analytically obtained a set of saddle-point equations, which allows us to numerically evaluate performance of the learner. On the basis of the analytical result we have observed interesting phenomena, in particular the coexistence of good and bad solutions, which may happen when the number of unlabeled data is relatively large compared with that of labeled data

  16. Using Unlabeled Data to Improve Text Classification

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nigam, Kamal P

    2001-01-01

    .... This dissertation demonstrates that supervised learning algorithms that use a small number of labeled examples and many inexpensive unlabeled examples can create high-accuracy text classifiers...

  17. UNLABELED SELECTED SAMPLES IN FEATURE EXTRACTION FOR CLASSIFICATION OF HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES WITH LIMITED TRAINING SAMPLES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Kianisarkaleh

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Feature extraction plays a key role in hyperspectral images classification. Using unlabeled samples, often unlimitedly available, unsupervised and semisupervised feature extraction methods show better performance when limited number of training samples exists. This paper illustrates the importance of selecting appropriate unlabeled samples that used in feature extraction methods. Also proposes a new method for unlabeled samples selection using spectral and spatial information. The proposed method has four parts including: PCA, prior classification, posterior classification and sample selection. As hyperspectral image passes these parts, selected unlabeled samples can be used in arbitrary feature extraction methods. The effectiveness of the proposed unlabeled selected samples in unsupervised and semisupervised feature extraction is demonstrated using two real hyperspectral datasets. Results show that through selecting appropriate unlabeled samples, the proposed method can improve the performance of feature extraction methods and increase classification accuracy.

  18. In-source collision induced dissociation of inorganic explosives for mass spectrometric signature detection and chemical imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forbes, Thomas P., E-mail: thomas.forbes@nist.gov; Sisco, Edward

    2015-09-10

    The trace detection, bulk quantification, and chemical imaging of inorganic explosives and components was demonstrated utilizing in-source collision induced dissociation (CID) coupled with laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). The incorporation of in-source CID provided direct control over the extent of adduct and cluster fragmentation as well as organic noise reduction for the enhanced detection of both the elemental and molecular ion signatures of fuel-oxidizer mixtures and other inorganic components of explosive devices. Investigation of oxidizer molecular anions, specifically, nitrates, chlorates, and perchlorates, identified that the optimal in-source CID existed at the transition between fragmentation of the ionic salt bonds and molecular anion bonds. The chemical imaging of oxidizer particles from latent fingerprints was demonstrated, including both cation and anion components in positive and negative mode mass spectrometry, respectively. This investigation demonstrated LDI-MS with in-source CID as a versatile tool for security fields, as well as environmental monitoring and nuclear safeguards, facilitating the detection of elemental and molecular inorganic compounds at nanogram levels. - Highlights: • In-source CID enhanced detection of elemental inorganics up to 1000-fold. • In-source CID optimization of polyatomic oxidizers enhanced detection up to 100-fold. • Optimal CID identified at transition from breaking ionic salt to molecular anion bonds. • Trace detection of inorganic explosives at nanogram levels was demonstrated. • Oxidizer particles were chemically imaged directly from latent fingerprints.

  19. Positive-unlabeled learning for the prediction of conformational B-cell epitopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Background The incomplete ground truth of training data of B-cell epitopes is a demanding issue in computational epitope prediction. The challenge is that only a small fraction of the surface residues of an antigen are confirmed as antigenic residues (positive training data); the remaining residues are unlabeled. As some of these uncertain residues can possibly be grouped to form novel but currently unknown epitopes, it is misguided to unanimously classify all the unlabeled residues as negative training data following the traditional supervised learning scheme. Results We propose a positive-unlabeled learning algorithm to address this problem. The key idea is to distinguish between epitope-likely residues and reliable negative residues in unlabeled data. The method has two steps: (1) identify reliable negative residues using a weighted SVM with a high recall; and (2) construct a classification model on the positive residues and the reliable negative residues. Complex-based 10-fold cross-validation was conducted to show that this method outperforms those commonly used predictors DiscoTope 2.0, ElliPro and SEPPA 2.0 in every aspect. We conducted four case studies, in which the approach was tested on antigens of West Nile virus, dihydrofolate reductase, beta-lactamase, and two Ebola antigens whose epitopes are currently unknown. All the results were assessed on a newly-established data set of antigen structures not bound by antibodies, instead of on antibody-bound antigen structures. These bound structures may contain unfair binding information such as bound-state B-factors and protrusion index which could exaggerate the epitope prediction performance. Source codes are available on request. PMID:26681157

  20. Positive-Unlabeled Learning for Pupylation Sites Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Jiang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Pupylation plays a key role in regulating various protein functions as a crucial posttranslational modification of prokaryotes. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of pupylation, it is important to identify pupylation substrates and sites accurately. Several computational methods have been developed to identify pupylation sites because the traditional experimental methods are time-consuming and labor-sensitive. With the existing computational methods, the experimentally annotated pupylation sites are used as the positive training set and the remaining nonannotated lysine residues as the negative training set to build classifiers to predict new pupylation sites from the unknown proteins. However, the remaining nonannotated lysine residues may contain pupylation sites which have not been experimentally validated yet. Unlike previous methods, in this study, the experimentally annotated pupylation sites were used as the positive training set whereas the remaining nonannotated lysine residues were used as the unlabeled training set. A novel method named PUL-PUP was proposed to predict pupylation sites by using positive-unlabeled learning technique. Our experimental results indicated that PUL-PUP outperforms the other methods significantly for the prediction of pupylation sites. As an application, PUL-PUP was also used to predict the most likely pupylation sites in nonannotated lysine sites.

  1. Effectively identifying compound-protein interactions by learning from positive and unlabeled examples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Zhanzhan; Zhou, Shuigeng; Wang, Yang; Liu, Hui; Guan, Jihong; Chen, Yi-Ping Phoebe

    2016-05-18

    Prediction of compound-protein interactions (CPIs) is to find new compound-protein pairs where a protein is targeted by at least a compound, which is a crucial step in new drug design. Currently, a number of machine learning based methods have been developed to predict new CPIs in the literature. However, as there is not yet any publicly available set of validated negative CPIs, most existing machine learning based approaches use the unknown interactions (not validated CPIs) selected randomly as the negative examples to train classifiers for predicting new CPIs. Obviously, this is not quite reasonable and unavoidably impacts the CPI prediction performance. In this paper, we simply take the unknown CPIs as unlabeled examples, and propose a new method called PUCPI (the abbreviation of PU learning for Compound-Protein Interaction identification) that employs biased-SVM (Support Vector Machine) to predict CPIs using only positive and unlabeled examples. PU learning is a class of learning methods that leans from positive and unlabeled (PU) samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that identifies CPIs using only positive and unlabeled examples. We first collect known CPIs as positive examples and then randomly select compound-protein pairs not in the positive set as unlabeled examples. For each CPI/compound-protein pair, we extract protein domains as protein features and compound substructures as chemical features, then take the tensor product of the corresponding compound features and protein features as the feature vector of the CPI/compound-protein pair. After that, biased-SVM is employed to train classifiers on different datasets of CPIs and compound-protein pairs. Experiments over various datasets show that our method outperforms six typical classifiers, including random forest, L1- and L2-regularized logistic regression, naive Bayes, SVM and k-nearest neighbor (kNN), and three types of existing CPI prediction models. Source code, datasets and

  2. Wortmannin efficiently suppresses the recovery from radiation-induced damage in pimonidazole-unlabeled quiescent tumor cell population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masunaga, Shin-ichiro; Suzuki, Minoru; Kondo, Natsuko; Narabayashi, Masaru; Ono, Koji; Sakurai, Yoshinori; Tanaka, Hiroki; Maruhashi, Akira

    2013-01-01

    Labeling of proliferating (P) cells in mice bearing EL4 tumors was achieved by continuous administration of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Tumors were irradiated with γ-rays at 1 h after pimonidazole administration followed by caffeine or wortmannin treatment. Twenty-four hours later, assessment of the responses of quiescent (Q) and total (=P+Q) cell populations were based on the frequencies of micronucleation and apoptosis using immunofluorescence staining for BrdU. The response of the pimonidazole-unlabeled tumor cell fractions was assessed by means of apoptosis frequency using immunofluorescence staining for pimonidazole. The pimonidazole-unlabeled cell fraction showed significantly enhanced radio-sensitivity compared with the whole cell fraction more remarkably in Q cells than total cells. However, a significantly greater decrease in radio-sensitivity in the pimonidazole-unlabeled than the whole cell fraction, evaluated using an assay performed 24 hours after irradiation, was more clearly observed in Q cells than total cells. In both the pimonidazole-unlabeled and the whole cell fractions, wortmannin efficiently suppressed the reduction in sensitivity due to delayed assay. Wortmannin combined with γ-ray irradiation is useful for suppressing the recovery from radiation-induced damage especially in the pimonidazole-unlabeled cell fraction within the total and Q tumor cell populations. (author)

  3. Personalized Resource Recommendations using Learning from Positive and Unlabeled Examples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priyank Thakkar

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel approach for recommending social resources using learning from positive and unlabeled examples. Bookmarks submitted on social bookmarking system delicious1 and artists on online music system last.fm2 are considered as social resources. The foremost feature of this problem is that there are no labeled negative resources/examples available for learning a recommender/classifier. The memory based collaborative filtering has served as the most widely used algorithm for social resource recommendation. However, its predictions are based on some ad hoc heuristic rules and its success depends on the availability of a critical mass of users. This paper proposes model based two-step techniques to learn a classifier using positive and unlabeled examples to address personalized resource recommendations. In the first step of these techniques, naïve Bayes classifier is employed to identify reliable negative resources. In the second step, to generate effective resource recommender, classification and regression tree and least square support vector machine (LS-SVM are exercised. A direct method based on LS-SVM is also put forward to realize the recommendation task. LS-SVM is customized for learning from positive and unlabeled data. Furthermore, the impact of feature selection on our proposed techniques is also studied. Memory based collaborative filtering as well as our proposed techniques exploit usage data to generate personalized recommendations. Experimental results show that the proposed techniques outperform existing method appreciably.

  4. Unlabelled and radioactive labelled derivatives of butylamino propiophenone and their preparation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Findlay, J.W.A.; Butz, R.F.; Welch, R.M.

    1986-01-01

    This invention relates to new unlabelled and radioactive labelled derivatives of butylamino propiophenone and their preparation. This invention is primarily directed to a radioimmunoassay for clinical or experimental testing for the presence of and quantitation of bupropion, a pharmacologically active antidepressant compound, in biological fluids

  5. Effect of unlabelled monoclonal antibody (MoAb) on biodistribution of /sup 111/Indium labelled (MoAb)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamki, L M; Murray, J L; Rosenblum, M G; Patt, Y Z; Babaian, Richard; Unger, M W

    1988-08-01

    We have evaluated immunoscintigraphy in cancer patients using four /sup 111/In-labelled murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAb): 96.5 (anti-P97 of melanoma), ZME-018 (anti-high molecular weight antibody of melanoma), ZCE-025 (anti-CEA for colon cancer) and PAY-276 (anti-prostatic acid phosphatase for prostatic cancer). The effect of increasing the doses of unlabelled MoAb (co-infused with 1 mg labelled MoAb) on the relative body distribution of each labelled MoAb was assessed. Localization in the liver decreased significantly in all cases, with increasing MoAb dose, except for ZME-018. Localization in other organs increased significantly as the liver activity decreased. The spleen activity, however, fell in the case of MoAb ZME-018. Blood-pool activity increased with MoAb dose in all four MoAbs. These findings correlated with the rise in the detection rate of metastases, the plasma half-life, and other pharmacokinetic parameters. However, the dose level at which this correlation occurred varied with each antibody. These data demonstrate the co-infusion of unlabelled MoAb with /sup 111/In-labelled MoAb could alter the organ distribution, pharmacokinetics and tumour uptake in a favourable manner, though the degree to which this occurs depends on the antibody in question.

  6. Hybrid inorganic/organic photonic crystal biochips for cancer biomarkers detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinibaldi, Alberto; Danz, Norbert; Munzert, Peter; Michelotti, Francesco

    2018-06-01

    We report on hybrid inorganic/organic one-dimensional photonic crystal biochips sustaining Bloch surface waves. The biochips were used, together with an optical platform operating in a label-free and fluorescence configuration simultaneously, to detect the cancer biomarker Angiopoietin 2 in a protein base buffer. The hybrid photonic crystals embed in their geometry a thin functionalization poly-acrylic acid layer deposited by plasma polymerization, which is used to immobilize a monoclonal antibody for highly specific biological recognition. The fluorescence operation mode is described in detail, putting into evidence the role of field enhancement and localization at the photonic crystal surface in the shaping and intensification of the angular fluorescence pattern. In the fluorescence operation mode, the hybrid biochips can attain the limit of detection 6 ng/ml.

  7. Enhancing deep convolutional neural network scheme for breast cancer diagnosis with unlabeled data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wenqing; Tseng, Tzu-Liang Bill; Zhang, Jianying; Qian, Wei

    2017-04-01

    In this study we developed a graph based semi-supervised learning (SSL) scheme using deep convolutional neural network (CNN) for breast cancer diagnosis. CNN usually needs a large amount of labeled data for training and fine tuning the parameters, and our proposed scheme only requires a small portion of labeled data in training set. Four modules were included in the diagnosis system: data weighing, feature selection, dividing co-training data labeling, and CNN. 3158 region of interests (ROIs) with each containing a mass extracted from 1874 pairs of mammogram images were used for this study. Among them 100 ROIs were treated as labeled data while the rest were treated as unlabeled. The area under the curve (AUC) observed in our study was 0.8818, and the accuracy of CNN is 0.8243 using the mixed labeled and unlabeled data. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Detection of Nonvolatile Inorganic Oxidizer-Based Explosives from Wipe Collections by Infrared Thermal Desorption-Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbes, Thomas P; Sisco, Edward; Staymates, Matthew

    2018-05-07

    Infrared thermal desorption (IRTD) was coupled with direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the detection of both inorganic and organic explosives from wipe collected samples. This platform generated discrete and rapid heating rates that allowed volatile and semivolatile organic explosives to thermally desorb at relatively lower temperatures, while still achieving elevated temperatures required to desorb nonvolatile inorganic oxidizer-based explosives. IRTD-DART-MS demonstrated the thermal desorption and detection of refractory potassium chlorate and potassium perchlorate oxidizers, compounds difficult to desorb with traditional moderate-temperature resistance-based thermal desorbers. Nanogram to sub-nanogram sensitivities were established for analysis of a range of organic and inorganic oxidizer-based explosive compounds, with further enhancement limited by the thermal properties of the most common commercial wipe materials. Detailed investigations and high-speed visualization revealed conduction from the heated glass-mica base plate as the dominant process for heating of the wipe and analyte materials, resulting in thermal desorption through boiling, aerosolization, and vaporization of samples. The thermal desorption and ionization characteristics of the IRTD-DART technique resulted in optimal sensitivity for the formation of nitrate adducts with both organic and inorganic species. The IRTD-DART-MS coupling and IRTD in general offer promising explosive detection capabilities to the defense, security, and law enforcement arenas.

  9. Discrimination of bromodeoxyuridine labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells in flow cytometric bromodeoxyuridine/DNA analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, P O; Larsen, J K; Christensen, I J

    1994-01-01

    Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells, respectively, can be discriminated from interphase cells using a new method, based on immunocytochemical staining of BrdUrd and flow cytometric four-parameter analysis of DNA content, BrdUrd incorporation, and forward and orthogona...

  10. Learning gene regulatory networks from only positive and unlabeled data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elkan Charles

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, supervised learning methods have been exploited to reconstruct gene regulatory networks from gene expression data. The reconstruction of a network is modeled as a binary classification problem for each pair of genes. A statistical classifier is trained to recognize the relationships between the activation profiles of gene pairs. This approach has been proven to outperform previous unsupervised methods. However, the supervised approach raises open questions. In particular, although known regulatory connections can safely be assumed to be positive training examples, obtaining negative examples is not straightforward, because definite knowledge is typically not available that a given pair of genes do not interact. Results A recent advance in research on data mining is a method capable of learning a classifier from only positive and unlabeled examples, that does not need labeled negative examples. Applied to the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks, we show that this method significantly outperforms the current state of the art of machine learning methods. We assess the new method using both simulated and experimental data, and obtain major performance improvement. Conclusions Compared to unsupervised methods for gene network inference, supervised methods are potentially more accurate, but for training they need a complete set of known regulatory connections. A supervised method that can be trained using only positive and unlabeled data, as presented in this paper, is especially beneficial for the task of inferring gene regulatory networks, because only an incomplete set of known regulatory connections is available in public databases such as RegulonDB, TRRD, KEGG, Transfac, and IPA.

  11. Determination, at equilibrium, of association constants of labelled or unlabelled ligands by a non-graphical method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goertz, G.; Longchampt, J.; Crepy, O.; Judas, O.; Jayle, M.-F.

    1976-01-01

    Determination, at equilibrium of association constants of labelled or unlabelled ligands by a non-graphical method are described. This work deals with the determination of association constants at equilibrium by a non-graphical method in binding systems containing one specific receptor. Equations have been derived from that originally described by Lea (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 322, 68-74), the terms of which are obtained from the data of simple displacement curves of a bound radioactive ligand by unlabelled competitors identical or different in nature. By knowing the function relating the variations of the bound ligand (B) to the affinity constant (Ksub(i)) and the quantity (Msub(i)) of competitor for a given system, it is possible to calculate any of these parameters when the two others are measured. Thus, it becomes easy to compare the relative affinities of different receptors for the same ligand or that of one receptor for various labelled or unlabelled ligands. Furthermore, theoretical displacement curves can be drawn and compared to experimental data, only when knowing the affinity constant of a specific binding system in given conditions. These modes of calculation have been tested in a study of interactions between various steroids and a fraction of human serum proteins precipitated by ammonium sulfate (30-45%) and containing the sex hormone-binding globulin. Association constants thus obtained agree well with those reported in the literature and determined by graphical procedures

  12. Crowd-Sourced Mobility Mapping for Location Tracking Using Unlabeled Wi-Fi Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mu Zhou

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the increasing requirements of the seamless and round-the-clock Location-based services (LBSs, a growing interest in Wi-Fi network aided location tracking is witnessed in the past decade. One of the significant problems of the conventional Wi-Fi location tracking approaches based on received signal strength (RSS fingerprinting is the time-consuming and labor intensive work involved in location fingerprint calibration. To solve this problem, a novel unlabeled Wi-Fi simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM approach is developed to avoid the location fingerprinting and additional inertial or vision sensors. In this approach, an unlabeled mobility map of the coverage area is first constructed by using the crowd-sourcing from a batch of sporadically recorded Wi-Fi RSS sequences based on the spectral cluster assembling. Then, the sequence alignment algorithm is applied to conduct location tracking and mobility map updating. Finally, the effectiveness of this approach is verified by the extensive experiments carried out in a campus-wide area.

  13. Efficient in situ growth of enzyme-inorganic hybrids on paper strips for the visual detection of glucose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, WanYun; Lu, ShiYu; Bao, ShuJuan; Shi, ZhuanZhuan; Lu, Zhisong; Li, ChangMing; Yu, Ling

    2018-01-15

    A visual colorimetric microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) was constructed following the direct synthesis of enzyme-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials on the paper matrix. An inorganic solution of MnSO 4 and KH 2 PO 4 containing a diluted enzyme (glucose oxidase, GOx) was subsequently pipetted onto cellulose paper for the in situ growth of GOx@Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 hybrid functional materials. The characterization of the morphology and chemical composition validated the presence of hybrid materials roots in the paper fiber, while the Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 of the hybrid provided both a surface for enzyme anchoring and a higher peroxidase-like catalytic activity as compared to the Mn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 crystal that was synthesized without enzyme modulation. This new approach for the in situ growth of an enzyme-inorganic hybrid on a paper matrix eliminates centrifugation and the dry process by casting the solution on paper. The sensing material loading was highly reproducible because of the accuracy and stability of pipetting, which eventually contributed to the reliability of the μPAD. The self-assembled natural and artificial enzyme hybrid on the μPADs specifically detected glucose from a group of interferences, which shows great specificity using this method. Moreover, the colorimetric signal exhibited detection limitation for glucose is 0.01mM, which lies in the physiological range of glucose in biological samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. In-situ trainable intrusion detection system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Symons, Christopher T.; Beaver, Justin M.; Gillen, Rob; Potok, Thomas E.

    2016-11-15

    A computer implemented method detects intrusions using a computer by analyzing network traffic. The method includes a semi-supervised learning module connected to a network node. The learning module uses labeled and unlabeled data to train a semi-supervised machine learning sensor. The method records events that include a feature set made up of unauthorized intrusions and benign computer requests. The method identifies at least some of the benign computer requests that occur during the recording of the events while treating the remainder of the data as unlabeled. The method trains the semi-supervised learning module at the network node in-situ, such that the semi-supervised learning modules may identify malicious traffic without relying on specific rules, signatures, or anomaly detection.

  15. Poisoning following exposure to chemicals stored in mislabelled or unlabelled containers: a recipe for potential disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millard, Yvette C; Slaughter, Robin J; Shieffelbien, Lucy M; Schep, Leo J

    2014-09-26

    To investigate poisoning exposures to chemicals that were unlabelled, mislabelled or not in their original containers in New Zealand over the last 10 years, based on calls to the New Zealand National Poisons Centre (NZNPC). Call data from the NZNPC between 2003 and 2012 were analysed retrospectively. Parameters reviewed included patient age, route and site of exposure, product classification and recommended intervention. Of the 324,411 calls received between 2003 and 2012, 100,465 calls were associated with acute human exposure to chemicals. There were 757 inquiries related to human exposure to mislabelled or unlabelled chemicals consisting of 0.75% of chemical exposures. Adults were involved in 51% of incidents, children, containers is a problem for all age groups. Although it represents a small proportion of total calls to the NZNPC it remains a potential risk for serious poisoning. It is important that chemicals are stored securely, in their original containers, and never stored in drinking vessels.

  16. Inhibitory effect of unlabeled iodothyronines on the deiodination of labeled thyroid hormones by cultured hepatocarcinoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorimachi, Kenji

    1980-01-01

    Inhibitory effects of unlabeled iodothyronines on the metabolism of thyroxine (T 4 ), 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T 3 , rT 3 ) were investigated in continuously cultured monkey hepatocarcinoma cells which showed a rapid metabolism of the thyroid hormones. Nonphenolic ring deiodination of [3',5'- 125 I]-T 4 and [3'- 125 I]-T 3 was strongly inhibited by excess T 3 , 3,5-diiodothyronine (3,5-T 2 ) and T 4 , whereas rT 3 was the least effective inhibitor. Phenolic ring deiodination of [3',5'- 125 I]-rT 3 was strongly affected by excess unlabeled rT 3 . However, the inhibitory effect of T 4 , T 3 and 3,5-T 3 was much weaker than that of rT 3 . It was concluded that rT 3 is apparently the most effective inhibitor of phenolic ring deiodination but the least effective inhibitor of nonphenolic ring deiodination. (author)

  17. Fast detection and characterization of organic and inorganic gunshot residues on the hands of suspects by CMV-GC-MS and LIBS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarifa, Anamary; Almirall, José R

    2015-05-01

    A rapid method for the characterization of both organic and inorganic components of gunshot residues (GSR) is proposed as an alternative tool to facilitate the identification of a suspected shooter. In this study, two fast screening methods were developed and optimized for the detection of organic compounds and inorganic components indicative of GSR presence on the hands of shooters and non-shooters. The proposed methods consist of headspace extraction of volatile organic compounds using a capillary microextraction of volatiles (CMV) device previously reported as a high-efficiency sampler followed by detection by GC-MS. This novel sampling technique has the potential to yield fast results (LIBS) screening method for the detection of the inorganic components indicative of the presence of GSR (Sb, Pb and Ba) is described. The sampling method for the inorganics consists of liquid extraction of the target elements from the same cotton swabs (previously analyzed for VOCs) and an additional 30 swab samples followed by spiking 1μL of the extract solution onto a Teflon disk and then analyzed by LIBS. Advantages of LIBS include fast analysis (~12s per sample) and high selectivity and sensitivity, with expected LODs 0.1-18ng for each of the target elements after sampling. The analytical performance of the LIBS method is also compared to previously reported methods (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy). The combination of fast CMV sampling, unambiguous organic compound identification with GC-MS and fast LIBS analysis provides the basis for a new comprehensive screening method for GSR. Copyright © 2015 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Simultaneous determination of inorganic anions and cations by supercritical fluid chromatography using evaporative light scattering detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foulon, Catherine; Di Giulio, Pauline; Lecoeur, Marie

    2018-01-26

    Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is commonly used for the analysis of non-polar compounds, but remains poorly explored for the separation of polar and ionized molecules. In this paper, SFC has been investigated for the separation of 14 inorganic ions sampled in aqueous solutions. Four polar stationary phases were first screened using CO 2 -methanol-based mobile phases containing water or different acidic or basic additives, in order to select the most efficient conditions for the simultaneous retention of inorganic cations and anions and to favor their detection using evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). Orthogonal selectivity was obtained depending on the stationary phase used: whereas anions are less retained on HILIC stationary phase, 2-ethylpyridine (2-EP) stationary phase exhibits strong interaction for anions. Best results were obtained under gradient elution mode using a 2-EP stationary phase and by adding 0.2% triethylamine in the CO 2 -methanol-based mobile phase. The composition of the injection solvent was also investigated. The results showed that a methanolic sample containing a percentage of water not exceeding 20% does not affect the analytical performances obtained on 2-EP. Moreover, the presence of triethylamine in the injection solvent contributes to eliminate peaks shoulders. Among the 14 inorganic ions tested, three cations (Li + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) and five anions (Cl - , Br - , NO 3 - , I - , SCN - ) were totally resolved in 15 min. NO 3 - and NO 2 - still coeluted in the final optimized conditions. The other investigated ions were either strongly retained on the stationary phase or not detected by the ELSD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Identification of inorganic anions by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakayanagi, Masataka; Yamada, Yaeko; Sakabe, Chikako; Watanabe, Kunio; Harigaya, Yoshihiro

    2006-03-10

    Inorganic anions were identified by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Derivatization of the anions was achieved with pentafluorobenzyl p-toluenesulphonate (PFB-Tos) as the reaction reagent and a crown ether as a phase transfer catalyst. When PFB-Br was used as the reaction reagent, the retention time of it was close to those of the derivatized inorganic anions and interfered with the analysis. In contrast, the retention time of PFB-Tos differed greatly from the PFB derivatives of the inorganic anions and the compounds of interest could be detected without interference. Although the PFB derivatives of SO4, S2O3, CO3, ClO4, and ClO3 could not be detected, the derivatives of F, Cl, Br, I, CN, OCN, SCN, N3, NO3, and NO2 were detected using PFB-Tos as the derivatizing reagent. The inorganic anions were detectable within 30 ng approximately, which is of sufficient sensitivity for use in forensic chemistry. Accurate mass number was measured for each PFB derivative by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) within a measurement error of 2 millimass units (mmu), which allowed determination of the compositional formula from the mass number. In addition, actual analysis was performed successively by our method using trial samples of matrix.

  20. Bystander responses in three-dimensional cultures containing radiolabelled and unlabelled human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinto, M.; Azzam, E. I.; Howell, R. W.

    2006-01-01

    Research on the radiation-induced bystander effect has been carried out mainly in 2-D tissue culture systems. This study uses a 3-D model, wherein apparently normal human diploid fibroblasts (AG1522) are grown in a carbon scaffold, to investigate the induction of a G 1 checkpoint in bystander cells present alongside radiolabelled cells. Cultures were simultaneously pulse-labelled with 3 H-deoxycytidine ( 3 HdC) to selectively irradiate a minor fraction of cells, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to identify the radiolabelled cells. After thorough washing of cultures, iododeoxyuridine (IdU) was administered to detect proliferating bystander cells. The cultures were harvested at various times thereafter, and cells were reacted with two monoclonal antibodies specific to IdU/BrdU or BrdU, respectively, stained with propidium iodide, and subjected to multi-parameter flow cytometry. Cell-cycle progression was followed in radiolabelled cells (BrdU + ) that were chronically irradiated by low energy beta particles emitted by DNA-incorporated 3 H, and in unlabelled bystander cells (BrdU - ) by a flow cytometry based cumulative labelling index assay. As expected, radiolabelled cells were delayed, in a dose-dependent manner, in G 2 and subsequently G 1 . No delay occurred in progression of bystander cells through G 1 , when the labelled cells were irradiated at dose rates up to 0.32 Gy h -1 . (authors)

  1. Unlabelled advertorials in Slovenian life-style press: a study of the promotion of health products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovacic, Melita Poler; Erjavec, Karmen; Stular, Katarina

    2011-01-01

    The paper analyses unlabelled advertorials about health products in four life-style magazines and three daily newspapers' life-style supplements in Slovenia. Based on 250 hours of observing the production practice, 20 in-depth interviews with the main participants and a textual analysis of 247 advertorials, supported by three detailed case studies, the process of unlabelled advertorial production was unveiled, reasons for their production explained and their discursive elements of promotion uncovered. Despite their typical news-like appearance, advertorials focus on a product's positive characteristics only and represent an oversimplified viewpoint on health, primarily oriented towards the interest of the pharmaceutical industry. In advertorials, readers are instructed in healthy living and caring about their health through buying the promoted product. No particular differences were found between the magazines and quality dailies' supplements, indicating that the advertorial practice has become a common part of the Slovenian press media scene. The outburst of advertorials in Slovenia is outstanding due to the lack of historical democracy, problems with the supervision of legal transgressions, the small media and advertising market, economic downturns and the financial weakness of the media.

  2. A Novel Method for Detection of Phosphorylation in Single Cells by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) using Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles (COINs)

    OpenAIRE

    Shachaf, Catherine M.; Elchuri, Sailaja V.; Koh, Ai Leen; Zhu, Jing; Nguyen, Lienchi N.; Mitchell, Dennis J.; Zhang, Jingwu; Swartz, Kenneth B.; Sun, Lei; Chan, Selena; Sinclair, Robert; Nolan, Garry P.

    2009-01-01

    Background Detection of single cell epitopes has been a mainstay of immunophenotyping for over three decades, primarily using fluorescence techniques for quantitation. Fluorescence has broad overlapping spectra, limiting multiplexing abilities. Methodology/Principal Findings To expand upon current detection systems, we developed a novel method for multi-color immuno-detection in single cells using ?Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles? (COINs) Raman nanoparticles. COINs are Surface-Enhan...

  3. Inhibitory effect of unlabeled iodothyronines on the deiodination of labeled thyroid hormones by cultured hepatocarcinoma cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sorimachi, K [Dokkyo Univ. Tochigi (Japan). School of Medicine

    1980-04-01

    Inhibitory effects of unlabeled iodothyronines on the metabolism of thyroxine (T/sub 4/), 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T/sub 3/) and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T/sub 3/, rT/sub 3/) were investigated in continuously cultured monkey hepatocarcinoma cells which showed a rapid metabolism of the thyroid hormones. Nonphenolic ring deiodination of (3',5'-/sup 125/I)-T/sub 4/ and (3'-/sup 125/I)-T/sub 3/ was strongly inhibited by excess T/sub 3/, 3,5-diiodothyronine (3,5-T/sub 2/) and T/sub 4/, whereas rT/sub 3/ was the least effective inhibitor. Phenolic ring deiodination of (3',5'-/sup 125/I)-rT/sub 3/ was strongly affected by excess unlabeled rT/sub 3/. However, the inhibitory effect of T/sub 4/, T/sub 3/ and 3,5-T/sub 3/ was much weaker than that of rT/sub 3/. It was concluded that rT/sub 3/ is apparently the most effective inhibitor of phenolic ring deiodination but the least effective inhibitor of nonphenolic ring deiodination.

  4. Biomedical Probes Based on Inorganic Nanoparticles for Electrochemical and Optical Spectroscopy Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakoh, Abdulhadee; Pinyorospathum, Chanika; Siangproh, Weena; Chailapakul, Orawon

    2015-01-01

    Inorganic nanoparticles usually provide novel and unique physical properties as their size approaches nanometer scale dimensions. The unique physical and optical properties of nanoparticles may lead to applications in a variety of areas, including biomedical detection. Therefore, current research is now increasingly focused on the use of the high surface-to-volume ratios of nanoparticles to fabricate superb chemical- or biosensors for various detection applications. This article highlights various kinds of inorganic nanoparticles, including metal nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and semiconductor nanoparticles that can be perceived as useful materials for biomedical probes and points to the outstanding results arising from their use in such probes. The progress in the use of inorganic nanoparticle-based electrochemical, colorimetric and spectrophotometric detection in recent applications, especially bioanalysis, and the main functions of inorganic nanoparticles in detection are reviewed. The article begins with a conceptual discussion of nanoparticles according to types, followed by numerous applications to analytes including biomolecules, disease markers, and pharmaceutical substances. Most of the references cited herein, dating from 2010 to 2015, generally mention one or more of the following characteristics: a low detection limit, good signal amplification and simultaneous detection capabilities. PMID:26343676

  5. Appendix: a solution hybridization assay to detect radioactive globin messenger RNA nucleotide sequences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ross, J

    1976-09-15

    In view of the sensitivity and specificity of the solution hybridization assay for unlabeled globin mRNA a similar technique has been devised to detect radioactive globin mRNA sequences with unlabeled globin cDNA. Several properties of the hybridization reaction are presented since RNA kinetic experiments reported recently depend on the validity of this assay. Data on hybridization analysis of (/sup 3/H)RNA from mouse fetal liver or erythroleukemia cell cytoplasm are presented. These data indicate that the excess cDNA solution assay for radioactive globin mRNA detection is specific for globin mRNA sequences. It can be performed rapidly and is highly reproducible from experiment. It is at least 500-fold less sensitive than the assay for unlabeled globin mRNA, due to the RNAase backgrounds of 0.05 to 0.15 %. However, this limitation has not affected kinetic experiments with non-dividing fetal liver erythroid cells, which synthesize relatively large quantities of globin mRNA.

  6. Discrimination of bromodeoxyuridine labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells in flow cytometric bromodeoxyuridine/DNA analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, P O; Larsen, J K; Christensen, I J

    1994-01-01

    Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells, respectively, can be discriminated from interphase cells using a new method, based on immunocytochemical staining of BrdUrd and flow cytometric four-parameter analysis of DNA content, BrdUrd incorporation, and forward and orthogonal...... light scatter. The method was optimized using the human leukemia cell lines HL-60 and K-562. Samples of 10(5) ethanol-fixed cells were treated with pepsin/HCl and stained as a nuclear suspension with anti-BrdUrd antibody, FITC-conjugated secondary antibody, and propidium iodide. Labelled mitoses could...

  7. Exploiting the potential of unlabeled endoscopic video data with self-supervised learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Tobias; Zimmerer, David; Vemuri, Anant; Isensee, Fabian; Wiesenfarth, Manuel; Bodenstedt, Sebastian; Both, Fabian; Kessler, Philip; Wagner, Martin; Müller, Beat; Kenngott, Hannes; Speidel, Stefanie; Kopp-Schneider, Annette; Maier-Hein, Klaus; Maier-Hein, Lena

    2018-04-27

    Surgical data science is a new research field that aims to observe all aspects of the patient treatment process in order to provide the right assistance at the right time. Due to the breakthrough successes of deep learning-based solutions for automatic image annotation, the availability of reference annotations for algorithm training is becoming a major bottleneck in the field. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the concept of self-supervised learning to address this issue. Our approach is guided by the hypothesis that unlabeled video data can be used to learn a representation of the target domain that boosts the performance of state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms when used for pre-training. Core of the method is an auxiliary task based on raw endoscopic video data of the target domain that is used to initialize the convolutional neural network (CNN) for the target task. In this paper, we propose the re-colorization of medical images with a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN)-based architecture as auxiliary task. A variant of the method involves a second pre-training step based on labeled data for the target task from a related domain. We validate both variants using medical instrument segmentation as target task. The proposed approach can be used to radically reduce the manual annotation effort involved in training CNNs. Compared to the baseline approach of generating annotated data from scratch, our method decreases exploratively the number of labeled images by up to 75% without sacrificing performance. Our method also outperforms alternative methods for CNN pre-training, such as pre-training on publicly available non-medical (COCO) or medical data (MICCAI EndoVis2017 challenge) using the target task (in this instance: segmentation). As it makes efficient use of available (non-)public and (un-)labeled data, the approach has the potential to become a valuable tool for CNN (pre-)training.

  8. Mechanism study on inorganic oxidants induced inhibition of Ru(bpy)₃²+ electrochemiluminescence and its application for sensitive determination of some inorganic oxidants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Bin; Xue, Lingling; Wu, Yanping; Lin, Zhenyu; Guo, Longhua; Chen, Guonan

    2011-07-15

    Inhibited Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) electrochemiluminescence by inorganic oxidants is investigated. Results showed that a number of inorganic oxidants can quench the ECL of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system, and the logarithm of the decrease in ECL intensity (ΔI) was proportional to the logarithm of analyte concentrations. Based on which, a sensitive approach for detection of these inorganic oxidants was established, e.g. the log-log plots of ΔI versus the concentration of MnO(4)(-), Cr(2)O(7)(2-) and Fe(CN)(6)(3-) are linear in the range of 1×10(-7) to 3×10(-4)M for MnO(4)(-) and Cr(2)O(7)(2-), and 1×10(-7) to 1×10(-4)M for Fe(CN)(6)(3-), with the limit of detection (LOD) of 8.0×10(-8)M, 2×10(-8)M, and 1×10(-8)M, respectively. A series of experiments such as a comparison of the inhibitory effect of different compounds on Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/TPrA ECL, ECL emission spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra etc. were investigated in order to discover how these inorganic analytes quench the ECL of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/TPrA system. A mechanism based on consumption of TPrA intermediate (TPrA(·)) by inorganic oxidants was proposed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Inorganic Fullerene-Like Nanoparticles and Inorganic Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reshef Tenne

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Fullerene-like nanoparticles (inorganic fullerenes; IF and nanotubes of inorganic layered compounds (inorganic nanotubes; INT combine low dimensionality and nanosize, enhancing the performance of corresponding bulk counterparts in their already known applications, as well as opening new fields of their own [1]. This issue gathers articles from the diverse area of materials science and is devoted to fullerene-like nanoparticles and nanotubes of layered sulfides and boron nitride and collects the most current results obtained at the interface between fundamental research and engineering.[...

  10. On the asymptotic improvement of supervised learning by utilizing additional unlabeled samples - Normal mixture density case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahshahani, Behzad M.; Landgrebe, David A.

    1992-01-01

    The effect of additional unlabeled samples in improving the supervised learning process is studied in this paper. Three learning processes. supervised, unsupervised, and combined supervised-unsupervised, are compared by studying the asymptotic behavior of the estimates obtained under each process. Upper and lower bounds on the asymptotic covariance matrices are derived. It is shown that under a normal mixture density assumption for the probability density function of the feature space, the combined supervised-unsupervised learning is always superior to the supervised learning in achieving better estimates. Experimental results are provided to verify the theoretical concepts.

  11. Study of lignin biotransformation by Aspergillus fumigatus and white-rot fungi using 14C-labeled and unlabeled kraft lignins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadam, K.K.; Drew, S.W.

    1986-01-01

    The biodegradation of lignin by fungi was studied in shake flasks using 14 C-labeled kraft lignin and in a deep-tank fermentor using unlabeled kraft lignin. Among the fungi screened, A. fumigatus - isolated in our laboratories - was most potent in lignin biotransformation. Dialysis-type fermentation, designed to study possible accumulation of low MW lignin-derived products, showed no such accumulation. Recalcitrant carbohydrates like microcrystalline cellulose supported higher lignolytic activity than easily metabolized carbohydrates like cellobiose. An assay developed to distinguish between CO 2 evolved from lignin and carbohydrate substrates demonstrated no stoichiometric correlation between the metabolism of the two cosubstrates. The submerged fermentations with unlabeled liqnin are difficult to monitor since chemical assays do not give accurate and true results. Lignolytic efficiencies that allowed monitoring of such fermentations were defined. Degraded lignins were clearly superior to C. versicolor in all aspects of lignin degradation; A fumigatus brought about substantial demethoxylation and dehydroxylation, whereas C. versicolor degraded lignins closely resembled undegraded kraft lignin. There was a good agreement among the different indices of lignin degradation, namely, 14 CO evolution, OCH 3 loss, OH loss, and monomer and dimer yield after permanganate oxidation

  12. Identification of TNIP1 Polymorphisms by High Resolution Melting Analysis with Unlabelled Probe: Association with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Zhang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. TNFα-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3 interacting with protein 1 (TNIP1 acts as a negative regulator of NF-κB and plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of immune system. A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS showed that the polymorphism of TNIP1 was associated with the disease risk of SLE in Caucasian. In this study, we investigated whether the association of TNIP1 with SLE was replicated in Chinese population. Methods. The association of TNIP1 SNP rs7708392 (G/C was determined by high resolution melting (HRM analysis with unlabeled probe in 285 SLE patients and 336 healthy controls. Results. A new SNP rs79937737 located on 5 bp upstream of rs7708392 was discovered during the HRM analysis. No association of rs7708392 or rs79937737 with the disease risk of SLE was found. Furthermore, rs7708392 and rs79937737 were in weak linkage disequilibrium (LD. Hypotypes analysis of the two SNPs also showed no association with SLE in Chinese population. Conclusions. High resolution melting analysis with unlabeled probes proves to be a powerful and efficient genotyping method for identifying and screening SNPs. No association of rs7708392 or rs79937737 with the disease risk of SLE was observed in Chinese population.

  13. Semi-supervised rail defect detection from imbalanced image data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hajizadeh, S.; Nunez Vicencio, Alfredo; Tax, D.M.J.; Acarman, Tankut

    2016-01-01

    Rail defect detection by video cameras has recently gained much attention in both
    academia and industry. Rail image data has two properties. It is highly imbalanced towards the non-defective class and it has a large number of unlabeled data samples available for semisupervised learning

  14. Electrochemical determination of inorganic mercury and arsenic--A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaib, Maria; Athar, Muhammad Makshoof; Saeed, Asma; Farooq, Umar

    2015-12-15

    Inorganic mercury and arsenic encompasses a term which includes As(III), As(V) and Hg(II) species. These metal ions have been extensively studied due to their toxicity related issues. Different analytical methods are used to monitor inorganic mercury and arsenic in a variety of samples at trace level. The present study reviews various analytical techniques available for detection of inorganic mercury and arsenic with particular emphasis on electrochemical methods especially stripping voltammetry. A detailed critical evaluation of methods, advantages of electrochemical methods over other analytical methods, and various electrode materials available for mercury and arsenic analysis is presented in this review study. Modified carbon paste electrode provides better determination due to better deposition with linear and improved response under studied set of conditions. Biological materials may be the potent and economical alternative as compared to macro-electrodes and chemically modified carbon paste electrodes in stripping analysis of inorganic mercury and arsenic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Inorganic matter characterization in vegetable biomass feedstocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suarez-Garcia, F.; Martinez-Alonso, A.; Fernandez Llorenta, M.; Tascon, J.M.D. [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC, Oviedo (Spain)

    2002-06-01

    A combination of techniques was used to characterize the inorganic constituents of four types of vegetable biomass: apple pulp, olive cake, olive tree pruning and thistle. Two methods were used to selectively eliminate organic matter: low-temperature oxidation in an oxygen plasma, and medium-temperature oxidation in air. Inorganic species present in the residues were identified by X-ray diffraction and FT-IR spectroscopy. The combination of these techniques allowed one to detect SiO{sub 2}, CaCO{sub 3} and various other Ca-, Mg-, Na- and K-containing phases as inorganic constituents of the studied biomass residues. It is concluded that the oxygen plasma treatment produces sulphates and nitrates that were not present in the starting material. Medium-temperature oxidation does not produce these artificial species but induces some thermal transformations in the mineral constituents of biomass, so that each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. 27 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

  16. Inorganic nanoparticles and the immune system: detection, selective activation and tolerance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastús, Neus G.; Sánchez-Tilló, Ester; Pujals, Silvia; Comenge, Joan; Giralt, Ernest; Celada, Antonio; Lloberas, Jorge; Puntes, Victor F.

    2012-03-01

    The immune system is the responsible for body integrity and prevention of external invasion. On one side, nanoparticles are no triggers that the immune system is prepared to detect, on the other side it is known that foreign bodies, not only bacteria, viruses and parasites, but also inorganic matter, can cause various pathologies such as silicosis, asbestosis or inflammatory reactions. Therefore, nanoparticles entering the body, after interaction with proteins, will be either recognized as self-agents or detected by the immune system, encompassing immunostimulation or immunosuppression responses. The nature of these interactions seems to be dictated not specially by the composition of the material but by modifications of NP coating (composition, surface charge and structure). Herein, we explore the use of gold nanoparticles as substrates to carry multifunctional ligands to manipulate the immune system in a controlled manner, from undetection to immunostimulation. Murine bone marrow macrophages can be activated with artificial nanometric objects consisting of a gold nanoparticle functionalized with peptides. In the presence of some conjugates, macrophage proliferation was stopped and pro-inflammatory cytokines were induced. The biochemical type of response depended on the type of conjugated peptide and was correlated with the degree of ordering in the peptide coating. These findings help to illustrate the basic requirements involved in medical NP conjugate design to either activate the immune system or hide from it, in order to reach their targets before being removed by phagocytes. Additionally, it opens up the possibility to modulate the immune response in order to suppress unwanted responses resulting from autoimmunity, or allergy or to stimulate protective responses against pathogens.

  17. Welcome to Inorganics: A New Open Access, Inclusive Forum for Inorganic Chemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duncan H. Gregory

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available One of the beauties of inorganic chemistry is its sheer diversity. Just as chemistry sits at the centre of the sciences, inorganic chemistry sits at the centre of chemistry itself. Inorganic chemists are fortunate in having the entire periodic table at their disposal, providing a palette for the creation of a multitude of rich and diverse compounds and materials from the simplest salts to the most complex of molecular species. It follows that the language of inorganic chemistry can thus be a demanding one, accommodating sub-disciplines with very different perspectives and frames of reference. One could argue that it is the unequivocal breadth of inorganic chemistry that empowers inorganic chemists to work at the interfaces, not just between the traditional Inorganic-Organic-Physical boundaries of the discipline, but in the regions where chemistry borders the other physical and life sciences, engineering and socio-economics. [...

  18. Automated system for on-line determination of dimethylarsinic and inorganic arsenic by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaparro, L.L.; Leal, L.O. [Renewable Energy and Environmental Protection Department, Advanced Materials Research Center (CIMAV), Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico); Ferrer, L.; Cerda, V. [University of the Balearic Islands, Department of Chemistry, Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

    2012-09-15

    A multisyringe flow-injection approach has been coupled to hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) with UV photo-oxidation for dimethylarsinic (DMA), inorganic As and total As determination, depending on the pre-treatment given to the sample (extraction or digestion). The implementation of a UV lamp allows on-line photo-oxidation of DMA and the following arsenic detection, whereas a bypass leads the flow directly to the HG-AFS system, performing inorganic arsenic determination. DMA concentration is calculated by the difference of total inorganic arsenic and measurement of the photo-oxidation step. The detection limits for DMA and inorganic arsenic were 0.09 and 0.47 {mu}g L{sup -1}, respectively. The repeatability values accomplished were of 2.4 and 1.8 %, whereas the injection frequencies were 24 and 28 injections per hour for DMA and inorganic arsenic, respectively. This method was validated by means of a solid reference material BCR-627 (muscle of tuna) with good agreement with the certified values. Satisfactory results for DMA and inorganic arsenic determination were obtained in several water matrices. The proposed method offers several advantages, such as increasing the sampling frequency, low detection limits and decreasing reagents and sample consumption, which leads to lower waste generation. (orig.)

  19. Total inorganic arsenic detection in real water samples using anodic stripping voltammetry and a gold-coated diamond thin-film electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yang; Swain, Greg M

    2007-06-12

    An accurate method for total inorganic arsenic determination in real water samples was developed using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and a Au-coated boron-doped diamond thin-film electrode. Keys to the method are the use of a conducting diamond platform and solid phase extraction for sample preparation. In the method, the As(III) present in the sample is first detected by DPASV. The As(V) present is then reduced to As(III) by reaction with Na2SO3 and this is followed by a second detection of As(III) by DPASV. Interfering metal ions (e.g., Cu(II)) that cause decreased electrode response sensitivity for arsenic in real samples are removed by solid phase extraction as part of the sample preparation. For example, Cu(II) caused a 30% decrease in the As stripping peak current at a solution concentration ratio of 3:1 (Cu(II)/As(III)). This loss was mitigated by passage of the solution through a Chelex 100 cation exchange resin. After passage, only a 5% As stripping current response loss was seen. The effect of organic matter on the Au-coated diamond electrode response for As(III) was also evaluated. Humic acid at a 5 ppm concentration caused only a 9% decrease in the As stripping peak charge for Au-coated diamond. By comparison, a 50% response decrease was observed for Au foil. Clearly, the chemical properties of the diamond surface in the vicinity of the metal deposits inhibit molecular adsorption on at least some of the Au surface. The method provided reproducible and accurate results for total inorganic arsenic in two contaminated water samples provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The total inorganic As concentration in the two samples, quantified by the standard addition method, was 23.2+/-2.9 ppb for UV plant influent water and 16.4+/-0.9 ppb for Well 119 water (n=4). These values differed from the specified concentrations by less than 4%.

  20. Total inorganic arsenic detection in real water samples using anodic stripping voltammetry and a gold-coated diamond thin-film electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Yang; Swain, Greg M.

    2007-01-01

    An accurate method for total inorganic arsenic determination in real water samples was developed using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and a Au-coated boron-doped diamond thin-film electrode. Keys to the method are the use of a conducting diamond platform and solid phase extraction for sample preparation. In the method, the As(III) present in the sample is first detected by DPASV. The As(V) present is then reduced to As(III) by reaction with Na 2 SO 3 and this is followed by a second detection of As(III) by DPASV. Interfering metal ions (e.g., Cu(II)) that cause decreased electrode response sensitivity for arsenic in real samples are removed by solid phase extraction as part of the sample preparation. For example, Cu(II) caused a 30% decrease in the As stripping peak current at a solution concentration ratio of 3:1 (Cu(II)/As(III)). This loss was mitigated by passage of the solution through a Chelex 100 cation exchange resin. After passage, only a 5% As stripping current response loss was seen. The effect of organic matter on the Au-coated diamond electrode response for As(III) was also evaluated. Humic acid at a 5 ppm concentration caused only a 9% decrease in the As stripping peak charge for Au-coated diamond. By comparison, a 50% response decrease was observed for Au foil. Clearly, the chemical properties of the diamond surface in the vicinity of the metal deposits inhibit molecular adsorption on at least some of the Au surface. The method provided reproducible and accurate results for total inorganic arsenic in two contaminated water samples provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The total inorganic As concentration in the two samples, quantified by the standard addition method, was 23.2 ± 2.9 ppb for UV plant influent water and 16.4 ± 0.9 ppb for Well 119 water (n = 4). These values differed from the specified concentrations by less than 4%

  1. The influence of proteasome inhibitor MG132, external radiation and unlabeled antibody on the tumor uptake and biodistribution of 188Re-labeled anti-E6 C1P5 antibody in cervical cancer in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phaeton, Rébécca; Wang, Xing Guo; Einstein, Mark H.; Goldberg, Gary L.; Casadevall, Arturo; Dadachova, Ekaterina

    2009-01-01

    Background Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered a necessary step for the development of cervical cancer and >95% of all cervical cancers have detectable HPV sequences. We have recently demonstrated the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) which targeted viral oncoprotein E6 in treatment of experimental cervical cancer We hypothesized that pre-treatment of tumor cells with various agents which cause cell death and/or elevation of E6 levels would increase the accumulation of radiolabeled antibodies to E6 in cervical tumors. Methods HPV-16 positive CasKi cells were treated in vitro with up to 6 Gy of external radiation, or proteasome inhibitor MG-132 or unlabeled anti-E6 antibody C1P5 and cell death was assessed. Biodistribution of 188Rhenium (188Re)-labeled C1P5 antibody was performed in both control and radiation MG-132 treated CasKi tumor-bearing nude mice. Results . 188Re-C1P5 antibody demonstrated tumor specificity and very low uptake and fast clearance from the major organs. The amount of tumor uptake was enhanced by MG-132 but was unaffected by pre-treatment with radiation. In addition, in vitro studies demonstrated an unanticipated effect of unlabeled antibody on the amount of cell death, a finding that was suggested by our previous in vivo studies in CasKi tumor model. Conclusion We demonstrated that pre-treatment of cervical tumors with proteasome inhibitor MG-132 and with unlabeled antibody to E6 can serve as a means to generate non-viable cancer cells and to elevate the levels of target oncoproteins in the cells for increasing the accumulation of targeted radiolabeled antibodies in tumors. These results favor further development of RIT of cervical cancers targeting viral antigens. PMID:20127955

  2. How Well Does BODIPY-Cholesteryl Ester Mimic Unlabeled Cholesteryl Esters in High Density Lipoprotein Particles?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karilainen, Topi; Vuorela, Timo; Vattulainen, Ilpo

    2015-01-01

    We compare the behavior of unlabeled and BODIPY-labeled cholesteryl ester (CE) in high density lipoprotein by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We find through replica exchange umbrella sampling and unbiased molecular dynamics simulations that BODIPY labeling has no significant effect...... on the partitioning of CE between HDL and the water phase. However, BODIPY-CE was observed to diffuse more slowly and locate itself closer to the HDL-water interface than CE due to the BODIPY probe that is constrained to the surface region, and because the CE body in BODIPY-CE prefers to align itself away from...... the HDL surface. The implications as to the suitability of BODIPY to explore lipoprotein properties are discussed....

  3. Unsupervised Ensemble Anomaly Detection Using Time-Periodic Packet Sampling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchida, Masato; Nawata, Shuichi; Gu, Yu; Tsuru, Masato; Oie, Yuji

    We propose an anomaly detection method for finding patterns in network traffic that do not conform to legitimate (i.e., normal) behavior. The proposed method trains a baseline model describing the normal behavior of network traffic without using manually labeled traffic data. The trained baseline model is used as the basis for comparison with the audit network traffic. This anomaly detection works in an unsupervised manner through the use of time-periodic packet sampling, which is used in a manner that differs from its intended purpose — the lossy nature of packet sampling is used to extract normal packets from the unlabeled original traffic data. Evaluation using actual traffic traces showed that the proposed method has false positive and false negative rates in the detection of anomalies regarding TCP SYN packets comparable to those of a conventional method that uses manually labeled traffic data to train the baseline model. Performance variation due to the probabilistic nature of sampled traffic data is mitigated by using ensemble anomaly detection that collectively exploits multiple baseline models in parallel. Alarm sensitivity is adjusted for the intended use by using maximum- and minimum-based anomaly detection that effectively take advantage of the performance variations among the multiple baseline models. Testing using actual traffic traces showed that the proposed anomaly detection method performs as well as one using manually labeled traffic data and better than one using randomly sampled (unlabeled) traffic data.

  4. The role of inorganic phosphate in intact human erythrocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishiguchi, Eiko; Umeda, Masahiro.

    1988-01-01

    The role of inorganic phosphate in intact human erythrocytes was investigated by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance ( 31 P NMR). When erythrocytes stored for 5 weeks were incubated at 37 deg C, pH 7.4, in medium containing 2 mM adenine and 10 mM inosine, with or without 5 mM glucose, a substance of around 4 ppm, as assessed by 31 P NMR chemical shift, was detected in the mixture. However, this substance disappeared by the addition of inorganic phosphate. When erythrocytes stored for 4 weeks in acid citrate dextrose (ACD) solution were incubated with 2 mM adenine, 10 mM inosine, 5 mM glucose, 50 mM inorganic phosphate and 10 mM pyruvate at 37 deg C, pH 7.4, the 2,3-DPG level increased gradually, whereas the ATP level initially increased and then decreased. Intracellular inorganic phosphate appeared to be used for the synthesis of ATP and 2,3-DPG during the first 30 min. of the reaction. These results suggests that the inorganic phosphate accelerates glycolysis by increasing the activity of glycolytic enzymes rather than its direct involvement in synthesizing organic phosphorus compounds in stored erythrocytes. The results also suggests that the reserve energy from ATP synthesis is not sufficient for the synthesis of 2,3-DPG. (author)

  5. Inorganic UV filters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eloísa Berbel Manaia

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, concern over skin cancer has been growing more and more, especially in tropical countries where the incidence of UVA/B radiation is higher. The correct use of sunscreen is the most efficient way to prevent the development of this disease. The ingredients of sunscreen can be organic and/or inorganic sun filters. Inorganic filters present some advantages over organic filters, such as photostability, non-irritability and broad spectrum protection. Nevertheless, inorganic filters have a whitening effect in sunscreen formulations owing to the high refractive index, decreasing their esthetic appeal. Many techniques have been developed to overcome this problem and among them, the use of nanotechnology stands out. The estimated amount of nanomaterial in use must increase from 2000 tons in 2004 to a projected 58000 tons in 2020. In this context, this article aims to analyze critically both the different features of the production of inorganic filters (synthesis routes proposed in recent years and the permeability, the safety and other characteristics of the new generation of inorganic filters.

  6. Metal-doped inorganic nanoparticles for multiplex detection of biomarkers by a sandwich-type ICP-MS immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Jung Aa; Lim, H B

    2016-09-28

    Metal-doped inorganic nanoparticles were synthesized for the multiplex detection of biomarkers by a sandwich-type inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) immunoassay. The synthesized Cs-doped multicore magnetic nanoparticles (MMNPs) were used not only for magnetic extraction of targets but also for ratiometric measurement in ICP-MS. In addition, three different metal/dye-doped silica nanoparticles (SNPs) were synthesized as probes for multiplex detection: Y/RhBITC (rhodamine B isothiocyanate)-doped SNPs for CRP (cardiovascular disease), Cd/RhBITC-doped SNPs for AFP (tumor), and Au/5(6)-XRITC (X-rhodamine-5-(and-6)-isothiocyanate)-doped SNPs for NSE (heart disease). For quantification, the doped metals of SNPs were measured by ICP-MS and then the signal ratio to Cs of MMNPs was plotted with respect to the concentration of targets by a ratiometry. Limits of detection (LOD) of 0.35 ng/mL to 77 ng mL(-1) and recoveries of 83%-125% were obtained for serum samples spiked with the biomarkers. Since no sample treatment was necessary prior to the extraction, the proposed method provided short analysis time and convenience for the multiplex determination of biomarkers, which will be valuable for clinical application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Biomedical inorganic polymers bioactivity and applications of natural and synthetic polymeric inorganic molecules

    CERN Document Server

    Müller, Werner E G; Schröder, Heinz C; Schroder, Heinz C

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, inorganic polymers have attracted much attention in nano-biomedicine, in particular in the area of regenerative medicine and drug delivery. This growing interest in inorganic polymers has been further accelerated by the development of new synthetic and analytical methods in the field of nanotechnology and nanochemistry. Examples for biomedical inorganic polymers that had been proven to exhibit biomedical effects and/or have been applied in preclinical or clinical trials are polysilicate / silica glass (such as naturally formed "biosilica" and synthetic "bioglass") and inorganic polyphosphate. Some members of the mentioned biomedical inorganic polymers have already been applied e.g. as "bioglass" for bone repair and bone tissue engineering, or they are used in food processing and in dental care (inorganic polyphosphates). However, there are a number of further biological and medicinal properties of these polymers, which have been elucidated in the last few years but not yet been applied for tr...

  8. A novel method for detection of phosphorylation in single cells by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS using composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine M Shachaf

    Full Text Available Detection of single cell epitopes has been a mainstay of immunophenotyping for over three decades, primarily using fluorescence techniques for quantitation. Fluorescence has broad overlapping spectra, limiting multiplexing abilities.To expand upon current detection systems, we developed a novel method for multi-color immuno-detection in single cells using "Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles" (COINs Raman nanoparticles. COINs are Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS nanoparticles, with unique Raman spectra. To measure Raman spectra in single cells, we constructed an automated, compact, low noise and sensitive Raman microscopy device (Integrated Raman BioAnalyzer. Using this technology, we detected proteins expressed on the surface in single cells that distinguish T-cells among human blood cells. Finally, we measured intracellular phosphorylation of Stat1 (Y701 and Stat6 (Y641, with results comparable to flow cytometry.Thus, we have demonstrated the practicality of applying COIN nanoparticles for measuring intracellular phosphorylation, offering new possibilities to expand on the current fluorescent technology used for immunoassays in single cells.

  9. A novel method for detection of phosphorylation in single cells by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shachaf, Catherine M; Elchuri, Sailaja V; Koh, Ai Leen; Zhu, Jing; Nguyen, Lienchi N; Mitchell, Dennis J; Zhang, Jingwu; Swartz, Kenneth B; Sun, Lei; Chan, Selena; Sinclair, Robert; Nolan, Garry P

    2009-01-01

    Detection of single cell epitopes has been a mainstay of immunophenotyping for over three decades, primarily using fluorescence techniques for quantitation. Fluorescence has broad overlapping spectra, limiting multiplexing abilities. To expand upon current detection systems, we developed a novel method for multi-color immuno-detection in single cells using "Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles" (COINs) Raman nanoparticles. COINs are Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) nanoparticles, with unique Raman spectra. To measure Raman spectra in single cells, we constructed an automated, compact, low noise and sensitive Raman microscopy device (Integrated Raman BioAnalyzer). Using this technology, we detected proteins expressed on the surface in single cells that distinguish T-cells among human blood cells. Finally, we measured intracellular phosphorylation of Stat1 (Y701) and Stat6 (Y641), with results comparable to flow cytometry. Thus, we have demonstrated the practicality of applying COIN nanoparticles for measuring intracellular phosphorylation, offering new possibilities to expand on the current fluorescent technology used for immunoassays in single cells.

  10. A novel speciation alternative for the determination of inorganic arsenic in marine samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Rie Romme; Hedegaard, Rikke Susanne Vingborg; Herbst, M. Birgitte Koch

    Arsenic (As) is bioaccumulated from seawater to concentrations in the mg/kg range in marine animals. More than 50 naturally-occurring arsenic containing species, both inorganic and organic forms, have been identified in marine animals. The organic forms are mainly considered to be non......-toxic, whereas inorganic arsenic is highly toxic and exposure may lead to severe adverse effects including cancer. Since seafood is the major dietary source for arsenic exposure in the European population, arsenic speciation analysis of marine samples is highly relevant for food safety. However, most data...... of inorganic arsenic in marine based food is based on microwave extraction, species separation by strong anion solid phase extraction (SPE) and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) detection. Separation organic arsenic compounds (e.g. MA, DMA and AB) and inorganic arsenic in the form...

  11. A radioisotope dilution assay for unlabelled vitamin B12-intrinsic factor complex employing the binding intrinsic factor antibody: probable evidence for two types of binding antibody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacob, E.; O'Brien, H.A.W.; Mollin, D.L.

    1977-01-01

    A new radioisotope dilution assay for vitamin B 12 -intrinsic factor complex is described. The method is based on the use of the binding type intrinsic antibody (the binding reagent), which when combined with the intrinsic factor-vitamin B 12 complex (labelled ligand), is quantitatively adsorbed onto zirconium phosphate gel pH 6.25. The new assay has been shown to provide a measure of intrinsic factor comparable with other intrinsic factor assays, but it has the important advantage of being able to measure the unlabelled vitamin B 12 -intrinsic factor complex (unlabelled ligand), and will, therefore, be valuable in the study of physiological events in the gastrointestinal tract. During the study, it was found that there is some evidence for at least two types of binding intrinsic factor antibody: One which combines preferentially with the intrinsic factor-vitamin B 12 complex and one which combines equally well with this complex or with free intrinsic factor. (author)

  12. Detection, characterization and quantification of inorganic engineered nanomaterials: A review of techniques and methodological approaches for the analysis of complex samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laborda, Francisco, E-mail: flaborda@unizar.es; Bolea, Eduardo; Cepriá, Gemma; Gómez, María T.; Jiménez, María S.; Pérez-Arantegui, Josefina; Castillo, Juan R.

    2016-01-21

    The increasing demand of analytical information related to inorganic engineered nanomaterials requires the adaptation of existing techniques and methods, or the development of new ones. The challenge for the analytical sciences has been to consider the nanoparticles as a new sort of analytes, involving both chemical (composition, mass and number concentration) and physical information (e.g. size, shape, aggregation). Moreover, information about the species derived from the nanoparticles themselves and their transformations must also be supplied. Whereas techniques commonly used for nanoparticle characterization, such as light scattering techniques, show serious limitations when applied to complex samples, other well-established techniques, like electron microscopy and atomic spectrometry, can provide useful information in most cases. Furthermore, separation techniques, including flow field flow fractionation, capillary electrophoresis and hydrodynamic chromatography, are moving to the nano domain, mostly hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as element specific detector. Emerging techniques based on the detection of single nanoparticles by using ICP-MS, but also coulometry, are in their way to gain a position. Chemical sensors selective to nanoparticles are in their early stages, but they are very promising considering their portability and simplicity. Although the field is in continuous evolution, at this moment it is moving from proofs-of-concept in simple matrices to methods dealing with matrices of higher complexity and relevant analyte concentrations. To achieve this goal, sample preparation methods are essential to manage such complex situations. Apart from size fractionation methods, matrix digestion, extraction and concentration methods capable of preserving the nature of the nanoparticles are being developed. This review presents and discusses the state-of-the-art analytical techniques and sample preparation methods suitable for

  13. Detection, characterization and quantification of inorganic engineered nanomaterials: A review of techniques and methodological approaches for the analysis of complex samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laborda, Francisco; Bolea, Eduardo; Cepriá, Gemma; Gómez, María T.; Jiménez, María S.; Pérez-Arantegui, Josefina; Castillo, Juan R.

    2016-01-01

    The increasing demand of analytical information related to inorganic engineered nanomaterials requires the adaptation of existing techniques and methods, or the development of new ones. The challenge for the analytical sciences has been to consider the nanoparticles as a new sort of analytes, involving both chemical (composition, mass and number concentration) and physical information (e.g. size, shape, aggregation). Moreover, information about the species derived from the nanoparticles themselves and their transformations must also be supplied. Whereas techniques commonly used for nanoparticle characterization, such as light scattering techniques, show serious limitations when applied to complex samples, other well-established techniques, like electron microscopy and atomic spectrometry, can provide useful information in most cases. Furthermore, separation techniques, including flow field flow fractionation, capillary electrophoresis and hydrodynamic chromatography, are moving to the nano domain, mostly hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as element specific detector. Emerging techniques based on the detection of single nanoparticles by using ICP-MS, but also coulometry, are in their way to gain a position. Chemical sensors selective to nanoparticles are in their early stages, but they are very promising considering their portability and simplicity. Although the field is in continuous evolution, at this moment it is moving from proofs-of-concept in simple matrices to methods dealing with matrices of higher complexity and relevant analyte concentrations. To achieve this goal, sample preparation methods are essential to manage such complex situations. Apart from size fractionation methods, matrix digestion, extraction and concentration methods capable of preserving the nature of the nanoparticles are being developed. This review presents and discusses the state-of-the-art analytical techniques and sample preparation methods suitable for

  14. Inorganic liquid scintillator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlicek, Z.; Barta, C.; Jursova, L.

    1986-01-01

    An inorganic liquid scintillator is designed which contains 1 to 30 wt.% of an inorganic molecular compound as the basic active component; the compound contains a cation with an atomic number higher than 47 and a halogen anion. The basic inorganic component is dissolved in water or in an organic solvent in form of non-dissociated molecules or self-complexes in which the bond is preserved between the cation and anion components. The light yield from these scintillators ranges between 70 and 150% of the light yield of a standard organic scintillator based on toluene. They are advantageous in that that they allow to increase the water content in the sample to up to 100%. (M.D.)

  15. Assay using embryo aggregation chimeras for the detection of nonlethal changes in X-irradiated mouse preimplantation embryos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obasaju, M.F.; Wiley, L.M.; Oudiz, D.J.; Miller, L.; Samuels, S.J.; Chang, R.J.; Overstreet, J.W.

    1988-01-01

    We have developed a short-term in vitro assay for the detection of sublethal effects produced by very low levels of ionizing radiation. The assay utilizes mouse embryo aggregation chimeras consisting of one irradiated embryo paired with an unirradiated embryo whose blastomeres have been labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). X irradiation (from 0.05 to 2 Gy) and chimera construction were performed with four-cell stage embryos, and the chimeras were cultured for 40 h to the morula stage. The morulae were partially dissociated with calcium-free culture medium and viewed under phase contrast and epifluorescence microscopy to obtain total embryo cell number and the cellular contribution of irradiated (unlabeled) and control (FITC labeled) embryos per chimera. In chimeras where neither embryo was irradiated, the ratio of the unlabeled blastomeres to the total number of blastomeres per chimera embryo was 0.50 (17.8 +/- 5.6 cells per unlabeled embryo and 17.4 +/- 5.5 cells per FITC-labeled partner embryo). However, in chimeras formed after the unlabeled embryos were irradiated with as little as 0.05 Gy, the ratio of unlabeled blastomeres to the total number of blastomeres per chimera embryo was 0.43 (P less than 0.01). The apparent decreases in cell proliferation were not observed in irradiated embryos that were merely cocultured with control embryos, regardless of whether the embryos were zona enclosed or zona free. We conclude that very low levels of radiation induce sublethal changes in cleaving embryos that are expressed as a proliferative disadvantage within two cell cycles when irradiated embryos are in direct cell-to-cell contact with unirradiated embryos

  16. Identification of inorganic improvised explosive devices by analysis of postblast residues using portable capillary electrophoresis instrumentation and indirect photometric detection with a light-emitting diode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, Joseph P; Evenhuis, Christopher J; Johns, Cameron; Kazarian, Artaches A; Breadmore, Michael C; Macka, Miroslav; Hilder, Emily F; Guijt, Rosanne M; Dicinoski, Greg W; Haddad, Paul R

    2007-09-15

    A commercial portable capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument has been used to separate inorganic anions and cations found in postblast residues from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) of the type used frequently in terrorism attacks. The purpose of this analysis was to identify the type of explosive used. The CE instrument was modified for use with an in-house miniaturized light-emitting diode (LED) detector to enable sensitive indirect photometric detection to be employed for the detection of 15 anions (acetate, benzoate, carbonate, chlorate, chloride, chlorite, cyanate, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, perchlorate, phosphate, sulfate, thiocyanate, thiosulfate) and 12 cations (ammonium, monomethylammonium, ethylammonium, potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, zinc, lead) as the target analytes. These ions are known to be present in postblast residues from inorganic IEDs constructed from ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixtures, black powder, and chlorate/perchlorate/sugar mixtures. For the analysis of cations, a blue LED (470 nm) was used in conjunction with the highly absorbing cationic dye, chrysoidine (absorption maximum at 453 nm). A nonaqueous background electrolyte comprising 10 mM chrysoidine in methanol was found to give greatly improved baseline stability in comparison to aqueous electrolytes due to the increased solubility of chrysoidine and its decreased adsorption onto the capillary wall. Glacial acetic acid (0.7% v/v) was added to ensure chrysoidine was protonated and to enhance separation selectivity by means of complexation with transition metal ions. The 12 target cations were separated in less than 9.5 min with detection limits of 0.11-2.30 mg/L (calculated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The anions separation system utilized a UV LED (370 nm) in conjunction with an aqueous chromate electrolyte (absorption maximum at 371 nm) consisting of 10 mM chromium(VI) oxide and 10 mM sodium chromate, buffered with 40 mM tris

  17. Application of ICT-based Learning Resources for University Inorganic Chemistry Course Training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatyana M. Derkach

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The article studies expediency and efficiency of various ICT-based learning resources use in university inorganic chemistry course training, detects difference of attitudes toward electronic resources between students and faculty members, which create the background for their efficiency loss

  18. Room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Xun; Chen, Hongyi; Hao, Feng; Liu, Ruiheng; Wang, Tuo; Qiu, Pengfei; Burkhardt, Ulrich; Grin, Yuri; Chen, Lidong

    2018-05-01

    Ductility is common in metals and metal-based alloys, but is rarely observed in inorganic semiconductors and ceramic insulators. In particular, room-temperature ductile inorganic semiconductors were not known until now. Here, we report an inorganic α-Ag2S semiconductor that exhibits extraordinary metal-like ductility with high plastic deformation strains at room temperature. Analysis of the chemical bonding reveals systems of planes with relatively weak atomic interactions in the crystal structure. In combination with irregularly distributed silver-silver and sulfur-silver bonds due to the silver diffusion, they suppress the cleavage of the material, and thus result in unprecedented ductility. This work opens up the possibility of searching for ductile inorganic semiconductors/ceramics for flexible electronic devices.

  19. Inorganic chemistry of earliest sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochiai, E.I.

    1983-01-01

    A number of inorganic elements are now known to be essential to organisms. Chemical evolutionary processes involving carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen have been studied intensively and extensively, but the other essential elements have been rather neglected in the studies of chemical and biological evolution. This article attempts to assess the significance of inorganic chemistry in chemical and biological evolutionary processes on the earth. Emphasis is placed on the catalytic effects of inorganic elements and compounds, and also on possible studies on the earliest sediments, especially banded iron formation and stratabound copper from the inorganic point of view in the hope of shedding some light on the evolution of the environment and the biological effects on it. (orig./WL)

  20. Synthesis of inorganic polymers using fly ash and primary lead slag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onisei, S; Pontikes, Y; Van Gerven, T; Angelopoulos, G N; Velea, T; Predica, V; Moldovan, P

    2012-02-29

    The present work reports on the synthesis and properties of inorganic polymers ("geopolymers") made of 100% fly ash from lignite's combustion, 100% primary lead slag and mixtures of the two. In the inorganic polymers with both fly ash and lead slag the main crystalline phases detected are wüstite, magnetite, sodium zinc silicate, quartz, anorthite, and gehlenite; litharge partially dissolves. FTIR analysis in these samples revealed that the main peaks and bands of end members also exist, along with a new amorphous reaction product. In terms of microstructure, both fly ash and lead slag dissolve and contribute in the binding phase whereas the larger particles act as aggregates. For an increasing lead slag in the composition, the binding phase is changing in chemistry and reaches PbO values higher than 50 wt.% for the 100% lead slag inorganic polymer. Regarding the properties of fly ash and lead slag inorganic polymers, compressive strength is higher than 35 MPa in all cases and water absorption diminishes as the lead slag content increases. A comparison of leaching results before and after polymerisation reveals that pH is an important factor as Pb is immobilised in the binding phase, unlike Zn and As. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Thorium inorganic gels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genet, M.; Brandel, V.

    1988-01-01

    The optimum pH and concentration values of thorium salts and oxoacids or oxoacid salts which lead to transparent and stable inorganic gels have been determined. The isotherm drying process of the gel at 50 0 C leads successively to a partly dehydrated gel, then, to the formation of an unusual liquid phase and, finally to a dry amorphous solid phase which is still transparent. This kind of transparent inorganic gels and amorphous phase can be used as matrices for spectroscopic studies [fr

  2. Hybrid polymer-inorganic photovoltaic cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beek, W.J.E.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Merhari, L.

    2009-01-01

    Composite materials made from organic conjugated polymers and inorganic semiconductors such as metal oxides attract considerable interest for photovoltaic applications. Hybrid polymer-inorganic solar cells offer the opportunity to combine the beneficial properties of the two materials in charge

  3. A comparison of the determination and speciation of inorganic arsenic using general HPLC methodology with UV, MS and MS/MS detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilmartin, Gregory; Gingrich, Diane

    2018-04-15

    The determination and speciation of arsenic in natural resources such as drinking water and agricultural soils has been a growing concern in recent years due to its many toxicological effects [1-3]. To speciate and quantitate concentrations of arsenic, typically an ion chromatograph (IC) interfaced to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) is employed [4-9]. This methodology may be very robust and sensitive, but it is expensive and not as ubiquitous as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection or electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Anion exchange chromatography is a well-documented means of speciating arsenite (As(III), As 2 O 3 ) and arsenate (As(V), AsO 4 ) using UV [10], conductivity [11], or ESI-MS detection [12,13]. This paper demonstrates the utilization of common liquid chromatographic instrumentation to speciate and determines inorganic Arsenic compounds using UV or MS via selected ion recording (SIR) or multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) detection. This paper describes the analysis of arsenite and arsenate samples prepared using both deionized and ground water. The limit of quantitation for the techniques described in this paper for samples spiked in ground water were 454 ppb (As(III)) and 562 ppb (As(V)) for UV detection, 45.4 ppb (As(III)) and 56.2 ppb (As(V)) for SIR detection, and 4.54 ppb (As(III)) and 5.62 ppb (As(V)) for MRM detection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Static secondary ion mass spectrometry for organic and inorganic molecular analysis in solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ham, Rita van; Vaeck, Luc van; Adriaens, Annemie; Adams, Freddy

    2003-01-01

    The use of mass spectra in secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) to characterise the molecular composition of inorganic and organic analytes at the surface of solid samples is investigated. Methodological aspects such as mass resolution, mass accuracy, precision and accuracy of isotope abundance measurements, influence of electron flooding and sample morphology are addressed to assess the possibilities and limitations that the methodology can offer to support the structural assignment of the detected ions. The in-sample and between-sample reproducibility of relative peak intensities under optimised conditions is within 10%, but experimental conditions and local hydration, oxidation or contamination can drastically affect the mass spectra. As a result, the use of fingerprinting for identification becomes compromised. Therefore, the preferred way of interpretation becomes the deductive structural approach, based on the use of the empirical desorption-ionisation model. This approach is shown to allow the molecular composition of inorganic and organic components at the surface of solids to be characterised. Examples of inorganic speciation and identification of organic additives with unknown composition in inorganic salt mixtures are given. The methodology is discussed in terms of foreseen developments with respect to the use of polyatomic primary ions

  5. Gas chromatographic determination of impurities of inorganic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drugov, Yu.S.

    1985-01-01

    Methods of concentration, separation, detection in gas chromatographic determination of impurities of inorganic compounds including low-boiling gases, reactive gases, organometallic compounds, free metals, anions, etc. are reviewed. Methods of reaction gas chromatography for determining reactive gases, water, anions, metal chelates are considered in detail as well as methods of reaction-sorption concentration and reaction gas extraction. The application of gas chromatograpny ior anaiysis of water and atmosphere contamination, for determination of impurities in highly pure solid substances and gases is described

  6. Improvement of Roller Bearing Diagnosis with Unlabeled Data Using Cut Edge Weight Confidence Based Tritraining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Li Qin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Roller bearings are one of the most commonly used components in rotational machines. The fault diagnosis of roller bearings thus plays an important role in ensuring the safe functioning of the mechanical systems. However, in most cases of bearing fault diagnosis, there are limited number of labeled data to achieve a proper fault diagnosis. Therefore, exploiting unlabeled data plus few labeled data, this paper proposed a roller bearing fault diagnosis method based on tritraining to improve roller bearing diagnosis performance. To overcome the noise brought by wrong labeling into the classifiers training process, the cut edge weight confidence is introduced into the diagnosis framework. Besides a small trick called suspect principle is adopted to avoid overfitting problem. The proposed method is validated in two independent roller bearing fault experiment vibrational signals that both include three types of faults: inner-ring fault, outer-ring fault, and rolling element fault. The results demonstrate the desirable diagnostic performance improvement by the proposed method in the extreme situation where there is only limited number of labeled data.

  7. A 35-year comparison of children labelled as gifted, unlabelled as gifted and average-ability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joan Freeman

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1984686X14273Why are some children seen as gifted while others of identical ability are not?  To find out why and what the consequences might be, in 1974 I began in England with 70 children labelled as gifted.  Each one was matched for age, sex and socio-economic level with two comparison children in the same school class. The first comparison child had an identical gift, and the second taken at random.  Investigation was by a battery of tests and deep questioning of pupils, teachers and parents in their schools and homes which went on for 35 years. A major significant difference was that those labelled gifted had significantly more emotional problems than either the unlabelled but identically gifted or the random controls.  The vital aspects of success for the entire sample, whether gifted or not, have been hard work, emotional support and a positive personal outlook.  But in general, the higher the individual’s intelligence the better their chances in life. 

  8. Determination of total and inorganic mercury in fish samples with on-line oxidation coupled to atomic fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao Lijun; Gan Wuer; Su Qingde

    2006-01-01

    An atomic fluorescence spectrometry system for determination of total and inorganic mercury with electromagnetic induction-assisted heating on-line oxidation has been developed. Potassium peroxodisulphate was used as the oxidizing agent to decompose organomercury compounds. Depending on the temperature selected, inorganic or total mercury could be determined with the same manifold. Special accent was put on the study of the parameters influencing the on-line digestion efficiency. The tolerance to the interference of coexisting ions was carefully examined in this system. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits (3σ) were evaluated to be 2.9 ng l -1 for inorganic mercury and 2.6 ng l -1 for total mercury, respectively. The relative standard deviations for 10 replicate determinations of 1.0 μg l -1 Hg were 2.4 and 3.2% for inorganic mercury and total mercury, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of total and inorganic mercury in fish samples

  9. Gas--liquid chromatographic determination of total inorganic iodine in milk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakker, H.J.

    1977-01-01

    Total inorganic iodine in milk is determined by conversion to iodobutanone, which is quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography and electron capture detection. As little as 10 μg/L can be determined. The thyroid-active iodine content of milk can be determined rapidly with a relative standard deviation of 1.9%. Average recoveries for added iodide and iodine were 95.5 and 94.6%, respectively

  10. Inorganic and geological materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinnin, J.I.

    1975-01-01

    Recently described methods for applied inorganic analysis are reviewed from an interdisciplinary standpoint. Abstracts and periodical literature up to Nov. 1974, are included for consideration. The following areas of interest are covered: general reviews of inorganic analytical techniques; analytical techniques, areas of application, and analysis of individual elements. Selected books, monographs, and review articles on the analytical chemistry of the elements are listed. (416 references.) (U.S.)

  11. Speciation of selenoamino acids, selenonium ions and inorganic selenium by ion exchange HPLC with mass spectrometric detection and its application to yeast and algae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt; Hansen, M.; Fan, T.

    2001-01-01

    Cation and anion exchange HPLC were used to separate a mixture of 12 selenium species comprising selenoamino acids, selenonium ions and inorganic selenium. The cationic species were separated from each other and from the co-injected anions using a cation exchange column with gradient elution...... by aqueous pyridinium formate at pH similar to 3 as the mobile phase. The anionic species were separated using an anion exchange column with isocratic elution by an aqueous salicylate-TRIS mobile phase at pH 8.5. The separated selenium species were detected as Se-80 by ICP-dynamic reaction cell (DRC...... acid extract of Chlorella algae contained dimethylselenonium propionate (DMSeP), which was verified by HPLC-ES-MS. Se-allylselenocysteine and selenoethionine was detected at the low ng g(-1) concentration level based on co-chromatography with the standard substances spiked to the algal extract....

  12. Attachment of inorganic moieties onto aliphatic polyurethanes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliane Ayres

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Polyurethanes have been used in a series of applications due basically to their versatility in terms of controlling the behavior by altering basically the type of reagents used. However, for more specific and advanced applications, such as in membranes, biomaterials and sensors, well-organized and defined chemical functionalities are necessary. In this work, inorganic functionalities were incorporated into aliphatic polyurethanes (PU having different macromolecular architectures. Polyurethanes were synthesized using a polyether diol and dicyclohexylmethane 4,4' diisocyanate (H12-MDI. Polyurethanes having carboxylic acid groups were also produced by introducing 2,2- bis (hydroxymethyl propionic acid in the polymerization process. Inorganic functionalities were inserted into polyurethanes by reacting isocyanate end capped chains with aminopropyltriethoxysilane followed by tetraethoxysilane. PU having carboxylic acid groups yielded transparent samples after the incorporation of inorganic entities, as an evidence of smaller and better dispersed inorganic entities in the polymer network. FTIR and swelling measurements showed that polyurethanes having carboxylic acid groups had inorganic domains less packed, condensed and cross-linked when compared to polyurethanes with no carboxylic acid groups. Results also suggested that the progressive incorporation of inorganic moieties in both types of polyurethanes occurred in regions previously activated with inorganic functionalities, instead of by the creation of new domains. The temperatures of thermal decomposition and glass transition were also shifted to higher temperatures when inorganic functionalities were incorporated into polyurethanes.

  13. Simultaneous determination of inorganic anions and cations in explosive residues by ion chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Hong-Bo; Wang, Tian-Ran; Guo, Bao-Yuan; Hashi, Yuki; Guo, Can-Xiong; Lin, Jin-Ming

    2008-07-15

    A non-suppressed ion chromatographic method by connecting anion-exchange and cation-exchange columns directly was developed for the separation and determination of five inorganic anions (sulfate, nitrate, chloride, nitrite, and chlorate) and three cations (sodium, ammonium, and potassium) simultaneously in explosive residues. The mobile phase was composed of 3.5mM phthalic acid with 2% acetonitrile and water at flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Under the optimal conditions, the eight inorganic ions were completely separated and detected simultaneously within 16 min. The limits of detection (S/N=3) of the anions and cations were in the range of 50-100 microg/L and 150-320 microg/L, respectively, the linear correlation coefficients were 0.9941-0.9996, and the R.S.D. of retention time and peak area were 0.10-0.29% and 5.65-8.12%, respectively. The method was applied successfully to the analysis of the explosive samples with satisfactory results.

  14. Response of Inorganic Scintillators to Neutrons of 3 and 15 MeV Energy

    CERN Document Server

    Lucchini, M; Pizzichemi, M; Chipaux, R; Jacquot, F; Mazue, H; Wolff, H; Lecoq, P; Auffray, E

    2014-01-01

    In the perspective of the development of future high energy physics experiments, homogeneous calorimeters based on inorganic scintillators can be considered for the detection of hadrons (e.g., calorimeter based on dual-readout technique). Although of high importance in the high energy physics framework as well as for homeland security applications, the response of these inorganic scintillators to neutrons has been only scarcely investigated. This paper presents results obtained using five common scintillating crystals (of size around 2x2x2 cm 3), namely lead tungstate (PbWO4), bismuth germanate (BGO), cerium fluoride (CeF3), Ce-doped lutetium-yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO:Ce) and lutetium aluminum garnet (LuAG:Ce) in a pulsed flux of almost mono-energetic (similar to 3 MeV and similar to 15 MeV) neutrons provided by the Van de Graff accelerator SAMES of CEA Valduc. Energy spectra have been recorded, calibrated and compared with Geant4 simulations computed with different physics models. The neutron detection eff...

  15. Gas dispersion concentration of trace inorganic contaminants from fuel gas and analysis using head-column field-amplified sample stacking capillary electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jianmin; Li, Hai-Fang; Li, Meilan; Lin, Jin-Ming

    2012-08-21

    The presence of inorganic elements in fuel gas generally accelerates the corrosion and depletion of materials used in the fuel gas industry, and even leads to serious accidents. For identification of existing trace inorganic contaminants in fuel gas in a portable way, a highly efficient gas-liquid sampling collection system based on gas dispersion concentration is introduced in this work. Using the constructed dual path gas-liquid collection setup, inorganic cations and anions were simultaneously collected from real liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with indirect UV absorbance detection. The head-column field-amplified sample stacking technique was applied to improve the detection limits to 2-25 ng mL(-1). The developed collection and analytical methods have successfully determined existing inorganic contaminants in a real LPG sample in the range of 4.59-138.69 μg m(-3). The recoveries of cations and anions with spiked LPG samples were between 83.98 and 105.63%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 7.19%.

  16. Engineered inorganic core/shell nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mélinon, Patrice, E-mail: patrice.melinon@univ-lyon1.fr [Institut Lumière matière Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 et CNRS et OMNT, Domaine Scientifique de la Doua, Bâtiment Léon Brillouin, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Begin-Colin, Sylvie [IPCMS et OMNT, 23 rue du Loess BP 43, 67034 STRASBOURG Cedex 2 (France); Duvail, Jean Luc [IMN UMR 6502 et OMNT Campus Sciences : 2 rue de la Houssinire, BP32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex3 (France); Gauffre, Fabienne [SPM et OMNT : Institut des sciences chimiques de Rennes - UMR 6226, 263 Avenue du General Leclerc, CS 74205, 35042 RENNES Cedex (France); Boime, Nathalie Herlin [IRAMIS-NIMBE, Laboratoire Francis Perrin (CEA CNRS URA 2453) et OMNT, Bat 522, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Ledoux, Gilles [Institut Lumière Matière Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 et CNRS et OMNT, Domaine Scientifique de la Doua, Bâtiment Alfred Kastler 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918 F 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Plain, Jérôme [Universit de technologie de Troyes LNIO-ICD, CNRS et OMNT 12 rue Marie Curie - CS 42060 - 10004 Troyes cedex (France); Reiss, Peter [CEA Grenoble, INAC-SPrAM, UMR 5819 CEA-CNRS-UJF et OMNT, Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Silly, Fabien [CEA, IRAMIS, SPEC, TITANS, CNRS 2464 et OMNT, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Warot-Fonrose, Bénédicte [CEMES-CNRS, Université de Toulouse et OMNT, 29 rue Jeanne Marvig F 31055 Toulouse (France)

    2014-10-20

    It has been for a long time recognized that nanoparticles are of great scientific interest as they are effectively a bridge between bulk materials and atomic structures. At first, size effects occurring in single elements have been studied. More recently, progress in chemical and physical synthesis routes permitted the preparation of more complex structures. Such structures take advantages of new adjustable parameters including stoichiometry, chemical ordering, shape and segregation opening new fields with tailored materials for biology, mechanics, optics magnetism, chemistry catalysis, solar cells and microelectronics. Among them, core/shell structures are a particular class of nanoparticles made with an inorganic core and one or several inorganic shell layer(s). In earlier work, the shell was merely used as a protective coating for the core. More recently, it has been shown that it is possible to tune the physical properties in a larger range than that of each material taken separately. The goal of the present review is to discuss the basic properties of the different types of core/shell nanoparticles including a large variety of heterostructures. We restrict ourselves on all inorganic (on inorganic/inorganic) core/shell structures. In the light of recent developments, the applications of inorganic core/shell particles are found in many fields including biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. In addition to a representative overview of the properties, general concepts based on solid state physics are considered for material selection and for identifying criteria linking the core/shell structure and its resulting properties. Chemical and physical routes for the synthesis and specific methods for the study of core/shell nanoparticle are briefly discussed.

  17. An overview of the bioremediation of inorganic contaminants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolton, H. Jr.; Gorby, Y.A.

    1995-01-01

    Bioremediation, or the biological treatment of wastes, usually is associated with the remediation of organic contaminants. Similarly, there is an increasing body of literature and expertise in applying biological systems to assist in the bioremediation of soils, sediments, and water contaminated with inorganic compounds including metals, radionuclides, nitrates, and cyanides. Inorganic compounds can be toxic both to humans and to organisms used to remediate these contaminants. However, in contrast to organic contaminants, most inorganic contaminants cannot be degraded, but must be remediated by altering their transport properties. Immobilization, mobilization, or transformation of inorganic contaminants via bioaccumulation, biosorption, oxidation, reduction, methylation, demethylation, metal-organic complexation, ligand degradation, and phytoremediation are the various processes applied in the bioremediation of inorganic compounds. This paper briefly describes these processes, referring to other contributors in this book as examples when possible, and summarize the factors that must be considered when choosing bioremediation as a cleanup technology for inorganics. Understanding the current state of knowledge as well as the limitations for bioremediation of inorganic compounds will assist in identifying and implementing successful remediation strategies at sites containing inorganic contaminants. 79 refs

  18. Salicylate-spectrophotometric determination of inorganic monochloramine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao Hui; Chen Zhonglin; Li Xing; Yang Yanling; Li Guibai

    2008-01-01

    On the basis of classical Berthelot reaction, a simple salicylate-spectrophotometric method was developed for quantitative determination of inorganic monochloramine in water samples. With the catalysis of disodium pentacyanonitrosylferrate(III), inorganic monochloramine reacts with salicylate in equimolar to produce indophenol compound which has an intense absorption at 703 nm. Parameters that influence method performance, such as pH, dosage of salicylate and nitroprussiate and reaction time, were modified to enhance the method performance. By using this method, inorganic monochloramine can be distinguished from organic chloramines and other inorganic chlorine species, such as free chlorine, dichloramine, and trichloramine. The molar absorptivities of the final products formed by these compounds are below ±3% of inorganic monochloramine, because of the α-N in them have only one exchangeable hydrogen atom, and cannot react with salicylate to produce the indophenol compound. The upper concentrations of typical ions that do not interfere with the inorganic monochloramine determination are also tested to be much higher than that mostly encountered in actual water treatment. Case study demonstrates that the results obtained from this method are lower than DPD-titrimetric method because the organic chloramines formed by chlorination of organic nitrogenous compounds give no response in the newly established method. And the result measured by salicylate-spectrophotometric method is coincident with theoretical calculation

  19. Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    The series of symposia on 'Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry' (MTIC), which began in 1985 at the Indian Association for Cultivation of Science, Calcutta has evolved into a forum for the Inorganic Chemistry fraternity of the country to meet every two years and discuss the current status and future projections of research in.

  20. Foundation Coursework in Undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry: Results from a National Survey of Inorganic Chemistry Faculty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raker, Jeffrey R.; Reisner, Barbara A.; Smith, Sheila R.; Stewart, Joanne L.; Crane, Johanna L.; Pesterfield, Les; Sobel, Sabrina G.

    2015-01-01

    A national survey of inorganic chemists explored the self-reported topics covered in foundation-level courses in inorganic chemistry at the postsecondary level; the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training defines a foundation course as one at the conclusion of which, "a student should have mastered the vocabulary,…

  1. Development of cement material using inorganic additives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toyohara, Masumitsu; Satou, Tatsuaki; Wada, Mikio; Ishii, Tomoharu; Matsuo, Kazuaki.

    1997-01-01

    Inorganic admixtures to enhance the fluidity of cement material was developed. These admixtures turned into easy to immobilize the miscellaneous radioactive waste using cement material. It was found that the ζ potential of cement particles was directly proportional to the content of the inorganic admixtures in cement paste and the particles of cement were dispersed at the high ζ potential. The condensed sodium phosphate, which was the main component of the inorganic admixtures, retarded the dissolution of Ca 2+ ion from the cement, and generated the colloids by incorporating dissolved Ca 2+ ion. The cement material containing the inorganic admixtures was found to have the same mechanical strength and adsorption potential of radionuclides in comparison to normal cement materials. It was confirmed that the cement material containing the inorganic admixture was effectively filled gaps of miscellaneous radioactive waste. (author)

  2. Inorganic biomaterials structure, properties and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Xiang C

    2014-01-01

    This book provides a practical guide to the use and applications of inorganic biomaterials. It begins by introducing the concept of inorganic biomaterials, which includes bioceramics and bioglass. This concept is further extended to hybrid biomaterials consisting of inorganic and organic materials to mimic natural biomaterials. The book goes on to provide the reader with information on biocompatibility, bioactivity and bioresorbability. The concept of the latter is important because of the increasing role resorbable biomaterials are playing in implant applications. The book also introduces a n

  3. Inorganic nanomedicine--part 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekhon, Bhupinder S; Kamboj, Seema R

    2010-08-01

    Inorganic nanomedicine refers to the use of inorganic or hybrid nanomaterials and nanosized objects to achieve innovative medical breakthroughs for drug and gene discovery and delivery, discovery of biomarkers, and molecular diagnostics. Potential uses for fluorescent quantum dots include cell labeling, biosensing, in vivo imaging, bimodal magnetic-luminescent imaging, and diagnostics. Biocompatible quantum dot conjugates have been used successfully for sentinel lymph node mapping, tumor targeting, tumor angiogenesis imaging, and metastatic cell tracking. Magnetic nanowires applications include biosensing and construction of nucleic acids sensors. Magnetic cell therapy is used for the repair of blood vessels. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are important for magnetic resonance imaging, drug delivery, cell labeling, and tracking. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are used for hyperthermic treatment of tumors. Multifunctional MNPs applications include drug and gene delivery, medical imaging, and targeted drug delivery. MNPs could have a vital role in developing techniques to simultaneously diagnose, monitor, and treat a wide range of common diseases and injuries. From the clinical editor: This review serves as an update about the current state of inorganic nanomedicine. The use of inorganic/hybrid nanomaterials and nanosized objects has already resulted in innovative medical breakthroughs for drug/gene discovery and delivery, discovery of biomarkers and molecular diagnostics, and is likely to remain one of the most prolific fields of nanomedicine. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Scintillating Organic–Inorganic Layered Perovskite-type Compounds and the Gamma-ray Detection Capabilities

    OpenAIRE

    Kawano, Naoki; Koshimizu, Masanori; Okada, Go; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Yanagida, Takayuki; Asai, Keisuke

    2017-01-01

    We investigated scintillation properties of organic–inorganic layered perovskite-type compounds under gamma-ray and X-ray irradiation. A crystal of the hybrid compounds with phenethyl amine (17 × 23 × 4 mm) was successfully fabricated by the poor-solvent diffusion method. The bulk sample showed superior scintillation properties with notably high light yield (14,000 photons per MeV) under gamma-rays and very fast decay time (11 ns). The light yield was about 1.4 time higher than that of common...

  5. Low-temperature fabrication and characterization of a symmetric hybrid organic–inorganic slab waveguide for evanescent light microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnarsson, Björn; Mapar, Mokhtar; Sjöberg, Mattias; Alizadehheidari, Mohammadreza; Höök, Fredrik

    2018-06-01

    Organic and inorganic solid materials form the building blocks for most of today’s high-technological instruments and devices. However, challenges related to dissimilar material properties have hampered the synthesis of thin-film devices comprised of both organic and inorganic films. We here give a detailed description of a carefully optimized processing protocol used for the construction of a three-layered hybrid organic–inorganic waveguide-chip intended for combined scattering and fluorescence evanescent-wave microscopy in aqueous environments using conventional upright microscopes. An inorganic core layer (SiO2 or Si3N4), embedded symmetrically in an organic cladding layer (CYTOP), aids simple, yet efficient in-coupling of light, and since the organic cladding layer is refractive index matched to water, low stray-light (background) scattering of the propagating light is ensured. Another major advantage is that the inorganic core layer makes the chip compatible with multiple well-established surface functionalization schemes that allows for a broad range of applications, including detection of single lipid vesicles, metallic nanoparticles or cells in complex environments, either label-free—by direct detection of scattered light—or by use of fluorescence excitation and emission. Herein, focus is put on a detailed description of the fabrication of the waveguide-chip, together with a fundamental characterization of its optical properties and performance, particularly in comparison with conventional epi illumination. Quantitative analysis of images obtained from both fluorescence and scattering intensities from surface-immobilized polystyrene nanoparticles in suspensions of different concentrations, revealed enhanced signal-to-noise and signal-to-background ratios for the waveguide illumination compared to the epi-illumination.

  6. Inorganic nanostructure-organic polymer heterostructures useful for thermoelectric devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    See, Kevin C.; Urban, Jeffrey J.; Segalman, Rachel A.; Coates, Nelson E.; Yee, Shannon K.

    2017-11-28

    The present invention provides for an inorganic nanostructure-organic polymer heterostructure, useful as a thermoelectric composite material, comprising (a) an inorganic nanostructure, and (b) an electrically conductive organic polymer disposed on the inorganic nanostructure. Both the inorganic nanostructure and the electrically conductive organic polymer are solution-processable.

  7. UV-Visible Spectroscopy-Based Quantification of Unlabeled DNA Bound to Gold Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldock, Brandi L; Hutchison, James E

    2016-12-20

    DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been increasingly applied as sensitive and selective analytical probes and biosensors. The DNA ligands bound to a nanoparticle dictate its reactivity, making it essential to know the type and number of DNA strands bound to the nanoparticle surface. Existing methods used to determine the number of DNA strands per gold nanoparticle (AuNP) require that the sequences be fluorophore-labeled, which may affect the DNA surface coverage and reactivity of the nanoparticle and/or require specialized equipment and other fluorophore-containing reagents. We report a UV-visible-based method to conveniently and inexpensively determine the number of DNA strands attached to AuNPs of different core sizes. When this method is used in tandem with a fluorescence dye assay, it is possible to determine the ratio of two unlabeled sequences of different lengths bound to AuNPs. Two sizes of citrate-stabilized AuNPs (5 and 12 nm) were functionalized with mixtures of short (5 base) and long (32 base) disulfide-terminated DNA sequences, and the ratios of sequences bound to the AuNPs were determined using the new method. The long DNA sequence was present as a lower proportion of the ligand shell than in the ligand exchange mixture, suggesting it had a lower propensity to bind the AuNPs than the short DNA sequence. The ratio of DNA sequences bound to the AuNPs was not the same for the large and small AuNPs, which suggests that the radius of curvature had a significant influence on the assembly of DNA strands onto the AuNPs.

  8. Intraperitoneal delivery of monoclonal antibodies: enhanced regional delivery advantage using intravenous unlabeled anti-mouse antibody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahl, R.L.; Fisher, S.

    1987-01-01

    Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (MAb) delivered intraperitoneally expose cells in contact with peritoneal fluid to considerably higher levels of MAb than if the MAb dose were given intravenously. This regional delivery advantage for intact MAb is present mainly due to the relatively slow exit of MAb from the peritoneal fluid to the blood. Eventually, following i.p. injection, blood levels of MAb rise resulting in exposure of the animal to high systemic MAb levels and potential toxicity. In this series of experiments, systemic exposure was minimized by the administration of unlabeled goat polyclonal anti-mouse antibody intravenously from 1 1/2 to 6 h following i.p. MAb injection. This maneuver results in the formation of immune complexes with their subsequent clearance and dehalogenation by the reticuloendothelial system, thus minimizing systemic MAb exposure. This approach, of increasing systemic clearance of MAb, did not alter intraperitoneal MAb levels and thus significantly increased the regional delivery advantage to the peritoneal cavity by 70-100%. This approach provides an immunologic rationale for the further enhancement of MAb delivery to i.p. foci of malignant disease and may have diagnostic and therapeutic utility. (author)

  9. Total and inorganic arsenic in fish, seafood and seaweeds--exposure assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mania, Monika; Rebeniak, Małgorzata; Szynal, Tomasz; Wojciechowska-Mazurek, Maria; Starska, Krystyna; Ledzion, Ewa; Postupolski, Jacek

    2015-01-01

    According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), fish, seafood and seaweeds are foodstuffs that significantly contribute to dietary arsenic intake. With the exception of some algal species, the dominant compounds of arsenic in such food products are the less toxic organic forms. Both the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and EFSA recommend that speciation studies be performed to determine the different chemical forms in which arsenic is present in food due to the differences in their toxicity. Knowing such compositions can thus enable a complete exposure assessment to be made. Determination of total and inorganic arsenic contents in fish, their products, seafood and seaweeds present on the Polish market. This was then followed by an exposure assessment of consumers to inorganic arsenic in these foodstuffs. Total and inorganic arsenic was determined in 55 samples of fish, their products, seafood as well as seaweeds available on the market. The analytical method was hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS), after dry ashing of samples and reduction of arsenic to arsenic hydride using sodium borohydride. In order to isolate only the inorganic forms of arsenic prior to mineralisation, samples were subjected to concentrated HCl hydrolysis, followed by reduction with hydrobromic acid and hydrazine sulphate after which triple chloroform extractions and triple 1M HCl re-extractions were performed. Exposure of adults was estimated in relation to the Benchmark Dose Lower Confidence Limit (BMDL0.5) as set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) that resulted in a 0.5% increase in lung cancer (3.0 μg/kg body weight (b.w.) per day). Mean total arsenic content from all investigated fish samples was 0.46 mg/kg (90th percentile 0.94 mg/kg), whilst the inorganic arsenic content never exceeded the detection limit of the analytical method used (0.025 mg/kg). In fish products, mean total arsenic concentration was

  10. Inorganic nanolayers: structure, preparation, and biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saifullah, Bullo; Hussein, Mohd Zobir B

    2015-01-01

    Hydrotalcite-like compounds are two-dimensional inorganic nanolayers also known as clay minerals or anionic clays or layered double hydroxides/layered hydroxy salts, and have emerged as a single type of material with numerous biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, gene delivery, cosmetics, and biosensing. Inorganic nanolayers are promising materials due to their fascinating properties, such as ease of preparation, ability to intercalate different type of anions (inorganic, organic, biomolecules, and even genes), high thermal stability, delivery of intercalated anions in a sustained manner, high biocompatibility, and easy biodegradation. Inorganic nanolayers have been the focus for researchers over the last decade, resulting in widening application horizons, especially in the field of biomedical science. These nanolayers have been widely applied in drug and gene delivery. They have also been applied in biosensing technology, and most recently in bioimaging science. The suitability of inorganic nanolayers for application in drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing technology, and bioimaging science makes them ideal materials to be applied for theranostic purposes. In this paper, we review the structure, methods of preparation, and latest advances made by inorganic nanolayers in such biomedical applications as drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing, and bioimaging.

  11. Uptake and Transformation of Methylated and Inorganic Antimony in Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Ying; Mestrot, Adrien; Schulin, Rainer; Tandy, Susan

    2018-01-01

    Used as a hardening agent in lead bullets, antimony (Sb) has become a major contaminant in shooting range soils of some countries including Switzerland. Soil contamination by Sb is also an environmental problem in countries with Sb-mining activities such as China and Bolivia. Because of its toxicity and relatively high mobility, there is concern over the risk of Sb transfer from contaminated soils into plants, and thus into the food chain. In particular there is very little information on the environmental behavior of methylated antimony, which can be produced by microbial biomethylation of inorganic Sb in contaminated soils. Using a new extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) method, we investigated antimony speciation in roots and shoots of wheat, fescue, rye, and ryegrass plants exposed to trimethyl antimony(V) (TMSb), antimonite (Sb(III)), and antimonate (Sb(V)) in hydroponics. The total root Sb concentrations followed the order Sb(III) treatment > Sb(V) treatment > TMSb treatment, except for fescue. Shoot Sb concentrations, however, did not differ among the three treatments. In the Sb(V) treatment small quantities of TMSb were found in the roots, whereas no TMSb was detected in the roots of Sb(III)-treated plants. In contrast, similar concentrations of TMSb were found in the shoots in both inorganic Sb treatments. The results indicate that biomethylation of Sb may occur in plants. In the TMSb treatment TMSb was the major Sb species, but the two inorganic Sb species were also found both in shoots and roots along with some unknown Sb species, suggesting that also TMSb demethylation may occur within plant tissues. The results furthermore indicate that methylated Sb is more mobile in plants than inorganic Sb species. Knowledge about this is important in risk assessments of Sb-contaminated sites, as methylation may render Sb more toxic than inorganic Sb, as it is known for arsenic (As).

  12. Review of progress in soil inorganic carbon research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, S. G.; Jiao, Y.; Yang, W. Z.; Gu, P.; Yang, J.; Liu, L. J.

    2017-12-01

    Soil inorganic carbon is one of the main carbon banks in the near-surface environment, and is the main form of soil carbon library in arid and semi-arid regions, which plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. This paper mainly focuses on the inorganic dynamic process of soil inorganic carbon in soil environment in arid and semi-arid regions, and summarized the composition and source of soil inorganic carbon, influence factors and soil carbon sequestration.

  13. Multiplexed detection of DNA sequences using a competitive displacement assay in a microfluidic SERRS-based device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdi, Soroush H; Giles, Kristen L; White, Ian M

    2013-11-05

    We demonstrate sensitive and multiplexed detection of DNA sequences through a surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS)-based competitive displacement assay in an integrated microsystem. The use of the competitive displacement scheme, in which the target DNA sequence displaces a Raman-labeled reporter sequence that has lower affinity for the immobilized probe, enables detection of unlabeled target DNA sequences with a simple single-step procedure. In our implementation, the displacement reaction occurs in a microporous packed column of silica beads prefunctionalized with probe-reporter pairs. The use of a functionalized packed-bead column in a microfluidic channel provides two major advantages: (i) immobilization surface chemistry can be performed as a batch process instead of on a chip-by-chip basis, and (ii) the microporous network eliminates the diffusion limitations of a typical biological assay, which increases the sensitivity. Packed silica beads are also leveraged to improve the SERRS detection of the Raman-labeled reporter. Following displacement, the reporter adsorbs onto aggregated silver nanoparticles in a microfluidic mixer; the nanoparticle-reporter conjugates are then trapped and concentrated in the silica bead matrix, which leads to a significant increase in plasmonic nanoparticles and adsorbed Raman reporters within the detection volume as compared to an open microfluidic channel. The experimental results reported here demonstrate detection down to 100 pM of the target DNA sequence, and the experiments are shown to be specific, repeatable, and quantitative. Furthermore, we illustrate the advantage of using SERRS by demonstrating multiplexed detection. The sensitivity of the assay, combined with the advantages of multiplexed detection and single-step operation with unlabeled target sequences makes this method attractive for practical applications. Importantly, while we illustrate DNA sequence detection, the SERRS-based competitive

  14. Hybrid organic-inorganic rotaxanes and molecular shuttles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chin-Fa; Leigh, David A; Pritchard, Robin G; Schultz, David; Teat, Simon J; Timco, Grigore A; Winpenny, Richard E P

    2009-03-19

    The tetravalency of carbon and its ability to form covalent bonds with itself and other elements enables large organic molecules with complex structures, functions and dynamics to be constructed. The varied electronic configurations and bonding patterns of inorganic elements, on the other hand, can impart diverse electronic, magnetic, catalytic and other useful properties to molecular-level structures. Some hybrid organic-inorganic materials that combine features of both chemistries have been developed, most notably metal-organic frameworks, dense and extended organic-inorganic frameworks and coordination polymers. Metal ions have also been incorporated into molecules that contain interlocked subunits, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, and structures in which many inorganic clusters encircle polymer chains have been described. Here we report the synthesis of a series of discrete rotaxane molecules in which inorganic and organic structural units are linked together mechanically at the molecular level. Structural units (dialkyammonium groups) in dumb-bell-shaped organic molecules template the assembly of essentially inorganic 'rings' about 'axles' to form rotaxanes consisting of various numbers of rings and axles. One of the rotaxanes behaves as a 'molecular shuttle': the ring moves between two binding sites on the axle in a large-amplitude motion typical of some synthetic molecular machine systems. The architecture of the rotaxanes ensures that the electronic, magnetic and paramagnetic characteristics of the inorganic rings-properties that could make them suitable as qubits for quantum computers-can influence, and potentially be influenced by, the organic portion of the molecule.

  15. Quantitative method for determination of body inorganic iodine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filatov, A.A.; Tatsievskij, V.A.

    1991-01-01

    An original method of quantitation of body inorganic iodine, based upon a simultaneous administration of a known dose of stable and radioactive iodine with subsequent radiometry of the thyroid was proposed. The calculation is based upon the principle of the dilution of radiactive iodine in human inorganic iodine space. The method permits quantitation of the amount of inorganic iodine with regard to individual features of inorganic space. The method is characterized by simplicity and is not invasive for a patient

  16. Network Intrusion Detection through Stacking Dilated Convolutional Autoencoders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Yu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Network intrusion detection is one of the most important parts for cyber security to protect computer systems against malicious attacks. With the emergence of numerous sophisticated and new attacks, however, network intrusion detection techniques are facing several significant challenges. The overall objective of this study is to learn useful feature representations automatically and efficiently from large amounts of unlabeled raw network traffic data by using deep learning approaches. We propose a novel network intrusion model by stacking dilated convolutional autoencoders and evaluate our method on two new intrusion detection datasets. Several experiments were carried out to check the effectiveness of our approach. The comparative experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can achieve considerably high performance which meets the demand of high accuracy and adaptability of network intrusion detection systems (NIDSs. It is quite potential and promising to apply our model in the large-scale and real-world network environments.

  17. Holographic patterning of organic-inorganic photopolymerizable nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakhno, Oksana V.; Goldenberg, Leonid M.; Smirnova, Tatiana N.; Stumpe, J.

    2009-09-01

    We present here novel easily processible organic-inorganic nanocomposites suitable for holographic fabrication of diffraction optical elements (DOE). The nanocomposites are based on photocurable acrylate monomers and inorganic nanoparticles (NP). The compatibility of inorganic NP with monomers was achieved by capping the NP surface with proper organic shells. Surface modification allows to introduce up to 50wt.% of inorganic NP in organic media. Depending on the NP nature (metal oxides, phosphates, semiconductors, noble metals) and their properties, the materials for both efficient DOE and multifunctional elements can be designed. Organic-inorganic composites prepared have been successfully used for the effective inscription of periodic volume refractive index structures using the holographic photopolymerization method. The nanocomposite preparation procedure, their properties and optical performance of holographic gratings are reported. The use of functional NP makes it possible to obtain effective holographic gratings having additional physical properties such as light-emission or NLO. Some examples of such functional polymer-NP structures and their possible application fields are presented. The combination of easy photo-patterning of soft organic compounds with physical properties of inorganic materials in new nanocomposites and the flexibility of the holographic patterning method allow the fabrication of mono- and multifunctional one- and multi-dimensional passive or active optical and photonic elements.

  18. Semi-supervised detection of intracranial pressure alarms using waveform dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scalzo, Fabien; Hu, Xiao

    2013-01-01

    Patient monitoring systems in intensive care units (ICU) are usually set to trigger alarms when abnormal values are detected. Alarms are generated by threshold-crossing rules that lead to high false alarm rates. This is a recognized issue that causes alarm fatigue, waste of human resources, and increased patient risks. Recently developed smart alarm models require alarms to be validated by experts during the training phase. The manual annotation process involved is time-consuming and virtually impossible to achieve for the thousands of alarms recorded in the ICU every week. To tackle this problem, we investigate in this study if the use of semi-supervised learning methods, that can naturally integrate unlabeled data samples in the model, can be used to improve the accuracy of the alarm detection. As a proof of concept, the detection system is evaluated on intracranial pressure (ICP) signal alarms. Specific morphological and trending features are extracted from the ICP signal waveform to capture the dynamic of the signal prior to alarms. This study is based on a comprehensive dataset of 4791 manually labeled alarms recorded from 108 neurosurgical patients. A comparative analysis is provided between kernel spectral regression (SR-KDA) and support vector machine (SVM) both modified for the semi-supervised setting. Results obtained during the experimental evaluations indicate that the two models can significantly reduce false alarms using unlabeled samples; especially in the presence of a restrained number of labeled examples. At a true alarm recognition rate of 99%, the false alarm reduction rates improved from 9% (supervised) to 27% (semi-supervised) for SR-KDA, and from 3% (supervised) to 16% (semi-supervised) for SVM. (paper)

  19. Inorganic Coatings Laboratory

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The inorganic Coatings Lab provides expertise to Navy and Joint Service platforms acquisition IPTs to aid in materials and processing choices which balance up-front...

  20. Medicinal Uses of Inorganic Compounds - 2

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In the first part of this article, we described medicinal uses of inorganic compounds relating to cancer care, infection and diabetic control, neurological, cardiovascular and in- flammatory diseases. This article contains further infor- mation on the medicinal uses of inorganic compounds as therapeutic and diagnostic in ...

  1. Recent Advances in Bio-inorganic Chemistry

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Bio-inorganic chemistry has developed rapidly in recent years. A number of laboratories in India have made significant contributions to this area. The motivation in bringing out this special issue on Bio-inorganic. Chemistry is to highlight the recent work emerging from India in this important and fascinating interdisci-.

  2. Inorganic-whisker-reinforced polymer composites synthesis, properties and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Sun, Qiuju

    2015-01-01

    Inorganic-Whisker-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications gives a comprehensive presentation of inorganic microcrystalline fibers, or whiskers, a polymer composite filler. It covers whisker synthesis, surface modification, applications for reinforcing polymer-matrix composites, and analysis of resulting filled polymer composites. It focuses on calcium carbonate whiskers as a primary case study, introducing surface treatment methods for calcium carbonate whiskers and factors that influence them. Along with calcium carbonate, the book discusses potassium titanate and aluminum borate whiskers, which also comprise the new generation of inorganic whiskers. According to research results, composites filled by inorganic whiskers show improved strength, wear-resistance, thermal conductivity, and antistatic properties. It explains the importance of modifying polymer materials for use with inorganic whiskers and describes preparation and evaluation methods of polymers filled with inorganic ...

  3. Resonance assignment for a particularly challenging protein based on systematic unlabeling of amino acids to complement incomplete NMR data sets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellstedt, Peter; Seiboth, Thomas; Häfner, Sabine; Kutscha, Henriette; Ramachandran, Ramadurai; Görlach, Matthias

    2013-01-01

    NMR-based structure determination of a protein requires the assignment of resonances as indispensable first step. Even though heteronuclear through-bond correlation methods are available for that purpose, challenging situations arise in cases where the protein in question only yields samples of limited concentration and/or stability. Here we present a strategy based upon specific individual unlabeling of all 20 standard amino acids to complement standard NMR experiments and to achieve unambiguous backbone assignments for the fast precipitating 23 kDa catalytic domain of human aprataxin of which only incomplete standard NMR data sets could be obtained. Together with the validation of this approach utilizing the protein GB1 as a model, a comprehensive insight into metabolic interconversion ('scrambling”) of NH and CO groups in a standard Escherichia coli expression host is provided

  4. A comparison of organic and inorganic nitrates/nitrites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omar, Sami A; Artime, Esther; Webb, Andrew J

    2012-05-15

    Although both organic and inorganic nitrates/nitrites mediate their principal effects via nitric oxide, there are many important differences. Inorganic nitrate and nitrite have simple ionic structures and are produced endogenously and are present in the diet, whereas their organic counterparts are far more complex, and, with the exception of ethyl nitrite, are all medicinally synthesised products. These chemical differences underlie the differences in pharmacokinetic properties allowing for different modalities of administration, particularly of organic nitrates, due to the differences in their bioavailability and metabolic profiles. Whilst the enterosalivary circulation is a key pathway for orally ingested inorganic nitrate, preventing an abrupt effect or toxic levels of nitrite and prolonging the effects, this is not used by organic nitrates. The pharmacodynamic differences are even greater; while organic nitrates have potent acute effects causing vasodilation, inorganic nitrite's effects are more subtle and dependent on certain conditions. However, in chronic use, organic nitrates are considerably limited by the development of tolerance and endothelial dysfunction, whereas inorganic nitrate/nitrite may compensate for diminished endothelial function, and tolerance has not been reported. Also, while inorganic nitrate/nitrite has important cytoprotective effects against ischaemia-reperfusion injury, continuous use of organic nitrates may increase injury. While there are concerns that inorganic nitrate/nitrite may induce carcinogenesis, direct evidence of this in humans is lacking. While organic nitrates may continue to dominate the therapeutic arena, this may well change with the increasing recognition of their limitations, and ongoing discovery of beneficial effects and specific advantages of inorganic nitrate/nitrite. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Inorganic arsenic levels in baby rice are of concern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meharg, Andrew A.; Sun, Guoxin; Williams, Paul N.; Adomako, Eureka; Deacon, Claire; Zhu, Yong-Guan; Feldmann, Joerg; Raab, Andrea

    2008-01-01

    Inorganic arsenic is a chronic exposure carcinogen. Analysis of UK baby rice revealed a median inorganic arsenic content (n = 17) of 0.11 mg/kg. By plotting inorganic arsenic against total arsenic, it was found that inorganic concentrations increased linearly up to 0.25 mg/kg total arsenic, then plateaued at 0.16 mg/kg at higher total arsenic concentrations. Inorganic arsenic intake by babies (4-12 months) was considered with respect to current dietary ingestion regulations. It was found that 35% of the baby rice samples analysed would be illegal for sale in China which has regulatory limit of 0.15 mg/kg inorganic arsenic. EU and US food regulations on arsenic are non-existent. When baby inorganic arsenic intake from rice was considered, median consumption (expressed as μg/kg/d) was higher than drinking water maximum exposures predicted for adults in these regions when water intake was expressed on a bodyweight basis. - Median consumption of organic arsenic levels for UK babies from baby rice is above threshold considered safe

  6. Resonant Infrared Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Of Inorganic Nanoparticles And Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pate, Ryan; Lantz, Kevin R.; Dhawan, Anuj; Vo-Dinh, Tuan; Stiff-Roberts, Adrienne D.

    2010-10-01

    In this research, resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) has been used to deposit different classes of inorganic nanoparticles, including bare, un-encapsulated ZnO and Au nanoparticles, as well as ligand-encapsulated CdSe colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). RIR-MAPLE has been used for thin-film deposition of different organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposites using some of these inorganic nanoparticles, including CdSe CQD-poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-(1-cyanovinylene)phenylene] (MEH-CN-PPV) nanocomposites and Au nanoparticle-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites. The unique contribution of this research is that a technique is demonstrated for the deposition of organic-based thin-films requiring solvents with bond energies that do not have to be resonant with the laser energy. By creating an emulsion of solvent and ice in the target, RIR-MAPLE using a 2.94 μm laser can deposit most material systems because the hydroxyl bonds in the ice component of the emulsion matrix are strongly resonant with the 2.94 μm laser. In this way, the types of materials that can be deposited using RIR-MAPLE has been significantly expanded. Furthermore, materials with different solvent bond energies can be co-deposited without concern for material degradation and without the need to specifically tune the laser energy to each material solvent bond energy, thereby facilitating the realization of organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposite thin-films. In addition to the structural characterization of the inorganic nanoparticle and hybrid nanocomposite thin-films deposited using this RIR-MAPLE technique, optical characterization is presented to demonstrate the potential of such films for optoelectronic device applications.

  7. Resonant Infrared Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Of Inorganic Nanoparticles And Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pate, Ryan; Lantz, Kevin R.; Stiff-Roberts, Adrienne D.; Dhawan, Anuj; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

    2010-01-01

    In this research, resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) has been used to deposit different classes of inorganic nanoparticles, including bare, un-encapsulated ZnO and Au nanoparticles, as well as ligand-encapsulated CdSe colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). RIR-MAPLE has been used for thin-film deposition of different organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposites using some of these inorganic nanoparticles, including CdSe CQD-poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy )-1,4-(1-cyanovinylene)phenylene](MEH-CN-PPV) nanocomposites and Au nanoparticle-poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) nanocomposites. The unique contribution of this research is that a technique is demonstrated for the deposition of organic-based thin-films requiring solvents with bond energies that do not have to be resonant with the laser energy. By creating an emulsion of solvent and ice in the target, RIR-MAPLE using a 2.94 μm laser can deposit most material systems because the hydroxyl bonds in the ice component of the emulsion matrix are strongly resonant with the 2.94 μm laser. In this way, the types of materials that can be deposited using RIR-MAPLE has been significantly expanded. Furthermore, materials with different solvent bond energies can be co-deposited without concern for material degradation and without the need to specifically tune the laser energy to each material solvent bond energy, thereby facilitating the realization of organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposite thin-films. In addition to the structural characterization of the inorganic nanoparticle and hybrid nanocomposite thin-films deposited using this RIR-MAPLE technique, optical characterization is presented to demonstrate the potential of such films for optoelectronic device applications.

  8. Biological monitoring of arsenic exposure of gallium arsenide- and inorganic arsenic-exposed workers by determination of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine and hair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamauchi, H.; Takahashi, K.; Mashiko, M.; Yamamura, Y. (St. Marianna Univ. School of Medicine, Kawasaki (Japan))

    1989-11-01

    In an attempt to establish a method for biological monitoring of inorganic arsenic exposure, the chemical species of arsenic were measured in the urine and hair of gallium arsenide (GaAs) plant and copper smelter workers. Determination of urinary inorganic arsenic concentration proved sensitive enough to monitor the low-level inorganic arsenic exposure of the GaAs plant workers. The urinary inorganic arsenic concentration in the copper smelter workers was far higher than that of a control group and was associated with high urinary concentrations of the inorganic arsenic metabolites, methylarsonic acid (MAA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA). The results established a method for exposure level-dependent biological monitoring of inorganic arsenic exposure. Low-level exposures could be monitored only by determining urinary inorganic arsenic concentration. High-level exposures clearly produced an increased urinary inorganic arsenic concentration, with an increased sum of urinary concentrations of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites (inorganic arsenic + MAA + DMAA). The determination of urinary arsenobetaine proved to determine specifically the seafood-derived arsenic, allowing this arsenic to be distinguished clearly from the arsenic from occupational exposure. Monitoring arsenic exposure by determining the arsenic in the hair appeared to be of value only when used for environmental monitoring of arsenic contamination rather than for biological monitoring.

  9. Methods for Introducing Inorganic Polymer Concepts throughout the Undergraduate Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Lill, Daniel T.; Carraher, Charles E., Jr.

    2017-01-01

    Inorganic polymers can be introduced in a variety of undergraduate courses to discuss concepts related to polymer chemistry. Inorganic polymers such as silicates and polysiloxanes are simple materials that can be incorporated into an introductory or descriptive inorganic course. Polymers based on inorganic carbon, including diamond and graphite,…

  10. Responsive hybrid inorganic-organic system derived from lanthanide luminescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Zhan [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zheng, Yuhui, E-mail: yhzheng78@scnu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Jiang, Lasheng; Yang, Jinglian [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Qianming, E-mail: qmwang@scnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • A novel covalent hybrid material was used to detect hemoglobin. • All the recognition experiments were performed in buffer solution. • Porous nano-structures was extensively studied for the recognition. - Abstract: Terbium ions were incorporated into new organic-inorganic matrices to achieve intense green emissions. Hemoglobin (HB) interactions lead to dramatic changes in the luminescence emission intensities. Infrared spectra, morphological studies and photoluminescence give information for the speciation and process of hemoglobin additions. The porous material has a large specific surface area of 351 cm{sup 2}/g and the detection limit for HB (0.7 μM) was much lower than its physical doped material (8 μM). This promising hybrid material will lead to the design of versatile optical probes that are efficiently responding to the external targets.

  11. Effects of inorganic substances on water splitting in ion-exchange membranes; II. Optimal contents of inorganic substances in preparing bipolar membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Moon-Sung; Choi, Yong-Jin; Moon, Seung-Hyeon

    2004-05-15

    An approach to enhancing the water-splitting performance of bipolar membranes (BPMs) is introducing an inorganic substance at the bipolar (BP) junction. In this study, the immobilization of inorganic matters (i.e., iron hydroxides and silicon compounds) at the BP junction and the optimum concentration have been investigated. To immobilize these inorganic matters, novel methods (i.e., electrodeposition of the iron hydroxide and processing of the sol-gel to introduce silicon groups at the BP junction) were suggested. At optimal concentrations, the immobilized inorganic matters significantly enhanced the water-splitting fluxes, indicating that they provide alternative paths for water dissociation, but on the other hand possibly reduce the polarization of water molecules between the sulfonic acid and quaternary ammonium groups at high contents. Consequently, the amount of inorganic substances introduced should be optimized to obtain the maximum water splitting in the BPM.

  12. PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mu Zhou

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN, received signal strength (RSS-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM. Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization.

  13. PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Mu; Zhang, Qiao; Xu, Kunjie; Tian, Zengshan; Wang, Yanmeng; He, Wei

    2015-09-25

    Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN), received signal strength (RSS)-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL) by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR) algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization.

  14. Organic and inorganic ion exchangers as catalysts for the heterogeneous alkylation of aromatics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, J; Widdecke, H [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Chemische Technologie

    1979-06-01

    Ion exchangers have advantages over low molecular for use in industrial alkylation reactions. The reactivity and selectivity behaviour of the polymeric catalysts was found to be markedly influenced by the structure of the polymeric matrix as well as the type and number of the functional groups. In this connection many similarities between inorganic ion exchangers (zeolites) and organic ion exchange resins were detected.

  15. Zeta potential control in decontamination with inorganic membranes and inorganic adsorbents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andalaft, E; Vega, R; Correa, M; Araya, R; Loyola, P [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile)

    1997-02-01

    The application of some advanced separation processes such as microfiltration and ultrafiltration, electroosmosis and electrodialysis for treating nuclear waste from different aqueous streams is under examination at the Chilean Commission for Nuclear Energy. The application of these techniques can be extended to regular industrial wastes when economically advisable. This report deals mainly with electrodialysis, electroosmosis and adsorption with inorganic materials. Special attention is paid to zeta potential control as a driving factor to electroosmosis. For radioactive contaminants that are present in the form of cations, anions, non-ionic solutions, colloids and suspended matter, appropriate combination of the processes may considerably increase the efficiency of processes used. As an example, colloids and suspended particles may be retained in porous ceramic membranes by nanofiltration, ultrafiltration or microfiltration depending on the particle size of the particles. The control of zeta potential by acting in the solid phase or else on the liquid phase has been studied; a mathematical model to predict electrodialysis data has been developed, and finally, the use of a home-made inorganic adsorbent illustrated. The effect of gamma irradiation on the membranes has also been studied. Properties such as salt retention, water flux and pore size diameter determined on both organic and inorganic membranes before and after irradiation indicate deterioration of the organic membrane. (author). 13 refs, 15 figs, 2 tabs.

  16. Zeta potential control in decontamination with inorganic membranes and inorganic adsorbents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andalaft, E.; Vega, R.; Correa, M.; Araya, R.; Loyola, P.

    1997-01-01

    The application of some advanced separation processes such as microfiltration and ultrafiltration, electroosmosis and electrodialysis for treating nuclear waste from different aqueous streams is under examination at the Chilean Commission for Nuclear Energy. The application of these techniques can be extended to regular industrial wastes when economically advisable. This report deals mainly with electrodialysis, electroosmosis and adsorption with inorganic materials. Special attention is paid to zeta potential control as a driving factor to electroosmosis. For radioactive contaminants that are present in the form of cations, anions, non-ionic solutions, colloids and suspended matter, appropriate combination of the processes may considerably increase the efficiency of processes used. As an example, colloids and suspended particles may be retained in porous ceramic membranes by nanofiltration, ultrafiltration or microfiltration depending on the particle size of the particles. The control of zeta potential by acting in the solid phase or else on the liquid phase has been studied; a mathematical model to predict electrodialysis data has been developed, and finally, the use of a home-made inorganic adsorbent illustrated. The effect of gamma irradiation on the membranes has also been studied. Properties such as salt retention, water flux and pore size diameter determined on both organic and inorganic membranes before and after irradiation indicate deterioration of the organic membrane. (author). 13 refs, 15 figs, 2 tabs

  17. Ion-exclusion/cation-exchange chromatography with dual detection of the conductivity and spectrophotometry for the simultaneous determination of common inorganic anionic species and cations in river and wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakatani, Nobutake; Kozaki, Daisuke; Mori, Masanobu; Hasebe, Kiyoshi; Nakagoshi, Nobukazu; Tanaka, Kazuhiko

    2011-01-01

    Simultaneous determinations of common inorganic anionic species (SO(4)(2-), Cl(-), NO(3)(-), phosphate and silicate) and cations (Na(+), NH(4)(+), K(+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)) were conducted using an ion-chromatography system with dual detection of conductivity and spectrophotometry in tandem. The separation of ionic species on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin was accomplished using a mixture of 100 mM ascorbic acid and 4 mM 18-crown-6 as an acidic eluent (pH 2.6), after which the ions were detected using a conductivity detector. Subsequently, phosphate and silicate were analyzed based on derivatization with molybdate and spectrophotometry at 700 nm. The detection limits at S/N = 3 ranged from 0.11 to 2.9 µM for analyte ionic species. This method was applied to practical river water and wastewater with acceptable criteria for the anion-cation balance and comparisons of the measured and calculated electrical conductivity, demonstrating the usefulness of the present method for water quality monitoring.

  18. Layered inorganic solids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Čejka, Jiří; Morris, R. E.; Nachtigall, P.; Roth, Wieslaw Jerzy

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 27 (2014), s. 10274-10275 ISSN 1477-9226 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : layered inorganic solids * physical chemistry * catalysis Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.197, year: 2014

  19. Essentials of inorganic materials synthesis

    CERN Document Server

    Rao, C N R

    2015-01-01

    This compact handbook describes all the important methods of synthesis employed today for synthesizing inorganic materials. Some features: Focuses on modern inorganic materials with applications in nanotechnology, energy materials, and sustainability Synthesis is a crucial component of materials science and technology; this book provides a simple introduction as well as an updated description of methods Written in a very simple style, providing references to the literature to get details of the methods of preparation when required

  20. Determination of Inorganic Ion Profiles of Illicit Drugs by Capillary Electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Elizabeth; Costrino, Carolina; do Lago, Claudimir L; Garcia, Carlos D; Roux, Claude; Blanes, Lucas

    2016-11-01

    A portable capillary electrophoresis instrument with dual capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) was used to determine the inorganic ionic profiles of three pharmaceutical samples and precursors of two illicit drugs (contemporary samples of methylone and para-methoxymethamphetamine). The LODs ranged from 0.10 μmol/L to 1.25 μmol/L for the 10 selected cations, and from 0.13 μmol/L to 1.03 μmol/L for the eight selected anions. All separations were performed in less than 6 min with migration times and peak area RSD values ranging from 2 to 7%. The results demonstrate the potential of the analysis of inorganic ionic species to aid in the identification and/or differentiation of unknown tablets, and real samples found in illicit drug manufacture scenarios. From the resulting ionic fingerprint, the unknown tablets and samples can be further classified. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  1. Inorganic Constituents in Coal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rađenović A.

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Coal contains not only organic matter but also small amounts of inorganic constituents. More thanone hundred different minerals and virtually every element in the periodic table have been foundin coal. Commonly found group minerals in coal are: major (quartz, pyrite, clays and carbonates,minor, and trace minerals. Coal includes a lot of elements of low mass fraction of the orderof w=0.01 or 0.001 %. They are trace elements connected with organic matter or minerals comprisedin coal. The fractions of trace elements usually decrease when the rank of coal increases.Fractions of the inorganic elements are different, depending on the coal bed and basin. A varietyof analytical methods and techniques can be used to determine the mass fractions, mode ofoccurrence, and distribution of organic constituents in coal. There are many different instrumentalmethods for analysis of coal and coal products but atomic absorption spectroscopy – AAS is theone most commonly used. Fraction and mode of occurrence are one of the main factors that haveinfluence on transformation and separation of inorganic constituents during coal conversion.Coal, as an important world energy source and component for non-fuels usage, will be continuouslyand widely used in the future due to its relatively abundant reserves. However, there is aconflict between the requirements for increased use of coal on the one hand and less pollution onthe other. It’s known that the environmental impacts, due to either coal mining or coal usage, canbe: air, water and land pollution. Although, minor components, inorganic constituents can exert asignificant influence on the economic value, utilization, and environmental impact of the coal.

  2. Inorganic nanolayers: structure, preparation, and biomedical applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saifullah B

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Bullo Saifullah, Mohd Zobir B HusseinMaterials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, MalaysiaAbstract: Hydrotalcite-like compounds are two-dimensional inorganic nanolayers also known as clay minerals or anionic clays or layered double hydroxides/layered hydroxy salts, and have emerged as a single type of material with numerous biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, gene delivery, cosmetics, and biosensing. Inorganic nanolayers are promising materials due to their fascinating properties, such as ease of preparation, ability to intercalate different type of anions (inorganic, organic, biomolecules, and even genes, high thermal stability, delivery of intercalated anions in a sustained manner, high biocompatibility, and easy biodegradation. Inorganic nanolayers have been the focus for researchers over the last decade, resulting in widening application horizons, especially in the field of biomedical science. These nanolayers have been widely applied in drug and gene delivery. They have also been applied in biosensing technology, and most recently in bioimaging science. The suitability of inorganic nanolayers for application in drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing technology, and bioimaging science makes them ideal materials to be applied for theranostic purposes. In this paper, we review the structure, methods of preparation, and latest advances made by inorganic nanolayers in such biomedical applications as drug delivery, gene delivery, biosensing, and bioimaging.Keywords: inorganic nanolayers, layered double hydroxides, layered hydroxy salts, drug delivery, biosensors, bioimaging

  3. Inorganic Membranes: Preparation and Application for Water Treatment and Desalination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Kayvani Fard

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Inorganic membrane science and technology is an attractive field of membrane separation technology, which has been dominated by polymer membranes. Recently, the inorganic membrane has been undergoing rapid development and innovation. Inorganic membranes have the advantage of resisting harsh chemical cleaning, high temperature and wear resistance, high chemical stability, long lifetime, and autoclavable. All of these outstanding properties made inorganic membranes good candidates to be used for water treatment and desalination applications. This paper is a state of the art review on the synthesis, development, and application of different inorganic membranes for water and wastewater treatment. The inorganic membranes reviewed in this paper include liquid membranes, dynamic membranes, various ceramic membranes, carbon based membranes, silica membranes, and zeolite membranes. A brief description of the different synthesis routes for the development of inorganic membranes for application in water industry is given and each synthesis rout is critically reviewed and compared. Thereafter, the recent studies on different application of inorganic membrane and their properties for water treatment and desalination in literature are critically summarized. It was reported that inorganic membranes despite their high synthesis cost, showed very promising results with high flux, full salt rejection, and very low or no fouling.

  4. Inorganic Membranes: Preparation and Application for Water Treatment and Desalination

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Gordon; Buekenhoudt, Anita; Motmans, Filip; Khraisheh, Marwan; Atieh, Muataz

    2018-01-01

    Inorganic membrane science and technology is an attractive field of membrane separation technology, which has been dominated by polymer membranes. Recently, the inorganic membrane has been undergoing rapid development and innovation. Inorganic membranes have the advantage of resisting harsh chemical cleaning, high temperature and wear resistance, high chemical stability, long lifetime, and autoclavable. All of these outstanding properties made inorganic membranes good candidates to be used for water treatment and desalination applications. This paper is a state of the art review on the synthesis, development, and application of different inorganic membranes for water and wastewater treatment. The inorganic membranes reviewed in this paper include liquid membranes, dynamic membranes, various ceramic membranes, carbon based membranes, silica membranes, and zeolite membranes. A brief description of the different synthesis routes for the development of inorganic membranes for application in water industry is given and each synthesis rout is critically reviewed and compared. Thereafter, the recent studies on different application of inorganic membrane and their properties for water treatment and desalination in literature are critically summarized. It was reported that inorganic membranes despite their high synthesis cost, showed very promising results with high flux, full salt rejection, and very low or no fouling. PMID:29304024

  5. Advances in organic-inorganic hybrid sorbents for the extraction of organic and inorganic pollutants in different types of food and environmental samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Nyuk-Ting; Kamaruddin, Amirah Farhan; Wan Ibrahim, Wan Aini; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Abdul Keyon, Aemi S

    2018-01-01

    The efficiency of the extraction and removal of pollutants from food and the environment has been an important issue in analytical science. By incorporating inorganic species into an organic matrix, a new material known as an organic-inorganic hybrid material is formed. As it possesses high selectivity, permeability, and mechanical and chemical stabilities, organic-inorganic hybrid materials constitute an emerging research field and have become popular to serve as sorbents in various separaton science methods. Here, we review recent significant advances in analytical solid-phase extraction employing organic-inorganic composite/nanocomposite sorbents for the extraction of organic and inorganic pollutants from various types of food and environmental matrices. The physicochemical characteristics, extraction properties, and analytical performances of sorbents are discussed; including morphology and surface characteristics, types of functional groups, interaction mechanism, selectivity and sensitivity, accuracy, and regeneration abilities. Organic-inorganic hybrid sorbents combined with extraction techniques are highly promising for sample preparation of various food and environmental matrixes with analytes at trace levels. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Uptake of inorganic contaminants by pteridophytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Jiemin; Chen Ziyuan; Tang Shirong; Guangzhou Univ., Guangzhou; Ding Bingyang

    2005-01-01

    The review covers results at home and abroad in terms of uptake of inorganic contaminants by pteridophytes, and suggests pteridophytes' significance in phytoremediation; the mechanisms related to uptake of inorganic contaminants by pteridophytes and some methods and means used for research on the mechanism are also introduced; the authors' viewpoints on future development trends are presented in this paper. (authors)

  7. Inorganic phosphorus fertilizer ameliorates maize growth by reducing metal uptake, improving soil enzyme activity and microbial community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wencheng; Wu, Jiahui; Liu, Xiaowen; Chen, Xianbin; Wu, Yingxin; Yu, Shixiao

    2017-09-01

    Recently, several studies have showed that both organic and inorganic fertilizers are effective in immobilizing heavy metals at low cost, in comparison to other remediation strategies for heavy metal-contaminated farmlands. A pot trial was conducted in this study to examine the effects of inorganic P fertilizer and organic fertilizer, in single application or in combination, on growth of maize, heavy metal availabilities, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure in metal-contaminated soils from an electronic waste recycling region. Results showed that biomass of maize shoot and root from the inorganic P fertilizer treatments were respectively 17.8 and 10.0 folds higher than the un-amended treatments (CK), while the biomass in the organic fertilizer treatments was only comparable to the CK. In addition, there were decreases of 85.0% in Cd, 74.3% in Pb, 66.3% in Cu, and 91.9% in Zn concentrations in the roots of maize grown in inorganic P fertilizer amended soil. Consistently, urease and catalase activities in the inorganic P fertilizer amended soil were 3.3 and 2.0 times higher than the CK, whereas no enhancement was observed in the organic fertilizer amended soil. Moreover, microbial community structure was improved by the application of inorganic P fertilizer, but not by organic fertilizer; the beneficial microbial groups such as Kaistobacter and Koribacter were most frequently detected in the inorganic P fertilizer amended soil. The negligible effect from the organic fertilizer might be ascribed to the decreased pH value in soils. The results suggest that the application of inorganic P fertilizer (or in combination with organic fertilizer) might be a promising strategy for the remediation of heavy metals contaminated soils in electronic waste recycling region. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. Ultrasound exfoliation of inorganic analogues of graphene

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří; Slušná, Michaela; Ecorchard, Petra

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 9, APR (2014), s. 1-14 ISSN 1556-276X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-05146S Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Ultrasound * Exfoliation * Graphene inorganic analogues Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.779, year: 2014

  9. Computer-Assisted Inverse Design of Inorganic Electrides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunwei Zhang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Electrides are intrinsic electron-rich materials enabling applications as excellent electron emitters, superior catalysts, and strong reducing agents. There are a number of organic electrides; however, their instability at room temperature and sensitivity to moisture are bottlenecks for their practical uses. Known inorganic electrides are rare, but they appear to have greater thermal stability at ambient conditions and are thus better characterized for application. Here, we develop a computer-assisted inverse-design method for searching for a large variety of inorganic electrides unbiased by any known electride structures. It uses the intrinsic property of interstitial electron localization of electrides as the global variable function for swarm intelligence structure searches. We construct two rules of thumb on the design of inorganic electrides pointing to electron-rich ionic systems and low electronegativity of the cationic elements involved. By screening 99 such binary compounds through large-scale computer simulations, we identify 24 stable and 65 metastable new inorganic electrides that show distinct three-, two-, and zero-dimensional conductive properties, among which 18 are existing compounds that have not been pointed to as electrides. Our work reveals the rich abundance of inorganic electrides by providing 33 hitherto unexpected structure prototypes of electrides, of which 19 are not in the known structure databases.

  10. Polyacrylamide-based inorganic hybrid flocculants with self-degradable property

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Xinfang [Materials and Metallurgical College, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Hebei Provincial Laboratory for Dielectric and Electrolyte Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Tao, Junshi; Li, Mingzhi; Zhu, Bishan; Li, Xuan; Ma, Zhiyu; Zhao, Tingjie; Wang, Bingzhu; Suo, Biao [Hebei Provincial Laboratory for Dielectric and Electrolyte Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Wang, Haiwang, E-mail: whwdbdx@126.com [Materials and Metallurgical College, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Hebei Provincial Laboratory for Dielectric and Electrolyte Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Yang, Jun, E-mail: jyang@ipe.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Ye, Li, E-mail: yeli@iccas.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Qi, Xiwei, E-mail: qxw@mail.neuq.edu.cn [Materials and Metallurgical College, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Hebei Provincial Laboratory for Dielectric and Electrolyte Materials, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

    2017-05-01

    Polyacrylamide (PAM)-based inorganic hybrid materials are of great potential as flocculants in soil-liquid separation. Herein, we reported the design of inorganic soil-TiO{sub 2}-PAM hybrid materials using a unique process, which involved coating of titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles on the surface of inorganic soils and subsequent polymerization of acrylamide (AM) on these nanoparticles under visible light. Inorganic soils including kaolin, bentonite, montmorillonite and diatomaceous earth were used to control the volume and to reduce the cost, and the TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles accelerated PAM degradation. The nanoparticles initiated AM polymerization directly under visible light, thus providing a facile strategy for the synthesis of new organic-inorganic hybrid flocculants. The obtained hybrid materials were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The degradation of PAM initiated by UV irradiation exceeded 24% in 2 h, depending on its initial concentration. - Highlights: • A new polyacrylamide (PAM)-based inorganic hybrid flocculants with self-degradable property was developed. • TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles show a unique surface-initiated property under the condition of visible light. • We designed a facile strategy for the synthesis of inorganic soil@TiO{sub 2}@PAM hybrid materials.

  11. Monitoring organic and inorganic pollutants in juvenile live sea turtles: results from a study of Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata in Cape Verde.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camacho, María; Boada, Luis D; Orós, Jorge; López, Pedro; Zumbado, Manuel; Almeida-González, Maira; Luzardo, Octavio P

    2014-05-15

    Despite the current environmental concern regarding the risk posed by contamination in marine ecosystems, the concentrations of pollutants in sea turtles have not been thoroughly elucidated. In the current study, we determined the concentrations of 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 11 inorganic elements (Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr, As, Al, Hg and Se) for the first time in two sea turtle species (Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata). Only five of the 18 analyzed OCPs were detected in both species. The average total OCP concentration was higher in green turtles than in hawksbills (0.33 ng/ml versus 0.20 ng/ml). Higher concentrations of individual congeners and total PCBs were also detected in green turtles than in hawksbills (∑PCBs=0.73ng/ml versus 0.19 ng/ml), and different PCB contamination profiles were observed in these two species. Concerning PAHs, we also observed a different contamination profile and higher levels of contamination in green turtles (∑PAHs=12.06 ng/ml versus 2.95 ng/ml). Di- and tri-cyclic PAHs were predominant in both populations, suggesting a petrogenic origin, rather than urban sources of PAHs. Additionally, all of the samples exhibited detectable levels of the 11 inorganic elements. In this case, we also observed relevant differences between both species. Thus, Zn was the most abundant inorganic element in hawksbills (an essential inorganic element), whereas Ni, a well-known toxicant, was the most abundant inorganic element in green turtles. The presence of contaminants is greater in green turtles relative to hawksbill turtles, suggesting a greater exposure to hazardous chemical contaminants for green turtles. These results provide baseline data for these species that can serve for future monitoring purposes outlined in the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Preparation of inorganic hydrophobic catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Yong; Wang, Heyi; Du, Yang

    2009-04-01

    In order to catalyse the oxidation of tritium gas, two inorganic hydrophobic catalysts are prepared. Under room temperature, the catalysed oxidation ratio of 0.3%-1% (V/V) hydrogen gas in air is higher than 95%. Pt-II inorganic hydrophobic catalysts has obviously better catalysing ability than Pt-PTFE and lower ability than Pt-SDB in H 2 -HTO isotopic exchange, because the pressure resistence of Pt-II is much higher than Pt-SDB, it can be used to the CECE cell of heavy water detritium system. (authors)

  13. The use of x-ray fluorescence in the detection of inorganic elements in medicines drugs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freitas, Tatiana Pereira da Silva de; Ricci Junior, Eduardo; Zucchi, Orgheda Luiza Araujo Domingues

    1997-01-01

    Based on the instrumental wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique of analysis (W D-X R F), the inorganic elements in four samples of commercial medicines drugs were analyzed. The samples were used without any chemical separation of the elements or chemical pre-treatment. Eleven elements could be identified, namely Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn. However, Si, Ti and Mn have not been mentioned in the printed instructions for the use of the medicines drugs by the producers. (author)

  14. Electrically detected displacement assay (EDDA): a practical approach to nucleic acid testing in clinical or medical diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liepold, P; Kratzmüller, T; Persike, N; Bandilla, M; Hinz, M; Wieder, H; Hillebrandt, H; Ferrer, E; Hartwich, G

    2008-07-01

    This paper introduces the electrically detected displacement assay (EDDA), a electrical biosensor detection principle for applications in medical and clinical diagnosis, and compares the method to currently available microarray technologies in this field. The sensor can be integrated into automated systems of routine diagnosis, but may also be used as a sensor that is directly applied to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction vessel to detect unlabeled target amplicons within a few minutes. Major aspects of sensor assembly like immobilization procedure, accessibility of the capture probes, and prevention from nonspecific target adsorption, that are a prerequisite for a robust and reliable performance of the sensor, are demonstrated. Additionally, exemplary results from a human papillomavirus assay are presented.

  15. Radio Interferometric Detection of TiO and TiO_2 in VY Canis Majoris: "seeds" of Inorganic Dust Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunken, S.; Muller, H. S. P.; Kaminski, T.; Menten, K. M.; Gott-Lieb, C. A.; Patel, N. A.; Young, K. H.; McCarthy, M. C.; Winters, J. M.; Decin, L.

    2013-06-01

    Circumstellar envelopes around late-type stars harbour a rich variety of molecular gas and copious amounts of dust, originating from the mass-loss of the central star during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) or the red supergiant phase. The formation of dust in these objects, in particular the first nucleation stages out of gas phase molecules, is still poorly understood. Here we report the first detection of pure rotational transitions of the two simplest titanium oxides, TiO and TiO_2, towards the oxygen-rich red supergiant VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa). This actually represents the first secure identification of TiO_2 in space. Observations of several rotational emission lines of both species with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in the 345 GHz-band and with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) around 220 GHz confirm the presence of these refractory species in the cool (<1000 K) circumstellar envelope in a region several times the size of the dust formation zone. The role of Ti oxides as "seeds" of inorganic dust formation in oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes will be discussed in view of the present observations.

  16. Identification of the inorganic pyrophosphate metabolizing, ATP substituting pathway in mammalian spermatozoa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Young-Joo; Sutovsky, Miriam; Kennedy, Chelsey; Sutovsky, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is generated by ATP hydrolysis in the cells and also present in extracellular matrix, cartilage and bodily fluids. Fueling an alternative pathway for energy production in cells, PPi is hydrolyzed by inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPA1) in a highly exergonic reaction that can under certain conditions substitute for ATP-derived energy. Recombinant PPA1 is used for energy-regeneration in the cell-free systems used to study the zymology of ATP-dependent ubiquitin-proteasome system, including the role of sperm-borne proteasomes in mammalian fertilization. Inspired by an observation of reduced in vitro fertilization (IVF) rates in the presence of external, recombinant PPA1, this study reveals, for the first time, the presence of PPi, PPA1 and PPi transporter, progressive ankylosis protein ANKH in mammalian spermatozoa. Addition of PPi during porcine IVF increased fertilization rates significantly and in a dose-dependent manner. Fluorometric assay detected high levels of PPi in porcine seminal plasma, oviductal fluid and spermatozoa. Immunofluorescence detected PPA1 in the postacrosomal sheath (PAS) and connecting piece of boar spermatozoa; ANKH was present in the sperm head PAS and equatorial segment. Both ANKH and PPA1 were also detected in human and mouse spermatozoa, and in porcine spermatids. Higher proteasomal-proteolytic activity, indispensable for fertilization, was measured in spermatozoa preserved with PPi. The identification of an alternative, PPi dependent pathway for ATP production in spermatozoa elevates our understanding of sperm physiology and sets the stage for the improvement of semen extenders, storage media and IVF media for animal biotechnology and human assisted reproductive therapies.

  17. Identification of the inorganic pyrophosphate metabolizing, ATP substituting pathway in mammalian spermatozoa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Joo Yi

    Full Text Available Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi is generated by ATP hydrolysis in the cells and also present in extracellular matrix, cartilage and bodily fluids. Fueling an alternative pathway for energy production in cells, PPi is hydrolyzed by inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPA1 in a highly exergonic reaction that can under certain conditions substitute for ATP-derived energy. Recombinant PPA1 is used for energy-regeneration in the cell-free systems used to study the zymology of ATP-dependent ubiquitin-proteasome system, including the role of sperm-borne proteasomes in mammalian fertilization. Inspired by an observation of reduced in vitro fertilization (IVF rates in the presence of external, recombinant PPA1, this study reveals, for the first time, the presence of PPi, PPA1 and PPi transporter, progressive ankylosis protein ANKH in mammalian spermatozoa. Addition of PPi during porcine IVF increased fertilization rates significantly and in a dose-dependent manner. Fluorometric assay detected high levels of PPi in porcine seminal plasma, oviductal fluid and spermatozoa. Immunofluorescence detected PPA1 in the postacrosomal sheath (PAS and connecting piece of boar spermatozoa; ANKH was present in the sperm head PAS and equatorial segment. Both ANKH and PPA1 were also detected in human and mouse spermatozoa, and in porcine spermatids. Higher proteasomal-proteolytic activity, indispensable for fertilization, was measured in spermatozoa preserved with PPi. The identification of an alternative, PPi dependent pathway for ATP production in spermatozoa elevates our understanding of sperm physiology and sets the stage for the improvement of semen extenders, storage media and IVF media for animal biotechnology and human assisted reproductive therapies.

  18. Industrial inorganic chemistry. 2. rev. ed.

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buechner, W.; Schliebs, R.; Winter, G.; Buechel, K.H.

    1986-01-01

    Inorganic chemistry is a branch of considerable economic and technical importance. Apart from supplying the market with metals, fertilizers, building materials, pigments and glass it is one of the major suppliers of process materials to the organic chemical industry. Many modern products of other industrial sectors (video tapes, optical fibers or silicon chips) could not have been developed and manufactured without the achievements of industrial inorganic chemistry. The publication is the first of its kind to give a compact description of the inorganic chemistry sector. A clearly arranged survey facilitates access to production processes, economic aspects, ecological implications, energy consumption and raw material consumption as well as to many other data and facts. Due to its clear arrangement and the combination of technical and economic facts the book is a valuable source of information. (orig./EF) [de

  19. Speciation of inorganic arsenic by electrochemical hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Xun [Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Gannan Teachers College, Ganzhou 341000 (China); Jia Jing [Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Wang Zhenghao [Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China)]. E-mail: zhwang@bnu.edu.cn

    2006-02-23

    A simple procedure was developed for the speciation of inorganic arsenic by electrochemical hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (EcHG-AAS), without pre-reduction of As(V). Glassy carbon was selected as cathode material in the flow cell. An optimum catholyte concentration for simultaneous generation of arsine from As(III) and As(V) was 0.06 mol l{sup -1} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Under the optimized conditions, adequate sensitivity and difference in ratio of slopes of the calibration curves for As(III) and As(V) can be achieved at the electrolytic currents of 0.6 and 1 A. The speciation of inorganic arsenic can be performed by controlling the electrolytic currents, and the concentration of As(III) and As(V) in the sample can be calculated according to the equations of absorbance additivity obtained at two selected electrolytic currents. The calibration curves were linear up to 50 ng ml{sup -1} for both As(III) and As(V) at 0.6 and 1 A. The detection limits of the method were 0.2 and 0.5 ng ml{sup -1} for As(III) and As(V) at 0.6 A, respectively. The relative standard deviations were of 2.1% for 20 ng ml{sup -1} As(III) and 2.5% for 20 ng ml{sup -1} As(V). The method was validated by the analysis of human hair certified reference material and successfully applied to speciation of soluble inorganic arsenic in Chinese medicine.

  20. Speciation of inorganic arsenic by electrochemical hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xun; Jia Jing; Wang Zhenghao

    2006-01-01

    A simple procedure was developed for the speciation of inorganic arsenic by electrochemical hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (EcHG-AAS), without pre-reduction of As(V). Glassy carbon was selected as cathode material in the flow cell. An optimum catholyte concentration for simultaneous generation of arsine from As(III) and As(V) was 0.06 mol l -1 H 2 SO 4 . Under the optimized conditions, adequate sensitivity and difference in ratio of slopes of the calibration curves for As(III) and As(V) can be achieved at the electrolytic currents of 0.6 and 1 A. The speciation of inorganic arsenic can be performed by controlling the electrolytic currents, and the concentration of As(III) and As(V) in the sample can be calculated according to the equations of absorbance additivity obtained at two selected electrolytic currents. The calibration curves were linear up to 50 ng ml -1 for both As(III) and As(V) at 0.6 and 1 A. The detection limits of the method were 0.2 and 0.5 ng ml -1 for As(III) and As(V) at 0.6 A, respectively. The relative standard deviations were of 2.1% for 20 ng ml -1 As(III) and 2.5% for 20 ng ml -1 As(V). The method was validated by the analysis of human hair certified reference material and successfully applied to speciation of soluble inorganic arsenic in Chinese medicine

  1. Determination of inorganic mercury and total mercury in biological and environmental samples by flow injection-cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrometry using sodium borohydride as the sole reducing agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rio Segade, Susana; Tyson, Julian F.

    2003-01-01

    A simple, fast, precise and accurate method to determine inorganic mercury and total mercury in biological and environmental samples was developed. The optimized flow-injection mercury system permitted the separate determination of inorganic mercury and total mercury using sodium borohydride as reducing agent. Inorganic mercury was selectively determined after reduction with 10 -4 % w/v sodium borohydride, while total mercury was determined after reduction with 0.75% w/v sodium borohydride. The calibration graphs were linear up to 30 ng ml -1 . The detection limits of the method based on three times the standard deviation of the blank were 24 and 3.9 ng l -1 for total mercury and inorganic mercury determination, respectively. The relative standard deviation was less than 1.5% for a 10 ng ml -1 mercury standard. As a means of checking method performance, deionized water and pond water samples were spiked with methylmercury and inorganic mercury; quantitative recovery for total mercury and inorganic mercury was obtained. The accuracy of the method was verified by analyzing alkaline and acid extracts of five biological and sediment reference materials. Microwave-assisted extraction procedures resulted in higher concentrations of recovered mercury species, lower matrix interference with mercury determination and less time involved in sample treatment than conventional extraction procedures. The standard addition method was only needed for calibration when biological samples were analyzed. The detection limits were in the range of 1.2-19 and 6.6-18 ng g -1 in biological and sediment samples for inorganic mercury and total mercury determination, respectively

  2. Inorganic and organic radiation chemistry: state and problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalyazin, E.P.; Bugaenko, L.T.

    1990-01-01

    Radiation inorganic and organic chemistry is presented on the basis of the general scheme and classification of radiolysis products and elementary processes, by which evolution of radiation-affected substances up to the final radiolysis products takes place. The evolution is traced for the representatives of inorganic and organic compounds. The contribution of radiation inorganic and organic chemistry to radiation technology, radiation materials technology, radiation ecology and medicine, is shown. Tendencies in the development of radiation chemistry and prediction of its certain directions are considered

  3. Synthetic Strategies in the Preparation of Polymer/Inorganic Hybrid Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Matthew A.; Mari, Margherita; Muñoz-Espí, Rafael

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews the recent advances and challenges in the preparation of polymer/inorganic hybrid nanoparticles. We mainly focus on synthetic strategies, basing our classification on whether the inorganic and the polymer components have been formed in situ or ex situ, of the hybrid material. Accordingly, four types of strategies are identified and described, referring to recent examples: (i) ex situ formation of the components and subsequent attachment or integration, either by covalent or noncovalent bonding; (ii) in situ polymerization in the presence of ex situ formed inorganic nanoparticles; (iii) in situ precipitation of the inorganic components on or in polymer structures; and (iv) strategies in which both polymer and inorganic component are simultaneously formed in situ. PMID:28788665

  4. Development of conjugate methods with gas chromatography for inorganic compounds analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baccan, N.

    1975-01-01

    The application of gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry or with nuclear methods for the analysis of inorganic compounds is studied. The advantages of the use of a gas chromatograph coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer or with a high resolution radiation detector, are discussed. We also studied the formation and solvent extraction of metal chelates; an aliquot of the organic phase was directly injected into the gas chromatograph and the eluted compounds were detected by mass spectrometry or, when radioactive, by nuclear methods. (author)

  5. Organometallic-inorganic hybrid electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Qian; Lemmon, John P.; Choi, Daiwon; Cosimbescu, Lelia

    2016-09-13

    Disclosed are embodiments of active materials for organometallic and organometallic-inorganic hybrid electrodes and particularly active materials for organometallic and organometallic-inorganic hybrid cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. In certain embodiments the organometallic material comprises a ferrocene polymer.

  6. Minimizing the t1-noise when using an indirect 1H high-resolution detection of unlabeled samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, M; Wegner, S; Trébosc, J; Hu, B; Lafon, O; Amoureux, J P

    2017-10-01

    The most utilized through-space correlation 1 H-{X} methods with proton indirect detection use two consecutive transfers, 1 H → X and then X →  1 H, with the evolution time t 1 in the middle. When the X isotope is not 100% naturally abundant (NA), only the signal of the protons close to these isotopes is modulated by the 1 H-X dipolar interactions. This signal is theoretically disentangled with phase-cycling from the un-modulated one. However, this separation is never perfect and it may lead to t 1 -noise in case of isotopes with very small NA, such as 13 C or even worse 15 N. One way to reduce this t 1 -noise is to minimize, 'purge', during t 1 the un-modulated 1 H magnetization before trying to suppress it with phase-cycling. We analyze experimentally several sequences following the HORROR condition, which allow purging the 1 H transverse magnetization. The comparison is made at three spinning speeds, including very fast ones for 1 H resolution: 27.75, 55.5 and 111 kHz. We show (i) that the efficiency of this purging process increases with the spinning speed, and (ii) that the best recoupling sequences are the two simplest ones: XY and S 1  = SR2 1 2 . We then compare the S/N that can be achieved with the two most used 1 H-{X} 2D methods, called D-HMQC and CP-CP. The only difference in between these two methods is that the transfers are done with either two π/2-pulses on X channel (D-HMQC), or two Cross-Polarization (CP) transfers (CP-CP). The first method, D-HMQC, is very robust and should be preferred when indirectly detecting nuclei with high NA. The second method, CP-CP, (i) requires experimental precautions to limit the t 1 -noise, and (ii) is difficult to use with quadrupolar nuclei because the two CP transfers are then not efficient nor robust. However, CP-CP is presently the best method to indirectly detect isotopes with small NA, such as 13 C and 15 N. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Investigations of inorganic and hybrid inorganic-organic nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kam, Kinson Chihang

    This thesis focuses on the exploratory synthesis and characterization of inorganic and hybrid inorganic-organic nanomaterials. In particular, nanostructures of semiconducting nitrides and oxides, and hybrid systems of nanowire-polymer composites and framework materials, are investigated. These materials are characterized by a variety of techniques for structure, composition, morphology, surface area, optical properties, and electrical properties. In the study of inorganic nanomaterials, gallium nitride (GaN), indium oxide (In2O3), and vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanostructures were synthesized using different strategies and their physical properties were examined. GaN nanostructures were obtained from various synthetic routes. Solid-state ammonolysis of metastable gamma-Ga2O 3 nanoparticles was found to be particularly successful; they achieved high surface areas and photoluminescent study showed a blue shift in emission as a result of surface and size defects. Similarly, In2O3 nanostructures were obtained by carbon-assisted solid-state syntheses. The sub-oxidic species, which are generated via a self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, resulted in 1D nanostructures including nanowires, nanotrees, and nanobouquets upon oxidation. On the other hand, hydrothermal methods were used to obtain VO2 nanorods. After post-thermal treatment, infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that these nanorods exhibit a thermochromic transition with temperature that is higher by ˜10°C compared to the parent material. The thermochromic behavior indicated a semiconductor-to-metal transition associated with a structural transformation from monoclinic to rutile. The hybrid systems, on the other hand, enabled their properties to be tunable. In nanowire-polymer composites, zinc oxide (ZnO) and silver (Ag) nanowires were synthesized and incorporated into polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) via in-situ and ex-situ polymerization method. The electrical properties of these composites are

  8. Sol-gel processing with inorganic metal salt precursors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhong-Cheng

    2004-10-19

    Methods for sol-gel processing that generally involve mixing together an inorganic metal salt, water, and a water miscible alcohol or other organic solvent, at room temperature with a macromolecular dispersant material, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) added. The resulting homogenous solution is incubated at a desired temperature and time to result in a desired product. The methods enable production of high quality sols and gels at lower temperatures than standard methods. The methods enable production of nanosize sols from inorganic metal salts. The methods offer sol-gel processing from inorganic metal salts.

  9. Instrumentation and analytical methods in carbon balance studies - inorganic components in a marine environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Skjelvan, I.; Johannessen, T.; Miller, L.; Stoll, M.

    1996-03-01

    This paper was read at the workshop ``The Norwegian Climate and Ozone Research Programme`` held on 11-12 March 1996. Substantial amounts of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} enters the atmosphere. The land biota acts as a sink for CO{sub 2}, with uncertain consequences. About 30% of the anthropogenic CO{sub 2} added to the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean and how the ocean acts as a sink is central in understanding the carbon cycle. In their project the authors investigate the inorganic carbon in the ocean, especially total dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, and partial pressure of CO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}) in surface ocean and atmosphere. To determine total dissolved inorganic carbon, coulometric analysis is used in which an exact amount of sea water is acidified and the amount of carbon extracted is determined by a coulometer. Alkalinity is determined by potentiometric titration. In the pCO{sub 2} measurement, a small amount of air is circulated in a large amount of sea water and when after some time the amount of CO{sub 2} in the air reflects the CO{sub 2} concentration in the water, the pCO{sub 2} in the gas phase is determined by infra-red detection. The atmospheric pCO{sub 2} is also determined, and the difference between the two partial pressures gives information about source or sink activities. Total carbon and alkalinity measurements are done on discrete samples taken from all depths in the ocean, but for partial pressure detection an underway system is used, which determines the pCO{sub 2} in the surface ocean continuously

  10. Inorganic Nanoparticles for Multimodal Molecular Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Swierczewska

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Multimodal molecular imaging can offer a synergistic improvement of diagnostic ability over a single imaging modality. Recent development of hybrid imaging systems has profoundly impacted the pool of available multimodal imaging probes. In particular, much interest has been focused on biocompatible, inorganic nanoparticle-based multimodal probes. Inorganic nanoparticles offer exceptional advantages to the field of multimodal imaging owing to their unique characteristics, such as nanometer dimensions, tunable imaging properties, and multifunctionality. Nanoparticles mainly based on iron oxide, quantum dots, gold, and silica have been applied to various imaging modalities to characterize and image specific biologic processes on a molecular level. A combination of nanoparticles and other materials such as biomolecules, polymers, and radiometals continue to increase functionality for in vivo multimodal imaging and therapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss the unique concepts, characteristics, and applications of the various multimodal imaging probes based on inorganic nanoparticles.

  11. Toxicology of organic-inorganic hybrid molecules: bio-organometallics and its toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujie, Tomoya; Hara, Takato; Kaji, Toshiyuki

    2016-01-01

    Bio-organometallics is a research strategy of biology that uses organic-inorganic hybrid molecules. The molecules are expected to exhibit useful bioactivities based on the unique structure formed by interaction between the organic structure and intramolecular metal(s). However, studies on both biology and toxicology of organic-inorganic hybrid molecules have been incompletely performed. There can be two types of toxicological studies of bio-organometallics; one is evaluation of organic-inorganic hybrid molecules and the other is analysis of biological systems from the viewpoint of toxicology using organic-inorganic hybrid molecules. Our recent studies indicate that cytotoxicity of hybrid molecules containing a metal that is nontoxic in inorganic forms can be more toxic than that of hybrid molecules containing a metal that is toxic in inorganic forms when the structure of the ligand is the same. Additionally, it was revealed that organic-inorganic hybrid molecules are useful for analysis of biological systems important for understanding the toxicity of chemical compounds including heavy metals.

  12. Rumen microorganisms decrease bioavailability of inorganic selenium supplements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Despite the availaility of selenium (Se)-enriched trace mineral supplements, we have observed low Se status in cattle and sheep offered traditional inorganic Se supplements. Reasons for this may include inadequate intake or low bioavailability of inorganic Se sources. The objective of this study w...

  13. Soft templating strategies for the synthesis of mesoporous materials: inorganic, organic-inorganic hybrid and purely organic solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal, Nabanita; Bhaumik, Asim

    2013-03-01

    With the discovery of MCM-41 by Mobil researchers in 1992 the journey of the research on mesoporous materials started and in the 21st century this area of scientific investigation have extended into numerous branches, many of which contribute significantly in emerging areas like catalysis, energy, environment and biomedical research. As a consequence thousands of publications came out in large varieties of national and international journals. In this review, we have tried to summarize the published works on various synthetic pathways and formation mechanisms of different mesoporous materials viz. inorganic, organic-inorganic hybrid and purely organic solids via soft templating pathways. Generation of nanoscale porosity in a solid material usually requires participation of organic template (more specifically surfactants and their supramolecular assemblies) called structure-directing agent (SDA) in the bottom-up chemical reaction process. Different techniques employed for the syntheses of inorganic mesoporous solids, like silicas, metal doped silicas, transition and non-transition metal oxides, mixed oxides, metallophosphates, organic-inorganic hybrids as well as purely organic mesoporous materials like carbons, polymers etc. using surfactants are depicted schematically and elaborately in this paper. Moreover, some of the frontline applications of these mesoporous solids, which are directly related to their functionality, composition and surface properties are discussed at the appropriate places. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Survey meter using novel inorganic scintillators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshikawa, Akira; Fukuda, Kentaro; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Kamada, Kei; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Yokota, Yuui; Kurosawa, Shunsuke; Yanagida, Takayuki

    2012-01-01

    Single crystal scintillator materials are widely used for detection of high-energy photons and particles. There is continuous demand for new scintillator materials with higher performance because of increasing number of medical, industrial, security and other applications. This article presents the recent development of three novel inorganic scintillators; Pr-doped Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 (Pr:LuAG), Ce doped Gd 3 (Al, Ga) 5 O 12 (Ce:GAGG) and Ce or Eu-doped 6 LiCaAlF 6 (Ce:LiCAF, Eu:LiCAF). Pr:LuAG shows very interesting scintillation properties including very fast decay time, high light yield and excellent energy resolution. Taking the advantage of these properties, positron emission mammography (PEM) equipped with Pr:LuAG were developed. Ce:GAGG shows very high light yield, which is much higher than that of Ce:LYSO. Survey meter using Ce:GAGG is developed using this scintillator. Ce:LiCAF and Eu:LiCAF were developed for neutron detection. The advantage and disadvantage are discussed comparing with halide scintillators. Eu-doped LiCAF indicated five times higher light yield than that of existing Li-glass. It is expected to be used as the alternative of 3 He. (author)

  15. Intercalation compounds involving inorganic layered structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CONSTANTINO VERA R. L.

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Two-dimensional inorganic networks can shown intracrystalline reactivity, i.e., simple ions, large species as Keggin ions, organic species, coordination compounds or organometallics can be incorporated in the interlayer region. The host-guest interaction usually causes changes in their chemical, catalytic, electronic and optical properties. The isolation of materials with interesting properties and making use of soft chemistry routes have given rise the possibility of industrial and technological applications of these compounds. We have been using several synthetic approaches to intercalate porphyrins and phthalocyanines into inorganic materials: smectite clays, layered double hydroxides and layered niobates. The isolated materials have been characterized by elemental and thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, surface area measurements, scanning electronic microscopy, electronic and resonance Raman spectroscopies and EPR. The degree of layer stacking and the charge density of the matrices as well their acid-base nature were considered in our studies on the interaction between the macrocycles and inorganic hosts.

  16. Boxcar detection for high-frequency modulation in stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fimpel, P.; Riek, C.; Ebner, L.; Leitenstorfer, A.; Brida, D.; Zumbusch, A.

    2018-04-01

    Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is an important non-linear optical technique for the investigation of unlabeled samples. The SRS signal manifests itself as a small intensity exchange between the laser pulses involved in coherent excitation of Raman modes. Usually, high-frequency modulation is applied in one pulse train, and the signal is then detected on the other pulse train via lock-in amplification. While allowing shot-noise limited detection sensitivity, lock-in detection, which corresponds to filtering the signal in the frequency domain, is not the most efficient way of using the excitation light. In this manuscript, we show that boxcar averaging, which is equivalent to temporal filtering, is better suited for the detection of low-duty-cycle signals as encountered in SRS microscopy. We demonstrate that by employing suitable gating windows, the signal-to-noise ratios achievable with lock-in detection can be realized in shorter time with boxcar averaging. Therefore, high-quality images are recorded at a faster rate and lower irradiance which is an important factor, e.g., for minimizing degradation of biological samples.

  17. Inorganic component of saliva during fasting and after fast break

    OpenAIRE

    Samad, Rasmidar

    2016-01-01

    Oral health is closely related to salivary components. Saliva consists of water, inorganic and organic materials. Fasting changes one???s meal and drinking time that in turn can affect the environment in oral cavity, including inorganic componenet of saliva. The purpose of this study is to determine the inorganic component of saliva during fasting and after fast break.

  18. Graphene templated Directional Growth of an Inorganic Nanowire

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-23

    14,23–25 have only formed randomly oriented or poorly aligned inorganic nanostructures. Here, we show that inorganic nanowires of gold(I) cyanide can... complex . TEM image simulation from the crystal structure The TEM image simulations are performed using MacTempas and CrystalKit. The imaging

  19. Polystyrene-poly(vinylphenol) copolymers as compatibilzers for organic-inorganic composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landry, C.J.T.; Coltrain, B.K.; Teegarden, D.M.

    1996-01-01

    Random, graft, and block copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh), and PVPh homopolymer are shown to act as compatibilizers for incompatible organic-inorganic composite materials. The VPh component reacts, or interacts strongly with the polymerizing inorganic (titanium or zirconium) alkoxide. The organic components studied were PS, poly(vinyl methyl ether), and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile). The use of such compatibilizers provides a means of combining in situ polymerized inorganic oxides and hydrophobic polymers. This is seen as a reduction in the size of the dispersed inorganic phase and results in improved optical and mechanical properties

  20. Optimization of the light extraction from heavy inorganic scintillators

    CERN Document Server

    Kronberger, Matthias; Lecoq, P

    2008-01-01

    Inorganic scintillators are widely used in modern medical imaging modalities as converter for the X- and gamma-radiation that is used to obtain information about the interior of the body. Likewise, they are applied in high-energy physics to measure the energy of particles that are produced in particle physics experiments. Their use is motivated by the very good detection efficiency of these materials for hard radiation which allows the construction of relatively compact and finely pixelised systems with a high spatial resolution. One key problem in the development of the next generation of particle detectors and medical imaging systems is the optimisation of the energy resolution of the detectors. This parameter is influenced by the statistical fluctuations of the light output of the scintillators, i.e. by the number of photons that are detected when a particle deposits its energy in the scintillator. The light output of the scintillator depends not only on the absolute number of generated photons but also on...

  1. Evaluation of in vitro antibacterial effect of room curing polymethylmethacrylate material adding nano-silver base inorganic antibacterial agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Chunli; Wang Xiaorong; Zhang Citong; Sun Shiqun; Yang Yun

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the antibacterial effect of room curing polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) material adding nano-silver base inorganic antibacterial agent and to detect the changes of its mechanical property. Methods: Nano-silver base inorganic antibacterial agent was added to the room curing PMMA material in the range of 0.5% -3.0% at an interval of 0.5% by ball milling specimen. Antibacterial rates of the specimens were detected by film method. Bending strength, impact strength, and wear resistance of the specimens were respectively detected on electronic universal testing machine, impact test machine and friction and wear test machine. Results: The antibacterial rates of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans were more than 50% when antibiotics content was 1.0% . The antibacterial rates of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans were more than 90% when the antibiotics content was 2.5% . The three mechanical properties were increased compared with control group when the antibacterial agents were in the range of 1.0% -1.5% . Then the three mechanical properties were decreased with the increasing of antimicrobial concentration. When the antibiotics content was 2.0% , the wear resistance had significant difference compared with control group (P<0.05); when the antibiotics content was 2.5% , the bending strength and impact strength had significant difference compared with control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The antibacterial effect of room curing PMMA adding nano-silver base inorganic antibacterial agent is ideal. The antibacterial rate is increased gradually with the increasing content of antibacterial agents. There is no significant effect on the mechanical properties of room curing PMMA material, but the antibacterial effects are satisfied when the content of antibacterial agents is 2.0% . (authors)

  2. Total and inorganic arsenic in dietary supplements based on herbs, other botanicals and algae—a possible contributor to inorganic arsenic exposure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Rikke Susanne Vingborg; Rokkjær, Inge; Sloth, Jens Jørgen

    2013-01-01

    The content of total and inorganic arsenic was determined in 16 dietary supplements based on herbs, other botanicals and algae purchased on the Danish market. The dietary supplements originated from various regions, including Asia, Europe and USA. The contents of total and inorganic arsenic...... was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and anion exchange HPLC-ICP-MS, respectively, were in the range of 0.58 to 5.0 mgkg−1 and 0.03 to 3.2 mg kg−1, respectively, with a ratio between inorganic arsenic and total arsenic ranging between 5 and 100 %. Consumption of the recommended...... dose of the individual dietary supplement would lead to an exposure to inorganic arsenic within the range of 0.07 to 13 μg day−1. Such exposure from dietary supplements would in worst case constitute 62.4 % of the range of benchmark dose lower confidence limit values (BMDL01 at 0.3 to 8 μg kg bw−1 kg−1...

  3. Determination of Inorganic Arsenic in a Wide Range of Food Matrices using Hydride Generation - Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Calle, Maria B; Devesa, Vicenta; Fiamegos, Yiannis; Vélez, Dinoraz

    2017-09-01

    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) underlined in its Scientific Opinion on Arsenic in Food that in order to support a sound exposure assessment to inorganic arsenic through diet, information about distribution of arsenic species in various food types must be generated. A method, previously validated in a collaborative trial, has been applied to determine inorganic arsenic in a wide variety of food matrices, covering grains, mushrooms and food of marine origin (31 samples in total). The method is based on detection by flow injection-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry of the iAs selectively extracted into chloroform after digestion of the proteins with concentrated HCl. The method is characterized by a limit of quantification of 10 µg/kg dry weight, which allowed quantification of inorganic arsenic in a large amount of food matrices. Information is provided about performance scores given to results obtained with this method and which were reported by different laboratories in several proficiency tests. The percentage of satisfactory results obtained with the discussed method is higher than that of the results obtained with other analytical approaches.

  4. Study on radiation-induced polymerization of vinyl monomers adsorbed on inorganic substances. II. Radiation-induced polymerization of methyl methacrylate adsorbed on several inorganic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukano, K.; Kageyama, E.

    1975-01-01

    The radiation-induced polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) adsorbed on such inorganic substances as silica gel, white carbon, silicic acid anhydride, zeolite, and activated alumina was carried out to compare with the case of styrene. The rate of radiation-induced polymerization adsorbed on inorganic substances was high compared with that of radiation-induced bulk state polymerization, as was the case with styrene. Inorganic substrates which contain aluminum as a component element are more likely to be grafted than those which consist of SiO 2 alone, as with styrene. The molecular weight distribution of unextractable polymer and extractable polymer differs, depending on the type of inorganic substance. Experiments by a preirradiation method were carried out in case of silica gel, white carbon, and silicic acid anhydride. GPC spectra of the polymer obtained were different from those of polymer formed by the simultaneous irradiation method. It appears that all the unextractable polymer is grafted to the inorganic surface with chemical bond

  5. Inorganic elements in sugar samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salles, Paulo M.B. de; Campos, Tarcisio P.R. de

    2013-01-01

    Sugar is considered a safe food ingredient; however, it can be contaminated by organic elements since its planting until its production process. Thus, this study aims at checking the presence of inorganic elements in samples of crystal, refined and brown sugar available for consumption in Brazil. The applied technique was neutron activation analysis, the k 0 method, using the TRIGA MARK - IPR-R1 reactor located at CDTN/CNEN, in Belo Horizonte. It was identified the presence of elements such as, Au, Br, Co, Cr, Hf, K, Na, Sb, Sc and Zn in the samples of crystal/refined sugar and the presence of As, Au, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Hf, K, Na, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Th and Zn in the brown sugar samples. The applied technique was appropriate to this study because it was not necessary to put the samples in solution, essential condition in order to apply other techniques, avoiding contaminations and sample losses, besides allowing a multi elementary detection in different sugar samples. (author)

  6. Inorganic elements in sugar samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salles, Paulo M.B. de; Campos, Tarcisio P.R. de, E-mail: pauladesalles@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: tprcampos@pq.cnpq.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (DEN/UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C., E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    Sugar is considered a safe food ingredient; however, it can be contaminated by organic elements since its planting until its production process. Thus, this study aims at checking the presence of inorganic elements in samples of crystal, refined and brown sugar available for consumption in Brazil. The applied technique was neutron activation analysis, the k{sub 0} method, using the TRIGA MARK - IPR-R1 reactor located at CDTN/CNEN, in Belo Horizonte. It was identified the presence of elements such as, Au, Br, Co, Cr, Hf, K, Na, Sb, Sc and Zn in the samples of crystal/refined sugar and the presence of As, Au, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Hf, K, Na, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Th and Zn in the brown sugar samples. The applied technique was appropriate to this study because it was not necessary to put the samples in solution, essential condition in order to apply other techniques, avoiding contaminations and sample losses, besides allowing a multi elementary detection in different sugar samples. (author)

  7. Mechanics and thermal management of stretchable inorganic electronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jizhou; Feng, Xue; Huang, Yonggang

    2016-03-01

    Stretchable electronics enables lots of novel applications ranging from wearable electronics, curvilinear electronics to bio-integrated therapeutic devices that are not possible through conventional electronics that is rigid and flat in nature. One effective strategy to realize stretchable electronics exploits the design of inorganic semiconductor material in a stretchable format on an elastomeric substrate. In this review, we summarize the advances in mechanics and thermal management of stretchable electronics based on inorganic semiconductor materials. The mechanics and thermal models are very helpful in understanding the underlying physics associated with these systems, and they also provide design guidelines for the development of stretchable inorganic electronics.

  8. Mechanics and thermal management of stretchable inorganic electronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jizhou; Feng, Xue; Huang, Yonggang

    2016-01-01

    Stretchable electronics enables lots of novel applications ranging from wearable electronics, curvilinear electronics to bio-integrated therapeutic devices that are not possible through conventional electronics that is rigid and flat in nature. One effective strategy to realize stretchable electronics exploits the design of inorganic semiconductor material in a stretchable format on an elastomeric substrate. In this review, we summarize the advances in mechanics and thermal management of stretchable electronics based on inorganic semiconductor materials. The mechanics and thermal models are very helpful in understanding the underlying physics associated with these systems, and they also provide design guidelines for the development of stretchable inorganic electronics. PMID:27547485

  9. Artificial inorganic Biohybrids: the functional combination of microorganisms and cells with inorganic materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzmeister, Ib; Schamel, Martha; Groll, Jürgen; Gbureck, Uwe; Vorndran, Elke

    2018-04-23

    Biohybrids can be defined as the functional combination of proteins, viable cells or microorganisms with non-biological materials. This article reviews recent findings on the encapsulation of microorganisms and eukaryotic cells in inorganic matrices such as silica gels or cements. The entrapment of biological entities into a support material is of great benefit for processing since the encapsulation matrix protects sensitive cells from shear forces, unfavourable pH changes, or cytotoxic solvents, avoids culture-washout, and simplifies the separation of formed products. After reflecting general aspects of such an immobilization as well as the chemistry of the inorganic matrices, we focused on manufacturing aspects and the application of such biohybrids in biotechnology, medicine as well as in environmental science and for civil engineering purpose. The encapsulation of living cells and microorganisms became an intensively studied and rapidly expanding research field with manifold applications in medicine, bio- and environmental technology, or civil engineering. Here, the use of silica or cements as encapsulation matrices have the advantage of a higher chemical and mechanical resistance towards harsh environmental conditions during processing compared to their polymeric counterparts. In this perspective, the article gives an overview about the inorganic material systems used for cell encapsulation, followed by reviewing the most important applications. The future may lay in a combination of the currently achieved biohybrid systems with additive manufacturing techniques. In a longer perspective, this would enable the direct printing of cell loaded bioreactor components. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Application of ion chromatography to the determination of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions in atmospheric aerosols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xue-Chun; He, Ke-Bin; Ma, Yong-Liang; Yang, Fu-Mo; Duan, Feng-Kui; Zheng, Ai-Hua; Zhao, Cheng-Yi

    2004-01-01

    A simple, sensitive and convenient ion chromatography(IC) method was established for the simultaneous determination of twelve water-soluble inorganic anions(F- , Cl- , NO2(-), NO3(-), SO3(2-), SO4(2-) , PO4(3-)), and fifteen water-soluble organic ions(formate, acetate, MSA, oxalate, malonate, succinate, phthalates, etc.) in atmospheric aerosols. The linear concentrations ranged from 0.005 microg/m3 to 500 microg/m3 ( r = 0.999-0.9999). The relative standard deviation (RSD) were 0.43%-2.00% and the detection limits were from 2.7 ng/m3 to 88 ng/m3. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of those inorganic ions and organic ions in PM2.5 of Beijing.

  11. Spectrophotometric determination of volautile inorganic hydrides in binary gaseous mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rezchikov, V.G.; Skachkova, I.N.; Kuznetsova, T.S.; Khrushcheva, V.V.

    1985-01-01

    A study was made on possibility of single and continuons analysis of binary mixtures (hydride-gas) for the content of volatile inorganic hydrides (VIH) from absorption spectra in the 185-280 nm band. Dependences of the percentage of VIH transmission on the wavelength are presented. It is shown that the maximum of their absorption depends on the element-hydrogen the bond length and binding energy. Detection limit for boron hydride was established to be n x 10 -3 % vol at 185-190 nm wavelength. Technique for spectrophotometric hydride determination in binary mixtures with hydrogen, argon, helium was developed. The technique provides the continuous control of gaseous mixture composition

  12. Strongly coupled inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid materials for energy storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hailiang; Dai, Hongjie

    2013-04-07

    The global shift of energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources requires more efficient and reliable electrochemical energy storage devices. In particular, the development of electric or hydrogen powered vehicles calls for much-higher-performance batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells than are currently available. In this review, we present an approach to synthesize electrochemical energy storage materials to form strongly coupled hybrids (SC-hybrids) of inorganic nanomaterials and novel graphitic nano-carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, through nucleation and growth of nanoparticles at the functional groups of oxidized graphitic nano-carbon. We show that the inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid materials represent a new approach to synthesize electrode materials with higher electrochemical performance than traditional counterparts made by simple physical mixtures of electrochemically active inorganic particles and conducting carbon materials. The inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid materials are novel due to possible chemical bonding between inorganic nanoparticles and oxidized carbon, affording enhanced charge transport and increased rate capability of electrochemical materials without sacrificing specific capacity. Nano-carbon with various degrees of oxidation provides a novel substrate for nanoparticle nucleation and growth. The interactions between inorganic precursors and oxidized-carbon substrates provide a degree of control over the morphology, size and structure of the resulting inorganic nanoparticles. This paper reviews the recent development of inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion, including the preparation and functionalization of graphene sheets and carbon nanotubes to impart oxygen containing groups and defects, and methods of synthesis of nanoparticles of various morphologies on oxidized graphene and carbon nanotubes. We then review the applications of the SC

  13. Organic-inorganic membranes for filtration of corn distillery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myronchuk Valeriy G.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic membranes were obtained by modification of polymer microfiltration membrane with inorganic ion-exchangers, which form secondary porosity inside macroporous substrate (zirconium hydrophosphate or simultaneously in the macroporous substrate and active layer, depending of the particle size (from ≈50 nm up to several microns. Precipitation of the inorganic constituent is considered from the point of view of Ostwald-Freundlich equation. Such processes as pressing test in deionized water and filtration of corn distillery at 1-6 bar were investigated. Theoretical model allowing to establish fouling mechanism, was applied. It was found that the particles both in the substrate and active layer prevent fouling of the membrane with organics and provide rejection of colloidal particles.

  14. Advanced Polymeric and Organic–Inorganic Membranes for Pressure-Driven Processes

    KAUST Repository

    Le, Ngoc Lieu; Phuoc, Duong; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2017-01-01

    The state-of-the-art of membranes for reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and gas separation is shortly reviewed, taking in account the most representative examples currently in application. Emphasis is also done on recent developments of advanced polymeric and organic–inorganic materials for pressure-driven processes. Many of the more recent membranes are not only polymeric but also contain an inorganic phase. Tailoring innovative materials with organic and inorganic phases coexisting in a nanoscale with multifunctionalization is an appealing approach to control at the same time diffusivity and gas solubility. Other advanced materials that are now being considered for membrane development are organic or organic–inorganic self-assemblies, metal-organic frameworks, and different forms of carbon fillers.

  15. Advanced Polymeric and Organic–Inorganic Membranes for Pressure-Driven Processes

    KAUST Repository

    Le, Ngoc Lieu

    2017-02-13

    The state-of-the-art of membranes for reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and gas separation is shortly reviewed, taking in account the most representative examples currently in application. Emphasis is also done on recent developments of advanced polymeric and organic–inorganic materials for pressure-driven processes. Many of the more recent membranes are not only polymeric but also contain an inorganic phase. Tailoring innovative materials with organic and inorganic phases coexisting in a nanoscale with multifunctionalization is an appealing approach to control at the same time diffusivity and gas solubility. Other advanced materials that are now being considered for membrane development are organic or organic–inorganic self-assemblies, metal-organic frameworks, and different forms of carbon fillers.

  16. Biological methylation of inorganic mercury by Saccharomyces cerevisiae - a possible environmental process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reisinger, K.; Stoeppler, M.; Nuernberg, H.W.

    1983-01-01

    The biological methylation of inorganic mercury by S-adenosylmethione (SAM) was investigated by incubation experiments with Saccharomyces cerevisae (''bakers' yeast''). The methyl donor (methionine) and the acceptor (Hg 2+ as HgCl 2 ) were also applied in their labelled form (double labelling). Methylmercury as a result of a possibly biological methyl group transfer could not be detected. As reaction product only small amounts (0.01per mille yield) of elemental mercury (Hg 0 ) were found, while the overwhelming amount of HgCl 2 had not reacted. (orig.) [de

  17. Learning a Novel Detection Metric for the Detection of O’Connell Effect Eclipsing Binaries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Kyle; Haber, Rana; Knote, Matthew; Caballero-Nieves, Saida Maria; Peter, Adrian; Petit, Véronique

    2018-01-01

    With the advent of digital astronomy, new benefits and new challenges have been presented to the modern day astronomer. No longer can the astronomer rely on manual processing, instead the profession as a whole has begun to adopt more advanced computational means. Here we focus on the construction and application of a novel time-domain signature extraction methodology and the development of a supporting supervised pattern detection algorithm for the targeted identification of eclipsing binaries which demonstrate a feature known as the O’Connell Effect. A methodology for the reduction of stellar variable observations (time-domain data) into Distribution Fields (DF) is presented. Push-Pull metric learning, a variant of LMNN learning, is used to generate a learned distance metric for the specific detection problem proposed. The metric will be trained on a set of a labelled Kepler eclipsing binary data, in particular systems showing the O’Connell effect. Performance estimates will be presented, as well the results of the detector applied to an unlabeled Kepler EB data set; this work is a crucial step in the upcoming era of big data from the next generation of big telescopes, such as LSST.

  18. A Comparative Evaluation of Unsupervised Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Multivariate Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Markus; Uchida, Seiichi

    2016-01-01

    Anomaly detection is the process of identifying unexpected items or events in datasets, which differ from the norm. In contrast to standard classification tasks, anomaly detection is often applied on unlabeled data, taking only the internal structure of the dataset into account. This challenge is known as unsupervised anomaly detection and is addressed in many practical applications, for example in network intrusion detection, fraud detection as well as in the life science and medical domain. Dozens of algorithms have been proposed in this area, but unfortunately the research community still lacks a comparative universal evaluation as well as common publicly available datasets. These shortcomings are addressed in this study, where 19 different unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms are evaluated on 10 different datasets from multiple application domains. By publishing the source code and the datasets, this paper aims to be a new well-funded basis for unsupervised anomaly detection research. Additionally, this evaluation reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches for the first time. Besides the anomaly detection performance, computational effort, the impact of parameter settings as well as the global/local anomaly detection behavior is outlined. As a conclusion, we give an advise on algorithm selection for typical real-world tasks. PMID:27093601

  19. Human Exposure and Health Effects of Inorganic and Elemental Mercury

    OpenAIRE

    Park, Jung-Duck; Zheng, Wei

    2012-01-01

    Mercury is a toxic and non-essential metal in the human body. Mercury is ubiquitously distributed in the environment, present in natural products, and exists extensively in items encountered in daily life. There are three forms of mercury, i.e., elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. This review examines the toxicity of elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds. Inorganic mercury compounds are water soluble with a bioavailability o...

  20. Inorganic-organic Ag-rhodamine 6G hybrid nanorods: "turn on" fluorescent sensors for highly selective detection of Pb2+ ions in aqueous solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyagi, A K; Ramkumar, Jayshree; Jayakumar, O D

    2012-02-07

    Lead metal ions are of great concern and the monitoring of their concentration in the environment has become extremely important. In the present study, a new inorganic-organic hybrid assay of Ag nanorods (AgNR)-Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was developed for the sensitive and selective determination of Pb(2+) ions in aqueous solutions. To the best of our knowledge there is almost no literature on the use of silver nanorod sensors for determination of lead ions in aqueous solutions. The sensor is developed by the coating of R6G on the surface of AgNRs. The sensing is based on the photoluminescence of R6G. The sensor was rapid as the measurements were carried out within 3 min of addition of the test solution to the AgNR-R6G hybrid. Moreover, the system showed excellent stability at tested concentration levels of Pb(2+) ions. The naked eye detection of the colour was possible with 1 mg L(-1) of Pb(2+) ions. The present method has a detection limit of 50 μg L(-1) of Pb(2+) (for a signal/noise (S/N) ratio > 3). The selectivity toward Pb(2+) ions against other metal ions was improved using chelating agents. The proposed method was validated by analysis using different techniques.

  1. Does the determination of inorganic arsenic in rice depend on the method?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de la Calle, Maria Beatriz; Emteborg, Håkan; Linsinger, Thomas P.J.

    2011-01-01

    , on the determination of total and inorganic arsenic (As) in rice. The main aim of this PT was to judge the state of the art of analytical capability for the determination of total and inorganic As in rice. For this reason, participation in this exercise was open to laboratories from all over the world. Some 98...... laboratories reported results for total As and 32 for inorganic As. The main conclusions of IMEP-107 were that the concentration of inorganic As determined in rice does not depend on the analytical method applied and that introduction of a maximum level for inorganic As in rice should not be postponed because...

  2. Inorganic Analytical Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Rolf W.

    The book is a treatise on inorganic analytical reactions in aqueous solution. It covers about half of the elements in the periodic table, i.e. the most important ones : H, Li, B, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, I, Ba, W,...

  3. Specificity of cellular DNA-binding sites of microbial populations in a Florida reservoir

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, J.H.; Pichard, S.L.

    1989-01-01

    The substrate specificity of the DNA-binding mechanism(s) of bacteria in a Florida reservoir was investigated in short- and long-term uptake studies with radiolabeled DNA and unlabeled competitors. Thymine oligonucleotides ranging in size from 2 base pairs to 19 to 24 base pairs inhibited DNA binding in 20-min incubations by 43 to 77%. Deoxynucleoside monophosphates, thymidine, and thymine had little effect on short-term DNA binding, although several of these compounds inhibited the uptake of the radiolabel from DNA in 4-h incubations. Inorganic phosphate and glucose-1-phosphate inhibited neither short- nor long-term binding of [ 3 H]- or [ 32 P]DNA, indicating that DNA was not utilized as a phosphorous source in this reservoir. RNA inhibited both short- and long-term radiolabeled DNA uptake as effectively as unlabeled DNA. Collectively these results indicate that aquatic bacteria possess a generalized nuclei acid uptake/binding mechanism specific for compounds containing phosphodiester bonds and capable of recognizing oligonucleotides as short as dinucleotides. This binding site is distinct from nucleoside-, nucleotide-, phosphomonoester-, and inorganic phosphate-binding sites. Such a nucleic acid-binding mechanism may have evolved for the utilization of extracellular DNA (and perhaps RNA), which is abundant in many marine and freshwater environments

  4. Synthesis of polymer/inorganic nanocomposite films using highly porous inorganic scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Huanjun; Popp, Matthias; Hartwig, Andreas; Mädler, Lutz

    2012-04-07

    Polymeric/inorganic nanocomposite films have been fabricated through a combination of flame-spray-pyrolysis (FSP) made inorganic scaffold and surface initiated polymerization of cyanoacrylate. The highly porous structure of pristine SnO(2) films allows the uptake of cyanoacrylate and the polymerization is surface initiated by the water adsorbed onto the SnO(2) surface. Scanning electron microscopy study reveals a nonlinear increase in the composite particle size and the film thickness with polymerization time. The structural change is rather homogeneous throughout the whole layer. The composite is formed mainly by an increase of the particle size and not by just filling the existing pores. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging shows SnO(2) nanoparticles embedded in the polymeric matrix, constituting the nanocomposite material. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the porosity of the nanocomposite films decreases from 98% to 75%, resulting in a significant enhancement of the hardness of the films. DC conductivity measurements conducted in situ on the nanocomposite layer suggest a gradual increase in the layer resistance, pointing to a loss of connectivity between the SnO(2) primary particles as the polymerization proceeds. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  5. Matrix influences on the determination of common ions by using ion chromatography part 1--determination of inorganic anions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michalski, Rajmund; Lyko, Aleksandra; Kurzyca, Iwona

    2012-07-01

    Ion chromatography is the most popular instrumental analytical method used for the determination of anions and cations in water and wastewater. Isocratic ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection is frequently used in laboratories carrying out routine analyses of inorganic anions. The paper presents the results of the research into the influence of selected inorganic anions dominant in environmental samples (Cl(-), NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-)) on the possibility of simultaneous determination of F(-), Cl(-), NO(2)(-), NO(3)(-), PO(4)(3-) and SO(4)(2-) with the application of this most popular ion chromatography type in standard separation conditions. Four Dionex and four Metrohm anion-exchange columns were tested in standard separation conditions recommended by their manufacturers with both standard solutions and environmental samples with complex matrix.

  6. Evaluation of inorganic sorbent treatment for LWR coolant process streams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roddy, J.W.

    1984-03-01

    This report presents results of a survey of the literature and of experience at selected nuclear installations to provide information on the feasibility of replacing organic ion exchangers with inorganic sorbents at light-water-cooled nuclear power plants. Radioactive contents of the various streams in boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors were examined. In addition, the methods and performances of current methods used for controlling water quality at these plants were evaluated. The study also includes a brief review of the physical and chemical properties of selected inorganic sorbents. Some attributes of inorganic sorbents would be useful in processing light water reactor (LWR) streams. The inorganic resins are highly resistant to damage from ionizing radiation, and their exchange capacities are generally equivalent to those of organic ion exchangers. However, they are more limited in application, and there are problems with physical integrity, especially in acidic solutions. Research is also needed in the areas of selectivity and anion removal before inorganic sorbents can be considered as replacements for the synthetic organic resins presently used in LWRs. 11 figures, 14 tables

  7. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase and the inorganic arsenic methylation phenotype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jiaxin; Waters, Stephen B.; Drobna, Zuzana; Devesa, Vicenta; Styblo, Miroslav; Thomas, David J.

    2005-01-01

    Inorganic arsenic is enzymatically methylated; hence, its ingestion results in exposure to the parent compound and various methylated arsenicals. Both experimental and epidemiological evidences suggest that some of the adverse health effects associated with chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic may be mediated by these methylated metabolites. If i As methylation is an activation process, then the phenotype for inorganic arsenic methylation may determine risk associated with exposure to this metalloid. We examined inorganic arsenic methylation phenotypes and arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase genotypes in four species: three that methylate inorganic arsenic (human (Homo sapiens), rat (Rattus norwegicus), and mouse (Mus musculus)) and one that does not methylate inorganic arsenic (chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes). The predicted protein products from arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase are similar in size for rat (369 amino acid residues), mouse (376 residues), and human (375 residues). By comparison, a 275-nucleotide deletion beginning at nucleotide 612 in the chimpanzee gene sequence causes a frameshift that leads to a nonsense mutation for a premature stop codon after amino acid 205. The null phenotype for inorganic arsenic methylation in the chimpanzee is likely due to the deletion in the gene for arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase that yields an inactive truncated protein. This lineage-specific loss of function caused by the deletion event must have occurred in the Pan lineage after Homo-Pan divergence about 5 million years ago

  8. Effects of organic and inorganic amendments on soil erodibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nutullah Özdemir

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present investigation is to find out the effect of incorporating of various organic and inorganic matter sources such as lime (L, zeolit (Z, polyacrylamide (PAM and biosolid (BS on the instability index. A bulk surface (0–20 cm depth soil sample was taken from Samsun, in northern part of Turkey. Some soil properties were determined as follows; fine in texture, modarete in organic matter content, low in pH and free of alkaline problem. The soil samples were treated with the inorganic and organic materials at four different levels including the control treatments in a randomized factorial block design. The soil samples were incubated for ten weeks. After the incubation period, corn was grown in all pots. The results can be summarized as organic and inorganic matter treatments increased structure stability and decreased soil erodibility. Effectiveness of the treatments varied depending on the types and levels of organic and inorganic materials.

  9. Prototypes of Newly Conceived Inorganic and Biological Sensors for Health and Environmental Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosanna Spera

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the optimal implementation of three newly conceived sensors for both health and environmental applications, utilizing a wide range of detection methods and complex nanocomposites. The first one is inorganic and based on matrices of calcium oxide, the second is based on protein arrays and a third one is based on Langmuir-Blodgett laccase multi-layers. Special attention was paid to detecting substances significant to the environment (such as carbon dioxide and medicine (drug administration, cancer diagnosis and prognosis by means of amperometric, quartz crystal microbalance with frequency (QCM_F and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM_D technologies. The resulting three implemented nanosensors are described here along with proofs of principle and their corresponding applications.

  10. Bioavailability of nickel in man: effects of foods and chemically-defined dietary constituents on the absorption of inorganic nickel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solomons, N W; Viteri, F; Shuler, T R; Nielsen, F H

    1982-01-01

    By serial determination of the change in plasma nickel concentration following a standard dose of 22.4 mg of nickel sulfate hexahydrate containing 5 mg of elemental nickel, the bioavailability of nickel was estimated in human subjects. Plasma nickel concentration was stable in the fasting state and after an unlabeled test meal, but after the standard dose of nickel in water was elevated 48.8, 73.0, 80.0, and 53.3 microgram/1, respectively, at hours 1, 2, 3, and 4. Plasma nickel did not rise above fasting levels when 5 mg of nickel was added to two standard meals: a typical Guatemalan meal and a North American breakfast. When 5 mg of nickel was added to five beverages-whole cow milk, coffee, tea, orange juice, and Coca Cola-the rise in plasma nickel was significantly suppressed with all but Coca Cola. Response to nickel also was suppressed in the presence of 1 g of ascorbic acid. Phytic acid in a 2:1 molar ratio with nickel, however, did not affect the rise in plasma nickel. The chelate of iron and ethylenediaminetetraacetate, NaFeEDTA, an iron-fortifying agent suggested for application in Central America, slightly but not significantly depressed plasma nickel rise at 2 hours, whereas disodium EDTA depressed plasma nickel levels significantly below the fasting nickel curve at 3 and 4 hours postdose. These studies suggest that the differential responses of inorganic nickel to distinct foods, beverages, and chemically-defined dietary constituents could be important to human nutrition.

  11. Sol-gel Process in Preparation of Organic-inorganic Hybrid Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macan, J

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic hybrid materials are a sort of nanostructured material in which the organic and inorganic phases are mixed at molecular level. The inorganic phase in hybrid materials is formed by the sol-gel process, which consists of reactions of hydrolysis and condensation of metal (usually silicon alkoxides. Flexibility of sol-gel process enables creation of hybrid materials with varying organic and inorganic phases in different ratios, and consequently fine-tuning of their properties. In order to obtain true hybrid materials, contact between the phases should be at molecular level, so phase separation between thermodynamically incompatible organic and inorganic phases has to be prevented. Phase interaction can be improved by formation of hydrogen or covalent bonds between them during preparation of hybrid materials. Covalent bond can be introduced by organically modified silicon alkoxides containing a reactive organic group (substituent capable of reacting with the organic phase. In order to obtain hybrid materials with desired structures, a detailed knowledge of hydrolysis and condensation mechanism is necessary. The choice of catalyst, whether acid or base, has the most significant influence on the structure of the inorganic phase. Other important parameters are alkoxide concentration, water: alkoxide ratio, type of alkoxide groups, solvent used, temperature, purity of chemicals used, etc. Hydrolysis and condensation of organically modified silicon alkoxides are additionally influenced by nature and size of the organic supstituent.

  12. Organic/inorganic electrochromic nanocomposites with various interfacial interactions: A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong, Shanxin, E-mail: xiongsx@xust.edu.cn; Yin, Siyuan; Wang, Yuyun; Kong, Zhenzhen; Lan, Jinpeng; Zhang, Runlan; Gong, Ming; Wu, Bohua; Chu, Jia; Wang, Xiaoqin

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • We review the effects of interfacial interactions in electrochromic nanocomposites. • Interfacial interactions are useful for film fabrication and property-enhancement. • The strong interaction can enhance the electron conduction and structural strength. • The weak interactions exist widely between organic and inorganic phases. • Multiple weak interactions can provide various performance-adjusting approaches. - Abstract: Electrochromic properties of organic or inorganic materials can be improved through preparing organic/inorganic electrochromic nanocomposites. In electrochromic nanocomposites, the interfacial interactions between the organic and inorganic phases play three important roles in preparation and application of the nanocomposites. Firstly, the interfacial interactions result in stable molecular structures. Secondly, they also improve the electron conduction and ion transport process in the nanocomposites. Thirdly, they enhance the electrochemical and electrochromic properties of the nanocomposites. In this paper, we review the common interfacial interactions including covalent bond, coordination bond, electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bond and π-π stacking interaction between the organic and inorganic phases in the electrochromic nanocomposites. The preparation method, the relationship between the structure and properties, and the mechanism of modulation of electrochromic effect in the nanocomposites with various interfacial interactions are surveyed. The strong interfacial interaction, e.g., covalent bond, is helpful for obtaining electrochromic nanocomposites with high electron conduction and high structural strength. However it is very complicated to construct covalent bond between the organic and inorganic phases. Another strong interfacial interaction, the coordination bond is mainly confined to preparation of electrochromic complex of metal ion and pyridine derivative. While, the weak interfacial interactions, e

  13. Organic/inorganic electrochromic nanocomposites with various interfacial interactions: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, Shanxin; Yin, Siyuan; Wang, Yuyun; Kong, Zhenzhen; Lan, Jinpeng; Zhang, Runlan; Gong, Ming; Wu, Bohua; Chu, Jia; Wang, Xiaoqin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • We review the effects of interfacial interactions in electrochromic nanocomposites. • Interfacial interactions are useful for film fabrication and property-enhancement. • The strong interaction can enhance the electron conduction and structural strength. • The weak interactions exist widely between organic and inorganic phases. • Multiple weak interactions can provide various performance-adjusting approaches. - Abstract: Electrochromic properties of organic or inorganic materials can be improved through preparing organic/inorganic electrochromic nanocomposites. In electrochromic nanocomposites, the interfacial interactions between the organic and inorganic phases play three important roles in preparation and application of the nanocomposites. Firstly, the interfacial interactions result in stable molecular structures. Secondly, they also improve the electron conduction and ion transport process in the nanocomposites. Thirdly, they enhance the electrochemical and electrochromic properties of the nanocomposites. In this paper, we review the common interfacial interactions including covalent bond, coordination bond, electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bond and π-π stacking interaction between the organic and inorganic phases in the electrochromic nanocomposites. The preparation method, the relationship between the structure and properties, and the mechanism of modulation of electrochromic effect in the nanocomposites with various interfacial interactions are surveyed. The strong interfacial interaction, e.g., covalent bond, is helpful for obtaining electrochromic nanocomposites with high electron conduction and high structural strength. However it is very complicated to construct covalent bond between the organic and inorganic phases. Another strong interfacial interaction, the coordination bond is mainly confined to preparation of electrochromic complex of metal ion and pyridine derivative. While, the weak interfacial interactions, e

  14. Synthesis of Porous Inorganic Hollow Fibers without Harmful Solvents

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shukla, Sushumna; de Wit, Patrick; Luiten-Olieman, Maria W.J.; Kappert, Emiel; Nijmeijer, Arian; Benes, Nieck Edwin

    2015-01-01

    A route for the fabrication of porous inorganic hollow fibers with high surface-area-to-volume ratio that avoids harmful solvents is presented. The approach is based on bio-ionic gelation of an aqueous mixture of inorganic particles and sodium alginate during wet spinning. In a subsequent thermal

  15. Chronic inorganic mercury induced peripheral neuropathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chu, C.-C.; Huang, C.-C.; Ryu, S.-J. [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Dept. of Neurology, Tapei (Taiwan, Province of China); Wu, T.-N. [Executive Yuan, Dept. of Health, Surveillance and Quarantine Service, Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China)

    1998-12-01

    We report the clinical features, electrophysiological studies, and morphometric analysis of sural nerve pathology in a patient with polyneuropathy due to inorganic mercury intoxication. He developed slowly progressive generalized paralysis of all limbs after 3 months ingestion of herb drugs which contained mercuric sulfate. Electrophysiologic studies revealed axonal polyneuropathy involving both motor and sensory fibers. Sural nerve biopsy demonstrated axonal degeneration with demyelination and a predominant loss of large myelinated fibers. His muscle strength showed only mild improvement after 2 years` follow-up. We concluded that inorganic mercury exposure may induce severe axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy in humans and that neurological deficits may persist in severe cases. (au) 21 refs.

  16. Detecting Vessels Carrying Migrants Using Machine Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sfyridis, A.; Cheng, T.; Vespe, M.

    2017-10-01

    Political instability, conflicts and inequalities result into significant flows of people worldwide, moving to different countries in search of a better life, safety or to be reunited with their families. Irregular crossings into Europe via sea routes, despite not being new, have recently increased together with the loss of lives of people in the attempt to reach EU shores. This highlights the need to find ways to improve the understanding of what is happening at sea. This paper, intends to expand the knowledge available on practices among smugglers and contribute to early warning and maritime situational awareness. By identifying smuggling techniques and based on anomaly detection methods, behaviours of interest are modelled and one class support vector machines are used to classify unlabelled data and detect potential smuggling vessels. Nine vessels are identified as potentially carrying irregular migrants and refugees. Though, further inspection of the results highlights possible misclassifications caused by data gaps and limited knowledge on smuggling tactics. Accepted classifications are considered subject to further investigation by the authorities.

  17. DETECTING VESSELS CARRYING MIGRANTS USING MACHINE LEARNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Sfyridis

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Political instability, conflicts and inequalities result into significant flows of people worldwide, moving to different countries in search of a better life, safety or to be reunited with their families. Irregular crossings into Europe via sea routes, despite not being new, have recently increased together with the loss of lives of people in the attempt to reach EU shores. This highlights the need to find ways to improve the understanding of what is happening at sea. This paper, intends to expand the knowledge available on practices among smugglers and contribute to early warning and maritime situational awareness. By identifying smuggling techniques and based on anomaly detection methods, behaviours of interest are modelled and one class support vector machines are used to classify unlabelled data and detect potential smuggling vessels. Nine vessels are identified as potentially carrying irregular migrants and refugees. Though, further inspection of the results highlights possible misclassifications caused by data gaps and limited knowledge on smuggling tactics. Accepted classifications are considered subject to further investigation by the authorities.

  18. Radiation Detection and Classification of Heavy Oxide Inorganic Scintillator Crystals for Detection of Fast Neutrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    response, diffuse source, collimated source 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 101 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified 18...protecting the homeland, building security globally, and projecting power and winning decisively [1]. Nuclear material detection is embedded in two...detection. According to Glasstone and Dolan [4] as well as numerous other experts, there are fundamentally three isotopes that could practically be used

  19. High inorganic triphosphatase activities in bacteria and mammalian cells: identification of the enzymes involved.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory Kohn

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We recently characterized a specific inorganic triphosphatase (PPPase from Nitrosomonas europaea. This enzyme belongs to the CYTH superfamily of proteins. Many bacterial members of this family are annotated as predicted adenylate cyclases, because one of the founding members is CyaB adenylate cyclase from A. hydrophila. The aim of the present study is to determine whether other members of the CYTH protein family also have a PPPase activity, if there are PPPase activities in animal tissues and what enzymes are responsible for these activities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Recombinant enzymes were expressed and purified as GST- or His-tagged fusion proteins and the enzyme activities were determined by measuring the release of inorganic phosphate. We show that the hitherto uncharacterized E. coli CYTH protein ygiF is a specific PPPase, but it contributes only marginally to the total PPPase activity in this organism, where the main enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of inorganic triphosphate (PPP(i is inorganic pyrophosphatase. We further show that CyaB hydrolyzes PPP(i but this activity is low compared to its adenylate cyclase activity. Finally we demonstrate a high PPPase activity in mammalian and quail tissue, particularly in the brain. We show that this activity is mainly due to Prune, an exopolyphosphatase overexpressed in metastatic tumors where it promotes cell motility. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: We show for the first time that PPPase activities are widespread in bacteria and animals. We identified the enzymes responsible for these activities but we were unable to detect significant amounts of PPP(i in E. coli or brain extracts using ion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The role of these enzymes may be to hydrolyze PPP(i, which could be cytotoxic because of its high affinity for Ca(2+, thereby interfering with Ca(2+ signaling.

  20. Influence of Organic and Inorganic Sources of Fertilizer on Growth ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Influence of Organic and Inorganic Sources of Fertilizer on Growth and Leaf Yield of Kale ... Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology ... fertilizer gave leaf yields comparable to those applied with exclusively inorganic sources of fertilizer.

  1. Organic-inorganic hybrid membranes in separation processes: a 10-year review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. C. Souza

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In relation to some inorganic membranes, polymeric membranes have relatively low separation performance. However, the processing flexibility and low cost of polymers still make them highly attractive for many industrial separation applications. Polymer-inorganic hybrid membranes constitute an emerging research field and have been recently developed to improve the separation properties of polymer membranes because they possess properties of both organic and inorganic membranes such as good hydrophilicity, selectivity, permeability, mechanical strength, and thermal and chemical stability. The structures and processing of polymer-inorganic nanocomposite hybrid membranes, as well as their use in the fields of ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, pervaporation, gas separation and separation mechanism are reviewed.

  2. Transparent bulk-size nanocomposites with high inorganic loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Shi; Gaume, Romain

    2015-01-01

    With relatively high nanoparticle loading in polymer matrices, hybrid nanocomposites made by colloidal dispersion routes suffer from severe inhomogeneous agglomeration, a phenomenon that deteriorates light transmission even when the refractive indices of the inorganic and organic phases are closely matched. The dispersion of particles in a matrix is of paramount importance to obtain composites of high optical quality. Here, we describe an innovative, yet straightforward method to fabricate monolithic transparent hybrid nanocomposites with very high particle loading and high refractive index mismatch tolerance between the inorganic and organic constituents. We demonstrate 77% transmission at 800 nm in a 2 mm-thick acrylate polymer nanocomposite containing 61 vol. % CaF 2 nanoparticles. Modeling shows that similar performance could easily be obtained with various inorganic phases relevant to a number of photonic applications

  3. Nanoscale Organic−Inorganic Hybrid Lubricants

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Daniel; Archer, Lynden A.

    2011-01-01

    Silica (SiO2) nanoparticles densely grafted with amphiphilic organic chains are used to create a family of organic-inorganic hybrid lubricants. Short sulfonate-functionalized alkylaryl chains covalently tethered to the particles form a dense corona

  4. Contamination of Kallar Kahar Lake by Inorganic Elements and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The present study was conducted to find out the contamination of Kallar Kahar Lake by inorganic elements and heavy metals and the temporal variation of these chemicals in the lake water. Water samples were collected on monthly basis during December 2001 to November 2002. Concentration of 10 inorganic elements ...

  5. Fundamentals of EUV resist-inorganic hardmask interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfarb, Dario L.; Glodde, Martin; De Silva, Anuja; Sheshadri, Indira; Felix, Nelson M.; Lionti, Krystelle; Magbitang, Teddie

    2017-03-01

    High resolution Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) patterning is currently limited by EUV resist thickness and pattern collapse, thus impacting the faithful image transfer into the underlying stack. Such limitation requires the investigation of improved hardmasks (HMs) as etch transfer layers for EUV patterning. Ultrathin (<5nm) inorganic HMs can provide higher etch selectivity, lower post-etch LWR, decreased defectivity and wet strippability compared to spin-on hybrid HMs (e.g., SiARC), however such novel layers can induce resist adhesion failure and resist residue. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of EUV resist-inorganic HM interactions is needed in order to optimize the EUV resist interfacial behavior. In this paper, novel materials and processing techniques are introduced to characterize and improve the EUV resist-inorganic HM interface. HM surface interactions with specific EUV resist components are evaluated for open-source experimental resist formulations dissected into its individual additives using EUV contrast curves as an effective characterization method to determine post-development residue formation. Separately, an alternative adhesion promoter platform specifically tailored for a selected ultrathin inorganic HM based on amorphous silicon (aSi) is presented and the mitigation of resist delamination is exemplified for the cases of positive-tone and negative-tone development (PTD, NTD). Additionally, original wafer priming hardware for the deposition of such novel adhesion promoters is unveiled. The lessons learned in this work can be directly applied to the engineering of EUV resist materials and processes specifically designed to work on such novel HMs.

  6. Trace elements detection in whole food samples by Neutron Activation Analysis, k0-method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sathler, Márcia Maia; Menezes, Maria Ângela de Barros Correia; Salles, Paula Maria Borges de

    2017-01-01

    Inorganic elements, from natural and anthropogenic sources are present in foods in different concentrations. With the increase in anthropogenic activities, there was also a considerable increase in the emission of these elements in the environment, leading to the need of monitoring the elemental composition of foods available for consumption. Numerous techniques have been used to detect inorganic elements in biological and environmental matrices, always aiming at reaching lower detection limits in order to evaluate the trace element content in the sample. Neutron activation analysis (INAA), applying the k 0 -method, produces accurate and precise results without the need of chemical preparation of the samples – that could cause their contamination. This study evaluated the presence of inorganic elements in whole foods samples, mainly elements on trace levels. For this purpose, seven samples of different types of whole foods were irradiated in the TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1 research reactor - located at CDTN/CNEN, in Belo Horizonte, MG. It was possible to detect twenty two elements above the limit of detection in, at least, one of the samples analyzed. This study reaffirms the INAA, k 0 - method, as a safe and efficient technique for detecting trace elements in food samples. (author)

  7. Quantum confinement and dielectric profiles of colloidal nanoplatelets of halide inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapori, Daniel; Kepenekian, Mikaël; Pedesseau, Laurent; Katan, Claudine; Even, Jacky

    2016-03-01

    Quantum confinement as well as high frequency ε∞ and static εs dielectric profiles are described for nanoplatelets of halide inorganic perovskites CsPbX3 (X = I, Br, Cl) and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOP) in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) structures. 3D HOP are currently being sought for their impressive photovoltaic ability. Prior to this sudden popularity, 2D HOP materials were driving intense activity in the field of optoelectronics. Such developments have been enriched by the recent ability to synthesize colloidal nanostructures of controlled sizes of 2D and 3D HOP. This raises the need to achieve a thorough description of the electronic structure and dielectric properties of these systems. In this work, we go beyond the abrupt dielectric interface model and reach the atomic scale description. We examine the influence of the nature of the halogen and of the cation on the band structure and dielectric constants. Similarly, we survey the effect of dimensionality and shape of the perovskite. In agreement with recent experimental results, we show an increase of the band gap and a decrease of ε∞ when the size of a nanoplatelet reduces. By inspecting 2D HOP, we find that it cannot be described as a simple superposition of independent inorganic and organic layers. Finally, the dramatic impact of ionic contributions on the dielectric constant εs is analysed.Quantum confinement as well as high frequency ε∞ and static εs dielectric profiles are described for nanoplatelets of halide inorganic perovskites CsPbX3 (X = I, Br, Cl) and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOP) in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) structures. 3D HOP are currently being sought for their impressive photovoltaic ability. Prior to this sudden popularity, 2D HOP materials were driving intense activity in the field of optoelectronics. Such developments have been enriched by the recent ability to synthesize colloidal nanostructures of controlled

  8. Inorganic ion-exchangers for the treatment and disposal of industrial effluents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasany, S.M.

    2000-01-01

    Ion-exchangers can be broadly classified into organic and inorganic ion-exchangers. Inorganic ion-exchangers are stable at high temperatures and radiation dosage, resistant towards oxidizing agents and organic solvents. They are cheap and easy to prepare. Inorganic ion-exchangers, due to their superiority over organic ion-exchangers, have been extensively used for a wide variety of applications including treatment and management of industrial effluents. The criteria governing the division into essential and toxic elements for animal life have been described. The occupational sources of toxic elements and their compounds in the environment have been identified and their tolerance limits prescribed in air, water and food are given. The toxicity and adverse effects of harmful elements and their hazardous compounds are mentioned. Factors influencing sorption of trace elements onto inorganic ion-exchangers are highlighted. Examples of inorganic ion-exchangers are cited where they can be utilized for the treatment of industrial effluents before their safe discharge into waterways and biosphere. (author)

  9. Separation of fission products using inorganic exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murthy, T.S.; Balasubramanian, K.R.; Rao, K.L.N.; Venkatachalam, R.; Varma, R.N.

    1981-01-01

    This paper describes the separation of long lived fission products like caesium-137, strontium-90 using inorganic exchangers ammonium phosphomolybdate and zirconium antimonate. A revised flow sheet is proposed for the sequential separation of these isotopes using the above two compounds. This is a modification of the earlier scheme developed which involved the use of four inorganic exchangers namely ammonium phosphomolybdate, manganese dioxide, zirconium antimonate and polyantimonic acid. The elution of the adsorbed elements like cerium, strontium, and sodium has been studied and it has been possible to elute these using different eluting agents. (author)

  10. Simulation of perovskite solar cells with inorganic hole transporting materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Yan; Xia, Zhonggao; Liu, Yiming

    2015-01-01

    Device modeling organolead halide perovskite solar cells with planar architecture based on inorganic hole transporting materials (HTMs) were performed. A thorough understanding of the role of the inorganic HTMs and the effect of band offset between HTM/absorber layers is indispensable for further...... improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, we investigated the effect of band offset between inorganic HTM/absorber layers. The solar cell simulation program adopted in this work is named wxAMPS, an updated version of the AMPS tool (Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structure)....

  11. Automated Detection of Microaneurysms Using Scale-Adapted Blob Analysis and Semi-Supervised Learning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adal, Kedir M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Sidebe, Desire [Univ. of Burgundy, Dijon (France); Ali, Sharib [Univ. of Burgundy, Dijon (France); Chaum, Edward [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Karnowski, Thomas Paul [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Meriaudeau, Fabrice [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2014-01-07

    Despite several attempts, automated detection of microaneurysm (MA) from digital fundus images still remains to be an open issue. This is due to the subtle nature of MAs against the surrounding tissues. In this paper, the microaneurysm detection problem is modeled as finding interest regions or blobs from an image and an automatic local-scale selection technique is presented. Several scale-adapted region descriptors are then introduced to characterize these blob regions. A semi-supervised based learning approach, which requires few manually annotated learning examples, is also proposed to train a classifier to detect true MAs. The developed system is built using only few manually labeled and a large number of unlabeled retinal color fundus images. The performance of the overall system is evaluated on Retinopathy Online Challenge (ROC) competition database. A competition performance measure (CPM) of 0.364 shows the competitiveness of the proposed system against state-of-the art techniques as well as the applicability of the proposed features to analyze fundus images.

  12. Characterisation of the inorganic chemistry of surface waters in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The main purpose of this study was to determine a simple inorganic chemistry index that can be used for all surface waters in South Africa, in order to characterise the inorganic chemistry of surface waters. Water quality data collected up until 1999 from all sample monitoring stations (2 068 monitoring stations, 364 659 ...

  13. Heat-resistant inorganic binders.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KUDRYAVTSEV Pavel Gennadievich,

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The authors consider some aspects of production of inorganic heat-resistant composite materials in which new classes of inorganic binders - the basic salts of various metals – are applied. The possibility to use hydroxochlorides and hydroxonitrates of aluminum, zirconium, chromium and a number of other metals as the binder has been shown. The main products of the thermal decomposition of all types of binders discussed in this paper are nano-dispersed highly refractory oxides. Increased pressure in the manufacture of these materials shifts the position of the minimum of the dependence «production strength – production temperature» in the direction of low temperatures. This effect is caused by decreased film thickness of the binder located between filler particles and hence by increased rate of transfer of the matter to the interface and by facilitated sintering process. Materials based on the systems containing chromium and some other elements in transitional oxidation states are colour. For this reason, they have the worst thermal conductivity under the same heat resistance compared to colorless materials.

  14. Identification of homemade inorganic explosives by ion chromatographic analysis of post-blast residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johns, Cameron; Shellie, Robert A; Potter, Oscar G; O'Reilly, John W; Hutchinson, Joseph P; Guijt, Rosanne M; Breadmore, Michael C; Hilder, Emily F; Dicinoski, Greg W; Haddad, Paul R

    2008-02-29

    Anions and cations of interest for the post-blast identification of homemade inorganic explosives were separated and detected by ion chromatographic (IC) methods. The ionic analytes used for identification of explosives in this study comprised 18 anions (acetate, benzoate, bromate, carbonate, chlorate, chloride, chlorite, chromate, cyanate, fluoride, formate, nitrate, nitrite, perchlorate, phosphate, sulfate, thiocyanate and thiosulfate) and 12 cations (ammonium, barium(II), calcium(II), chromium(III), ethylammonium, magnesium(II), manganese(II), methylammonium, potassium(I), sodium(I), strontium(II), and zinc(II)). Two IC separations are presented, using suppressed IC on a Dionex AS20 column with potassium hydroxide as eluent for anions, and non-suppressed IC for cations using a Dionex SCS 1 column with oxalic acid/acetonitrile as eluent. Conductivity detection was used in both cases. Detection limits for anions were in the range 2-27.4ppb, and for cations were in the range 13-115ppb. These methods allowed the explosive residue ions to be identified and separated from background ions likely to be present in the environment. Linearity (over a calibration range of 0.05-50ppm) was evaluated for both methods, with r(2) values ranging from 0.9889 to 1.000. Reproducibility over 10 consecutive injections of a 5ppm standard ranged from 0.01 to 0.22% relative standard deviation (RSD) for retention time and 0.29 to 2.16%RSD for peak area. The anion and cation separations were performed simultaneously by using two Dionex ICS-2000 chromatographs served by a single autoinjector. The efficacy of the developed methods was demonstrated by analysis of residue samples taken from witness plates and soils collected following the controlled detonation of a series of different inorganic homemade explosives. The results obtained were also confirmed by parallel analysis of the same samples by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with excellent agreement being obtained.

  15. Plant uptake of dual-labeled organic N biased by inorganic C uptake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Jim; Sauheitl, Leopold; Eriksen, Jørgen

    2010-01-01

    glycine or CO2-3 , but found no differences in uptake rates between these C-sources. The uptake of inorganic C to the shoot tissue was higher for maize grown in full light compared to shading, which indicates a passive uptake of inorganic C with water. We conclude that uptake of inorganic C produced...

  16. Casting fine grained, fully dense, strong inorganic materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Sam W.; Spencer, Larry S.; Phillips, Michael R.

    2015-11-24

    Methods and apparatuses for casting inorganic materials are provided. The inorganic materials include metals, metal alloys, metal hydrides and other materials. Thermal control zones may be established to control the propagation of a freeze front through the casting. Agitation from a mechanical blade or ultrasonic energy may be used to reduce porosity and shrinkage in the casting. After solidification of the casting, the casting apparatus may be used to anneal the cast part.

  17. Optical detection of polychlorinated biphenyls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuncova, Gabriela; Berkova, Daniela; Burkhard, Jiri; Demnerova, Katerina; Pazlarova, Jarmila; Triska, Jan; Vrchotova, Nadezda

    1999-12-01

    In this paper we describe the detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which is based on the measurement of changes of optical absorption at 400 nm of the medium in an aerobic bioreactor with immobilized cells Pseudomonas species 2. The rate of production, composition and the concentration of yellow intermediates are influenced by concentration and composition of PCB mixtures, concentration of cells and by the methods of immobilization. The method was applied in the detection of commercial mixture D103. It was found that the advantageous carriers were inorganic or organic-inorganic matrices, which sorbed PCBs and a cell outgrowth from their surface was low. In water contaminated with transformer oil and chlorinated hydrocarbons the detection limit is 10-2 gD103/kg. In transformer oil the upper limit for degradation of D103 by sodium dehalogenation (1.5 gD103 /kgoil) was determined also in the presence of the same concentration of trichloroethylene. The employment to of a liquid core waveguide spectrophotometer instead of a diode array spectrophotometer increased the sensitivity of the measurement of yellow intermediates by a factor of 100. An extrinsic fiber-optic sensor was used for in-situ measurement during biodegradation of PCBs in bioreactors.

  18. Affective topic model for social emotion detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Yanghui; Li, Qing; Wenyin, Liu; Wu, Qingyuan; Quan, Xiaojun

    2014-10-01

    The rapid development of social media services has been a great boon for the communication of emotions through blogs, microblogs/tweets, instant-messaging tools, news portals, and so forth. This paper is concerned with the detection of emotions evoked in a reader by social media. Compared to classical sentiment analysis conducted from the writer's perspective, analysis from the reader's perspective can be more meaningful when applied to social media. We propose an affective topic model with the intention to bridge the gap between social media materials and a reader's emotions by introducing an intermediate layer. The proposed model can be used to classify the social emotions of unlabeled documents and to generate a social emotion lexicon. Extensive evaluations using real-world data validate the effectiveness of the proposed model for both these applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Direct Detection of Biotinylated Proteins by Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Mass spectrometric strategies to identify protein subpopulations involved in specific biological functions rely on covalently tagging biotin to proteins using various chemical modification methods. The biotin tag is primarily used for enrichment of the targeted subpopulation for subsequent mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. A limitation of these strategies is that MS analysis does not easily discriminate unlabeled contaminants from the labeled protein subpopulation under study. To solve this problem, we developed a flexible method that only relies on direct MS detection of biotin-tagged proteins called “Direct Detection of Biotin-containing Tags” (DiDBiT). Compared with conventional targeted proteomic strategies, DiDBiT improves direct detection of biotinylated proteins ∼200 fold. We show that DiDBiT is applicable to several protein labeling protocols in cell culture and in vivo using cell permeable NHS-biotin and incorporation of the noncanonical amino acid, azidohomoalanine (AHA), into newly synthesized proteins, followed by click chemistry tagging with biotin. We demonstrate that DiDBiT improves the direct detection of biotin-tagged newly synthesized peptides more than 20-fold compared to conventional methods. With the increased sensitivity afforded by DiDBiT, we demonstrate the MS detection of newly synthesized proteins labeled in vivo in the rodent nervous system with unprecedented temporal resolution as short as 3 h. PMID:25117199

  20. Major inorganic elements in tap water samples in Peninsular Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azrina, A; Khoo, H E; Idris, M A; Amin, I; Razman, M R

    2011-08-01

    Quality drinking water should be free from harmful levels of impurities such as heavy metals and other inorganic elements. Samples of tap water collected from 24 locations in Peninsular Malaysia were determined for inorganic element content. Minerals and heavy metals were analysed by spectroscopy methods, while non-metal elements were analysed using test kits. Minerals and heavy metals determined were sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium and lead while the non-metal elements were fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate. Most of the inorganic elements found in the samples were below the maximum permitted levels recommended by inter-national drinking water standard limits, except for iron and manganese. Iron concentration of tap water from one of the locations was higher than the standard limit. In general, tap water from different parts of Peninsular Malaysia had low concentrations of heavy metals and inorganic elements.

  1. The Electrical Characteristics of The N-Organic Semiconductor/P-Inorganic Semiconductor Diode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aydin, M. E.

    2008-01-01

    n-organic semiconductor (PEDOT) / p-inorganic semiconductor Si diode was formed by deep coating method. The method has been achieved by coating n-inorganic semiconductor PEDOT on top of p-inorganic semiconductor. The n-organic semiconductor PEDOT/ p-inorganic semiconductor diode demonstrated rectifying behavior by the current-voltage (I-V) curves studied at room temperature. The barrier height , ideality factor values were obtained as of 0.88 eV and 1.95 respectively. The diode showed non-ideal I-V behavior with an ideality factor greater than unity that could be ascribed to the interfacial layer

  2. Trace elements detection in whole food samples by Neutron Activation Analysis, k{sub 0}-method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sathler, Márcia Maia; Menezes, Maria Ângela de Barros Correia, E-mail: maia.sathler@gmail.com, E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Salles, Paula Maria Borges de, E-mail: pauladesalles@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (DEN/UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear

    2017-07-01

    Inorganic elements, from natural and anthropogenic sources are present in foods in different concentrations. With the increase in anthropogenic activities, there was also a considerable increase in the emission of these elements in the environment, leading to the need of monitoring the elemental composition of foods available for consumption. Numerous techniques have been used to detect inorganic elements in biological and environmental matrices, always aiming at reaching lower detection limits in order to evaluate the trace element content in the sample. Neutron activation analysis (INAA), applying the k{sub 0}-method, produces accurate and precise results without the need of chemical preparation of the samples – that could cause their contamination. This study evaluated the presence of inorganic elements in whole foods samples, mainly elements on trace levels. For this purpose, seven samples of different types of whole foods were irradiated in the TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1 research reactor - located at CDTN/CNEN, in Belo Horizonte, MG. It was possible to detect twenty two elements above the limit of detection in, at least, one of the samples analyzed. This study reaffirms the INAA, k{sub 0} - method, as a safe and efficient technique for detecting trace elements in food samples. (author)

  3. James Moir as Inorganic Chemist

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NICO

    KEYWORDS. Inorganic chemistry, gold, atomic theory, history of chemistry. .... Figure 2 (a) shows Moir's model for the C atom, where the black circles represent the ..... Na filled the hole in the F atom, both becoming ions even in the crystal state ...

  4. Annual reports in inorganic and general syntheses 1974

    CERN Document Server

    Niedenzu, Kurt

    1975-01-01

    Annual Reports in Inorganic and General Syntheses-1974 presents an organized annual summary of synthetic developments in inorganic chemistry and its related areas. The book discusses the chemistry of simple and complex metal hydrides of main groups I, II, and III, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, thallium, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, chalcogens, halogens, and pseudohalogens. The text also describes the chemistry of scandium, yttrium, lanthanides, actinides, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, ma

  5. Annual reports in inorganic and general syntheses 1972

    CERN Document Server

    Niedenzu, Kurt

    1973-01-01

    Annual Reports in Inorganic and General Syntheses-1972 presents an organized annual summary of synthetic developments in inorganic chemistry and its related areas. The book discusses alkali and alkaline earth elements, alloys, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, mercury, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, yttrium, scandium, lanthanides, actinides, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, Group V and VI transition elements, manganese, technetium, rhenium, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, and iridium. The text also describes the chemistry of palladium, platinum, silicon, germanium, tin,

  6. Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites for Photovoltaic Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ruchuan

    2014-01-01

    Inorganic/organic hybrid solar cells have attracted a lot of interest due to their potential in combining the advantages of both components. To understand the key issues in association with photoinduced charge separation/transportation processes and to improve overall power conversion efficiency, various combinations with nanostructures of hybrid systems have been investigated. Here, we briefly review the structures of hybrid nanocomposites studied so far, and attempt to associate the power conversion efficiency with these nanostructures. Subsequently, we are then able to summarize the factors for optimizing the performance of inorganic/organic hybrid solar cells. PMID:28788591

  7. Development of Inorganic Solar Cells by Nanotechnology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yafei Zhang; Huijuan Geng; Zhihua Zhou; Jiang Wu; Zhiming Wang; Yaozhong Zhang; Zhongli Li; Liying Zhang; Zhi Yang; Huey Liang Hwang

    2012-01-01

    Inorganic solar cells, as durable photovoltaic devices for harvesting electric energy from sun light,have received tremendous attention due to the fear of exhausting the earth’s energy resources and damaging the living environment due to greenhouse gases. Some recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up new avenues for more relevant inorganic solar cells produced by new photovoltaic conversion concepts and effective solar energy harvesting nanostructures. In this review, the multiple exciton generation effect solar cells, hot carrier solar cells, one dimensional material constructed asymmetrical schottky barrier arrays, noble nanoparticle induced plasmonic enhancement, and light trapping nanostructured semiconductor solar cells are highlighted.

  8. Computer information resources of inorganic chemistry and materials science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiselyova, N N; Dudarev, V A; Zemskov, V S

    2010-01-01

    Information systems used in inorganic chemistry and materials science are considered. The following basic trends in the development of modern information systems in these areas are highlighted: access to information via the Internet, merging of documental and factual databases, involvement of experts in the evaluation of the data reliability, supplementing databases with information analysis tools on the properties of inorganic substances and materials.

  9. Computer information resources of inorganic chemistry and materials science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kiselyova, N N; Dudarev, V A; Zemskov, V S [A.A.Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2010-02-28

    Information systems used in inorganic chemistry and materials science are considered. The following basic trends in the development of modern information systems in these areas are highlighted: access to information via the Internet, merging of documental and factual databases, involvement of experts in the evaluation of the data reliability, supplementing databases with information analysis tools on the properties of inorganic substances and materials.

  10. Organic-Inorganic Perovskites: Structural Versatility for Functional Materials Design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saparov, Bayrammurad; Mitzi, David B

    2016-04-13

    Although known since the late 19th century, organic-inorganic perovskites have recently received extraordinary research community attention because of their unique physical properties, which make them promising candidates for application in photovoltaic (PV) and related optoelectronic devices. This review will explore beyond the current focus on three-dimensional (3-D) lead(II) halide perovskites, to highlight the great chemical flexibility and outstanding potential of the broader class of 3-D and lower dimensional organic-based perovskite family for electronic, optical, and energy-based applications as well as fundamental research. The concept of a multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid, in which the organic and inorganic structural components provide intentional, unique, and hopefully synergistic features to the compound, represents an important contemporary target.

  11. Microcantilever-Enabled Neutron Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin R. Kyle

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available A new concept for neutron radiation detection was demonstrated using piezoresistive microcantilevers as the active sensing element. Microcantilevers were used to measure the tiny volumetric changes in a sensing material upon absorption of neutron radiation and transmutation into a new element. Highly ordered inorganic crystalline lattices of boron-rich materials dispersed in polymeric rubber matrices were shown to act as volumetric neutron transducers.

  12. Composite sorbents of inorganic ion-exchangers and polyacrylonitrile binding matrix. Methods of modification of properties of inorganic ion-exchangers for application in column packed beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sebesta, F.

    1997-01-01

    Methods of preparation of granules of inorganic ion exchangers as well as methods for improvement of granular strength of these materials are reviewed. The resulting ion exchangers are classified in three groups - 'intrinsic', supported and composite ion exchangers. Their properties are compared and possibilities of their technological application are evaluated. A new method of preparation of inorganic-organic composite sorbents of inorganic ion-exchangers and polyacrylonitrile binding matrix is described, advantages and disadvantages of such sorbents are discussed. Proposed fields of application include tratment of liquid radioactive and/or hazardous wastes, decontamination of natural water as well as analytical applications. (author)

  13. Synchrotron radiation studies of inorganic-organic semiconductor interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, D.A.; Steiner, H.J.; Vearey-Roberts, A.R.; Bushell, A.; Cabailh, G.; O'Brien, S.; Wells, J.W.; McGovern, I.T.; Dhanak, V.R.; Kampen, T.U.; Zahn, D.R.T.; Batchelor, D.

    2003-01-01

    Organic semiconductors (polymers and small molecules) are widely used in electronic and optoelectronic technologies. Many devices are based on multilayer structures where interfaces play a central role in device performance and where inorganic semiconductor models are inadequate. Synchrotron radiation techniques such as photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and X-ray standing wave spectroscopy (XSW) provide a powerful means of probing the structural, electronic and chemical properties of these interfaces. The surface-specificity of these techniques allows key properties to be monitored as the heterostructure is fabricated. This methodology has been directed at the growth of hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductor interfaces involving copper phthalocyanine as the model organic material and InSb and GaAs as the model inorganic semiconductor substrates. Core level PES has revealed that these interfaces are abrupt and chemically inert due to the weak bonding between the molecules and the inorganic semiconductor. NEXAFS studies have shown that there is a preferred orientation of the molecules within the organic semiconductor layers. The valence band offsets for the heterojunctions have been directly measured using valence level PES and were found to be very different for copper phthalocyanine on InSb and GaAs (0.7 and -0.3 eV respectively) although an interface dipole is present in both cases

  14. Thermal stability of inorganic and organic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrino, Cinzia; Marconi, Elisabetta; Tofful, Luca; Farao, Carmela; Materazzi, Stefano; Canepari, Silvia

    2012-07-01

    The thermal behaviour of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been investigated by using different analytical approaches to explore the added value offered by these technique in environmental studies. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), carried out on both certified material and real PM samples, has shown that several mass losses can be detected starting from 80 °C up to above 500 °C, when pyrolysis occur. Thermo-optical analysis of PM and ion chromatographic analysis of the residual have shown that the mass losses in the temperature range 80-180 °C are not justified by the release of either organic or inorganic compounds; it can be thus attributed to the release of weakly and strongly bound water. Release of water has also been evidenced in the temperature range 225-275 °C. The release of ammonium chloride and nitrate has been detected only above 80 °C. This indicates that the release of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and ammonia, which is observed downstream of the filters during the sampling of atmospheric PM at ambient temperature, cannot be reproduced off-line, after the end of the sampling. We successfully explored one of the possible explanations, that is the desorption of HNO3, HCl and NH3 adsorbed on collected particles. NH4NO3 and NH4Cl, which can be thermally released by the filter, exhibit a different thermal behaviour from NaNO3 and NaCl, which are thermally stable up to 370 °C. This different behaviour can be used to discriminate between natural and secondary sources of atmospheric inorganic salts, as the interconversion that is observed when heating mixtures of pure salts resulted to be not relevant when heating real PM samples.

  15. Hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles: From tumor-targeted drug delivery to cancer imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elzoghby, Ahmed O; Hemasa, Ayman L; Freag, May S

    2016-12-10

    Recently, a great interest has been paid to the development of hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery and cancer diagnostics in order to combine the merits of both inorganic and protein nanocarriers. This review primarily discusses the most outstanding advances in the applications of the hybrids of naturally-occurring proteins with iron oxide, gadolinium, gold, silica, calcium phosphate NPs, carbon nanotubes, and quantum dots in drug delivery and cancer imaging. Various strategies that have been utilized for the preparation of protein-functionalized inorganic NPs and the mechanisms involved in the drug loading process are discussed. How can the protein functionalization overcome the limitations of colloidal stability, poor dispersibility and toxicity associated with inorganic NPs is also investigated. Moreover, issues relating to the influence of protein hybridization on the cellular uptake, tumor targeting efficiency, systemic circulation, mucosal penetration and skin permeation of inorganic NPs are highlighted. A special emphasis is devoted to the novel approaches utilizing the protein-inorganic nanohybrids in combined cancer therapy, tumor imaging, and theranostic applications as well as stimuli-responsive drug release from the nanohybrids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Thermal hazard assessment of TMCH mixed with inorganic acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeh Chi-Tang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available 1,1-Bis(tert-butylperoxy-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TMCH is a typical peroxide with two peroxy groups that may runaway and/or explode due to mixing with inorganic acids, such as HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, or H3PO4. In this study, reactivities of TMCH mixed with the above inorganic acids were assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. Furthermore, data obtained by DSC, such as exothermic onset temperature (T0, maximum temperature (Tmax, and heat of decomposition (ΔHd could be employed to acquire thermal safety parameters. Moreover, thermal activity monitor III (TAM III was employed to investigate the thermal hazards while storing or transporting TMCH and TMCH mixed with four types of commonly used inorganic acids, here as HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, or H3PO4 under isothermal conditions. Mixing TMCH with those inorganic acids resulted in higherΔHd except H3PO4, and mixing TMCH with HCl clearly decreased T0. Therefore, the phenomena of mixing those incompatible materials with TMCH can be concluded as the worst cases in terms of contamination hazards during storage and transportation of TMCH.

  17. Annual reports in inorganic and general syntheses 1973

    CERN Document Server

    Niedenzu, Kurt

    1974-01-01

    Annual Reports in Inorganic and General Syntheses-1973 presents an organized annual summary of synthetic developments in inorganic chemistry and its related areas. The book covers the synthetic aspects and structural or mechanistic features of elements, including the main group hydrides, alkali and alkaline earth elements, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, thallium, silicon, germanium, tin, and lead, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, chalcogens, halogens and pseudohalogens, and noble gases. The text also discusses the synthetic aspects and structural or mechanistic features of

  18. Organic-inorganic hybrid materials as semiconducting channels in thin-film field-effect transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagan; Mitzi; Dimitrakopoulos

    1999-10-29

    Organic-inorganic hybrid materials promise both the superior carrier mobility of inorganic semiconductors and the processability of organic materials. A thin-film field-effect transistor having an organic-inorganic hybrid material as the semiconducting channel was demonstrated. Hybrids based on the perovskite structure crystallize from solution to form oriented molecular-scale composites of alternating organic and inorganic sheets. Spin-coated thin films of the semiconducting perovskite (C(6)H(5)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) form the conducting channel, with field-effect mobilities of 0.6 square centimeters per volt-second and current modulation greater than 10(4). Molecular engineering of the organic and inorganic components of the hybrids is expected to further improve device performance for low-cost thin-film transistors.

  19. Human Exposure and Health Effects of Inorganic and Elemental Mercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei

    2012-01-01

    Mercury is a toxic and non-essential metal in the human body. Mercury is ubiquitously distributed in the environment, present in natural products, and exists extensively in items encountered in daily life. There are three forms of mercury, i.e., elemental (or metallic) mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. This review examines the toxicity of elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds. Inorganic mercury compounds are water soluble with a bioavailability of 7% to 15% after ingestion; they are also irritants and cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Upon entering the body, inorganic mercury compounds are accumulated mainly in the kidneys and produce kidney damage. In contrast, human exposure to elemental mercury is mainly by inhalation, followed by rapid absorption and distribution in all major organs. Elemental mercury from ingestion is poorly absorbed with a bioavailability of less than 0.01%. The primary target organs of elemental mercury are the brain and kidney. Elemental mercury is lipid soluble and can cross the blood-brain barrier, while inorganic mercury compounds are not lipid soluble, rendering them unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Elemental mercury may also enter the brain from the nasal cavity through the olfactory pathway. The blood mercury is a useful biomarker after short-term and high-level exposure, whereas the urine mercury is the ideal biomarker for long-term exposure to both elemental and inorganic mercury, and also as a good indicator of body burden. This review discusses the common sources of mercury exposure, skin lightening products containing mercury and mercury release from dental amalgam filling, two issues that happen in daily life, bear significant public health importance, and yet undergo extensive debate on their safety. PMID:23230464

  20. Inorganic elements in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas): relationships among external and internal tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faust, Derek R.; Hooper, Michael J.; Cobb, George P.; Barnes, Melanie; Shaver, Donna; Ertolacci, Shauna; Smith, Philip N.

    2014-01-01

    Inorganic elements from anthropogenic sources have entered marine environments worldwide and are detectable in marine organisms, including sea turtles. Threatened and endangered classifications of sea turtles have heretofore made assessments of contaminant concentrations difficult because of regulatory restrictions on obtaining samples using nonlethal techniques. In the present study, claw and skin biopsy samples were examined as potential indicators of internal tissue burdens in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Significant relationships were observed between claw and liver, and claw and muscle concentrations of mercury, nickel, arsenic, and selenium (p turtles.

  1. Molecular modeling of inorganic compounds

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Comba, Peter; Hambley, Trevor W; Martin, Bodo

    2009-01-01

    ... mechanics to inorganic and coordination compounds. Initially, simple metal complexes were modeled, but recently the field has been extended to include organometallic compounds, catalysis and the interaction of metal ions with biological macromolecules. The application of molecular mechanics to coordination compounds is complicated by the numbe...

  2. Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer on the Microbial degradation of Diesel ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of Inorganic Fertilizer (IF) on the microbial degradation of diesel polluted soil in Abeokuta was assessed by collecting Top soil (0 – 15 cm depth) from diesel polluted site of Information and Communication Centre, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Inorganic fertilizer was added to the polluted soil ...

  3. 2D Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Thin Films for Flexible UV-Visible Photodetectors

    KAUST Repository

    Velusamy, Dhinesh Babu

    2017-02-13

    Flexible 2D inorganic MoS and organic g-CN hybrid thin film photodetectors with tunable composition and photodetection properties are developed using simple solution processing. The hybrid films fabricated on paper substrate show broadband photodetection suitable for both UV and visible light with good responsivity, detectivity, and reliable and rapid photoswitching characteristics comparable to monolayer devices. This excellent performance is retained even after the films are severely deformed at a bending radius of ≈2 mm for hundreds of cycles. The detailed charge transfer and separation processes at the interface between the 2D materials in the hybrid films are confirmed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with broadband capability.

  4. Identification of Water Diffusivity of Inorganic Porous Materials Using Evolutionary Algorithms

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kočí, J.; Maděra, J.; Jerman, M.; Keppert, M.; Svora, Petr; Černý, R.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 113, č. 1 (2016), s. 51-66 ISSN 0169-3913 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Evolutionary algorithms * Water transport * Inorganic porous materials * Inverse analysis Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.205, year: 2016

  5. Hydrogen Bonding and Stability of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

    KAUST Repository

    El-Mellouhi, Fedwa

    2016-09-08

    In the past few years, the efficiency of solar cells based on hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites has exceeded the level needed for commercialization. However, existing perovskites solar cells (PSCs) suffer from several intrinsic instabilities, which prevent them from reaching industrial maturity, and stabilizing PSCs has become a critically important problem. Here we propose to stabilize PSCs chemically by strengthening the interactions between the organic cation and inorganic anion of the perovskite framework. In particular, we show that replacing the methylammonium cation with alternative protonated cations allows an increase in the stability of the perovskite by forming strong hydrogen bonds with the halide anions. This interaction also provides opportunities for tuning the electronic states near the bandgap. These mechanisms should have a universal character in different hybrid organic–inorganic framework materials that are widely used.

  6. Hydrogen Bonding and Stability of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

    KAUST Repository

    El-Mellouhi, Fedwa; Marzouk, Asma; Bentria, El Tayeb; Rashkeev, Sergey N.; Kais, Sabre; Alharbi, Fahhad H.

    2016-01-01

    In the past few years, the efficiency of solar cells based on hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites has exceeded the level needed for commercialization. However, existing perovskites solar cells (PSCs) suffer from several intrinsic instabilities, which prevent them from reaching industrial maturity, and stabilizing PSCs has become a critically important problem. Here we propose to stabilize PSCs chemically by strengthening the interactions between the organic cation and inorganic anion of the perovskite framework. In particular, we show that replacing the methylammonium cation with alternative protonated cations allows an increase in the stability of the perovskite by forming strong hydrogen bonds with the halide anions. This interaction also provides opportunities for tuning the electronic states near the bandgap. These mechanisms should have a universal character in different hybrid organic–inorganic framework materials that are widely used.

  7. Biexciton Auger Recombination Differs in Hybrid and Inorganic Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eperon, Giles E; Jedlicka, Erin; Ginger, David S

    2018-01-04

    We use time-resolved photoluminescence measurements to determine the biexciton Auger recombination rate in both hybrid organic-inorganic and fully inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystals as a function of nanocrystal volume. We find that the volume scaling of the biexciton Auger rate in the hybrid perovskites, containing a polar organic A-site cation, is significantly shallower than in the fully inorganic Cs-based nanocrystals. As the nanocrystals become smaller, the Auger rate in the hybrid nanocrystals increases even less than expected, compared to the fully inorganic nanocrystals, which already show a shallower volume dependence than other material systems such as chalcogenide quantum dots. This finding suggests there may be differences in the strength of Coulombic interactions between the fully inorganic and hybrid perovskites, which may prove to be crucial in selecting materials to obtain the highest performing devices in the future, and hints that there could be something "special" about the hybrid materials.

  8. Arsenic speciation in Chinese Herbal Medicines and human health implication for inorganic arsenic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiaojuan; Zhao Quanli; Sun Guoxin; Williams, Paul; Lu Xiujun; Cai Jingzhu; Liu Wenju

    2013-01-01

    Rice and drinking water are recognized as the dominant sources of arsenic (As) for human intake, while little is known about As accumulation and speciation in Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs), which have been available for many hundreds of years for the treatment of diseases in both eastern and western cultures. Inorganic arsenic was the predominant species in all of CHMs samples. The levels of inorganic arsenic in CHMs from fields and markets or pharmacies ranged from 63 to 550 ng/g with a mean of 208 ng/g and 94 to 8683 ng/g with a mean of 1092 ng/g, respectively. The highest concentration was found in the Chrysanthemum from pharmacies. It indicates that the risk of inorganic As in CHMs to human health is higher in medicines from markets or pharmacies than that collected directly from fields. Some CHMs may make a considerable contribution to the human intake of inorganic arsenic. - Highlights: ► Arsenic speciation was extracted using 1% HNO 3 in microwave. ► Inorganic arsenic was the predominant species in all of CHMs samples. ► The highest concentration of inorganic arsenic was found in the Chrysanthemum. - Inorganic arsenic was the predominant species in all of CHMs samples.

  9. Organic and inorganic osmolytes at lipid membrane interfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westh, P.; Peters, Günther H.j.

    2008-01-01

    This chapter discusses the interactions of organic osmolytes and membranous interfaces, and the effects of these interactions on the properties of the membrane. It also includes a treatment of inorganic ions at the membrane interface since osmolyte effects involve a balance between organic...... and inorganic components. Before turning to the physicochemical discussion of interfacial interactions, the chapter outlines some central parts of the biology and biotechnology of organic osmolytes. It reviews the central relationships in preferential interaction theory, which we use in subsequent paragraphs...

  10. Inorganic Nanocrystals Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: Fabrication and Enhanced Bio-applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiancong Zhao

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticles (MSNs are one of the most promising materials for bio-related applications due to advantages such as good biocompatibility, tunable mesopores, and large pore volume. However, unlike the inorganic nanocrystals with abundant physical properties, MSNs alone lack functional features. Thus, they are not sufficiently suitable for bio-applications that require special functions. Consequently, MSNs are often functionalized by incorporating inorganic nanocrystals, which provide a wide range of intriguing properties. This review focuses on inorganic nanocrystals functionalized MSNs, both their fabrication and bio-applications. Some of the most utilized methods for coating mesoporous silica (mSiO2 on nanoparticles were summarized. Magnetic, fluorescence and photothermal inorganic nanocrystals functionalized MSNs were taken as examples to demonstrate the bio-applications. Furthermore, asymmetry of MSNs and their effects on functions were also highlighted.

  11. Special issue on Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry (MTIC-XV ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This Special Issue is based on the contributions from the invited speakers of the. Fifteenth Symposium on Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry (MTIC-XV) held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee during 13–16, December 2013. The MTIC series of biennial symposia has been an important forum for the inorganic ...

  12. Isotopic measurements (C,N,O) of detonation soot produced from labeled and unlabeled Composition B-3 indicate source of solid carbon residues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podlesak, David; Manner, Virginia; Amato, Ronald; Dattelbaum, Dana; Gusavsen, Richard; Huber, Rachel

    2017-06-01

    Detonation of HE is an exothermic process whereby metastable complex molecules are converted to simple stable molecules such as H2 O, N2, CO, CO2, and solid carbon. The solid carbon contains various allotropes such as detonation nanodiamonds, graphite, and amorphous carbon. It is well known that certain HE formulations such as Composition B (60% RDX, 40% TNT) produce greater amounts of solid carbon than other more oxygen-balanced formulations. To develop a greater understanding of how formulation and environment influence solid carbon formation, we synthesized TNT and RDX with 13 C and 15 N at levels slightly above natural abundance levels. Synthesized RDX and TNT were mixed at a ratio of 60:40 to form Composition B and solid carbon residues were collected from detonations of isotopically-labeled as well as un-labelled Composition B. The raw HE and detonation residues were analyzed isotopically for C, N, O isotopic compositions. We will discuss differences between treatments groups as a function of formulation and environment. LA-UR - 17-21266.

  13. Analysis of a variety of inorganic and organic additives in food products by ion-pairing liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufmann, Anton; Widmer, Mirjam; Maden, Kathryn; Butcher, Patrick; Walker, Stephan

    2018-03-05

    A reversed-phase ion-pairing chromatographic method was developed for the detection and quantification of inorganic and organic anionic food additives. A single-stage high-resolution mass spectrometer (orbitrap ion trap, Orbitrap) was used to detect the accurate masses of the unfragmented analyte ions. The developed ion-pairing chromatography method was based on a dibutylamine/hexafluoro-2-propanol buffer. Dibutylamine can be charged to serve as a chromatographic ion-pairing agent. This ensures sufficient retention of inorganic and organic anions. Yet, unlike quaternary amines, it can be de-charged in the electrospray to prevent the formation of neutral analyte ion-pairing agent adducts. This process is significantly facilitated by the added hexafluoro-2-propanol. This approach permits the sensitive detection and quantification of additives like nitrate and mono-, di-, and triphosphate as well as citric acid, a number of artificial sweeteners like cyclamate and aspartame, flavor enhancers like glutamate, and preservatives like sorbic acid. This is a major advantage, since the currently used analytical methods as utilized in food safety laboratories are only capable in monitoring a few compounds or a particular category of food additives. Graphical abstract Deptotonation of ion pair agent in the electrospray interface.

  14. Binary systems solubilities of inorganic and organic compounds

    CERN Document Server

    Stephen, H

    1963-01-01

    Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Compounds, Volume 1: Binary Systems, Part 1 is part of an approximately 5,500-page manual containing a selection from the International Chemical Literature on the Solubilities of Elements, Inorganic Compounds, Metallo-organic and Organic Compounds in Binary, Ternary and Multi-component Systems. A careful survey of the literature in all languages by a panel of scientists specially appointed for the task by the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, Moscow, has made the compilation of this work possible. The complete English edition in five separately bound volumes w

  15. Sol-gel additive for systems with inorganic binders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akstinat, M.; Antenen, D.; Suter, W.

    1996-01-01

    A sol-gel additive for inorganic binder systems and sol-gel process for producing air-placed concrete and mortar by using such sol-gel additives are disclosed. Sol-gel additives for gel-derived inorganic binder systems (for example plaster, cement, lime, special slags, etc.) marked improve the consistency of such binder systems during processing or allow their consistency to be regulated. In addition, these sol-gel additives regulate setting times and substantially improve durability (chemical resistance, reduced permeability) and the mechanical properties of the set binder system. (author)

  16. Hypergraph-based anomaly detection of high-dimensional co-occurrences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Jorge; Willett, Rebecca

    2009-03-01

    This paper addresses the problem of detecting anomalous multivariate co-occurrences using a limited number of unlabeled training observations. A novel method based on using a hypergraph representation of the data is proposed to deal with this very high-dimensional problem. Hypergraphs constitute an important extension of graphs which allow edges to connect more than two vertices simultaneously. A variational Expectation-Maximization algorithm for detecting anomalies directly on the hypergraph domain without any feature selection or dimensionality reduction is presented. The resulting estimate can be used to calculate a measure of anomalousness based on the False Discovery Rate. The algorithm has O(np) computational complexity, where n is the number of training observations and p is the number of potential participants in each co-occurrence event. This efficiency makes the method ideally suited for very high-dimensional settings, and requires no tuning, bandwidth or regularization parameters. The proposed approach is validated on both high-dimensional synthetic data and the Enron email database, where p > 75,000, and it is shown that it can outperform other state-of-the-art methods.

  17. Detection of base damage in DNA in human blood exposed to ionizing radiation at biologically relevant doses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loon, A.A.W.M. van; Lohman, P.H.M.; Groenendijk, R.H.; Schans, G.P. van der; Baan, R.A.

    1991-01-01

    The alkaline elution technique for the detection of DNA damage has been adapted to allow application on unlabelled blood cells. Both the induction and subsequent repair have been studied of two classes of DNA damage, viz. single-strand breaks and base damage recognized by the γ-endonuclease activity in a cell-free extract of Micrococcus luteus bacteria. The high sensitivity of the assay permitted the measurement of induction and repair of base damage after in vitro exposure of full blood under aerobic conditions to biologically relevant doses of γ-rays (1.5-4.5 Gy). After a radiation dose of 3 Gy about 50% of the base damage was removed within 1.5 h of repair. Base damage could still be detected at 24h after exposure to 15 Gy. (author)

  18. High-performance liquid ion-pair chromatography in inorganic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alimarin, I.P.; Basova, E.M.; Bol'shova, T.A.; Ivanov, V.M.

    1990-01-01

    In literature review for the recent 15 years theoretical foundations, regularities and mechanisms of ionized compound retention in reverse-phase ion-pair chromatography are considered, possibilities and prospects of its application in inorganic analysis being demonstrated. Analytic characteristics of the methods for the determination of inorganic anions (I - , IO 3 - , MoO 4 2- , etc.), as well as metals (Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Mo, W, Ru, lanthanides, etc.) in the form of chelates, are given

  19. Detection of Irradiated Food using Photostimulated Luminescence (PSL) Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foziah Ali; Ros Anita Ahmad Ramli; Zainab Harun; Zainon Othman

    2015-01-01

    The Photostimulated luminescence (PSL) method may in principles be applied to detect irradiation of any foods which contain mineral debris, especially silicates mineral and bio inorganic materials such as calcite, which originate from shells or skeleton. These materials store energy in charge carriers trapped at structural interstitial or impurities site. When exposed to ionizing radiation optical stimulation of minerals release charges carriers. In PSL measurements, whole samples or a mixture of organic and inorganic materials can be used. The finding of this study will be useful to facilitate control of food irradiation application in Malaysia. (author)

  20. Composite inorganic ion-exchangers and their applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sebesta, F.; John, J.; Motl, A.

    1998-01-01

    Composite inorganic ion exchangers are described containing modified polyacrylonitrile as the binding polymer. An overview of existing composite ion exchangers is presented, and the universality and assets of the developed procedure of treatment of inorganic ion exchanger powders are highlighted. Examples of applicability of the ion exchangers to the separation and concentration of radionuclides include in particular: wastes from the operation of nuclear power plants, contaminated surface waters and ground water, high level radioactive wastes from spent fuel reprocessing, and wastewaters from uranium ore mining and milling. In addition, composite ion exchangers find use in the monitoring of contamination of the hydrosphere and the environment and in the investigation of radionuclide migration in surface waters and ground water

  1. Evaluation of the new capture vapourizer for aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) through laboratory studies of inorganic species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Weiwei; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Day, Douglas A.; Croteau, Philip; Canagaratna, Manjula R.; Jayne, John T.; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Jimenez, Jose L.

    2017-08-01

    Aerosol mass spectrometers (AMSs) and Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitors (ACSMs) commercialized by Aerodyne are widely used to measure the non-refractory species in submicron particles. With the standard vapourizer (SV) that is installed in all commercial instruments to date, the quantification of ambient aerosol mass concentration requires the use of the collection efficiency (CE) to correct for the loss of particles due to bounce. A new capture vapourizer (CV) has been designed to reduce the need for a bounce-related CE correction. Two high-resolution AMS instruments, one with a SV and one with a CV, were operated side by side in the laboratory. Four standard species, NH4NO3, NaNO3, (NH4)2SO4 and NH4Cl, which typically constitute the majority of the mass of ambient submicron inorganic species, are studied. The effect of vapourizer temperature (Tv ˜ 200-800 °C) on the detected fragments, CE and size distributions are investigated. A Tv of 500-550 °C for the CV is recommended. In the CV, CE was identical (around unity) for more volatile species (e.g. NH4NO3) and comparable to or higher than the SV for less-volatile species (e.g. (NH4)2SO4), demonstrating an improvement in CE for laboratory inorganic species in the CV. The detected relative intensities of fragments of NO3 and SO4 species observed with the CV are different from those observed with the SV, and are consistent with additional thermal decomposition arising from the increased residence time and multiple collisions. Increased residence times with the CV also lead to broader particle size distribution measurements than with the SV. A method for estimating whether pure species will be detected in AMS sizing mode is proposed. Production of CO2(g) from sampled nitrate on the vapourizer surface, which has been reported for the SV, is negligible for the CV for NH4NO3 and comparable to the SV for NaNO3. . We observe an extremely consistent fragmentation for ammonium compared to very large changes for the

  2. Probing the interactions between lignin and inorganic oxides using atomic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jingyu; Qian, Yong, E-mail: qianyong86@163.com; Deng, Yonghong; Liu, Di; Li, Hao; Qiu, Xueqing, E-mail: xueqingqiu66@163.com

    2016-12-30

    Graphical abstract: The interactions between lignin and inorganic oxides are quantitatively probed by atomic force microscopy, which is fundamental but beneficial for understanding and optimizing the absorption-dispersion and catalytic degradation processes of lignin. - Highlights: • The interactions between lignin and inorganic oxides are measured using AFM. • The adhesion forces between lignin and metal oxides are larger than that in nonmetal systems. • Hydrogen bond plays an important role in lignin-inorganic oxides system. - Abstract: Understanding the interactions between lignin and inorganic oxides has both fundamental and practical importance in industrial and energy fields. In this work, the specific interactions between alkali lignin (AL) and three inorganic oxide substrates in aqueous environment are quantitatively measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the average adhesion force between AL and metal oxide such as Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} or MgO is nearly two times bigger than that between AL and nonmetal oxide such as SiO{sub 2} due to the electrostatic difference and cation-π interaction. When 83% hydroxyl groups of AL is blocked by acetylation, the adhesion forces between AL and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, MgO and SiO{sub 2} decrease 43, 35 and 75% respectively, which indicate hydrogen bonds play an important role between AL and inorganic oxides, especially in AL-silica system.

  3. Relationships between lattice energies of inorganic ionic solids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Savaş

    2018-06-01

    Lattice energy, which is a measure of the stabilities of inorganic ionic solids, is the energy required to decompose a solid into its constituent independent gaseous ions. In the present work, the relationships between lattice energies of many diatomic and triatomic inorganic ionic solids are revealed and a simple rule that can be used for the prediction of the lattice energies of inorganic ionic solids is introduced. According to this rule, the lattice energy of an AB molecule can be predicted with the help of the lattice energies of AX, BY and XY molecules in agreement with the experimental data. This rule is valid for not only diatomic molecules but also triatomic molecules. The lattice energy equations proposed in this rule provides compatible results with previously published lattice energy equations by Jenkins, Kaya, Born-Lande, Born-Mayer, Kapustinskii and Reddy. For a large set of tested molecules, calculated percent standard deviation values considering experimental data and the results of the equations proposed in this work are in general between %1-2%.

  4. Redox-responsive theranostic nanoplatforms based on inorganic nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Lu; Zhang, Xiao-Yong; Wang, Yu-Long; Li, Xi; Yang, Xiao-Hong; Huang, Min; Hu, Kun; Li, Lu-Hai; Wei, Yen

    2017-08-10

    Spurred on by advances in materials chemistry and nanotechnology, scientists have developed many novel nanopreparations for cancer diagnosis and therapy. To treat complex malignant tumors effectively, multifunctional nanomedicines with targeting ability, imaging properties and controlled drug release behavior should be designed and exploited. The therapeutic efficiency of loaded drugs can be dramatically improved using redox-responsive nanoplatforms which can sense the differences in the redox status of tumor tissues and healthy ones. Redox-sensitive nanocarriers can be constructed from both organic and inorganic nanomaterials; however, at present, drug delivery nanovectors progressively lean towards inorganic nanomaterials because of their facile synthesis/modification and their unique physicochemical properties. In this review, we focus specifically on the preparation and application of redox-sensitive nanosystems based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), carbon nanomaterials, magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanomaterials and other inorganic nanomaterials. We discuss relevant examples of redox-sensitive nanosystems in each category. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future strategies from the aspect of material design and practical application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Hydrothermal synthetic strategies of inorganic semiconducting nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Weidong; Song, Shuyan; Zhang, Hongjie

    2013-07-07

    Because of their unique chemical and physical properties, inorganic semiconducting nanostructures have gradually played a pivotal role in a variety of research fields, including electronics, chemical reactivity, energy conversion, and optics. A major feature of these nanostructures is the quantum confinement effect, which strongly depends on their size, shape, crystal structure and polydispersity. Among all developed synthetic methods, the hydrothermal method based on a water system has attracted more and more attention because of its outstanding advantages, such as high yield, simple manipulation, easy control, uniform products, lower air pollution, low energy consumption and so on. Precise control over the hydrothermal synthetic conditions is a key to the success of the preparation of high-quality inorganic semiconducting nanostructures. In this review, only the representative hydrothermal synthetic strategies of inorganic semiconducting nanostructures are selected and discussed. We will introduce the four types of strategies based on exterior reaction system adjustment, namely organic additive- and template-free hydrothermal synthesis, organic additive-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, template-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and substrate-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. In addition, the two strategies based on exterior reaction environment adjustment, including microwave-assisted and magnetic field-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, will be also described. Finally, we conclude and give the future prospects of this research area.

  6. Inorganic particle analysis of dental impression elastomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlo, Hugo Lemes; Fonseca, Rodrigo Borges; Soares, Carlos José; Correr, Américo Bortolazzo; Correr-Sobrinho, Lourenço; Sinhoreti, Mário Alexandre Coelho

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine quantitatively and qualitatively the inorganic particle fraction of commercially available dental elastomers. The inorganic volumetric fraction of two addition silicones (Reprosil Putty/Fluid and Flexitime Easy Putty/Fluid), three condensation silicones (Clonage Putty/Fluid, Optosil Confort/Xantopren VL and Silon APS Putty/Fluid), one polyether (Impregum Soft Light Body) and one polysulfide (Permlastic Light Body) was accessed by weighing a previously determined mass of each material in water before and after burning samples at 600 ºC, during 3 h. Unsettled material samples were soaked in acetone and chloroform for removal of the organic portion. The remaining filler particles were sputter-coated with gold evaluation of their morphology and size, under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Flexitime Easy Putty was the material with the highest results for volumetric particle fraction, while Impregum Soft had the lowest values. Silon 2 APS Fluid presented the lowest mean filler size values, while Clonage Putty had the highest values. SEM micrographs of the inorganic particles showed several morphologies - lathe-cut, spherical, spherical-like, sticks, and sticks mixed to lathe-cut powder. The results of this study revealed differences in particle characteristics among the elastometic materials that could lead to different results when testing mechanical properties.

  7. Analysis of trace inorganic anions in weak acid salts by single pump cycling-column-switching ion chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Zhongping; Ni, Chengzhu; Zhu, Zhuyi; Pan, Zaifa; Wang, Lili; Zhu, Yan

    2015-05-01

    The application of ion chromatography with the single pump cycling-column-switching technique was described for the analysis of trace inorganic anions in weak acid salts within a single run. Due to the hydrogen ions provided by an anion suppressor electrolyzing water, weak acid anions could be transformed into weak acids, existing as molecules, after passing through the suppressor. Therefore, an anion suppressor and ion-exclusion column were adopted to achieve on-line matrix elimination of weak acid anions with high concentration for the analysis of trace inorganic anions in weak acid salts. A series of standard solutions consisting of target anions of various concentrations from 0.005 to 10 mg/L were analyzed, with correlation coefficients r ≥ 0.9990. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.67 to 1.51 μg/L, based on the signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and a 25 μL injection volume. Relative standard deviations for retention time, peak area, and peak height were all less than 2.01%. A spiking study was performed with satisfactory recoveries between 90.3 and 104.4% for all anions. The chromatographic system was successfully applied to the analysis of trace inorganic anions in five weak acid salts. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Interpenetrating metal-organic and inorganic 3D networks: a computer-aided systematic investigation. Part II [1]. Analysis of the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baburin, I.A.; Blatov, V.A.; Carlucci, L.; Ciani, G.; Proserpio, D.M.

    2005-01-01

    Interpenetration in metal-organic and inorganic networks has been investigated by a systematic analysis of the crystallographic structural databases. We have used a version of TOPOS (a package for multipurpose crystallochemical analysis) adapted for searching for interpenetration and based on the concept of Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra and on the representation of a crystal structure as a reduced finite graph. In this paper, we report comprehensive lists of interpenetrating inorganic 3D structures from the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD), inclusive of 144 Collection Codes for equivalent interpenetrating nets, analyzed on the basis of their topologies. Distinct Classes, corresponding to the different modes in which individual identical motifs can interpenetrate, have been attributed to the entangled structures. Interpenetrating nets of different nature as well as interpenetrating H-bonded nets were also examined

  9. A highly reproducible solenoid micropump system for the analysis of total inorganic carbon and ammonium using gas-diffusion with conductimetric detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henríquez, Camelia; Horstkotte, Burkhard; Cerdà, Víctor

    2014-01-01

    In this work, a simple, economic, and miniaturized flow-based analyzer based on solenoid micropumps is presented. It was applied to determine two parameters of high environmental interest: ammonium and total inorganic carbon (TIC) in natural waters. The method is based on gas diffusion (GD) of CO₂ and NH3 through a hydrophobic gas permeable membrane from an acidic or alkaline donor stream, respectively. The analytes are trapped in an acceptor solution, being slightly alkaline for CO₂ and slightly acidic for NH₃. The analytes are quantified using a homemade stainless steel conductimetric cell. The proposed system required five solenoid micro-pumps, one for each reagent and sample. Two especially made air bubble traps were placed down-stream of the solendoid pumps, which provided the acceptor solutions, by this increasing the method's reproducibility. Values of RSD lower than 1% were obtained. Achieved limits of detection were 0.27 µmol L⁻¹ for NH₄⁺ and 50 µmol L⁻¹ for TIC. Add-recovery tests were used to prove the trueness of the method and recoveries of 99.5 ± 7.5% were obtained for both analytes. The proposed system proved to be adequate for monitoring purpose of TIC and NH₄⁺ due to its high sample throughput and repeatability. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Microbial volatilization of inorganic selenium from landfill leachate; Mikrobiologische Volatilisierung von anorganischem Selen aus Deponiesickerwaessern bei umweltrelevanten Konzentrationen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peitzsch, Mirko; Kremer, Daniel; Kersten, Michael [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Geowissenschaften

    2010-04-15

    Background, aim, and scope: Determination of the rates of microbial alkylation are of interest with respect to natural attenuation of harmful selenium concentrations or selenium charges in contaminated ecosystems. Materials and methods: Landfill gas and the headspace of microbial microcosm incubation vessels were sampled in Tedlar {sup registered} bags. On-line hyphenation of an efficient enrichment method (cryotrapping-cryofocusing), a gaschromatographic separation technique, and the sensitive ICP-MS detection system was used for speciation of volatile organoselenium compounds. A detection limit at the ultra trace level (pg Se) was achieved with this CT-CF-GC-ICP-MS technique. Results: Incubation of landfill leachate with Alternata alternata as an active methylating organism showed a production of volatile selenium compounds (DMSe, DMDSe, EMDSe, DEDSe) over the whole range of applied inorganic selenium concentrations (10 {mu}gL{sup -1} to 10 mgL{sup -1}), with volatilization rates of up to 10 mg m{sup -3}d{sup -1}. For selenium concentrations of 1 mgL{sup -1} in the nutrient broth, up to 7 % of the inorganic selenium was volatilized after one week. The same volatile selenium compounds were observed in landfill gas. Discussion: The amount of volatilized selenium was comparable to that found in other studies with microbial pure cultures as well as isolates from waters or soils, but at much lower initial concentrations used in the incubations. Conclusions: The alkylation of selenium in the enriched mixed culture from landfill leachate at environmentally relevant concentrations indicates that the organoselenium compounds of same species composition and distribution determined in landfill gas are produced by microorganisms. Recommendations and perspectives: The microbial alkylation of toxic inorganic selenium species to less toxic or non-toxic, volatile compounds is an efficient method for bioremediation of contaminated sites even at relatively low Se concentrations.

  11. Effects of atmospheric inorganic nitrogen deposition on ocean biogeochemistry

    OpenAIRE

    Krishnamurthy, Aparna; Moore, J. Keith; Zender, Charles S; Luo, Chao

    2007-01-01

     We perform a sensitivity study with the Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling (BEC) ocean model to understand the impact of atmospheric inorganic nitrogen deposition on marine biogeochemistry and air-sea CO2 exchange. Simulations involved examining the response to three different atmospheric inorganic nitrogen deposition scenarios namely, Pre-industrial (22 Tg N/year), 1990s (39 Tg N/year), and an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prediction for 2100, IPCC-A1FI (69 Tg N/year). Glob...

  12. Biomarkers of Exposure: A Case Study with Inorganic Arsenic

    OpenAIRE

    Hughes, Michael F.

    2006-01-01

    The environmental contaminant inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a human toxicant and carcinogen. Most mammals metabolize iAs by reducing it to trivalency, followed by oxidative methylation to pentavalency. iAs and its methylated metabolites are primarily excreted in urine within 4–5 days by most species and have a relatively low rate of bioaccumulation. Intra- and interindividual differences in the methylation of iAs may affect the adverse health effects of arsenic. Both inorganic and organic trival...

  13. Studies on inorganic exchanger: zirconium antimonate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dash, A.; Balasubramanian, K.R.

    1992-01-01

    The inorganic exchanger zirconium antimonate has been prepared and its characteristics evaluated. A method has been developed for the separation of 90 Sr and 144 Ce from fission products solution using this exchanger. (author). 23 refs., 18 f igs., 9 tabs

  14. Recent Applications of 2D Inorganic Nanosheets for Emerging Energy Storage System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Seung Mi; Patil, Sharad B; Jin, Xiaoyan; Hwang, Seong-Ju

    2018-04-03

    Among many types of nanostructured inorganic materials, highly anisotropic 2D nanosheets provide unique advantages in designing and synthesizing efficient electrode and electrocatalyst materials for novel energy storage technologies. 2D inorganic nanosheets boast lots of unique characteristics such as high surface area, short ion diffusion path, tailorable compositions, and tunable electronic structures. These merits of 2D inorganic nanosheets render them promising candidate materials as electrodes for diverse secondary batteries and supercapacitors, and electrocatalysts. A wide spectrum of examples is presented for inorganic nanosheet-based electrodes and electrocatalysts. Future perspectives in research about 2D nanosheet-based functional materials are discussed to provide insight for the development of next-generation energy storage systems using 2D nanostructured materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Automated detection of microaneurysms using scale-adapted blob analysis and semi-supervised learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adal, Kedir M; Sidibé, Désiré; Ali, Sharib; Chaum, Edward; Karnowski, Thomas P; Mériaudeau, Fabrice

    2014-04-01

    Despite several attempts, automated detection of microaneurysm (MA) from digital fundus images still remains to be an open issue. This is due to the subtle nature of MAs against the surrounding tissues. In this paper, the microaneurysm detection problem is modeled as finding interest regions or blobs from an image and an automatic local-scale selection technique is presented. Several scale-adapted region descriptors are introduced to characterize these blob regions. A semi-supervised based learning approach, which requires few manually annotated learning examples, is also proposed to train a classifier which can detect true MAs. The developed system is built using only few manually labeled and a large number of unlabeled retinal color fundus images. The performance of the overall system is evaluated on Retinopathy Online Challenge (ROC) competition database. A competition performance measure (CPM) of 0.364 shows the competitiveness of the proposed system against state-of-the art techniques as well as the applicability of the proposed features to analyze fundus images. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of Inorganic Solar Cells by Nano-technology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yafei Zhang; HueyLiang Hwang; Huijuan Geng; Zhihua Zhou; Jiang Wu; Zhiming Wang; Yaozhong Zhang; Zhongli Li; Liying Zhang; Zhi Yang

    2012-01-01

    Inorganic solar cells, as durable photovoltaic devices for harvesting electric energy from sun light, have received tremendous attention due to the fear of exhausting the earth’s energy resources and damaging the living environment due to greenhouse gases. Some recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up new avenues for more relevant inorganic solar cells produced by new photovoltaic conversion concepts and effective solar energy harvesting nanostructures. In this review, the multiple exciton generation effect solar cells, hot carrier solar cells, one dimensional material constructed asymmetrical schottky barrier arrays, noble nanoparticle induced plasmonic enhancement, and light trapping nanostructured semiconductor solar cells are highlighted.

  17. Study on time characteristics of fast time response inorganic scintillator CeF3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Mengchun; Zhou Dianzhong; Guo Cun; Ye Wenying

    2003-01-01

    The cerium fluoride (CeF 3 ) is a kind of new fast time response inorganic scintillator. The physical characteristics of CeF 3 are well suitable for detection of domestic pulse γ-rays. The time response of detector composed by phototube with CeF 3 are measured by use of the pulse radiation source with rise time about 0.8 ns, and FWHM time 1.5-2.2 ns. Experiment results show that the rise time is less than 2 ns, FWHM time is about 10 ns, fall time is about 60 ns, average decay time constant is 20-30 ns, respectively for CeF 3

  18. Survey of inorganic arsenic in marine animals and marine certified reference materials by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sloth, Jens Jørgen; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt; Julshamn, Kåre

    2005-01-01

    , bivalves, and marine mammals as well as a range of marine certified reference materials, and the results were compared to values published in the literature. For fish and marine mammals, the results were in most cases below the limit of detection. For other sample types, inorganic arsenic concentrations up...

  19. Microbiological disproportionation of inorganic sulfur compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Finster, Kai

    2008-01-01

    The disproportionation of inorganic sulfur intermediates at moderate temperatures (0-80 °C) is a microbiologically catalyzed chemolithotrophic process in which compounds like elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and sulfite serve as both electron donor and acceptor, and generate hydrogen sulfide and su...

  20. The quest for the ideal inorganic scintillator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Derenzo, S.E.; Weber, M.J.; Bourret-Courchesne, E.; Klintenberg, M.K.

    2002-01-01

    The past half century has witnessed the discovery of many new inorganic scintillator materials and numerous advances in our understanding of the basic physical processes governing the transformation of ionizing radiation into scintillation light. Whereas scintillators are available with a good combination of physical properties, none provides the desired combination of stopping power, light output, and decay time. A review of the numerous scintillation mechanisms of known inorganic scintillators reveals why none of them is both bright and fast. The mechanisms of radiative recombination in wide-bandgap direct semiconductors, however, remain relatively unexploited for scintillators. We describe how suitably doped semiconductor scintillators could provide a combination of high light output, short decay time, and linearity of response that approach fundamental limits

  1. Inorganic pyrophosphatase in uncultivable hemotrophic mycoplasmas: identification and properties of the enzyme from Mycoplasma suis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wittenbrink Max M

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycoplasma suis belongs to a group of highly specialized hemotrophic bacteria that attach to the surface of host erythrocytes. Hemotrophic mycoplasmas are uncultivable and the genomes are not sequenced so far. Therefore, there is a need for the clarification of essential metabolic pathways which could be crucial barriers for the establishment of an in vitro cultivation system for these veterinary significant bacteria. Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPase are important enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate PPi to inorganic phosphate Pi. PPases are essential and ubiquitous metal-dependent enzymes providing a thermodynamic pull for many biosynthetic reactions. Here, we describe the identification, recombinant production and characterization of the soluble (sPPase of Mycoplasma suis. Results Screening of genomic M. suis libraries was used to identify a gene encoding the M. suis inorganic pyrophosphatase (sPPase. The M. suis sPPase consists of 164 amino acids with a molecular mass of 20 kDa. The highest identity of 63.7% was found to the M. penetrans sPPase. The typical 13 active site residues as well as the cation binding signature could be also identified in the M. suis sPPase. The activity of the M. suis enzyme was strongly dependent on Mg2+ and significantly lower in the presence of Mn2+ and Zn2+. Addition of Ca2+ and EDTA inhibited the M. suis sPPase activity. These characteristics confirmed the affiliation of the M. suis PPase to family I soluble PPases. The highest activity was determined at pH 9.0. In M. suis the sPPase builds tetramers of 80 kDa which were detected by convalescent sera from experimentally M. suis infected pigs. Conclusion The identification and characterization of the sPPase of M. suis is an additional step towards the clarification of the metabolism of hemotrophic mycoplasmas and, thus, important for the establishment of an in vitro cultivation system. As an antigenic and conserved

  2. Ultraviolet absorption detection of DNA in gels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahon, A.R.

    1998-01-01

    A method and apparatus for the detection and quantification of large fragments of unlabelled deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in agarose gels is presented. The technique is based on ultra-violet (UV) absorption by nucleotides. A deuterium lamp was used to illuminate regions of an electrophoresis gel. As DNA bands passed through the illuminated region of the gel the amount of UV light transmitted was reduced due to DNA absorption. Two detection systems were investigated. In the first system, synthetic chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond strip detectors were used to locate regions of DNA in the gels by detecting the transmitted light. CVD diamond has a high indirect band gap of 5.45 eV and is therefore sensitive to UV photons of wavelengths < 224 nm. A number of CVD diamond samples were characterised to investigate their suitability as detectors for this application. The detectors' quantum efficiency, UV response and time response were measured. DNA bands containing as little as 20 ng were detected by the diamond. In a second system, a deuterium lamp was used to illuminate individual sample lanes of an electrophoresis gel via an array of optical fibres. During electrophoresis the regions of DNA were detected with illumination at 260 nm, using a UV-sensitive charge coupled device (CCD). As the absorption coefficient of a DNA sample is approximately proportional to its mass, the technique is inherently quantitative. This system had a detection limit of 0.25 ng compared with 2-10 ng for the most popular conventional technique, ethidium bromide (EtBr) staining. Using this detection technique, the DNA sample remains in its native state. The removal of carcinogenic dyes from the detection procedure greatly reduces associated biological hazards. (author)

  3. Heavy metal, total arsenic, and inorganic arsenic contents of algae food products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almela, C; Algora, S; Benito, V; Clemente, M J; Devesa, V; Súñer, M A; Vélez, D; Montoro, R

    2002-02-13

    The total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury contents of 18 algae food products currently on sale in Spain were determined. The suitability of the analytical methodologies for this type of matrix was confirmed by evaluating their analytical characteristics. The concentration ranges found for each contaminant, expressed in milligrams per kilogram of dry weight, were as follows: total arsenic, 2.3-141; inorganic arsenic, 0.15-88; lead, mercury, 0.004-0.04. There is currently no legislation in Spain regarding contaminants in algae food products, but some of the samples analyzed revealed Cd and inorganic As levels higher than those permitted by legislation in other countries. Given the high concentrations of inorganic As found in Hizikia fusiforme, a daily consumption of 1.7 g of the product would reach the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake recommended by the WHO for an average body weight of 68 kg. A more comprehensive study of the contents and toxicological implications of the inorganic As present in the algae food products currently sold in Spain may be necessary, which might then be the basis for the introduction of specific sales restrictions.

  4. Inorganic Materials as Supports for Covalent Enzyme Immobilization: Methods and Mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Zucca

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Several inorganic materials are potentially suitable for enzymatic covalent immobilization, by means of several different techniques. Such materials must meet stringent criteria to be suitable as solid matrices: complete insolubility in water, reasonable mechanical strength and chemical resistance under the operational conditions, the capability to form manageable particles with high surface area, reactivity towards derivatizing/functionalizing agents. Non-specific protein adsorption should be always considered when planning covalent immobilization on inorganic solids. A huge mass of experimental work has shown that silica, silicates, borosilicates and aluminosilicates, alumina, titania, and other oxides, are the materials of choice when attempting enzyme immobilizations on inorganic supports. More recently, some forms of elemental carbon, silicon, and certain metals have been also proposed for certain applications. With regard to the derivatization/functionalization techniques, the use of organosilanes through silanization is undoubtedly the most studied and the most applied, although inorganic bridge formation and acylation with selected acyl halides have been deeply studied. In the present article, the most common inorganic supports for covalent immobilization of the enzymes are reviewed, with particular focus on their advantages and disadvantages in terms of enzyme loadings, operational stability, undesired adsorption, and costs. Mechanisms and methods for covalent immobilization are also discussed, focusing on the most widespread activating approaches (such as glutaraldehyde, cyanogen bromide, divinylsulfone, carbodiimides, carbonyldiimidazole, sulfonyl chlorides, chlorocarbonates, N-hydroxysuccinimides.

  5. Bioengineering aspects of inorganic carbon supply to mass algal cultures. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldman, J.C.

    1980-06-01

    The work included in this report is part of an ongoing study (currently funded by the Solar Energy Research Institute - Subcontract No. XR-9-8144-1) on the inorganic carbon requirements of microalgae under mass culture conditions and covers the period June 1, 1978 through May 31, 1979. It is divided into two parts appended herein. The first part is a literature review on the inorganic carbon chemical system in relation to algal growth requirements, and the second part deals with the kinetics of inorganic carbon-limited growth of two freshwater chlorophytes including the effect of carbon limitation on cellular chemical composition. Additional experiment research covered under this contract was reported in the Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Biomass Energy Systems Conferences, pp. 25-32, Bioengineering aspects of inorganic carbon supply to mass algal cultures. Report No. SERI/TP-33-285.

  6. Surfactant-modified zeolites as permeable barriers to organic and inorganic groundwater contaminants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowman, R.S.; Sullivan, E.J.

    1995-01-01

    We have shown in laboratory experiments that natural zeolites treated with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) are effective sorbents for nonpolar organics, inorganic cations, and inorganic anions. Due to their low cost (∼$0.75/kg) and granular nature, HDTMA-zeolites appear ideal candidates for reactive, permeable subsurface barriers. The HDTMA-zeolites are stable over a wide range of pH (3-13), ionic strength (1 M Cs + or Ca 2+ ), and in organic solvents. Surfactant-modified zeolites sorb nonpolar organics (benzene, toluene, xylene, chlorinated aliphatics) via a partitioning mechanism, inorganic cations (Pb 2+ ) via ion exchange and surface complexation, and inorganic anions (CrO 4 2- , SeO 4 2- , SO 4 2- ) via surface precipitation.The goal of this work is to demonstrate the use of surfactant-modified zeolite as a permeable barrier to ground water contaminants

  7. Mechanical Designs for Inorganic Stretchable Circuits in Soft Electronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuodao; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

    2015-09-01

    Mechanical concepts and designs in inorganic circuits for different levels of stretchability are reviewed in this paper, through discussions of the underlying mechanics and material theories, fabrication procedures for the constituent microscale/nanoscale devices, and experimental characterization. All of the designs reported here adopt heterogeneous structures of rigid and brittle inorganic materials on soft and elastic elastomeric substrates, with mechanical design layouts that isolate large deformations to the elastomer, thereby avoiding potentially destructive plastic strains in the brittle materials. The overall stiffnesses of the electronics, their stretchability, and curvilinear shapes can be designed to match the mechanical properties of biological tissues. The result is a class of soft stretchable electronic systems that are compatible with traditional high-performance inorganic semiconductor technologies. These systems afford promising options for applications in portable biomedical and health-monitoring devices. Mechanics theories and modeling play a key role in understanding the underlining physics and optimization of these systems.

  8. Heterostructures based on inorganic and organic van der Waals systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Gwan-Hyoung; Lee, Chul-Ho; Zande, Arend M. van der; Han, Minyong; Cui, Xu; Arefe, Ghidewon; Hone, James; Nuckolls, Colin; Heinz, Tony F.; Kim, Philip

    2014-01-01

    The two-dimensional limit of layered materials has recently been realized through the use of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures composed of weakly interacting layers. In this paper, we describe two different classes of vdW heterostructures: inorganic vdW heterostructures prepared by co-lamination and restacking; and organic-inorganic hetero-epitaxy created by physical vapor deposition of organic molecule crystals on an inorganic vdW substrate. Both types of heterostructures exhibit atomically clean vdW interfaces. Employing such vdW heterostructures, we have demonstrated various novel devices, including graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and MoS 2 heterostructures for memory devices; graphene/MoS 2 /WSe 2 /graphene vertical p-n junctions for photovoltaic devices, and organic crystals on hBN with graphene electrodes for high-performance transistors

  9. Total and inorganic arsenic in fish samples from Norwegian waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julshamn, Kaare; Nilsen, Bente M; Frantzen, Sylvia; Valdersnes, Stig; Maage, Amund; Nedreaas, Kjell; Sloth, Jens J

    2012-01-01

    The contents of total arsenic and inorganic arsenic were determined in fillet samples of Northeast Artic cod, herring, mackerel, Greenland halibut, tusk, saithe and Atlantic halibut. In total, 923 individual fish samples were analysed. The fish were mostly caught in the open sea off the coast of Norway, from 40 positions. The determination of total arsenic was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following microwave-assisted wet digestion. The determination of inorganic arsenic was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography-ICP-MS following microwave-assisted dissolution of the samples. The concentrations found for total arsenic varied greatly between fish species, and ranged from 0.3 to 110 mg kg(-1) wet weight. For inorganic arsenic, the concentrations found were very low (fish used in the recent EFSA opinion on arsenic in food.

  10. Preparation of chitosan/nano hydroxyapatite organic-inorganic hybrid microspheres for bone repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jingdi; Pan, Panpan; Zhang, Yujue; Zhong, Shengnan; Zhang, Qiqing

    2015-10-01

    In this work, we encapsulated icariin (ICA) into chitosan (CS)/nano hydroxyapatite (nHAP) composite microspheres to form organic-inorganic hybrid microspheres for drug delivery carrier. The composition and morphology of composite microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry- thermogravimetric analysis (DSC-TGA). Moreover, we further studied the performance of swelling properties, degradation properties and drug release behavior of the microspheres. ICA, the extract of traditional Chinese medicine-epimedium, was combined to study drug release properties of the microspheres. ICA loaded microspheres take on a sustained release behavior, which can be not only ascribed to electrostatic interaction between reactive negative hydroxyl (OH) of ICA and positive amine groups (NH₂) of CS, but also depended on the homogeneous dispersion of HAP nanoparticles inside CS organic matrix. In addition, the adhesion and morphology of osteoblasts were detected by inverted fluorescence microscopy. The biocompatibility of CS/nHAP/ICA microspheres was evaluated by the MTT cytotoxicity assay, Hoechst 33258 and PI fluorescence staining. These studies demonstrate that composite microspheres provide a suitable microenvironment for osteoblast attachment and proliferation. It can be speculated that the ICA loaded CS-based organic-inorganic hybrid microspheres might have potential applications in drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. On-line electrochemically controlled in-tube solid phase microextraction of inorganic selenium followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asiabi, Hamid [Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yamini, Yadollah, E-mail: yyamini@modares.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Seidi, Shahram [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shamsayei, Maryam; Safari, Meysam; Rezaei, Fatemeh [Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-05-30

    In this work, for the first time, a rapid, simple and sensitive microextraction procedure is demonstrated for the matrix separation, preconcentration and determination of inorganic selenium species in water samples using an electrochemically controlled in-tube solid phase microextraction (EC-in-tube SPME) followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS). In this approach, in which EC-in-tube SPME and HG-AAS system were combined, the total analysis time, was decreased and the accuracy, repeatability and sensitivity were increased. In addition, to increases extraction efficiency, a novel nanostructured composite coating consisting of polypyrrole (PPy) doped with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) was prepared on the inner surface of a stainless-steel tube by a facile electrodeposition method. To evaluate the offered setup and the new PPy-EGDMA coating, it was used to extract inorganic selenium species in water samples. Extraction of inorganic selenium species was carried out by applying a positive potential through the inner surface of coated in-tube under flow conditions. Under the optimized conditions, selenium was detected in amounts as small as 4.0 parts per trillion. The method showed good linearity in the range of 0.012–200 ng mL{sup −1}, with coefficients of determination better than 0.9996. The intra- and inter-assay precisions (RSD%, n = 5) were in the range of 2.0–2.5% and 2.7–3.2%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied for the analysis of inorganic selenium species in some water samples and satisfactory results were obtained. - Graphical abstract: An electrochemically controlled in-tube solid phase microextraction followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry was developed for extraction and determination ultra-trace amounts of Se in aqueous solutions. - Highlights: • A nanostructured composite coating consisting of PPy doped with EGDMA was prepared. • The coating was

  12. Phytochemical, inorganic and proximate composition-guided ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sterols, glycosides and anthraquinone were absent in all samples. The inorganic composition result showed relatively high concentration of potassium (very high for seed), calcium (for bark and leaf), magnesium and sulphur in Avocado samples. The Avocado seed contained relatively high content of moisture, carbohydrate ...

  13. Synthesis, Processing, and Characterization of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Cross-Linked Silica, Organic Polyimide, and Inorganic Aluminosilicate Aerogels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Baochau N.; Guo, Haiquan N.; McCorkle, Linda S.

    2014-01-01

    As aerospace applications become ever more demanding, novel insulation materials with lower thermal conductivity, lighter weight and higher use temperature are required to fit the aerospace application needs. Having nanopores and high porosity, aerogels are superior thermal insulators, among other things. The use of silica aerogels in general is quite restricted due to their inherent fragility, hygroscopic nature, and poor mechanical properties, especially in extereme aerospace environments. Our research goal is to develop aerogels with better mechanical and environmental stability for a variety of aeronautic and space applications including space suit insulation for planetary surface missions, insulation for inflatable structures for habitats, inflatable aerodynamic decelerators for entry, descent and landing (EDL) operations, and cryotank insulation for advance space propulsion systems. Different type of aerogels including organic-inorganic polymer reinforced (hybrid) silica-based aerogels, polyimide aerogels and inorganic aluminosilicate aerogels have been developed and examined.

  14. A review of organic and inorganic biomaterials for neural interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Pouria; Yang, Guang; Kim, Gloria; Abidian, Mohammad Reza

    2014-03-26

    Recent advances in nanotechnology have generated wide interest in applying nanomaterials for neural prostheses. An ideal neural interface should create seamless integration into the nervous system and performs reliably for long periods of time. As a result, many nanoscale materials not originally developed for neural interfaces become attractive candidates to detect neural signals and stimulate neurons. In this comprehensive review, an overview of state-of-the-art microelectrode technologies provided fi rst, with focus on the material properties of these microdevices. The advancements in electro active nanomaterials are then reviewed, including conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, silicon nanowires, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials, for neural recording, stimulation, and growth. Finally, technical and scientific challenges are discussed regarding biocompatibility, mechanical mismatch, and electrical properties faced by these nanomaterials for the development of long-lasting functional neural interfaces.

  15. Inorganic electret with enhanced charge stability for energy harvesting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Fei; Hansen, Ole

    2013-01-01

    We report a new surface treatment of inorganic electret materials which enhances the charge stability. Coating the surfaces with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H - perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) makes the electret surface more hydrophobic which improves the surface charge stability under high humidity condit...... conditions. Thermal tests show that the thermal stability of charge in the inorganic electrets is also much better than that of polymer materials such as CYTOP. A demonstrator device with SiO2 electrets shows promising results for energy harvesting applications....

  16. Size and Crystallinity in Protein-Templated Inorganic Nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jolley, Craig C.; Uchida, Masaki; Reichhardt, Courtney; Harrington, Richard; Kang, Sebyung; Klem, Michael T.; Parise, John B.; Douglas, Trevor (SBU); (Montana)

    2010-12-01

    Protein cages such as ferritins and virus capsids have been used as containers to synthesize a wide variety of protein-templated inorganic nanoparticles. While identification of the inorganic crystal phase has been successful in some cases, very little is known about the detailed nanoscale structure of the inorganic component. We have used pair distribution function analysis of total X-ray scattering to measure the crystalline domain size in nanoparticles of ferrihydrite, {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}, CoPt, and FePt grown inside 24-meric ferritin cages from H. sapiens and P. furiosus. The material properties of these protein-templated nanoparticles are influenced by processes at a variety of length scales: the chemistry of the material determines the precise arrangement of atoms at very short distances, while the interior volume of the protein cage constrains the maximum nanoparticle size attainable. At intermediate length scales, the size of coherent crystalline domains appears to be constrained by the arrangement of crystal nucleation sites on the interior of the cage. On the basis of these observations, some potential synthetic strategies for the control of crystalline domain size in protein-templated nanoparticles are suggested.

  17. An Infrared Fiber-Optic Raman Sensor for Field Detecting of Organic Biomarkers, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — High throughput, fast detection and characterization of inorganic and organic biomarkers have become important challenge for future lunar robotic rover exploration...

  18. Determining Inorganic and Organic Carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koistinen, Jaana; Sjöblom, Mervi; Spilling, Kristian

    2017-11-21

    Carbon is the element which makes up the major fraction of lipids and carbohydrates, which could be used for making biofuel. It is therefore important to provide enough carbon and also follow the flow into particulate organic carbon and potential loss to dissolved organic forms of carbon. Here we present methods for determining dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and particulate organic carbon.

  19. Design of bone-integrating organic-inorganic composite suitable for bone repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyazaki, Toshiki

    2013-01-01

    Several ceramics exhibit specific biological affinity, i.e. direct bone integration, when implanted in bony defects. They are called bioactive ceramics and utilized as important bone substitutes. However, there is limitation on clinical application, because of their inappropriate mechanical properties such as high Young's modulus and low fracture toughness. Novel bioactive materials exhibiting high machinability and flexibility have been desired in medical fields. Mixing bioactive ceramic powders and organic polymers have developed various organic-inorganic composites. Their mechanical property and bioactivity are mainly governed by the ceramics content. It is known that bioactive ceramics integrate with the bone through bone-like hydroxyapatite layer formed on their surfaces by chemical reaction with body fluid. This is triggered by a catalytic effect of various functional groups. On the basis of these facts, novel bioactive organic-inorganic nanocomposites have been developed. In these composites, inorganic components effective for triggering the hydroxyapatite nucleation are dispersed in polymer matrix at molecular level. Concept of the organic-inorganic composite is also applicable for providing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement with the bioactivity.

  20. Detecting Different Road Infrastructural Elements Based on the Stochastic Characterization of Speed Patterns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Muñoz-Organero

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The automatic detection of road related information using data from sensors while driving has many potential applications such as traffic congestion detection or automatic routable map generation. This paper focuses on the automatic detection of road elements based on GPS data from on-vehicle systems. A new algorithm is developed that uses the total variation distance instead of the statistical moments to improve the classification accuracy. The algorithm is validated for detecting traffic lights, roundabouts, and street-crossings in a real scenario and the obtained accuracy (0.75 improves the best results using previous approaches based on statistical moments based features (0.71. Each road element to be detected is characterized as a vector of speeds measured when a driver goes through it. We first eliminate the speed samples in congested traffic conditions which are not comparable with clear traffic conditions and would contaminate the dataset. Then, we calculate the probability mass function for the speed (in 1 m/s intervals at each point. The total variation distance is then used to find the similarity among different points of interest (which can contain a similar road element or a different one. Finally, a k-NN approach is used for assigning a class to each unlabelled element.

  1. Effects of adding bulking agent, inorganic nutrient and microbial inocula on biopile treatment for oil-field drilling waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jie; Yang, Yongqi; Dai, Xiaoli; Chen, Yetong; Deng, Hanmei; Zhou, Huijun; Guo, Shaohui; Yan, Guangxu

    2016-05-01

    Contamination from oil-field drilling waste is a worldwide environmental problem. This study investigated the performance of four bench-scale biopiles in treating drilling waste: 1) direct biopile (DW), 2) biopile plus oil-degrading microbial consortium (DW + M), 3) biopile plus microbial consortium and bulking agents (saw dust) (DW + M + BA), 4) biopile plus microbial consortium, bulking agents, and inorganic nutrients (Urea and K2HPO4) (DW + M + BA + N). Ninety days of biopiling removed 41.0%, 44.0%, 55.7% and 87.4% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in the pile "DW", "DW + M", "DW + M + BA", and "DW + M + BA + N" respectively. Addition of inorganic nutrient and bulking agents resulted in a 56.9% and 26.6% increase in TPH removal efficiency respectively. In contrast, inoculation of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms only slightly enhanced the contaminant removal (increased 7.3%). The biopile with stronger contaminant removal also had higher pile temperature and lower pile pH (e.g., in "DW + M + BA + N"). GC-MS analysis shows that biopiling significantly reduced the total number of detected contaminants and changed the chemical composition. Overall, this study shows that biopiling is an effective remediation technology for drilling waste. Adding inorganic nutrients and bulking agents can significantly improve biopile performance while addition of microbial inocula had minimal positive impacts on contaminant removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Fire-Retardant, Self-Extinguishing Inorganic/Polymer Composite Memory Foams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Soumyajyoti; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy

    2017-12-27

    Polymeric foams used in furniture and automotive and aircraft seating applications rely on the incorporation of environmentally hazardous fire-retardant additives to meet fire safety norms. This has occasioned significant interest in novel approaches to the elimination of fire-retardant additives. Foams based on polymer nanocomposites or based on fire-retardant coatings show compromised mechanical performance and require additional processing steps. Here, we demonstrate a one-step preparation of a fire-retardant ice-templated inorganic/polymer hybrid that does not incorporate fire-retardant additives. The hybrid foams exhibit excellent mechanical properties. They are elastic to large compressional strain, despite the high inorganic content. They also exhibit tunable mechanical recovery, including viscoelastic "memory". These hybrid foams are prepared using ice-templating that relies on a green solvent, water, as a porogen. Because these foams are predominantly comprised of inorganic components, they exhibit exceptional fire retardance in torch burn tests and are self-extinguishing. After being subjected to a flame, the foam retains its porous structure and does not drip or collapse. In micro-combustion calorimetry, the hybrid foams show a peak heat release rate that is only 25% that of a commercial fire-retardant polyurethanes. Finally, we demonstrate that we can use ice-templating to prepare hybrid foams with different inorganic colloids, including cheap commercial materials. We also demonstrate that ice-templating is amenable to scale up, without loss of mechanical performance or fire-retardant properties.

  3. From stretchable to reconfigurable inorganic electronics

    KAUST Repository

    Nassar, Joanna M.

    2016-05-06

    Today’s state-of-the-art electronics are high performing, energy efficient, multi-functional and cost effective. However, they are also typically rigid and brittle. With the emergence of the Internet of Everything, electronic applications are expanding into previously unexplored areas, like healthcare, smart wearable artifacts, and robotics. One major challenge is the physical asymmetry of target application surfaces, which often cause mechanical stretching, contracting, twisting and other deformations to the application. In this review paper, we explore materials, processes, mechanics and devices that enable physically stretchable and reconfigurable electronics. While the concept of stretchable electronics is commonly used in practice, the notion of physically reconfigurable electronics is still in its infancy. Because organic materials are commonly naturally stretchable and physically deformable, we predominantly focus on electronics made from inorganic materials that have the capacity for physical stretching and reconfiguration while retaining their intended attributes. We emphasize how applications of electronics dictate theory to integration strategy for stretchable and reconfigurable inorganic electronics.

  4. Reactive transport modeling of coupled inorganic and organic processes in groundwater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brun, Adam

    1997-12-31

    The main goals of this project are to develop and apply a reactive transport code for simulation of coupled organic and inorganic processes in the pollution plume in the ground water down-gradient from the Vejen landfill, Denmark. The detailed field investigations in this aquifer have previously revealed a complex pattern of strongly interdependent organic and inorganic processes. These processes occur simultaneously in a flow and transport system where the mixing of reactive species is influenced by the rather complex geology in the vicinity of the landfill. The removal of organic matter is influenced by the presence of various electron acceptors that also are involved in various inorganic geochemical reactions. It was concluded from the investigations that degradation of organic matter, complexation, mineral precipitation and dissolution, ion-exchange and inorganic redox reactions, as a minimum, should be included in the formulation of the model. The coupling of the organic and inorganic processes is developed based on a literature study. All inorganic processes are as an approximation described as equilibriumm processes. The organic processes are described by a maximum degradation rate that is decreased according to the availability of the participants in the processes, the actual pH, and the presence of inhibiting species. The reactive transport code consists of three separate codes, a flow and transport code, a geochemical code, and a biodegradation code. An iterative solution scheme couples the three codes. The coupled code was successfully verified for simple problems for which analytical solutions exist. For more complex problems the code was tested on synthetic cases and expected plume behavior was successfully simulated. Application of the code to the Vejen landfill aquifer was successful to the degree that the redox zonation down-gradient from the landfill was simulated correctly and that several of the simulated plumes showed a reasonable agreement with

  5. Solid-state NMR of inorganic semiconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yesinowski, James P

    2012-01-01

    Studies of inorganic semiconductors by solid-state NMR vary widely in terms of the nature of the samples investigated, the techniques employed to observe the NMR signal, and the types of information obtained. Compared with the NMR of diamagnetic non-semiconducting substances, important differences often result from the presence of electron or hole carriers that are the hallmark of semiconductors, and whose theoretical interpretation can be involved. This review aims to provide a broad perspective on the topic for the non-expert by providing: (1) a basic introduction to semiconductor physical concepts relevant to NMR, including common crystal structures and the various methods of making samples; (2) discussions of the NMR spin Hamiltonian, details of some of the NMR techniques and strategies used to make measurements and theoretically predict NMR parameters, and examples of how each of the terms in the Hamiltonian has provided useful information in bulk semiconductors; (3) a discussion of the additional considerations needed to interpret the NMR of nanoscale semiconductors, with selected examples. The area of semiconductor NMR is being revitalized by this interest in nanoscale semiconductors, the great improvements in NMR detection sensitivity and resolution that have occurred, and the current interest in optical pumping and spintronics-related studies. Promising directions for future research will be noted throughout.

  6. Wavelength-tunable waveguides based on polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ziyu; Liu, Jingying; Xu, Zai-Quan; Xue, Yunzhou; Jiang, Liangcong; Song, Jingchao; Huang, Fuzhi; Wang, Yusheng; Zhong, Yu Lin; Zhang, Yupeng; Cheng, Yi-Bing; Bao, Qiaoliang

    2016-03-01

    Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have emerged as new photovoltaic materials with impressively high power conversion efficiency due to their high optical absorption coefficient and long charge carrier diffusion length. In addition to high photoluminescence quantum efficiency and chemical tunability, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites also show intriguing potential for diverse photonic applications. In this work, we demonstrate that polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires can function as active optical waveguides with small propagation loss. The successful production of high quality perovskite microwires with different halogen elements enables the guiding of light with different colours. Furthermore, it is interesting to find that out-coupled light intensity from the microwire can be effectively modulated by an external electric field, which behaves as an electro-optical modulator. This finding suggests the promising applications of perovskite microwires as effective building blocks in micro/nano scale photonic circuits.

  7. Design and development of anisotropic inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites by surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Xiao [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); Huang, Shiming [Department of Physics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Wang, Yilong, E-mail: yilongwang@tongji.edu.cn [Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); Shi, Donglu, E-mail: shid@ucmail.uc.edu [Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092 (China); The Materials Science and Engineering Program, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221 (United States)

    2016-07-01

    Anisotropic yolk/shell or Janus inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites were prepared by combining miniemulsion polymerization and sol–gel reaction. The morphologies of the anisotropic composites were found to be greatly influenced by surface modification of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle seeds. Two different types of the oleic acid modified ZnO nanoparticles (OA-ZnO) were prepared by post-treatment of commercial ZnO powder and homemade OA-ZnO nanoparticles. The morphologies and properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It was found that both post-treated OA-ZnO and in-situ prepared OA-ZnO nanoparticles resulted in the yolk–shell and Janus structure nanocomposites, but with varied size and morphology. These nanocomposites showed stable and strong fluorescence by introducing quantum dots as the co-seeds. The fluorescent anisotropic nanocomposites were decorated separately with surface carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. These composites with unique anisotropic properties will have high potential in biomedical applications, particularly in bio-detection. - Graphical abstract: Design and development of anisotropic inorganic/polystyrene nanocomposites by surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Non-magnetic anisotropic yolk/shell or Janus nanocomposites are prepared and characterized. • Different surface modification of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles results in varied morphology and size of the final product. • Fluorescent anisotropic nanocomposites embodying quantum dots are an ideal candidate for bio-detection applications.

  8. Inorganic and Hazardous Solid Waste Management: Current Status and Challenges for Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aprilia, A.; Tezuka, T.; Spaargaren, G.

    2013-01-01

    This article focuses on household waste management in Indonesia, with particular emphasis on inorganic and hazardous waste. It seeks to identify the current situation and also aims to provide a review of the existing policies that are particularly related to inorganic and hazardous waste management.

  9. Rapid Reduction in Breast Cancer Mortality With Inorganic Arsenic in Drinking Water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allan H. Smith

    2014-11-01

    Interpretation: We found biologically plausible major reductions in breast cancer mortality during high exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water which could not be attributed to bias or confounding. We recommend clinical trial assessment of inorganic arsenic in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

  10. Influence of impregnation by inorganic substances on the yield of pyrolysis products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shevkoplyas, V N; Saranchuk, V I [AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Donetsk (Ukraine). Inst. Fiziko-Organicheskoj Khimii i Uglekhimii

    1998-09-01

    In papers was shown that fossil coals impregnation by aqueous solution of inorganic substances with a subsequent pyrolysis leads to the rise of the rate and depth of its organic mass destruction into liquid and gaseous products. This is, apperently, conditioned by changes in coals structure already on the stage of treatment. But, there are few papers that study an activating effect of inorganic reactants upon natural coals structure and their behaviour at pyrolysis. One of the methods which allows to judge structural transformation in coals at their impregnation by inorganic substances is an X-ray analysis. (orig.)

  11. Regulating the electrical behaviors of 2D inorganic nanomaterials for energy applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Feng; Wu, Junchi; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

    2015-02-11

    Recent years have witnessed great developments in inorganic 2D nanomaterials for their unique dimensional confinement and diverse electronic energy bands. Precisely regulating their intrinsic electrical behaviors would bring superior electrical conductivity, rendering 2D nanomaterials ideal candidates for active materials in electrochemical applications when combined with the excellent reaction activity from the inorganic lattice. This Concept focuses on highly conducting inorganic 2D nanomaterials, including intrinsic metallic 2D nanomaterials and artificial highly conductive 2D nanomaterials. The intrinsic metallicity of 2D nanomaterials is derived from their closely packed atomic structures that ensure maximum overlapping of electron orbitals, while artificial highly conductive 2D nanomaterials could be achieved by designed methodologies of surface modification, intralayer ion doping, and lattice strain, in which atomic-scale structural modulation plays a vital role in realizing conducting behaviors. Benefiting from fast electron transfer, high reaction activity, as well as large surface areas arising from the 2D inorganic lattice, highly conducting 2D nanomaterials open up prospects for enhancing performance in electrochemical catalysis and electrochemical capacitors. Conductive 2D inorganic nanomaterials promise higher efficiency for electrochemical applications of energy conversion and storage. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Controlled Interactions between Two Dimensional Layered Inorganic Nanosheets and Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-15

    AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2016-0071 Controlled Interactions between Two Dimensional Layered Inorganic Nanosheets and Polymers Cheolmin Park YONSEI UNIVERSITY...Interactions between Two Dimensional Layered Inorganic Nanosheets and Polymers 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA2386-14-1-4054 5c.  PROGRAM ELEMENT...prospects for a variety of emerging applications in a broad range of fields, such as electronics, energy conversion and storage, catalysis and polymer

  13. Screening of inorganic gases released from firework-rockets by a gas chromatography/whistle-accelerometer method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Kuan-Fu; Wu, Hui-Hsin; Lin, Chien-Hung; Lin, Cheng-Huang

    2013-08-30

    The use of an accelerometer for detecting inorganic gases in gas chromatography (GC) is described. A milli-whistle was connected to the outlet of the GC capillary and was used instead of a classical GC detector. When the GC carrier gases and the sample gases pass through the milli-whistle, a sound is produced, leading to vibrational changes, which can be recorded using an accelerometer. Inorganic gases, including SO2, N2 and CO2, which are released from traditional Chinese firework-rockets at relatively high levels as the result of burning the propellant and explosive material inside could be rapidly determined using the GC/whistle-accelerometer system. The method described herein is safe, the instrumentation is compact and has potential to be modified so as to be portable for use in the field. It also can be used in conjunction with FID (flame ionization detector) or TCD (thermal conductivity detector), in which either no response for FID (CO2, N2, NO2, SO2, etc.) or helium gas is needed for TCD, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Total arsenic in selected food samples from Argentina: Estimation of their contribution to inorganic arsenic dietary intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigrist, Mirna; Hilbe, Nandi; Brusa, Lucila; Campagnoli, Darío; Beldoménico, Horacio

    2016-11-01

    An optimized flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI-HGAAS) method was used to determine total arsenic in selected food samples (beef, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, egg, rice, rice-based products, wheat flour, corn flour, oats, breakfast cereals, legumes and potatoes) and to estimate their contributions to inorganic arsenic dietary intake. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values obtained were 6μgkg(-)(1) and 18μgkg(-)(1), respectively. The mean recovery range obtained for all food at a fortification level of 200μgkg(-)(1) was 85-110%. Accuracy was evaluated using dogfish liver certified reference material (DOLT-3 NRC) for trace metals. The highest total arsenic concentrations (in μgkg(-)(1)) were found in fish (152-439), rice (87-316) and rice-based products (52-201). The contribution to inorganic arsenic (i-As) intake was calculated from the mean i-As content of each food (calculated by applying conversion factors to total arsenic data) and the mean consumption per day. The primary contributors to inorganic arsenic intake were wheat flour, including its proportion in wheat flour-based products (breads, pasta and cookies), followed by rice; both foods account for close to 53% and 17% of the intake, respectively. The i-As dietary intake, estimated as 10.7μgday(-)(1), was significantly lower than that from drinking water in vast regions of Argentina. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together on N and P absorption and soil fertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Kuibo; Yu Meiyan; Shen Xiuzhen; Wang Tongyan; Chen Xueliu; Wang Zhifen

    1994-01-01

    15 N trace experiments show that organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together promotes organic N mineralization and absorption. Base fertilizer is mainly for nutrition organs and spring fertilizer for reproduction organs. Organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together obtained the highest production efficiency of total N. Total P amount in wheat plant is slightly higher than that of inorganic N applied only, but P distribution in nutrition organs was slightly lower than that of inorganic N applied only. Organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together, not only promoted the production but also increased fertility of soil, so it is an important measure for wheat to obtain high production continuously

  16. Bio remediation of inorganic contaminants; Biotratamiento de contaminantes de origen inorganico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Algucial, F J; Merino, Y [Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Metalurgicas. CENIM. Madrid (Spain)

    1999-12-31

    Bio remediation is usually associated with the remediation of organic contaminants. However, there is an increasing amount of information on the application of biological systems to bio remediation of soils, sediments and water contaminated with inorganic compounds which includes metals, radionuclides and anions (e.g. nitrates and cyanides). These compounds can be toxic both to humans and to the organisms used to remediate these toxic components. In contrast to organic compounds, most inorganic contaminants cannot be degrades, but must be remediated by altering their transport properties. Immobilization, mobilization or transformation of inorganic contaminants via bioaccumulation, bi sorption, oxidation and reduction, methylation, demethylation, complexation, ligand degradation, and phytoremediation are some of the different processes applied in this type of byoremediation. This paper describes these processes. (Author) 60 refs.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-06-06

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

  18. Perovskite Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Inorganic Hole Conducting Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pan-Pan Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have recently shown great potential for application, due to their advantages of low-cost, excellent photoelectric properties and high power conversion efficiency. Perovskite-based thin film solar cells have achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE of up to 20%. Hole transport materials (HTMs are one of the most important components of perovskite solar cells (PSCs, having functions of optimizing interface, adjusting the energy match, and helping to obtain higher PCE. Inorganic p-type semiconductors are alternative HTMs due to their chemical stability, higher mobility, high transparency in the visible region, and applicable valence band (VB energy level. This review analyzed the advantages, disadvantages, and development prospects of several popular inorganic HTMs in PSCs.

  19. Inorganic-organic hybrid polymers for food packaging

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Kesavan Pillai, Sreejarani

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available packaging application. Numerous hybrid inorganic-organic materials have been developed using low temperature sol-gel chemistry, which enables the tailoring of the nanostructure and the resulting material is often multifunctional, offering a wide range...

  20. Efficient light emission from inorganic and organic semiconductor hybrid structures by energy-level tuning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlesinger, R; Bianchi, F; Blumstengel, S; Christodoulou, C; Ovsyannikov, R; Kobin, B; Moudgil, K; Barlow, S; Hecht, S; Marder, S R; Henneberger, F; Koch, N

    2015-04-15

    The fundamental limits of inorganic semiconductors for light emitting applications, such as holographic displays, biomedical imaging and ultrafast data processing and communication, might be overcome by hybridization with their organic counterparts, which feature enhanced frequency response and colour range. Innovative hybrid inorganic/organic structures exploit efficient electrical injection and high excitation density of inorganic semiconductors and subsequent energy transfer to the organic semiconductor, provided that the radiative emission yield is high. An inherent obstacle to that end is the unfavourable energy level offset at hybrid inorganic/organic structures, which rather facilitates charge transfer that quenches light emission. Here, we introduce a technologically relevant method to optimize the hybrid structure's energy levels, here comprising ZnO and a tailored ladder-type oligophenylene. The ZnO work function is substantially lowered with an organometallic donor monolayer, aligning the frontier levels of the inorganic and organic semiconductors. This increases the hybrid structure's radiative emission yield sevenfold, validating the relevance of our approach.

  1. Efficient light emission from inorganic and organic semiconductor hybrid structures by energy-level tuning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlesinger, R.; Bianchi, F.; Blumstengel, S.; Christodoulou, C.; Ovsyannikov, R.; Kobin, B.; Moudgil, K.; Barlow, S.; Hecht, S.; Marder, S.R.; Henneberger, F.; Koch, N.

    2015-01-01

    The fundamental limits of inorganic semiconductors for light emitting applications, such as holographic displays, biomedical imaging and ultrafast data processing and communication, might be overcome by hybridization with their organic counterparts, which feature enhanced frequency response and colour range. Innovative hybrid inorganic/organic structures exploit efficient electrical injection and high excitation density of inorganic semiconductors and subsequent energy transfer to the organic semiconductor, provided that the radiative emission yield is high. An inherent obstacle to that end is the unfavourable energy level offset at hybrid inorganic/organic structures, which rather facilitates charge transfer that quenches light emission. Here, we introduce a technologically relevant method to optimize the hybrid structure's energy levels, here comprising ZnO and a tailored ladder-type oligophenylene. The ZnO work function is substantially lowered with an organometallic donor monolayer, aligning the frontier levels of the inorganic and organic semiconductors. This increases the hybrid structure's radiative emission yield sevenfold, validating the relevance of our approach. PMID:25872919

  2. Inorganic phosphate inhibits sympathetic neurotransmission in canine saphenous veins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edoute, Y.; Vanhoutte, P.M.; Shepherd, J.T.

    1987-01-01

    Inorganic phosphate has been proposed as the initiator of metabolic vasodilatation in active skeletal muscle. The present study was primarily designed to determine if this substance has an inhibitory effect on adrenergic neurotransmission. Rings of canine saphenous veins were suspended for isometric tension recording in organ chambers. A comparison was made of the ability of inorganic phosphate (3 to 14 mM) to relax rings contracted to the same degree by electrical stimulation, exogenous norepinephrine, and prostaglandin F/sub 2α/. The relaxation during electrical stimulation was significantly greater at all concentrations of phosphate. In strips of saphenous veins previously incubated with [ 3 H]norepinephrine, the depression of the contractile response caused by phosphate during electrical stimulated was accompanied by a significant reduction in the overflow of labeled neurotransmitter. Thus inorganic phosphate inhibits sympathetic neurotransmission and hence may have a key role in the sympatholysis in the active skeletal muscles during exercise. By contrast, in this preparation, it has a modest direct relaxing action on the vascular smooth muscle

  3. Medicinal Uses of Inorganic Compounds - 1

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Worldwide sales of inorganic drugs are growing rapidly. Although about 26 elements in the periodic table are considered essential for mammalian life, both ... Lithium like alcohol can influence mood. Lithium drugs such as lithium carbonate Li2C03. , are used for the treatment of manic-depressive disorders, most likely ...

  4. Inorganic-based proton conductive composite membranes for elevated temperature and reduced relative humidity PEM fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chunmei

    Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are regarded as highly promising energy conversion systems for future transportation and stationary power generation and have been under intensive investigations for the last decade. Unfortunately, cutting edge PEM fuel cell design and components still do not allow economically commercial implementation of this technology. The main obstacles are high cost of proton conductive membranes, low-proton conductivity at low relative humidity (RH), and dehydration and degradation of polymer membranes at high temperatures. The objective of this study was to develop a systematic approach to design a high proton conductive composite membrane that can provide a conductivity of approximately 100 mS cm-1 under hot and dry conditions (120°C and 50% RH). The approach was based on fundamental and experimental studies of the proton conductivity of inorganic additives and composite membranes. We synthesized and investigated a variety of organic-inorganic Nafion-based composite membranes. In particular, we analyzed their fundamental properties, which included thermal stability, morphology, the interaction between inorganic network and Nafion clusters, and the effect of inorganic phase on the membrane conductivity. A wide range of inorganic materials was studied in advance in order to select the proton conductive inorganic additives for composite membranes. We developed a conductivity measurement method, with which the proton conductivity characteristics of solid acid materials, zirconium phosphates, sulfated zirconia (S-ZrO2), phosphosilicate gels, and Santa Barbara Amorphous silica (SBA-15) were discussed in detail. Composite membranes containing Nafion and different amounts of functionalized inorganic additives (sulfated inorganics such as S-ZrO2, SBA-15, Mobil Composition of Matter MCM-41, and S-SiO2, and phosphonated inorganic P-SiO2) were synthesized with different methods. We incorporated inorganic particles within Nafion clusters

  5. Cancer incidence following long-term consumption of drinking water with high inorganic selenium content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinceti, Marco; Vicentini, Massimo; Wise, Lauren A; Sacchettini, Claudio; Malagoli, Carlotta; Ballotari, Paola; Filippini, Tommaso; Malavolti, Marcella; Rossi, Paolo Giorgi

    2018-04-16

    Selenium, a trace element to which humans are exposed mainly through diet, has been involved in the etiology of human cancer. We investigated the long-term effects of selenium exposure on cancer incidence using data from a natural experiment in Northern Italy. During the 1970s-1980s, in a part of the Italian municipality of Reggio Emilia, residents were inadvertently exposed to unusually high levels of inorganic hexavalent selenium (selenate) through drinking water. We followed the exposed residents for 28years, generating data on incidence (when available) and mortality rates for selected cancer sites; the remaining municipal residents comprised the unexposed (reference) group. We observed no substantial difference in overall cancer incidence comparing exposed and unexposed cohorts. We detected, however, a higher incidence of cancer at some sites, and for a few of them, namely cancers of the buccal cavity and pharynx, melanoma, urinary tract and lymphoid tissue, the excess incidence was particularly evident in the first period of follow-up but decreased over time. Overall, these results suggest that consumption of water with levels of selenium in its inorganic hexavalent form close to the European standard, 10μg/L, may have unfavourable effects on cancer incidence. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Perovskite-based solar cells with inorganic inverted hybrid planar heterojunction structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Chih Lai

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrated the good performance of inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells (SCs with glass/ITO/NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite/C60/ room temperature (RT-sputtered ZnO/Al structure. We adopted spin coating and RT sputtering for the deposition of NiOx and ZnO, respectively. The inorganic hole and electron transport layer of NiOx and RT-sputtered ZnO, respectively, could improve the open-circuit voltage (VOC, short-circuit current density (JSC, and power conversion efficiency (η% of the SCs. We obtained inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs with a JSC of 21.96 A/cm2, a VOC of 1.02 V, a fill factor (FF% of 68.2%, and an η% of 15.3% despite the sputtering damage of the RT-sputtered ZnO deposition. Moreover, the RT-sputtered ZnO could function as a diffusion barrier for Al, moisture, and O2. The inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs demonstrated improved storage reliability.

  7. Perovskite-based solar cells with inorganic inverted hybrid planar heterojunction structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Wei-Chih; Lin, Kun-Wei; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Chen, Peter; Liao, Yuan-Yu

    2018-01-01

    We demonstrated the good performance of inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells (SCs) with glass/ITO/NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite/C60/ room temperature (RT)-sputtered ZnO/Al structure. We adopted spin coating and RT sputtering for the deposition of NiOx and ZnO, respectively. The inorganic hole and electron transport layer of NiOx and RT-sputtered ZnO, respectively, could improve the open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current density (JSC), and power conversion efficiency (η%) of the SCs. We obtained inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs with a JSC of 21.96 A/cm2, a VOC of 1.02 V, a fill factor (FF%) of 68.2%, and an η% of 15.3% despite the sputtering damage of the RT-sputtered ZnO deposition. Moreover, the RT-sputtered ZnO could function as a diffusion barrier for Al, moisture, and O2. The inorganic inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based SCs demonstrated improved storage reliability.

  8. Strongly coupled inorganic/nanocarbon hybrid materials for advanced electrocatalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yongye; Li, Yanguang; Wang, Hailiang; Dai, Hongjie

    2013-02-13

    Electrochemical systems, such as fuel cell and water splitting devices, represent some of the most efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for energy conversion and storage. Electrocatalysts play key roles in the chemical processes but often limit the performance of the entire systems due to insufficient activity, lifetime, or high cost. It has been a long-standing challenge to develop efficient and durable electrocatalysts at low cost. In this Perspective, we present our recent efforts in developing strongly coupled inorganic/nanocarbon hybrid materials to improve the electrocatalytic activities and stability of inorganic metal oxides, hydroxides, sulfides, and metal-nitrogen complexes. The hybrid materials are synthesized by direct nucleation, growth, and anchoring of inorganic nanomaterials on the functional groups of oxidized nanocarbon substrates including graphene and carbon nanotubes. This approach affords strong chemical attachment and electrical coupling between the electrocatalytic nanoparticles and nanocarbon, leading to nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts with improved activity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction for fuel cells and chlor-alkali catalysis, oxygen evolution reaction, and hydrogen evolution reaction. X-ray absorption near-edge structure and scanning transmission electron microscopy are employed to characterize the hybrids materials and reveal the coupling effects between inorganic nanomaterials and nanocarbon substrates. Z-contrast imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy at single atom level are performed to investigate the nature of catalytic sites on ultrathin graphene sheets. Nanocarbon-based hybrid materials may present new opportunities for the development of electrocatalysts meeting the requirements of activity, durability, and cost for large-scale electrochemical applications.

  9. Preparation of geopolymer-based inorganic membrane for removing Ni{sup 2+} from wastewater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ge, Yuanyuan; Yuan, Yuan; Wang, Kaituo; He, Yan; Cui, Xuemin, E-mail: cui-xm@tsinghua.edu.cn

    2015-12-15

    Highlights: • A type free-sintering geopolymer membrane for waste water treatment was fabricated. • The geopolymer inorganic membrane held good strength and appropriate water flux. • The mechanism of removing Ni{sup 2+} combined actions of the adsorption and rejection. • The geopolymer membrane is a promising way to remove heavy metal ions in industry. - Abstract: A type of novel free-sintering and self-supporting inorganic membrane for wastewater treatment was fabricated in this study. This inorganic membrane was synthesised using metakaolin and sodium silicate solutions moulded according to a designed molar ratio (SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} = 2.96, Na{sub 2}O/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} = 0.8 and H{sub 2}O/Na{sub 2}O = 19) which formed a homogenous structure and had a relative concentration pore size distribution, via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analyses. In this work, the Ni{sup 2+} removal effect of geopolymer inorganic membrane was studied under different pH value, initial concentration of Ni{sup 2+} solutions and initial operation temperature. Results showed that geopolymer inorganic membrane efficiently removes Ni{sup 2+} from wastewater because of the combined actions of the adsorption and rejection of this membrane on Ni{sup 2+} during membrane separation. Therefore, geopolymer inorganic membrane may have positive potential applications in removing Ni{sup 2+} or other heavy metal ions from aqueous industrial wastewater.

  10. Evaluation of the new capture vapourizer for aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS through laboratory studies of inorganic species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Hu

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Aerosol mass spectrometers (AMSs and Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitors (ACSMs commercialized by Aerodyne are widely used to measure the non-refractory species in submicron particles. With the standard vapourizer (SV that is installed in all commercial instruments to date, the quantification of ambient aerosol mass concentration requires the use of the collection efficiency (CE to correct for the loss of particles due to bounce. A new capture vapourizer (CV has been designed to reduce the need for a bounce-related CE correction. Two high-resolution AMS instruments, one with a SV and one with a CV, were operated side by side in the laboratory. Four standard species, NH4NO3, NaNO3, (NH42SO4 and NH4Cl, which typically constitute the majority of the mass of ambient submicron inorganic species, are studied. The effect of vapourizer temperature (Tv ∼ 200–800 °C on the detected fragments, CE and size distributions are investigated. A Tv of 500–550 °C for the CV is recommended. In the CV, CE was identical (around unity for more volatile species (e.g. NH4NO3 and comparable to or higher than the SV for less-volatile species (e.g. (NH42SO4, demonstrating an improvement in CE for laboratory inorganic species in the CV. The detected relative intensities of fragments of NO3 and SO4 species observed with the CV are different from those observed with the SV, and are consistent with additional thermal decomposition arising from the increased residence time and multiple collisions. Increased residence times with the CV also lead to broader particle size distribution measurements than with the SV. A method for estimating whether pure species will be detected in AMS sizing mode is proposed. Production of CO2(g from sampled nitrate on the vapourizer surface, which has been reported for the SV, is negligible for the CV for NH4NO3 and comparable to the SV for NaNO3. . We observe an extremely consistent fragmentation for ammonium compared to very

  11. Optical Detection of Sodium Salts of Fluoride, Acetate and ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Optical Detection of Sodium Salts of Fluoride, Acetate and Phosphate by a Diacylhydrazine. Ligand via the Formation of a Colour Alkali Metal Complex. Purnandhu Bose, Ranjan Dutta, I. Ravikumar and Pradyut Ghosh. ∗. Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja ...

  12. A CCD-based system for the detection of DNA in electrophoresis gels by UV absorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahon, A.R.; MacDonald, J.H.; Mainwood, A.; Ott, R.J.

    1999-01-01

    A method and apparatus for the detection and quantification of large fragments of unlabelled nucleic acids in agarose gels is presented. The technique is based on ultraviolet (UV) absorption by nucleotides. A deuterium source illuminates individual sample lanes of an electrophoresis gel via an array of optical fibres. As DNA bands pass through the illuminated region of the gel the amount of UV light transmitted is reduced because of absorption by the DNA. During electrophoresis the regions of DNA are detected on-line using a UV-sensitive charge coupled device (CCD). As the absorption coefficient is proportional to the mass of DNA the technique is inherently quantitative. The mass of DNA in a region of the gel is approximately proportional to the integrated signal in the corresponding section of the CCD image. This system currently has a detection limit of less than 1.25 ng compared with 2-10 ng for the most popular conventional technique, ethidium bromide (EtBr) staining. In addition the DNA sample remains in its native state. The removal of the carcinogenic dye from the detection procedure greatly reduces associated biological hazards. (author)

  13. Bio-Based Approaches to Inorganic Material Synthesis (Postprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Slocik, Joseph M; Stone, Morley O; Naik, Rajesh R

    2007-01-01

    .... Marine sponges create silica spicules also using proteins, termed silicateins. In recent years, our group and others have used biomolecules as templates for the deposition of inorganic materials...

  14. Simultaneous determination of inorganic mercury and methylmercury compounds in natural waters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Logar, Martina; Horvat, Milena [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Akagi, Hirokatsu [National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto 867-0008 (Japan); Pihlar, Boris [Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 5, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2002-11-01

    The purpose of the present work was to develop a simple, rapid, sensitive and accurate method for the simultaneous determination of inorganic mercury (Hg{sup 2+}) and monomethylmercury compounds (MeHg) in natural water samples at the pg L{sup -1} level. The method is based on the simultaneous extraction of MeHg and Hg{sup 2+}dithizonates into an organic solvent (toluene) after acidification of about 300 mL of a water sample, followed by back extraction into an aqueous solution of Na {sub 2}S, removal of H {sub 2}S by purging with N {sub 2}, subsequent ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate, room temperature precollection on Tenax, isothermal gas chromatographic separation (GC), pyrolysis and cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometric detection (CV AFS) of mercury. The limit of detection calculated on the basis of three times the standard deviation of the blank was about 0.006 ng L {sup -1} for MeHg and 0.06 ng L {sup -1} for Hg {sup 2+}when 300 mL of water was analysed. The repeatability of the results was about 5% for MeHg and 10% for Hg {sup 2+}. Recoveries were 90-110% for both species. (orig.)

  15. Chemical sensors of benzene and toluene based on inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic polymers elaborated by a sol-gel process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calvo Munoz, Maria Luisa

    2000-01-01

    As mono-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH) are a matter of concern in terms of pollution, and are to be monitored due to new regulations regarding air quality control, this research thesis first aims at explaining why these compounds are to be monitored, at recalling their sources, at outlining what we know about their negative impact on health and how this impact is determined, which are the means implemented to monitor these compounds and which are their drawbacks, and at recalling which requirements are defined by European directives. The author then reports a literature survey of the current technology regarding chemical sensors, and identifies the required characteristics of an ideal sensor. The author proposes a review of studied performed on sol-gel process and of inorganic polymer synthesis methods based on sol-gel process. He reports the synthesis and characterization of inorganic or hybrid organic-inorganic host matrices, monolithic or in thin layers, used to produce MAH sensors. A matrix pore local polarity study is reported. Benzene and toluene trapping is studied with respect to the polarity and thickness of the host matrix. Pollutant trapping is directly monitored by their absorption in the near-UV and visible range. The author finally reports the study of interactions between fluorescent probe molecules and pollutants, as well as the effect of an interfering gas (oxygen) on the fluorescence of probe molecules [fr

  16. Total and inorganic arsenic in fish samples from Norwegian waters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Julshamn, K.; Nilsen, B. M.; Frantzen, S.

    2012-01-01

    The contents of total arsenic and inorganic arsenic were determined in fillet samples of Northeast Arctic cod, herring, mackerel, Greenland halibut, tusk, saithe and Atlantic halibut. In total, 923 individual fish samples were analysed. The fish were mostly caught in the open sea off the coast......-assisted dissolution of the samples. The concentrations found for total arsenic varied greatly between fish species, and ranged from 0.3 to 110 mg kg–1 wet weight. For inorganic arsenic, the concentrations found were very low (...

  17. Inorganic chemistry and medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadler, P.J.; Guo, Z.

    1999-01-01

    Inorganic chemistry is beginning to have a major impact on medicine. Not only does it offer the prospect of the discovery of truly novel drugs and diagnostic agents, but it promises to make a major contribution to our understanding of the mechanism of action of organic drugs too. Most of this article is concerned with recent developments in medicinal coordination chemistry. The role of metal organic compounds of platinum, titanium, ruthenium, gallium, bismuth, gold, gadolinium, technetium, silver, cobalt in the treatment or diagnosis of common diseases are briefly are examined

  18. Inorganic mass spectrometry of solid samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, F.; Vertes, A.

    1990-01-01

    In this review some recent developments in the field of inorganic mass spectrometry of solids are described with special emphasis on the actual state of understanding of the ionization processes. It concentrates on the common characteristics of methods such as spark source-, laser-, secondary ion-, inductively coupled plasma- and glow discharge mass spectrometry. (orig.)

  19. Study of nonproportionality in the light yield of inorganic scintillators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Jai [School of Engineering and IT, B-purple-12, Faculty of EHSE, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909 (Australia)

    2011-07-15

    Using a phenomenological approach, the light yield is derived for inorganic scintillators as a function of the rates of linear, bimolecular, and Auger processes occurring in the electron track initiated by an x ray or a {gamma}-ray photon. A relation between the track length and incident energy is also derived. It is found that the nonproportionality in the light yield can be eliminated if either nonlinear processes of interaction among the excited electrons, holes, and excitons can be eliminated from occurring or the high density situation can be relieved by diffusion of carriers from the track at a faster rate than the rate of activation of nonlinear processes. The influence of the track length and radius on the yield nonproportionality is discussed in view of the known experimental results. Inventing new inorganic scintillating materials with high carrier mobility can lead to a class of proportional inorganic scintillators. Results agree qualitatively with experimental results for the dependence of light yield on the incident energy.

  20. Quantum confinement effect of two-dimensional all-inorganic halide perovskites

    KAUST Repository

    Cai, Bo; Li, Xiaoming; Gu, Yu; Harb, Moussab; Li, Jianhai; Xie, Meiqiu; Cao, Fei; Song, Jizhong; Zhang, Shengli; Cavallo, Luigi; Zeng, Haibo

    2017-01-01

    Quantum confinement effect (QCE), an essential physical phenomenon of semiconductors when the size becomes comparable to the exciton Bohr radius, typically results in quite different physical properties of low-dimensional materials from their bulk counterparts and can be exploited to enhance the device performance in various optoelectronic applications. Here, taking CsPbBr3 as an example, we reported QCE in all-inorganic halide perovskite in two-dimensional (2D) nanoplates. Blue shifts in optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra were found to be stronger in thinner nanoplates than that in thicker nanoplates, whose thickness lowered below ∼7 nm. The exciton binding energy results showed similar trend as that obtained for the optical absorption and photoluminescence. Meanwile, the function of integrated intensity and full width at half maximum and temperature also showed similar results, further supporting our conclusions. The results displayed the QCE in all-inorganic halide perovskite nanoplates and helped to design the all-inorganic halide perovskites with desired optical properties.

  1. Root carbon input in organic and inorganic fertilizer-based systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chirinda, Ngoni; Olesen, Jørgen E; Porter, John

    2012-01-01

    C input to remain scant. This study aimed at determining macro-root C input and topsoil root related respiration in response to nutrient management and soil fertility building measures. Methods We sampled roots and shoots of cereals and catch crops in inorganic and organic fertilizer-based arable...... season of winter wheat by subtracting soil respiration from soil with and without exclusion of roots. Results Catch crop roots accounted for more than 40 % of total plant C. For spring barley in 2008 and spring wheat in 2010, root C was higher in the organic than in the inorganic fertilizer-based systems...... was higher (31–131 %) in inorganic than in organic fertilizer-based systems. Conclusions Our findings show that macro-roots of both cereal crops and catch crops play a relatively larger role in organically managed systems than in mineral fertilizer based systems; and that the use of fixed biomass S/R ratios...

  2. Quantum confinement effect of two-dimensional all-inorganic halide perovskites

    KAUST Repository

    Cai, Bo

    2017-09-07

    Quantum confinement effect (QCE), an essential physical phenomenon of semiconductors when the size becomes comparable to the exciton Bohr radius, typically results in quite different physical properties of low-dimensional materials from their bulk counterparts and can be exploited to enhance the device performance in various optoelectronic applications. Here, taking CsPbBr3 as an example, we reported QCE in all-inorganic halide perovskite in two-dimensional (2D) nanoplates. Blue shifts in optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra were found to be stronger in thinner nanoplates than that in thicker nanoplates, whose thickness lowered below ∼7 nm. The exciton binding energy results showed similar trend as that obtained for the optical absorption and photoluminescence. Meanwile, the function of integrated intensity and full width at half maximum and temperature also showed similar results, further supporting our conclusions. The results displayed the QCE in all-inorganic halide perovskite nanoplates and helped to design the all-inorganic halide perovskites with desired optical properties.

  3. Study of nonproportionality in the light yield of inorganic scintillators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Jai

    2011-01-01

    Using a phenomenological approach, the light yield is derived for inorganic scintillators as a function of the rates of linear, bimolecular, and Auger processes occurring in the electron track initiated by an x ray or a γ-ray photon. A relation between the track length and incident energy is also derived. It is found that the nonproportionality in the light yield can be eliminated if either nonlinear processes of interaction among the excited electrons, holes, and excitons can be eliminated from occurring or the high density situation can be relieved by diffusion of carriers from the track at a faster rate than the rate of activation of nonlinear processes. The influence of the track length and radius on the yield nonproportionality is discussed in view of the known experimental results. Inventing new inorganic scintillating materials with high carrier mobility can lead to a class of proportional inorganic scintillators. Results agree qualitatively with experimental results for the dependence of light yield on the incident energy.

  4. Inorganic Nanostructured High-Temperature Magnet Wires, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project will develop a high-temperature tolerant electrically-insulating coating for magnet wires. The Phase I program will result in a flexible, inorganic...

  5. Robust platforms for creating organic-inorganic nanocomposite microspheres: decorating polymer microspheres containing mussel-inspired adhesion layers with inorganic nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satoh, H; Saito, Y; Yabu, H

    2014-12-07

    We describe a method for creating robust and stable core-shell polymer microspheres decorated with inorganic (IO) nanoparticles (NPs) by a self-organization process and heterocoagulation using a mussel-inspired polymer adhesive layer between the IO NPs and the microspheres.

  6. Heterogeneous Catalysis of Polyoxometalate Based Organic–Inorganic Hybrids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanhang Ren

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate (POM compounds are a subset of materials with unique structures and physical/chemical properties. The combination of metal-organic coordination complexes with classical POMs not only provides a powerful way to gain multifarious new compounds but also affords a new method to modify and functionalize POMs. In parallel with the many reports on the synthesis and structure of new hybrid POM compounds, the application of these compounds for heterogeneous catalysis has also attracted considerable attention. The hybrid POM compounds show noteworthy catalytic performance in acid, oxidation, and even in asymmetric catalytic reactions. This review summarizes the design and synthesis of organic–inorganic hybrid POM compounds and particularly highlights their recent progress in heterogeneous catalysis.

  7. Resistive switching characteristics of solution-processed organic-inorganic blended films for flexible memory applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Il-Jin; Cho, Won-Ju

    2018-02-01

    We developed a hybrid organic-inorganic resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device that uses a solution-process to overcome the disadvantages of organic and inorganic materials for flexible memory applications. The drawbacks of organic and inorganic materials are a poor electrical characteristics and a lack of flexibility, respectively. We fabricated a hybrid organic-inorganic switching layer of ReRAM by blending HfOx or AlOx solution with PMMA solution and investigated the resistive switching behaviour in Ti/PMMA/Pt, Ti/PMMA-HfOx/Pt and Ti/PMMA-AlOx/Pt structures. It is found that PMMA-HfOx or PMMA-AlOx hybrid switching layer has a larger memory window, more stable durability and retention characteristics, and a better set/reset voltage distribution than PMMA layer. Further, it is confirmed that the flexibility of the PMMA-HfOx and PMMA-AlOx blended films was almost similar to that of the organic PMMA film. Thus, the solution-processed organic-inorganic blended films are considered a promising material for a non-volatile memory device on a flexible or wearable electronic system.

  8. Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry (MTIC-XIII)

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    MAC 10

    Institute of Science, Bangalore during December 7–10, 2009. The MTIC series of ... The topics covered in this issue span a wide range from ... chemistry that reflect the current trends of research in inorganic chemistry in India. We thank the ...

  9. Advanced inorganic fluorides. Proceedings of the Second International Siberian workshop INTERSIBFLUORINE-2006

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volkov, V.V.; Mit'kin, V.N.; Bujnovskij, A.S.; Sofronov, V.L.

    2006-01-01

    Proceedings of the Second International Siberian workshop ISIF-2006 on modern inorganic fluorides contain full author's texts of 82 plenary reports and posters on the main trends in chemistry and technology of inorganic fluorides and their various applications. The following new trends are reflected in the ISIF-2006 Proceedings versus the ISIF-2003 ones: production and use of of nano-sized systems and materials based on fluoride phases and fluorinating systems; chemistry of fluorofullerenes, fluorides of graphite and carbon materials; development of research and technical principles of economically viable process of depleted uranium hexafluoride conversion; vitrifying systems based on metal fluorides possessing valuable functional optical properties; mechanochemical processes and phenomena in chemistry of inorganic fluorides [ru

  10. Radwaste issues belong in the inorganic classroom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, D.H.

    1991-01-01

    The safe isolation of high level radioactive wastes is a matter of significant importance. This material is derived primarily from spent nuclear fuel and defense weapon production. Every element on the periodic chart is represented. The majority are metallic elements. Over the thousands of years that they are to be isolated the primary chemistry will be oxidation. The mobility and fate of particular inner and outer transition element ions become very important. For that, one must understand their hydrolytic nature, their complexing tendencies and the solubilities of various compounds. This topic could easily serve as a centerpiece for an inorganic chemistry course. At the very least, it demands the attention of every teacher of inorganic chemistry and consideration by those whose research is directed to tangible problems. The discussion includes notes on the abundance and lifetimes of particular radioisotopes. The positive student responses to this approach are also shared

  11. [Effect of inorganic amendments on the stabilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Meng-hua; Zhu, Xi; Liu, Huang-cheng; Wang, Lin-ling; Chen, Jing

    2013-09-01

    Effects of single and mixed inorganic amendments on the stabilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils were investigated. Significant synergistic effects on the stabilization of Zn and Cu were observed with the mixed inorganic amendments of KH2PO4 and Ca(OH)2 in the laboratory test. In the field test, the stabilization ratios of Zn, Cu and Cd were 41.8%, 28.2% and 48.4%, respectively, with the dosage of 0.5 kg x m(-2). The growth of peanut was inhibited by the addition of the inorganic amendments. Meanwhile, the uptake of heavy metals was reduced in peanut.

  12. Development of a Research-Oriented Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallarino, L. M.; Polo, D. L.; Esperdy, K.

    2001-02-01

    We report the development of a research-oriented, senior-level laboratory course in inorganic chemistry, which is a requirement for chemistry majors who plan to receive the ACS-approved Bachelor of Science degree and is a recommended elective for other chemistry majors. The objective of this course is to give all students the advantage of a research experience in which questions stemming from the literature lead to the formulation of hypotheses, and answers are sought through experiment. The one-semester Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory is ideal for this purpose, since for most students it represents the last laboratory experience before graduation and can assume the role of "capstone" course--a course where students are challenged to recall previously learned concepts and skills and put them into practice in the performance of an individual, original research project. The medium chosen for this teaching approach is coordination chemistry, a branch of chemistry that involves the interaction of inorganic and organic compounds and requires the use of various synthetic and analytical methods. This paper presents an outline of the course organization and requirements, examples of activities performed by the students, and a critical evaluation of the first five years' experience.

  13. Quantum chemical studies on the some inorganic corrosion inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayin, Koray; Karakaş, Duran

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Some quantum chemical parameters are important to determine inhibition efficiency. •Quantum chemical calculations were performed on six inorganic inhibitors. •Five experimental reports were used to explain the theoretical results. •Atomic charges and %contributions were used to determine the atom at protonation process. •For inorganic inhibitors, the best method and basis set were investigated. -- Abstract: Some quantum chemical parameters were calculated by using Hartree–Fock (HF) approximation, Density Functional Theory (DFT/B3LYP) and Møller Plesset perturbation theory (MP3) methods at LANL2DZ, LANL2MB and SDD levels in gas phase and water for dichromate (Cr 2 O 7 2- ), chromate (CrO 4 2- ), tungstate (WO 4 2- ), molybdate (MoO 4 2- ), nitrite (NO 2 - ) and nitrate (NO 3 - ) which are used as inorganic corrosion inhibitors. All theoretical results and experimental inhibition efficiencies of inhibitors were subjected to correlation analyses. In a summary, MP3/SDD level in water was found as the best level. In this level, the inhibition efficiency ranking was found as CrO 4 2- >WO 4 2- >MoO 4 2- >Cr 2 O 7 2- >NO 2 - ≈NO 3 -

  14. Effect of inorganic fertilizer on the growth of freshwater Chlorella sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahardini, R. A.; Helmiati, S.; Triyatmo, B.

    2018-03-01

    One of the alternative nutrient sources in the culture of Chlorella sp. is inorganic fertilizer. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of inorganic fertilizer composition in the culture medium on the growth of Chlorella sp. This research was conducted by using the 2.5 L transparent containers containing 2 L freshwater. The culture was carried out in laboratory facilitated with an air conditioner, fluorescent light and continuous aeration for 14 days of culture. The treatments consisted of fertilizer composition of Urea:ZA:TSP i.e. P1 (1:1:0,50), P2 (2:2:0,70), P3 (3:3:1), P4 (4:4:1,25) and P0 (Walne medium) as a positive control. Each treatment was performed in triplicates and arranged based on the Completely Randomized Design. Chlorella sp. was inoculated with the initial density of 30 × 104 cells·mL-1. The results of this study showed that the inorganic fertilizer composition of 3:3:1 provided the highest growth rate of 25.9 %/day, and the highest population density reached 2.348 × 104 cells·mL-1. The doubling time was not affected by the inorganic fertilizer treatments.

  15. Estimation of endogenous glucose production during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic glucose clamps. Comparison of unlabeled and labeled exogenous glucose infusates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Finegood, D.T.; Bergman, R.N.; Vranic, M.

    1987-01-01

    Tracer methodology has been applied extensively to the estimation of endogenous glucose production (Ra) during euglycemic glucose clamps. The accuracy of this approach has been questioned due to the observation of significantly negative estimates for Ra when insulin levels are high. We performed hyperinsulinemic (300 microU/ml)-euglycemic glucose clamps for 180 min in normal dogs and compared the standard approach, an unlabeled exogenous glucose infusate (cold GINF protocol, n = 12), to a new approach in which a tracer (D-[3- 3 H]glucose) was added to the exogenous glucose used for clamping (hot GINF protocol, n = 10). Plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon concentrations, and glucose infusion rates were similar for the two protocols. Plasma glucose specific activity was 20 +/- 1% of basal (at 120-180 min) in the cold GINF studies, and 44 +/- 3 to 187 +/- 5% of basal in the hot GINF studies. With the one-compartment, fixed pool volume model of Steele, Ra for the cold GINF studies was -2.4 +/- 0.7 mg X min-1 X kg-1 at 25 min and remained significantly negative until 110 min (P less than .05). For the hot GINF studies, Ra was never significantly less than zero (P greater than .05) and was greater than in the cold GINF studies at 20-90 min (P less than .05). There was substantially less between-(78%) and within- (40%) experiment variation for the hot GINF studies compared with the cold GINF studies. An alternate approach (regression method) to the application of the one-compartment model, which allows for a variable and estimable effective distribution volume, yielded Ra estimates that were suppressed 60-100% from basal

  16. Getting the chemicals right: addressing inorganics in sustainability assessments of technologies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Nienke; Fantke, Peter

    sustainability assessments, the toxicity potential of several thousand organic chemicals is included in characterization models within life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). However, many economic production processes involve the use of inorganic chemicals to a large extent, while the related pressure on human...... and environmental health of environmental emissions of these substances is not yet fully understood and not included in any existing LCIA method. In th is presentation, we provide an overview of the relevance of inorganic chemicals and outline possible ways towards incorporating inorganic chemicals in LCIA toxicity......A main goal of sustainability research is to enable a technological development in industry and elsewhere that ensures that what is produced and how it is produced today does not harm the quality of human or environmental health for present and future generations. As part of current environmental...

  17. Self assembly of organic nanostructures and dielectrophoretic assembly of inorganic nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dholakia, Geetha; Kuo, Steven; Allen, E. L.

    2007-03-01

    Self assembly techniques enable the organization of organic molecules into nanostructures. Currently engineering strategies for efficient assembly and routine integration of inorganic nanoscale objects into functional devices is very limited. AC Dielectrophoresis is an efficient technique to manipulate inorganic nanomaterials into higher dimensional structures. We used an alumina template based sol-gel synthesis method for the growth of various metal oxide nanowires with typical diameters of 100-150 nm, ranging in length from 3-10 μm. Here we report the dielectrophoretic assembly of TiO2 nanowires, an important material for photocatalysis and photovoltaics, onto interdigitated devices. Self assembly in organic nanostructures and its dependence on structure and stereochemistry of the molecule and dielectrophoretic field dependence in the assembly of inorganic nanowires will be compared and contrasted. Tunneling spectroscopy and DOS of these nanoscale systems will also be discussed.

  18. Evaluation of an ODS column modified with zwitterionic/nonionic mixed surfactants and its application to direct injection determination of inorganic anions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Takuya; Umemura, Tomonari; Koide, Akira; Chiba, Koichi; Ueki, Yuji; Tsunoda, Kin-ichi; Haraguchi, Hiroki

    2005-08-01

    An octadecylsilica (ODS) column modified with zwitterionic/nonionic mixed surfactants was evaluated for the direct injection determination of inorganic anions in biological fluids by ion chromatography. A zwitterionic surfactant (sulfobetaine-type) and a nonionic surfactant (polyoxyethylene-type) were used for a stationary-phase modification. When aqueous electrolyte solutions with concentrations of sub-mM to several mM were used as a mobile phase, the zwitterionic surfactant coated on the ODS surface exhibited unique separation selectivity for ionic species, while the nonionic surfactant coated on the ODS might have formed a hydrophilic network over the ODS surface and restricted matrix proteins from adsorbing on the stationary phase. Consequently, the mixed surfactant-modified column system allowed an efficient ion chromatographic separation of inorganic anions as well as a size-exclusive removal of column-fouling proteins. This separation system was applied to the direct injection determination of UV-absorbing anions in human saliva. The detection limits for nitrite, nitrate, iodide and thiocyanate were 3.1, 2.7, 4.5 and 25 microM, respectively, with UV detection at 210 nm (injection volume; 20 microl), and their relative standard deviations for 5 replicate measurements of saliva samples spiked with 100 microM each of those anions were 1.4, 0.9, 2.2 and 5.5%, respectively.

  19. The presence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and inorganic elements in water and lakebed materials and the potential for bioconcentration in biota at established sampling sites on Lake Powell, Utah and Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schonauer, Kurt T.; Hart, Robert J.; Antweiler, Ronald C.

    2014-01-01

    The National Park Service is responsible for monitoring the effects of visitor use on the quality of water, lakebed material (bottom sediments), and biota, in Lake Powell, Utah and Arizona. A sampling program was begun in 2010 to assess the presence, distribution, and concentrations of organic and inorganic compounds in the water column and bottom sediment. In response to an Environmental Impact Statement regarding personal watercraft and as a continuation from previous studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, water samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using semipermeable membrane devices and inorganic elements using a fixed-bottle sampler deployed at established monitoring sites during 2010 and 2011. Lakebed material samples were also analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and inorganic elements, some of which could be harmful to aquatic biota if present at concentrations above established aquatic life criteria. Of the 44 PAH compounds analyzed, 26 individual compounds were detected above the censoring limit in the water column by semipermeable membrane devices. The highest number of compounds detected were at Lone Rock Beach, Wahweap Marina, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, and Antelope Marina which are all located in the southern part of Lake Powell where visitation and boat use is high. Because PAHs can remain near their source, the potential for bioconcentration is highest near these sites. The PAH compound found in the highest concentration was phenol (5,902 nanograms per liter), which is included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s priority pollutants list. The dissolved inorganic chemistry of water samples measured at the sampling sites in Lake Powell defined three different patterns of elements: (1) concentrations were similar between sites in the upper part of the lake near Farley Canyon downstream to Halls Crossing Marina, a

  20. Interconnection between the geometry and the structure of unit cells of substances in inorganic chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eliseev, A.A.; Kuz'micheva, G.M.

    1979-01-01

    Regularity of interconnection between the geometry and the structure of elementary cells of inorganic compounds is investigated. Structural motives on the basis of NaCl structure for all phases of rare earth chalcogenides are built. It is shown that compounds (phases of variable content), detected on 23 (out of 48 possible) state diagrams of rare earths chalcogen binary systems are closely bound both from the viewpoint of geometric dimensions of elementary cells and structural motives. It is shown that using ion representations the number of formula units in the cell of a new rare earth chalcogenide can be calculated and its structural motif can be built

  1. Systematic prediction of new ferroelectric inorganic materials in point group 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrahams, S.C.

    1990-01-01

    A total of seven new families and sixteen structurally different inorganic materials with point group 6 are shown to satisfy the criteria presented previously by the present author for predicting ferroelectricity. In case each prediction is experimentally verified, the 183 individual entries for point group 6 listed in the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database will result in over 80 new ferroelectrics, of which about 30 are rare-earth isomorphs. The total number of 'pure'

  2. Tailoring the properties of magnetite nanoparticles clusters by coating with double inorganic layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petran, Anca [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Str., 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Radu, Teodora, E-mail: teodora.radu@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Str., 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Culic, Bogdan [Faculty of Dental Medicine,Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 32 Clinicilor Str., 400006 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Turcu, Rodica, E-mail: rodica.turcu@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Str., 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • New magnetite clusters covered with inorganic oxides double layers. • Coating layers influence on the surface properties of the magnetic clusters. • Color parameters assessment for the inorganic oxides coated magnetic clusters. • High magnetization clusters with appropiate color for magnetic security paper. - Abstract: New magnetic nanoparticles based on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} clusters covered with a double layer of inorganic salts/oxides with high magnetization for incorporation in security materials such as security paper were synthesized. For the inorganic layers ZnO, SiO{sub 2} and BaSO{sub 4} were used. The microstructure and composition of the products were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Magnetization measurements on the obtained samples show a straightforward correlation between the saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) and morphology of the samples. The results obtained from color parameter assessment are discussed in relation with the morphology and microstructure of the prepared samples.

  3. Determination of As(III) and total inorganic As in water samples using an on-line solid phase extraction and flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sigrist, Mirna; Albertengo, Antonela; Beldomenico, Horacio; Tudino, Mabel

    2011-01-01

    A simple and robust on-line sequential injection system based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-HGAAS) with a heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA) was developed and optimized for the determination of As(III) in groundwater without any kind of sample pretreatment. The method was based on the selective retention of inorganic As(V) that was carried out by passing the filtered original sample through a cartridge containing a chloride-form strong anion exchanger. Thus the most toxic form, inorganic As(III), was determined fast and directly by AsH 3 generation using 3.5 mol L -1 HCl as carrier solution and 0.35% (m/v) NaBH 4 in 0.025% NaOH as the reductant. Since the uptake of As(V) should be interfered by several anions of natural occurrence in waters, the effect of Cl - , SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , HPO 4 2- , HCO 3 - on retention was evaluated and discussed. The total soluble inorganic arsenic concentration was determined on aliquots of filtered samples acidified with concentrated HCl and pre-reduced with 5% KI-5% C 6 H 8 O 6 solution. The concentration of As(V) was calculated by difference between the total soluble inorganic arsenic and As(III) concentrations. Detection limits (LODs) of 0.5 μg L -1 and 0.6 μg L -1 for As(III) and inorganic total As, respectively, were obtained for a 500 μL sample volume. The obtained limits of detection allowed testing the water quality according to the national and international regulations. The analytical recovery for water samples spiked with As(III) ranged between 98% and 106%. The sampling throughput for As(III) determination was 60 samples h -1 . The device for groundwater sampling was especially designed for the authors. Metallic components were avoided and the contact between the sample and the atmospheric oxygen was carried to a minimum. On-field arsenic species separation was performed through the employ of a serial connection of membrane filters and

  4. Inorganic Nitrogen Application Affects Both Taxonomical and Predicted Functional Structure of Wheat Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa N. Kavamura

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The effects of fertilizer regime on bulk soil microbial communities have been well studied, but this is not the case for the rhizosphere microbiome. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of fertilization regime on wheat rhizosphere microbiome assembly and 16S rRNA gene-predicted functions with soil from the long term Broadbalk experiment at Rothamsted Research. Soil from four N fertilization regimes (organic N, zero N, medium inorganic N and high inorganic N was sown with seeds of Triticum aestivum cv. Cadenza. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed with the Illumina platform on bulk soil and rhizosphere samples of 4-week-old and flowering plants (10 weeks. Phylogenetic and 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional analyses were performed. Fertilization regime affected the structure and composition of wheat rhizosphere bacterial communities. Acidobacteria and Planctomycetes were significantly depleted in treatments receiving inorganic N, whereas the addition of high levels of inorganic N enriched members of the phylum Bacteroidetes, especially after 10 weeks. Bacterial richness and diversity decreased with inorganic nitrogen inputs and was highest after organic treatment (FYM. In general, high levels of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers negatively affect bacterial richness and diversity, leading to a less stable bacterial community structure over time, whereas, more stable bacterial communities are provided by organic amendments. 16S rRNA gene-predicted functional structure was more affected by growth stage than by fertilizer treatment, although, some functions related to energy metabolism and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides were enriched in samples not receiving any inorganic N, whereas inorganic N addition enriched predicted functions related to metabolism of other amino acids and carbohydrates. Understanding the impact of different fertilizers on the structure and dynamics of the rhizosphere microbiome is an important step

  5. Thin film organic photodetectors for indirect X-ray detection demonstrating low dose rate sensitivity at low voltage operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Starkenburg, Daken J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA; Johns, Paul M. [Nuclear Engineering Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA; Detection Systems Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA; Baciak, James E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA; Nuclear Engineering Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA; Nino, Juan C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA; Xue, Jiangeng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA

    2017-12-14

    Developments in the field of organic semiconductors have generated organic photodetectors with high quantum efficiency, wide spectral sensitivity, low power consumption, and unique form factors that are flexible and conformable to their substrate shape. In this work, organic photodetectors coupled with inorganic CsI(Tl) scintillators are used to showcase the low dose rate sensitivity that is enabled when high performance organic photodetectors and scintillator crystals are integrated. The detection capability of these organic-inorganic coupled systems to high energy radiation highlights their potential as an alternative to traditional photomultiplier tubes for nuclear spectroscopy applications. When exposed to Bremsstrahlung radiation produced from an X-ray generator, SubPc:C60, AlPcCl:C70, and P3HT:PC61BM thin film photodetectors with active layer thicknesses less than 100 nm show detection of incident radiation at low and no applied bias. Remarkably low dose rates, down to at least 0.28 µGy/s, were detectable with a characteristic linear relationship between exposure rate and photodetector current output. These devices also demonstrate sensitivities as high as 5.37 mC Gy-1 cm-2 when coupled to CsI(Tl). Additionally, as the tube voltage across the X-ray generator was varied, these organic-inorganic systems showed their ability to detect a range of continuous radiation spectra spanning several hundred keV.

  6. Thin film organic photodetectors for indirect X-ray detection demonstrating low dose rate sensitivity at low voltage operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starkenburg, Daken J.; Johns, Paul M.; Baciak, James E.; Nino, Juan C.; Xue, Jiangeng

    2017-12-01

    Developments in the field of organic semiconductors have generated organic photodetectors with high quantum efficiency, wide spectral sensitivity, low power consumption, and unique form factors that are flexible and conformable to their substrate shape. In this work, organic photodetectors coupled with inorganic CsI(Tl) scintillators are used to showcase the low dose rate sensitivity that is enabled when high performance organic photodetectors and scintillator crystals are integrated. The detection capability of these organic-inorganic coupled systems to high energy radiation highlights their potential as an alternative to traditional photomultiplier tubes for nuclear spectroscopy applications. When exposed to Bremsstrahlung radiation produced from an X-ray generator, SubPc:C60, AlPcCl:C70, and P3HT:PC61BM thin film photodetectors with active layer thicknesses less than 100 nm show detection of incident radiation at low and no applied bias. Remarkably low dose rates, down to at least 0.18 μGy/s, were detectable with a characteristic linear relationship between exposure rate and photodetector current output. These devices also demonstrate sensitivities as high as 5.37 mC Gy-1 cm-2 when coupled to CsI(Tl). Additionally, as the tube voltage across the X-ray generator was varied, these organic-inorganic systems showed their ability to detect a range of continuous radiation spectra spanning several hundred keV.

  7. INORGANIC ELEMENTS AND DISTRIBUTION OF EASTERN OYSTERS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, William S. In press. Inorganic Elements and Distribution of Eastern Oysters (Abstract). To be presented at the 96th Annual Meeting (Aquaculture 2004) of the National Shellfisheries Association, 1-5 March 2004, Honolulu, HI. 1 p. (ERL,GB R962). For over a century w...

  8. Biopolymer colloids for controlling and templating inorganic synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura C. Preiss

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Biopolymers and biopolymer colloids can act as controlling agents and templates not only in many processes in nature, but also in a wide range of synthetic approaches. Inorganic materials can be either synthesized ex situ and later incorporated into a biopolymer structuring matrix or grown in situ in the presence of biopolymers. In this review, we focus mainly on the latter case and distinguish between the following possibilities: (i biopolymers as controlling agents of nucleation and growth of inorganic materials; (ii biopolymers as supports, either as molecular supports or as carrier particles acting as cores of core–shell structures; and (iii so-called “soft templates”, which include on one hand stabilized droplets, micelles, and vesicles, and on the other hand continuous scaffolds generated by gelling biopolymers.

  9. Gas Permeation Characteristics across Nano-Porous Inorganic Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.R Othman, H. Mukhtar

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available An overview of parameters affecting gas permeation in inorganic membranes is presented. These factors include membrane physical characteristics, operational parameters and gas molecular characteristics. The membrane physical characteristics include membrane materials and surface area, porosity, pore size and pore size distribution and membrane morphology. The operational parameters include feed flow rate and concentration, stage cut, temperature and pressure. The gas molecular characteristics include gas molecular weight, diameter, critical temperature, critical pressure, Lennard-Jones parameters and diffusion volumes. The current techniques of material characterization may require complementary method in describing microscopic heterogeneity of the porous ceramic media. The method to be incorporated in the future will be to apply a stochastic model and/or fractal dimension. Keywords: Inorganic membrane, surface adsorption, Knudsen diffusion, Micro-porous membrane, permeation, gas separation.

  10. Kinetics of inorganic carbon utilization by microalgal biofilm in a flat plate photoreactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Y.H.; Leu, J.Y.; Lan, C.R.; Lin, P.H.P.; Chang, F.L. [Development Center for Biotechnology, Taipei (Taiwan). Dept. for Environmental Program

    2003-11-01

    A kinetic model was developed to describe inorganic carbon utilization by microalgae biofilm in a flat plate photoreactor. The model incorporates the fundamental mechanisms of diffusive mass transport and biological reaction of inorganic carbon by microalgal biofilm. An advanced numerical technique, the orthogonal collocation method and Gear's method, was employed to solve this kinetic model. The model solutions included the concentration profiles of inorganic carbon in the microalgal biofilm, the growths of suspended microalgae and microalgal biofilm, the effluent concentrations of inorganic carbon, and the flux of inorganic carbon from bulk liquid into biofilm. The batch kinetic test was independently conducted to determine biokinetic parameters used in the microalgal biofilm model simulation while initial thickness of microalgal biofilm were assumed. A laboratory-scale flat plate photoreactor with a high recycle flow rate was set up and conducted to verify the model. The volume of photoreactor is 60 l which yields a hydraulic retention time of 1.67 days. The model-generated inorganic carbon and the suspended microalgae concentration curves agreed well with those obtained in the laboratory-scale test. The fixation efficiencies of HCO{sub 3}{sup -} and CO{sub 2} are 98.5% and 90% at a steady-state condition, respectively. The concentration of suspended microalgal cell reached up to 12 mg/l at a maximum growth rate while the thickness of microalgal biofilm was estimated to be 104 pm at a steady-state condition. The approaches of experiments and model simulation presented in this study could be employed for the design of a flat plate photoreactor to treat CO{sub 2} by microalgal biofilm in a fossil-fuel power plant.

  11. Inorganic membranes for separative techniques: from uranium isotope separation to non-nuclear fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charpin, J.; Rigny, P.

    1989-01-01

    Uranium enrichment leads to the development of inorganic porous barriers - either ceramic or metallic. A wide range of these products had considerable potential for the improvement of filtration techniques in liquid media (ultrafiltration and microfiltration). This is how a new generation of inorganic membranes was created reputed for their performance and especially for their lifetime and their behaviour (mechanical and temperature stability, corrosion resistance). These membranes now have a respectable position in applications in the agro-food biotechnology industries, to give only two examples. Before the non-nuclear applications of inorganic membranes are presented, their success in the nuclear power industry are pointed out

  12. Advancement on Lead-Free Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sani, Faruk; Shafie, Suhaidi; Lim, Hong Ngee; Musa, Abubakar Ohinoyi

    2018-06-14

    Remarkable attention has been committed to the recently discovered cost effective and solution processable lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells. Recent studies have reported that, within five years, the reported efficiency has reached 9.0%, which makes them an extremely promising and fast developing candidate to compete with conventional lead-based perovskite solar cells. The major challenge associated with the conventional perovskite solar cells is the toxic nature of lead (Pb) used in the active layer of perovskite material. If lead continues to be used in fabricating solar cells, negative health impacts will result in the environment due to the toxicity of lead. Alternatively, lead free perovskite solar cells could give a safe way by substituting low-cost, abundant and non toxic material. This review focuses on formability of lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite, alternative metal cations candidates to replace lead (Pb), and possible substitutions of organic cations, as well as halide anions in the lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite architecture. Furthermore, the review gives highlights on the impact of organic cations, metal cations and inorganic anions on stability and the overall performance of lead free perovskite solar cells.

  13. An inorganic CO2 diffusion and dissolution process explains negative CO2 fluxes in saline/alkaline soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jie; Wang, Zhong-Yuan; Stevenson, Bryan A.; Zheng, Xin-Jun; Li, Yan

    2013-01-01

    An ‘anomalous' negative flux, in which carbon dioxide (CO2) enters rather than is released from the ground, was studied in a saline/alkaline soil. Soil sterilization disclosed an inorganic process of CO2 dissolution into (during the night) and out of (during the day) the soil solution, driven by variation in soil temperature. Experimental and modeling analysis revealed that pH and soil moisture were the most important determinants of the magnitude of this inorganic CO2 flux. In the extreme cases of air-dried saline/alkaline soils, this inorganic process was predominant. While the diurnal flux measured was zero sum, leaching of the dissolved inorganic carbon in the soil solution could potentially effect net carbon ecosystem exchange. This finding implies that an inorganic module should be incorporated when dealing with the CO2 flux of saline/alkaline land. Neglecting this inorganic flux may induce erroneous or misleading conclusions in interpreting CO2 fluxes of these ecosystems. PMID:23778238

  14. Polymerizable Ionic Liquid Crystals Comprising Polyoxometalate Clusters toward Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Solid Electrolytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeru Ito

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Solid electrolytes are crucial materials for lithium-ion or fuel-cell battery technology due to their structural stability and easiness for handling. Emergence of high conductivity in solid electrolytes requires precise control of the composition and structure. A promising strategy toward highly-conductive solid electrolytes is employing a thermally-stable inorganic component and a structurally-flexible organic moiety to construct inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Ionic liquids as the organic component will be advantageous for the emergence of high conductivity, and polyoxometalate, such as heteropolyacids, are well-known as inorganic proton conductors. Here, newly-designed ionic liquid imidazolium cations, having a polymerizable methacryl group (denoted as MAImC1, were successfully hybridized with heteropolyanions of [PW12O40]3− (PW12 to form inorganic-organic hybrid monomers of MAImC1-PW12. The synthetic procedure of MAImC1-PW12 was a simple ion-exchange reaction, being generally applicable to several polyoxometalates, in principle. MAImC1-PW12 was obtained as single crystals, and its molecular and crystal structures were clearly revealed. Additionally, the hybrid monomer of MAImC1-PW12 was polymerized by a radical polymerization using AIBN as an initiator. Some of the resulting inorganic-organic hybrid polymers exhibited conductivity of 10−4 S·cm−1 order under humidified conditions at 313 K.

  15. Serum Calcium, Inorganic Phosphates and some Haematological ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives: Sickle cell disease has long been associated with bone deformities and pain. Mineral salts such as calcium and inorganic phosphate are critical in bone formation and metabolism. This investigation was designed to study the serum concentration of these minerals as well as some haematological parameters in ...

  16. Concentrations of inorganic elements in biomass fuels and recovery in the different ash fractions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Obernberger, I.; Biedermann, F.; Widmann, W.; Riedl, R.

    1997-01-01

    Inorganic elements and compounds in biomass fuels influence the combustion process and the composition of the ashes produced. Consequently, knowledge about the material fluxes of inorganic elements and compounds during biomass combustion for different kinds of biofuels and their influencing

  17. Optical detection of sodium salts of fluoride, acetate and phosphate

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Optical detection of sodium salts of fluoride, acetate and phosphate by a diacylhydrazine ligand by the formation of a colour alkali metal complex. Purnandhu Bose Ranjan Dutta I ... Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A and 2B Raja S C Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India ...

  18. Enhanced mobilization of major inorganics during coalification of peats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailey, A.M. [Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, LA (United States); Cohen, A.D. [Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States); Orem, W.H. [Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States)

    1995-12-01

    Release patterns for Na, Cl, Ca, Mg, and Si from Cladium, Rhizophora, and Cyrilla peats have been determined by means of experiments to 60{degrees}C and 2100 psi. Where pore solution concentrations are high, significant mobilization is directly through loss of pore solutions. Changes in organic structures during early stage coalification may also mobilize exchangeable ions. Attack on solid inorganic phases begins during peatification and may be accelerated at temperatures above 40{degrees}C by increased organic acid production. Respective maximum concentrations for acetate, formate, and oxalate are around 900, 700, and 70 mg/l in the Cyrilla experiments at 60{degrees}C. Enhanced concentrations of Si, Al and other inorganics may result from these.

  19. Determination of total inorganic arsenic in potable water through spectroscopy of atomic absorption with generation of hydride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez Roman, S.

    1997-01-01

    This study developed a method for the cuantitative analysis of arsenic in potable water , through the spectrophotometric technique of atomic absorption. It used an automatic system of injection of flux for the generation of hydrides. It studied the effect produced by reducer agents, in the prereduction of arsenic in water, obtaining the best result with the use of potasium iodide 1.5% and ascorbic acid 0.25% in hydrochloric acid 3.7%, for the direct determination of total inorganic arsenic. It observed the effect produced by cadmium and selenium to the half of the concentration of arsenic, chromium, lead and silver at the same concentration, and barium at a ten times higher concentration, in the recuperation of total inorganic arsenic. It also used sodium borohydride 0.3% in sodium hydroxide 0.05% (5mL/min), for the formation of the volatile hydrides. It used hydrochloric acid 3.7% (12 mL/min) as disolution of transport; argon as inert gas, and a flame air-acetylene, for the atomization of the hydrides. This method was applied to 19 samples of potable water, and the result was no detectable for all of them. (S. Grainger)

  20. A Review on Recent Patents and Applications of Inorganic Material Binding Peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thota, Veeranjaneyulu; Perry, Carole C

    2017-01-01

    Although the popularity of using combinatorial display techniques for recognising unique peptides having high affinity for inorganic (nano) particles has grown rapidly, there are no systematic reviews showcasing current developments or patents on binding peptides specific to these materials. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent progress in patents on material binding peptides specifically exploring inorganic nano surfaces such as metals, metal oxides, minerals, carbonbased materials, polymer based materials, magnetic materials and semiconductors. We consider both the peptide display strategies used and the exploitation of the identified peptides in the generation of advanced nanomaterials. In order to get a clear picture on the number of patents and literature present to date relevant to inorganic material binding biomolecules and their applications, a thorough online search was conducted using national and worldwide databases. The literature search include standard bibliographic databases while patents included EPO Espacenet, WIPO patent scope, USPTO, Google patent search, Patent lens, etc. along with commercial databases such as Derwent and Patbase. Both English and American spellings were included in the searches. The initial number of patents found related to material binders were 981. After reading and excluding irrelevant patents such as organic binding peptides, works published before 2001, repeated patents, documents not in English etc., 51 highly relevant patents published from 2001 onwards were selected and analysed. These patents were further separated into six categories based on their target inorganic material and combinatorial library used. They include relevant patents on metal, metal oxide or combination binding peptides (19), magnetic and semiconductor binding peptides (8), carbon based (3), mineral (5), polymer (8) and other binders (9). Further, how these material specific binders have been used to synthesize simple to complex bio- or

  1. Inorganic, coordination and organometallic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jursik, F.

    1978-01-01

    Separation of cations and anions of inorganic, coordination and metalloorganic compounds by the method of liquid column chromatography is considered. Common scheme of multicomponent cation mixture is suggesteed. Separation conditions, adsrbents, eluents, pH value solution concenstration, elution rate are also suggested. Separation of rare earth elements Cs, Be, Cd, Te, Th, U, Mo, Re, V, Ru, Zr, In compounds is considered as an example of liquid column chromatography application. Data on column chromatography application are summarized in a table

  2. Cell-Based Fabrication of Organic/Inorganic Composite Gel Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takayoshi Nakano

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Biomaterials containing components similar to the native biological tissue would have benefits as an implantable scaffold material. To obtain such biomimetic materials, cells may be great contributors because of their crucial roles in synthetic organics. In addition, the synthesized organics—especially those derived from osteogenic differentiated cells—become a place where mineral crystals nucleate and grow even in vitro. Therefore to fabricate an organic/inorganic composite material, which is similar to the biological osteoid tissue, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs were cultured in a 3D fibrin gel in this study. BMSCs secreted bone-related proteins that enhanced the biomineralization within the gel when the cells were cultured with an osteogenic differentiation medium. The compositions of both synthesized matrices and precipitated minerals in the obtained materials altered depending on the cell culture period. The mineral obtained in the 3D gel showed low crystalline hydroxyapatite. The composite materials also showed excellent osteoconductivity with new bone formation when implanted in mice tibiae. Thus, we demonstrated the contributions of cells for fabricating implantable organic/inorganic composite gel materials and a method for controlling the material composition in the gel. This cell-based material fabrication method would be a novel method to fabricate organic/inorganic composite biomimetic materials for bone tissue engineering.

  3. Hybrid organic-inorganic coatings based on alkoxy-terminated macromonomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaddami, H. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Macromoleculaires---URA CNRS 507, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon---Bat 403, 69621 Villeurbanne (France); Cuney, S. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Macromoleculaires---URA CNRS 507, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon---Bat 403, 69621 Villeurbanne (France)]|[BSN Emballage-Centre de Recherche de Saint-Romain-en-Gier, 69700 Givors Cedex (France); Pascault, J.P. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Macromoleculaires---URA CNRS 507, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon-Bat 403, 69621 Villeurbanne (France); Gerard, J.F. [Laboratoire des Materiaux Macromoleculaires---URA CNRS 507, Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon-Bat 403, 69621 Villeurbanne (France)

    1996-01-01

    From the use of alkoxysilane-terminated macromonomers based on hydrogenated polybutadiene and polycaprolactone oligomers and by using the polyurethane chemistry, hybrid organic{emdash}inorganic materials are prepared. These ones are two-phases systems in which the continuous phase is organic reinforced by silicon rich dispersed particles. These nanosized dispersed particles are formed {ital in} {ital situ} during the hydrolysis and condensation of the sol-gel process according to the phase separation process occurring between the organic and inorganic phases. The gelation process and the final morphologies were found to be very dependent on the acid(catalyst)-to-silicon ratio, on the molar mass of the oligomers, and on the solubility parameter of the soft segment. In fact, during the synthesis, there is a competition between the gelation and the phase separation process which could be perturbated by the vitrification of the silicon-rich clusters. The final morphologies observed by TEM and SAXS are discussed on the basis of the microstructural model proposed by Wilkes and Huang. Such hybrid organic-inorganic materials are applied as coatings on glass float plates tested in a bi-axial mode. The reinforcement is discussed as a function of the morphology of the coatings. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

  4. Simple inorganic complexes but intricate hydrogen bonding ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    We are interested in obtaining single crystals of metal-opda complexes because their crystal structures would show complex hydrogen bonding network due to the presence of. –NH2 groups in the opda ligand (hydrogen bonding donor sites) and inorganic anions having mostly oxo groups (hydrogen bonding acceptor sites) ...

  5. Individual Variations in Inorganic Arsenic Metabolism Associated with AS3MT Genetic Polymorphisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haruo Takeshita

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Individual variations in inorganic arsenic metabolism may influence the toxic effects. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state methyltransferase (AS3MT that can catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet to trivalent arsenical, may play a role in arsenic metabolism in humans. Since the genetic polymorphisms of AS3MT gene may be associated with the susceptibility to inorganic arsenic toxicity, relationships of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in AS3MT with inorganic arsenic metabolism have been investigated. Here, we summarize our recent findings and other previous studies on the inorganic arsenic metabolism and AS3MT genetic polymorphisms in humans. Results of genotype dependent differences in arsenic metabolism for most of SNPs in AS3MT were Inconsistent throughout the studies. Nevertheless, two SNPs, AS3MT 12390 (rs3740393 and 14458 (rs11191439 were consistently related to arsenic methylation regardless of the populations examined for the analysis. Thus, these SNPs may be useful indicators to predict the arsenic metabolism via methylation pathways.

  6. Speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic by magnetic solid phase extraction on-line with inductively coupled mass spectrometry determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoro Leal, P; Vereda Alonso, E; López Guerrero, M M; Cordero, M T Siles; Cano Pavón, J M; García de Torres, A

    2018-07-01

    Arsenic, one of the main environmental pollutants and potent natural poison, is a chemical element that is spread throughout the Earth's crust. It is well known that the toxicity of arsenic is highly dependent on its chemical forms. Generally, the inorganic species are more toxic than its organics forms, and As(III) is 60 times more toxic than As(V). In environmental waters, arsenic exists predominantly in two chemical forms: As(III) and As(V). In view of these facts, fast, sensitive, accurate and simple analytical methods for the speciation of inorganic arsenic in environmental waters are required. In this work, a new magnetic solid phase extraction with a hydride generation system was coupled on line with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MSPE-HG-ICP-MS). The new system was based on the retention of As(III) and As(V) in two knotted reactors filled with (Fe 3 O 4 ) magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with [1,5-bis (2-pyridyl) 3-sulfophenylmethylene] thiocarbonohydrazide (PSTH-MNPs). As(III) and total inorganic As were sequentially eluted in different reduction conditions. The concentration of As(V) was obtained by subtracting As(III) from total As. The system runs in a fully automated way and the method has proved to have a wide linear range and to be precise, sensitive and fast. The detection limits found were 2.7 and 3.2 ng/L for As(III) and total As, respectively; with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 2.5% and 2.7% and a sample throughput of 14.4 h -1 . In order to validate the developed method, several certified reference samples of environmental waters including sea water, were analyzed and the determined values were in good agreement with the certified values. The proposed method was successfully applied to the speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic in well-water and sea water. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Morphology and the chemical make-up of the inorganic components of black corals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nowak, D.; Florek, M.; Nowak, J. [Department of Chemistry, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland); Kwiatek, W.; Lekki, J. [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Department of Nuclear Spectroscopy, 31-342 Krakow (Poland); Chevallier, P. [former LPS, CEN Saclay et LURE, Universite Paris-Sud, Bat 209D, F-91405 Orsay (France); Hacura, A.; Wrzalik, R. [Institute of Physics, Silesian University, 40-007 Katowice (Poland); Ben-Nissan, B. [Department of Chemistry, Materials and Forensic Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway 2007, NSW (Australia); Van Grieken, R. [Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Antwerp (Belgium); Kuczumow, A., E-mail: kuczon@kul.lublin.pl [Department of Chemistry, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-718 Lublin (Poland)

    2009-04-30

    Black corals (Cnidaria, Antipatharia) from three different sources were investigated with the aim of detecting inorganic components and their morphology. In general, the skeleton of black corals was composed of the chitin fibrils admixed with peptides and the chitin presence was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and microRaman Microscopy, the latter giving the opportunity of tracing single fibrils and their location. The composition and concentrations of the inorganic components of the black corals were measured, using a scanning electron microprobe and micro-Particle Induced X-ray Emission ({mu}-PIXE). The application of such instruments enabled the estimation of the constituent distributions in a microscale. The mapping option was the most useful technique of making analyses in these studies, just to reveal the composition of chamber-like cells. Analysis of the morphology and microstructure showed that there were three distinct regions within the coral: a core and the cells encircled with adjacent interface gluing strips. The majority of the elements analyzed were selectively distributed and segregated in a striking way in mentioned distinctive zones of the skeleton and it was detected for the first time. The core area was characterized by the relatively elevated concentrations of Ca. The measurements gave extremely clear images of the distribution of particular elements in the skeletal tissue, with I, Ca, K and Fe much more concentrated in the gluing zones, while C, N, Na and Mg present in the interiors of particular skeletal cells. The distribution of some elements (Mg, Fe) and some compounds (chitin) and functional groups (S-S, C-I) allows differentiating the biological and mechanical functions of particular fragments of the rods. The kinds of elements and their concentrations measured were essentially in compliance with rare data available in the literature. The Raman technique gave the additional

  8. Morphology and the chemical make-up of the inorganic components of black corals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowak, D.; Florek, M.; Nowak, J.; Kwiatek, W.; Lekki, J.; Chevallier, P.; Hacura, A.; Wrzalik, R.; Ben-Nissan, B.; Van Grieken, R.; Kuczumow, A.

    2009-01-01

    Black corals (Cnidaria, Antipatharia) from three different sources were investigated with the aim of detecting inorganic components and their morphology. In general, the skeleton of black corals was composed of the chitin fibrils admixed with peptides and the chitin presence was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and microRaman Microscopy, the latter giving the opportunity of tracing single fibrils and their location. The composition and concentrations of the inorganic components of the black corals were measured, using a scanning electron microprobe and micro-Particle Induced X-ray Emission (μ-PIXE). The application of such instruments enabled the estimation of the constituent distributions in a microscale. The mapping option was the most useful technique of making analyses in these studies, just to reveal the composition of chamber-like cells. Analysis of the morphology and microstructure showed that there were three distinct regions within the coral: a core and the cells encircled with adjacent interface gluing strips. The majority of the elements analyzed were selectively distributed and segregated in a striking way in mentioned distinctive zones of the skeleton and it was detected for the first time. The core area was characterized by the relatively elevated concentrations of Ca. The measurements gave extremely clear images of the distribution of particular elements in the skeletal tissue, with I, Ca, K and Fe much more concentrated in the gluing zones, while C, N, Na and Mg present in the interiors of particular skeletal cells. The distribution of some elements (Mg, Fe) and some compounds (chitin) and functional groups (S-S, C-I) allows differentiating the biological and mechanical functions of particular fragments of the rods. The kinds of elements and their concentrations measured were essentially in compliance with rare data available in the literature. The Raman technique gave the additional

  9. Response of food organisms to inorganic nitrogen availability ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Influence of inorganic N2 forms on pond food organisms was investigated. Seven identified plankton taxa comprising four phytoplankton: Desmidiaceae (desmids), Bacillariophyceae (diatoms), Cyanophyceae (blue-green algae) and Chlorophyceae (green algae) and three zooplankton: Protozoa, Cladocera and Rotifera ...

  10. Preparation and Characterization of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Hydrogel Electrolyte Using Alkaline Solution

    OpenAIRE

    Chiku, Masanobu; Tomita, Shoji; Higuchi, Eiji; Inoue, Hiroshi

    2011-01-01

    Organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes were prepared by mixing hydrotalcite, cross-linked potassium poly(acrylate) and 6 M KOH solution. The organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes had high ionic conductivity (0.456–0.540 S cm−1) at 30 °C. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the hydrogel electrolytes was high enough to form a 2–3 mm thick freestanding membrane because of the reinforcement with hydrotalcite.

  11. Equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganic aqueous Fe(III) and the siderophore complex, Fe(III)-desferrioxamine B

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dideriksen, Knud; Baker, Joel A.; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

    2008-01-01

    be controlled by isotope fractionation between the free and complexed iron.We have determined the equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation induced by organic ligand activity in experiments with solutions having co-existing inorganic Fe(III) species and siderophore complexes, Fedesferrioxamine B (at pH 2). The two......-type fractionation during precipitation, this experiment yielded an isotope fractionation factor of a56Fesolution-solid=1.00027. Calculations based on these results indicate that isotopic re-equilibration is unlikely to significantly affect our determined equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganically...... and organically complexed Fe. To determine the equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganically and organically bound Fe(III), experiments with variable proportions of inorganic Fe were carried out at 25 °C. Irrespective of the proportion of inorganic Fe, equilibrium fractionation factors were within...

  12. Photosynthesis and Calcification by Emiliania huxleyi (Prymnesiophyceae) as a Function of Inorganic Carbon Species

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buitenhuis, Erik T.; Baar, Hein J.W. de; Veldhuis, Marcel J.W.

    1999-01-01

    To test the possibility of inorganic carbon limitation of the marine unicellular alga Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) Hay and Mohler, its carbon acquisition was measured as a function of the different chemical species of inorganic carbon present in the medium. Because these different species are

  13. Liquid-liquid phase separation in particles containing secondary organic material free of inorganic salts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Mijung; Liu, Pengfei; Martin, Scot T.; Bertram, Allan K.

    2017-09-01

    Particles containing secondary organic material (SOM) are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and play a role in climate and air quality. Recently, research has shown that liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) occurs at high relative humidity (RH) (greater than ˜ 95 %) in α-pinene-derived SOM particles free of inorganic salts, while LLPS does not occur in isoprene-derived SOM particles free of inorganic salts. We expand on these findings by investigating LLPS at 290 ± 1 K in SOM particles free of inorganic salts produced from ozonolysis of β-caryophyllene, ozonolysis of limonene, and photo-oxidation of toluene. LLPS was observed at greater than ˜ 95 % RH in the biogenic SOM particles derived from β-caryophyllene and limonene while LLPS was not observed in the anthropogenic SOM particles derived from toluene. This work combined with the earlier work on LLPS in SOM particles free of inorganic salts suggests that the occurrence of LLPS in SOM particles free of inorganic salts is related to the oxygen-to-carbon elemental ratio (O : C) of the organic material. These results help explain the difference between the hygroscopic parameter κ of SOM particles measured above and below water saturation in the laboratory and field, and have implications for predicting the cloud condensation nucleation properties of SOM particles.

  14. Polypyrrole-based bilayer nitrate amperometric biosensor with an integrated permselective poly-ortho-phenylenediamine layer for exclusion of inorganic interferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adeloju, Samuel B; Sohail, Manzar

    2011-07-15

    A bilayer amperometric nitrate biosensor with an integrated permselective layer has been developed for exclusion of inorganic anion and cation interferences. The inner PPy(polypyrrole)-NaR-NADH layer of the biosensor is formed by galvanostatic polymerization of pyrrole (Py) in presence of nitrate reductase (NaR) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), followed by formation of the outer permselective poly-ortho-phenylenediamine (P-o-PDA) layer by potentiodynamic polymerization of ortho-phenylenediamine (o-PDA). The exclusion efficiency (E(eff)) of the outer layer in rejecting inorganic cation and anion interferences is evaluated by a new proposed relationship. 73-87% and 47-84% of anion and cation interferences, respectively, were efficiently rejected with the permselective layer. Further improvement in the exclusion efficiency for cations was accomplished by combining the use of the outer layer with the addition of 1mM EDTA into the measurement solution. The addition of EDTA improved the E(eff) achieved for cation rejection by 10-40% to give net E(eff) of 89-94%. The inclusion of the outer layer also aided the retention of NaR and NADH in the inner PPy-NaR-NADH layer and, hence, enabled improved amperometric detection of nitrate, achieving a detection limit of 0.20 μM and a linear concentration range of 10-500 μM with a 3.4%rsd (n=10). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Sol-gel Synthesis of a Biotemplated Inorganic Photocatalyst

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boffa, Vittorio; Yue, Yuanzheng; He, Wen

    2012-01-01

    chemistry and photocatalysis, provides an opportunity to teach valuable laboratory skills and to introduce students to the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of inorganic materials. This laboratory activity is adaptable to a range of educational levels and to various instrumental techniques....

  16. Comparative assessment of different poultry manures and inorganic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr. M.B. Adewole

    20-10-10) applied at 0.4 t ha-1 and zero manure/inorganic fertilizer application served as ... poultry composts were air-dried, ground and analyzed for their chemical ..... research. 2nd Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporation, New York, 680 p.

  17. Evaluation of Creatine Kinase Activity and Inorganic Phosphate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    subjects presenting with major VOC. Keywords: Serum creatine kinase activity, Serum inorganic phosphate concentration, Sickle cell disease,. Steady state, Vaso‑occlusive crisis. Original Article. Address for correspondence: Dr. John C Aneke,. Department of Hematology,. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching. Hospital ...

  18. Evaluation of Creatine Kinase Activity and Inorganic Phosphate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Biochemical parameters vary in subjects with different hemoglobin phenotypes, compared with normal controls. Aim: The aim was to evaluate serum creatine kinase (CK) activity and inorganic phosphate concentrations in Nigerian adults with homozygous and heterozygous hemoglobin phenotypes. Subjects ...

  19. Dissolved organic and inorganic matter in bulk deposition of a coastal urban area: an integrated approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Patrícia S M; Santos, Eduarda B H; Duarte, Armando C

    2014-12-01

    Bulk deposition can remove atmospheric organic and inorganic pollutants that may be associated with gaseous, liquid or particulate phases. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have been carried out, which simultaneously analyse the presence of organic and inorganic fractions in rainwater. In the present work, the complementarity of organic and inorganic data was assessed, through crossing data of some organic [DOC (dissolved organic carbon), absorbance at 250 nm (UV250nm), integrated fluorescence] and inorganic [H(+), NH4(+), NO3(-), non sea salt sulphate (NSS-SO4(2-))] parameters measured in bulk deposition in the coastal urban area of Aveiro. The organic and inorganic parameters analysed were positively correlated (pCDOM) came from anthropogenic sources. Furthermore, the inverse correlations observed for the organic and inorganic parameters with the precipitation amount suggest that organic and inorganic fractions were incorporated into the rainwater partially by below-cloud scavenging of airborne particulate matter. This is in accordance with the high values of DOC and NO3(-) found in samples associated with marine air masses, which were linked in part to the contribution of local emissions from vehicular traffic. DOC of bulk deposition was the predominant constituent when compared with the constituents H(+), NH4(+), NO3(-) and NSS-SO4(2-), and consequently bulk deposition flux was also highest for DOC, highlighting the importance of DOC and of anthropogenic ions being simultaneously removed from the atmosphere by bulk deposition. However, it was verified that the contribution of anthropogenic sources to the DOC of bulk deposition may be different for distinct urban areas. Thus, it is recommended that organic and inorganic fractions of bulk deposition are studied together. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Composite materials with ionic conductivity: from inorganic composites to hybrid membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yaroslavtsev, Andrei B [N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2009-11-30

    Information on composite materials with ionic conductivity including inorganic composites and hybrid polymeric ion exchange membranes containing inorganic or polymeric nanoparticles is generalized. The nature of the effect of increase in the ionic conductivity in this type of materials and the key approaches used for theoretical estimation of the conductivity are considered. Data on the ionic conductivity and some other important properties of composites and membrane materials are presented. Prospects for utilization of composite materials and hybrid membranes in hydrogen power engineering are briefly outlined.

  1. Inorganic Halogen Oxidizer Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-02-16

    Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. 14. No. 9. 1975 Karl 0. Christ¢ (21) L. J. Basile . P. LaBonvillk. J. R. Ferraro, and J. M. Williams. J. Claim. (38) K. 0. Chriae. E... basils of a nonplanar structure of symmetry CI, are revised for six fundamental frequencies. Imalredetle either the 1:2 adduct N 2F4.2SbF5 or the 1:3...8217 in mT are 7 2.1 for B, facility. We aba thank L. K. White and R. L. Belford 111.0 for C, 55.0 for N, and 17100 for F, and the atomic aniso- trop’c

  2. Effects of land use on soil inorganic carbon stocks in the Russian Chernozem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhailova, Elena A; Post, Christopher J

    2006-01-01

    Little is known about changes in soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stocks with depth and with land use in grassland ecosystems. This study was conducted to determine SIC stocks under different management regimes in the Mollisol, one of the typical soils in grasslands. Four sites were sampled: a native grassland field (not cultivated for at least 300 yr), an adjacent 50-yr continuous fallow field, a yearly cut hay field in the V.V. Alekhin Central-Chernozem Biosphere State Reserve in the Kursk region of Russia, and a continuously cropped field in the Experimental Station of the Kursk Institute of Agronomy and Soil Erosion Control. All sampled soils were classified as fine-silty, mixed, frigid Pachic Hapludolls. Significant differences occurred in SIC stocks between cultivated and grassland soil. The inorganic carbon stocks in the top 2 m were 107 Mg ha(-1) for the native grassland, 91 Mg ha(-1) for the yearly cut hay field, 242 Mg ha(-1) for the continuously cropped field, and 196 Mg ha(-1) for the 50-yr continuous fallow. The SIC was in the form of calcium carbonate and was mostly stored below the 1-m depth. The largest difference between inorganic carbon stocks was observed between the continuously cropped field and native grassland. The increase in inorganic carbon in the continuously cropped field and continuous fallow was attributed to initial cultivation and fertilization. Soil inorganic carbon in Mollisols is not accounted for in the current global carbon estimates.

  3. Surface Chemistry and Spectroscopy of Chromium in Inorganic Oxides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weckhuysen, B.M.; Wachs, I.E.; Schoonheydt, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    Focuses on the surface chemistry and spectroscopy of chromium in inorganic oxides. Characterization of the molecular structures of chromium; Mechanics of hydrogenation-dehydrogenation reactions; Mobility and reactivity on oxidic surfaces.

  4. Nomenclature on an inorganic compound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-10-01

    This book contains eleven chapters : which mention nomenclature of an inorganic compound with introduction and general principle on nomenclature of compound. It gives the description of grammar for nomenclature such as brackets, diagonal line, asterisk, and affix, element, atom and groups of atom, chemical formula, naming by stoichiometry, solid, neutral molecule compound, ion, a substituent, radical and name of salt, oxo acid and anion on introduction and definition of oxo acid, coordination compound like symbol of stereochemistry , boron and hydrogen compound and related compound.

  5. Possibility of sorption purification of chromium comprising waste waters of galvanic production by inorganic ion exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khaynakov, S.A.; Likov, E.P.; Bortun, A.I.; Belyukov, V.N.

    1986-01-01

    Present work is devoted to possibilities of sorption purification of chromium comprising waste waters of galvanic production by inorganic ion exchangers. Thus, the comparative study of sorption of chromium ions on anion exchanger A B-17 and on inorganic ion exchangers on the basis of hydrated titanium and zirconium dioxides in static and dynamic conditions is conducted. The influence of chromium ions concentration, solutions acidity (ph=1÷12) and presence of base electrolyte on sorption is studied. The state of chromium ions sorbed by inorganic ion exchangers is studied by means of infrared spectroscopy and spectroscopy. It is defined that inorganic sorbents could be used for chromium extraction from different solutions.

  6. Thorough removal of inorganic and organic mercury from aqueous solutions by adsorption on Lemna minor powder

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Shunxing, E-mail: lishunxing@fjzs.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000 (China); Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Analytical Science, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou (China); Zheng Fengying; Huang Yang [Department of Chemistry, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000 (China); Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Analytical Science, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou (China); Ni Jiancong [Department of Chemistry, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000 (China)

    2011-02-15

    The adsorption ability of duckweed (Lemna minor) powders for removing inorganic and organic mercury (methyl and ethyl mercury) has been studied using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimal adsorption conditions were: (a) the pH value of the solution 7.0 for inorganic and ethyl mercury, 9.0 for methyl mercury, and (b) equilibrium adsorption time 10, 20, and 40 min for inorganic mercury, methyl mercury, and ethyl mercury, respectively. After adsorption by L. minor powder for 40 min, when the initial concentrations of inorganic and organic mercury were under 12.0 {mu}g L{sup -1} and 50.0 {mu}g L{sup -1}, respectively, the residual concentrations of mercury could meet the criterion of drinking water (1.0 {mu}g L{sup -1}) and the permitted discharge limit of wastewater (10.0 {mu}g L{sup -1}) set by China and USEPA, respectively. Thorough removal of both inorganic and organic mercury from aqueous solutions was reported for the first time. The significant adsorption sites were C-O-P and phosphate groups by the surface electrostatic interactions with aqueous inorganic and organic mercury cations, and then the selective adsorption was resulted from the strong chelating interaction between amine groups and mercury on the surface of L. minor cells.

  7. Thorough removal of inorganic and organic mercury from aqueous solutions by adsorption on Lemna minor powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shunxing; Zheng Fengying; Huang Yang; Ni Jiancong

    2011-01-01

    The adsorption ability of duckweed (Lemna minor) powders for removing inorganic and organic mercury (methyl and ethyl mercury) has been studied using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimal adsorption conditions were: (a) the pH value of the solution 7.0 for inorganic and ethyl mercury, 9.0 for methyl mercury, and (b) equilibrium adsorption time 10, 20, and 40 min for inorganic mercury, methyl mercury, and ethyl mercury, respectively. After adsorption by L. minor powder for 40 min, when the initial concentrations of inorganic and organic mercury were under 12.0 μg L -1 and 50.0 μg L -1 , respectively, the residual concentrations of mercury could meet the criterion of drinking water (1.0 μg L -1 ) and the permitted discharge limit of wastewater (10.0 μg L -1 ) set by China and USEPA, respectively. Thorough removal of both inorganic and organic mercury from aqueous solutions was reported for the first time. The significant adsorption sites were C-O-P and phosphate groups by the surface electrostatic interactions with aqueous inorganic and organic mercury cations, and then the selective adsorption was resulted from the strong chelating interaction between amine groups and mercury on the surface of L. minor cells.

  8. Organic-inorganic semiconductor hybrid systems. Structure, morphology, and electronic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El Helou, Mira

    2012-08-22

    This dissertation addresses the preparation and characterization of hybrid semiconducting systems combining organic with inorganic materials. Characterization methods used included to determine the structure, morphology, and thermal stability comprised X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). One organic-inorganic semiconducting system was pentacene (C{sub 22}H{sub 14}) and zinc oxide. This interface was investigated in detail for pentacene on an oxygen-terminated zinc oxide surface, i.e. ZnO(000 anti 1). An extended study on the promising p-n junction was carried out for pentacene on ZnO with different orientations which exhibit different chemical and structural characteristics: ZnO(000 anti 1), ZnO(0001), and ZnO(10 anti 10). Moreover, the organic crystal structure of pentacene was selectively tuned by carefully choosing the substrate temperature. This defined interface with a physisorbed pentacene layer on ZnO was characterized by optical absorption which depends on the temperature of the measured system, the pentacene film thickness, and the molecular orientation and packing. The high quality of the pentacene films allowed in one case to characterize the Davydov splitting by linear polarized light focused on a single crystallite. Another subject in the field of organic-inorganic hybrid materials comprised conjugated dithiols used as self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for immobilizing semiconducting CdS nanoparticles (NPs) on Au substrates. It was demonstrated that an appropriate selection and preparation of the conjugated SAMs is crucial for building up a light-addressable potentiometric sensor with a sufficient efficiency. An optimized electron transfer was achieved with SAMs of long range ordering, high stability, and adequate conductivity. This was examined for different linkers and was best for stilbenedithiol immobilized in solution at higher temperatures. Due

  9. Preparation and Characterization of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Hydrogel Electrolyte Using Alkaline Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masanobu Chiku

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes were prepared by mixing hydrotalcite, cross-linked potassium poly(acrylate and 6 M KOH solution. The organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes had high ionic conductivity (0.456–0.540 S cm−1 at 30 °C. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the hydrogel electrolytes was high enough to form a 2–3 mm thick freestanding membrane because of the reinforcement with hydrotalcite.

  10. Inorganic arsenic contents in ready-to-eat rice products and various Korean rice determined by a highly sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Mun Yhung; Kang, Ju Hee; Jung, Hyun Jeong; Ma, Sang Yong

    2018-02-01

    Rice and rice products have been reported to contain high contents of toxic inorganic arsenic (iAs). The inorganic arsenic contents in microwavable ready-to-eat rice products (n=30) and different types of Korean rice (n=102) were determined by a gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The method showed low limit of detection (0.015pg), high intra- and inter-day repeatability (ready-to-eat rice products was 59μgkg -1 (dry weight basis). The mean iAs contents in polished white, brown, black, and waxy rice were 65, 109, 91, and 66μgkg -1 , respectively. The percentages of ready-to-eat rice products, white, brown, black, and waxy rice containing iAs over the maximum level (100μgkg -1 ) set by EU for the infant foods were 17, 4, 70, 36 and 0%, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Inorganic Nanotubes and Fullerene-Like Nanoparticles:. from the Lab to the Market Place

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenne, R.

    2013-05-01

    Layered compounds, like MoS2 were shown by the author to be unstable in the nano-regime. Using new chemical strategies, closed-cage hollow nanostructures in the form of inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles and inorganic nanotubes were synthesized. These nanostructures exhibit numerous interesting physico-chemical properties and are employed as superior solid lubricants, with numerous other applications currently being developed.

  12. Modern state of radiation chemistry of inorganic solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakharov, Yu.A.; Nevostruev, V.A.; Ryabykh, S.M.; Safonov, Yu.N.

    1985-01-01

    Regularities of radiolysis of different metal salts and inorganic acid complex anions are considered taking account of the nature of electron states and radiation transformations in them. By chemical processes during irradiation the solid salts considered are divided into 2 groups: salts in which the processes stimulated by radiation lead to chemical transformations in anion and cation subsystems, their valency changed, (1st group); salts in which radiation-chemical transformations influence anion sublattice and cation valency is without any change (2nd group). It is shown that the main part of secondary chemical transformations is realized from low-energy excited electron states. For first group salts these states are of cation nature, at this secondary reactions are determined by ionization processes. For second group salts low-energy electron terms are mostly of anion nature. Classification of inorganic salts by the character of transformations in anion sublattices is marked to be developed

  13. Inorganic photovoltaic devices fabricated using nanocrystal spray deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foos, Edward E; Yoon, Woojun; Lumb, Matthew P; Tischler, Joseph G; Townsend, Troy K

    2013-09-25

    Soluble inorganic nanocrystals offer a potential route to the fabrication of all-inorganic devices using solution deposition techniques. Spray processing offers several advantages over the more common spin- and dip-coating procedures, including reduced material loss during fabrication, higher sample throughput, and deposition over a larger area. The primary difference observed, however, is an overall increase in the film roughness. In an attempt to quantify the impact of this morphology change on the devices, we compare the overall performance of spray-deposited versus spin-coated CdTe-based Schottky junction solar cells and model their dark current-voltage characteristics. Spray deposition of the active layer results in a power conversion efficiency of 2.3 ± 0.3% with a fill factor of 45.7 ± 3.4%, Voc of 0.39 ± 0.06 V, and Jsc of 13.3 ± 3.0 mA/cm(2) under one sun illumination.

  14. The First Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Luminescent Multiferroic: (Pyrrolidinium)MnBr3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Liao, Wei-Qiang; Fu, Da-Wei; Ye, Heng-Yun; Liu, Cai-Ming; Chen, Zhong-Ning; Xiong, Ren-Gen

    2015-07-08

    A hybrid organic-inorganic compound, (pyrrolidinium)MnBr3 , distinguished from rare earth (RE)-doped inorganic perovskites, is discovered as a new member of the ferroelectrics family, having excellent luminescent properties and relatively large spontaneous polarization of 6 μC cm(-2) , as well as a weak ferromagnetism at about 2.4 K. With a quantum yield of >28% and emission lifetime >0.1 ms, such multiferroic photoluminescence is a suitable candidate for future applications in luminescence materials, photovoltaics, and magneto-optoelectronic devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Preparation of Organic-Inorganic Multifunctional Nanocomposite Coating via Sol-Gel Routes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Haoying; Chen Yunfa; Ruan Chengxiang; Gao Weimin; Xie Yusheng

    2001-01-01

    The inorganic-organic nanocomposite coatings are prepared on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate by the spinning technique which involves incorporating homogeneously nanosized ZnO particle into the molecular inorganic-organic hybrid matrices. The hybrid matrices are derived from tetraethoxyasilane (TEOS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxyailane (GLYMO). To avoid the destruction of the polymer structure caused by ZnO and modify the interface between nanoparticles and organic groups, ZnO was first surface-coated with SiO 2 from hydrolyzed TEOS using ammonia water as catalyst. The coatings thus obtained are dense, flexible, abrasion resistant and UV absorbent

  16. Advance in the study of removal of cesium from radioactive wastewater by inorganic ion exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Songping; Wang Xiaowei; Du Zhihui

    2014-01-01

    The excellent performance in the removal of cesium from radioactive wastewater by inorganic ion exchangers has received extensive attention due to their characteristic physico-chemical features. The paper summarized research progress of removal of cesium by different inorganic ion exchangers such as silicoaluminate, salts of hetero polyacid, hexacyanoferrate, insoluble salts of acid with multivalent metals, insoluble hydrous oxides of multivalent metals and silicotitanate and reviewed several removal systems of cesium by inorganic ion exchangers which might offer China some reference in treatment and disposal of radioactive wastewater. (authors)

  17. Pentafluorobenzyl bromide-A versatile derivatization agent in chromatography and mass spectrometry: I. Analysis of inorganic anions and organophosphates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsikas, Dimitrios

    2017-02-01

    Pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB-Br) is a versatile derivatization agent. It is widely used in chromatography and mass spectrometry since several decades. The bromide atom is largely the single leaving group of PFB-Br. It is substituted by wide a spectrum of nucleophiles in aqueous and non-aqueous systems to form electrically neutral, in most organic solvents soluble, generally thermally stable, volatile, strongly electron-capturing and ultraviolet light-absorbing derivatives. Because of these greatly favoured physicochemical properties, PFB-Br emerged an ideal derivatization agent for highly sensitive analysis of endogenous and exogenous substances including various inorganic and organic anions by electron capture detection or after electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization in GC-MS. The present article attempts an appraisal of the utility of PFB-Br in analytical chemistry. It reviews and discusses papers dealing with the use of PFB-Br as the derivatization reagent in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of endogenous and exogenous inorganic anions in various biological samples, notably plasma, urine and saliva. These analytes include nitrite, nitrate, cyanide and dialkyl organophosphates. Special emphasis is given to mass spectrometry-based approaches and stable-isotope dilution techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Corrosion performance of inorganic coatings in seawater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, X.; Buter, S.J.; Ferrari, G.M.; Westing, E. van; Kowalski, L.

    2011-01-01

    Inorganic coatings are widely used to protect carbon steel hydraulic cylinder rods from wear and corrosion in aggressive offshore environment. Different types of lay-ers such as Ni/Cr, Al2O3, Cr2O3, TiO2, and Inconel 625 layers were applied to the carbon steels by plasma, High Velocity Oxygen Fuel

  19. Interactions between uptake of amino acids and inorganic nitrogen in wheat plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Gioseffi

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Soil-borne amino acids may constitute a source of nitrogen (N for plants in various terrestrial ecosystems but their importance for total N nutrition is unclear, particularly in nutrient-rich arable soils. One reason for this uncertainty is lack of information on how the absorption of amino acids by plant roots is affected by the simultaneous presence of inorganic N forms. The objective of the present study was to study absorption of glycine (Gly and glutamine (Gln by wheat roots and their interactions with nitrate (NO3 and ammonium (NH4+ during uptake. The underlying hypothesis was that amino acids, when present in nutrient solution together with inorganic N, may lead to down-regulation of the inorganic N uptake, thereby resulting in similar total N uptake rates. Amino acids were enriched with double-labelled 15N and 13C, while NO3 and NH4+ acquisition was determined by their rate of removal from the nutrient solution surrounding the roots. The uptake rates of NO3 and NH4+ did not differ from each other and were generally about twice as high as the uptake rate of organic N when the different N forms were supplied separately in concentrations of 2 mM. Nevertheless, replacement of 50% of the inorganic N with organic N was able to restore the N uptake to the same level as that in the presence of only inorganic N. Co-provision of NO3 did not affect glycine uptake, while the presence of glycine down-regulated NO3 uptake. The ratio between 13C and 15N were lower in shoots than in roots and also lower than the theoretical values, reflecting higher C losses via respiratory processes compared to N losses. It is concluded that organic N can constitute a significant N-source for wheat plants and that there is an interaction

  20. Evaluation of inorganic and organic light-emitting diode displays for signage application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Pratibha; Kwok, Harry

    2006-08-01

    High-brightness, inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been successfully utilized for edge-lighting of large displays for signage. Further interest in solid-state lighting technology has been fueled with the emergence of small molecule and polymer-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this paper, edgelit inorganic LED-based displays and state-of-the-art OLED-based displays are evaluated on the basis of electrical and photometric measurements. The reference size for a signage system is assumed to be 600 mm x 600mm based on the industrial usage. With the availability of high power light-emitting diodes, it is possible to develop edgelit signage systems of the standard size. These displays possess an efficacy of 18 lm/W. Although, these displays are environmentally friendly and efficient, they suffer from some inherent limitations. Homogeneity of displays, which is a prime requirement for illuminated signs, is not accomplished. A standard deviation of 3.12 lux is observed between the illuminance values on the surface of the display. In order to distribute light effectively, reflective gratings are employed. Reflective gratings aid in reducing the problem but fail to eliminate it. In addition, the overall cost of signage is increased by 50% with the use of these additional components. This problem can be overcome by the use of a distributed source of light. Hence, the organic-LEDs are considered as a possible contender. In this paper, we experimentally determine the feasibility of using OLEDs for signage applications and compare their performance with inorganic LEDs. Passive matrix, small-molecule based, commercially available OLEDs is used. Design techniques for implementation of displays using organic LEDs are also discussed. It is determined that tiled displays based on organic LEDs possess better uniformity than the inorganic LED-based displays. However, the currently available OLEDs have lower light-conversion efficiency and higher costs than the

  1. Mechanisms of inorganic-carbon acquisition in marine phytoplankton and their implications for the use of other resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raven, J.A.; Johnston, A.M.

    1991-01-01

    Most of the marine phytoplankton species for which data are available are rate saturated for photosynthesis and probably for growth with inorganic C at normal seawater concentrations; 2 of the 17 species are not saturated. Photosynthesis in these two species can probably be explained by the 17 species not saturated. Photosynthesis in these two species can probably be explained by assuming that CO 2 reaches the site of its reaction with RUBISCO (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase) by passive diffusion. The kinetics of CO 2 fixation by intact cells are explicable by RUBISCO kinetics typical of algae, and a CO 2 -saturated in vivo RUBISCO activity not more than twice the in vivo light- and inorganic-C-saturated rate of photosynthesis. For the other species, the high affinity in vivo for inorganic C could be other species, the high affinity in vivo for inorganic C could be explained by postulating active influx of inorganic C yielding a higher concentration of CO 2 available to RUBISCO during steady state photosynthesis than in the medium. Although such a higher concentration of internal CO 2 in cells with high affinity for inorganic C is found at low levels of external inorganic C, the situation is more equivocal at normal seawater concentrations. In theory, the occurrence of a CO 2 -concentrating mechanism rather than passive CO 2 entry could reduce the photon, N, Fe, Mn, and Mo costs of growth, but increase the Zn and Se costs. Thus far, data on costs are available only for photons and N; these data generally agree with the predicted lower costs for cells with high affinity for inorganic C

  2. Appraisal of pressmud and inorganic fertilizers on soil properties yield and sugarcane quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarwar, M.A.; Ibrahim, M.; Tahir, M.; Ahmad, K.; Khan, Z.I.; Valeem, E.E.

    2010-01-01

    A field experiment was conducted under semi-arid climatic conditions to evaluate the response of pressmud in combination with inorganic fertilizers and alone (only inorganic fertilizers) on the yield and sugarcane quality parameters besides a value-added product (locally called Gur). It is obvious from the results that inorganic fertilizer use (T2) has increased the tillers per plant, number of millable canes, stripped cane yield, sugar yield and juice present cane by 38.95 %, 38.66 %, 51.96 %, 54.92 % and 21.9 5% respectively, over the control (T1). Similarly when higher dose of pressmud was applied in integration with inorganic fertilizers (in T3), it increased total soluble solids, sucrose, purity, CSS and sugar recovery of juice by 7.83 %, 10.42 %, 2.80 %, 12.06 %, and 12.07 %, over the control (T1). The studies concluded that higher doses of mineral fertilizers increased gur % juice but it did not improve gur quality as done by higher doses of organic manures. Soil properties were also investigated before and after crop harvest. Maximum fertilizer use efficiency (124.29) was recorded in T2. (author)

  3. Generalized synthesis of periodic surfactant/inorganic composite materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huo, Q.; Margolese, D.I.; Ciesla, U.; Feng, P.; Gier, T.E.; Sieger, P.; Leon, R.; Petroff, P.M.; Schüth, F.; Stucky, G.D.

    1994-01-01

    THE recent synthesis of silica-based mesoporous materials by the cooperative assembly of periodic inorganic and surfactant-based structures has attracted great interest because it extends the range of molecular-sieve materials into the very-large-pore regime. If the synthetic approach can be

  4. Dissolved organic carbon biodegradability from thawing permafrost stimulated by sunlight rather than inorganic nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, F.; Chen, L.; Zhang, B.; Wang, G.; Qin, S.; Yang, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Permafrost thaw could result in a large portion of frozen carbon being laterally transferred to aquatic ecosystems as dissolved organic carbon (DOC). During this delivery process, the size of biodegradable DOC (BDOC) determines the proportion of DOC mineralized by microorganisms and associated carbon loss to the atmosphere, which may further trigger positive carbon-climate feedback. Thermokarst is an abrupt permafrost thaw process that can enhance DOC export and also impact DOC processing through increased inorganic nitrogen (N) and sunlight exposure. However, it remains unclear how thermokarst-impacted BDOC responds to inorganic N addition and ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. Here we explored the responses of DOC concentration, composition and its biodegradability to inorganic N and UV light in a typical thermokarst on the Tibetan Plateau, by combining field observation and laboratory incubation with spectra analyses (UV-visible absorption and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra) and parallel factor analyses. Our results showed that BDOC in thermokarst feature outflows was significantly higher than in reference water. Furthermore, inorganic N addition had no influence on thermokarst-impacted BDOC, whereas exposure to UV light significantly increased BDOC by as much as 2.3 times higher than the dark-control. Moreover, N addition and UV irradiation did not generate additive effects on BDOC. These results imply that sunlight rather than inorganic N can increase thermokarst-derived BDOC, potentially strengthening the positive permafrost carbon-climate feedback.

  5. Liquid–liquid phase separation in particles containing secondary organic material free of inorganic salts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Song

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Particles containing secondary organic material (SOM are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and play a role in climate and air quality. Recently, research has shown that liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS occurs at high relative humidity (RH (greater than  ∼  95 % in α-pinene-derived SOM particles free of inorganic salts, while LLPS does not occur in isoprene-derived SOM particles free of inorganic salts. We expand on these findings by investigating LLPS at 290 ± 1 K in SOM particles free of inorganic salts produced from ozonolysis of β-caryophyllene, ozonolysis of limonene, and photo-oxidation of toluene. LLPS was observed at greater than  ∼  95 % RH in the biogenic SOM particles derived from β-caryophyllene and limonene while LLPS was not observed in the anthropogenic SOM particles derived from toluene. This work combined with the earlier work on LLPS in SOM particles free of inorganic salts suggests that the occurrence of LLPS in SOM particles free of inorganic salts is related to the oxygen-to-carbon elemental ratio (O : C of the organic material. These results help explain the difference between the hygroscopic parameter κ of SOM particles measured above and below water saturation in the laboratory and field, and have implications for predicting the cloud condensation nucleation properties of SOM particles.

  6. Consistent descriptions of metal–ligand bonds and spin-crossover in inorganic chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kepp, Kasper Planeta

    2013-01-01

    -scale DFT studies of inorganic systems in catalysis and bioinorganic chemistry rely directly on the ability to balance correlation effects in the involved bonds across the s-, p-, and d-blocks. This review concerns recent efforts to describe such bonds accurately and consistently across the s-, p-, and d......-blocks. Physical effects and ingredients in functionals, their systematic errors, and approaches to deal with them are discussed, in order to identify broadly applicable methods for inorganic chemistry....

  7. The use of ethephon and mixtures of ethephon luith inorganic defoliants to defoliate apple nursery trees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Basak

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Ethephon alone and in a mixture with inorganic defoliants was used to defoliate apple nursery trees of three cultivars: Yellow Transparent, McIntosh and Jonathan. The mixture of ethephon with copper sulphate or magnesium chlorate defoliated the trees better than ethophon or inorganic defoliants used seperately in twice as high concentrations as in a mixture. The tress defoliated with the mixtures of defoliants suffered less from frost injury than those treated with only the inorganic defoliants.

  8. Perspective: Toward "synthesis by design": Exploring atomic correlations during inorganic materials synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soderholm, L.; Mitchell, J. F.

    2016-05-01

    Synthesis of inorganic extended solids is a critical starting point from which real-world functional materials and their consequent technologies originate. However, unlike the rich mechanistic foundation of organic synthesis, with its underlying rules of assembly (e.g., functional groups and their reactivities), the synthesis of inorganic materials lacks an underpinning of such robust organizing principles. In the latter case, any such rules must account for the diversity of chemical species and bonding motifs inherent to inorganic materials and the potential impact of mass transport on kinetics, among other considerations. Without such assembly rules, there is less understanding, less predictive power, and ultimately less control of properties. Despite such hurdles, developing a mechanistic understanding for synthesis of inorganic extended solids would dramatically impact the range of new material discoveries and resulting new functionalities, warranting a broad call to explore what is possible. Here we discuss our recent approaches toward a mechanistic framework for the synthesis of bulk inorganic extended solids, in which either embryonic atomic correlations or fully developed phases in solutions or melts can be identified and tracked during product selection and crystallization. The approach hinges on the application of high-energy x-rays, with their penetrating power and large Q-range, to explore reaction pathways in situ. We illustrate this process using two examples: directed assembly of Zr clusters in aqueous solution and total phase awareness during crystallization from K-Cu-S melts. These examples provide a glimpse of what we see as a larger vision, in which large scale simulations, data-driven science, and in situ studies of atomic correlations combine to accelerate materials discovery and synthesis, based on the assembly of well-defined, prenucleated atomic correlations.

  9. Determination of As(III) and total inorganic As in water samples using an on-line solid phase extraction and flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sigrist, Mirna, E-mail: msigrist@fiq.unl.edu.ar [Laboratorio Central, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2654-Piso 6, (3000) Santa Fe (Argentina); Albertengo, Antonela; Beldomenico, Horacio [Laboratorio Central, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2654-Piso 6, (3000) Santa Fe (Argentina); Tudino, Mabel [Laboratorio de Analisis de Trazas, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pabellon II, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2011-04-15

    A simple and robust on-line sequential injection system based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-HGAAS) with a heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA) was developed and optimized for the determination of As(III) in groundwater without any kind of sample pretreatment. The method was based on the selective retention of inorganic As(V) that was carried out by passing the filtered original sample through a cartridge containing a chloride-form strong anion exchanger. Thus the most toxic form, inorganic As(III), was determined fast and directly by AsH{sub 3} generation using 3.5 mol L{sup -1} HCl as carrier solution and 0.35% (m/v) NaBH{sub 4} in 0.025% NaOH as the reductant. Since the uptake of As(V) should be interfered by several anions of natural occurrence in waters, the effect of Cl{sup -}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, HPO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, HCO{sub 3}{sup -} on retention was evaluated and discussed. The total soluble inorganic arsenic concentration was determined on aliquots of filtered samples acidified with concentrated HCl and pre-reduced with 5% KI-5% C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 6} solution. The concentration of As(V) was calculated by difference between the total soluble inorganic arsenic and As(III) concentrations. Detection limits (LODs) of 0.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} and 0.6 {mu}g L{sup -1} for As(III) and inorganic total As, respectively, were obtained for a 500 {mu}L sample volume. The obtained limits of detection allowed testing the water quality according to the national and international regulations. The analytical recovery for water samples spiked with As(III) ranged between 98% and 106%. The sampling throughput for As(III) determination was 60 samples h{sup -1}. The device for groundwater sampling was especially designed for the authors. Metallic components were avoided and the contact between the sample and the atmospheric oxygen was carried to a minimum. On-field arsenic species

  10. Inorganic Materials Division annual report, 1975

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duba, A.; Hornady, B.

    1976-01-01

    This compilation lists abstracts of papers, internal reports, and talks presented during 1975 at national and international meetings by members of the Geoscience and Engineering Section, Inorganic Materials Division, Chemistry and Materials Science Department, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Titles of talks at university and local meetings are also listed when available. The subjects range from the in situ retorting of coal to the temperature profile of the moon. A subject classification is included

  11. Determination of Carboxylic Acids and Water-soluble Inorganic Ions ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NICO

    radiation balance.4,5 Major water-soluble inorganic ions are associated with atmospheric ... molecular weight carboxylic acids in aerosol samples collected from a rural ... include biomass burning, agriculture, livestock and soil dust. Tropical ...

  12. Effect of inorganic and organic zinc supplementation on coccidial infections in goat kids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra Strnadová

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify the effect of zinc-enriched diet fed to goats and their kids on the number of Coccidia oocysts shed by kids, on clinical signs of coccidiosis, weight gains, and kids’ blood plasma concentration of zinc. A total of 22 goat kids were divided into 4 groups of 5 or 6 animals. Goats and kids from the control group did not receive any additional zinc, the second group was supplemented with inorganic zinc (zinc oxide, the third group was given zinc lactate, and the fourth group received chelated zinc. Samples of kids’ faeces were taken weekly from 3 to 9 weeks of their age (a total of 7 samples were taken. Samples of faeces were examined by a quantitative method to detect the number of oocysts. Kids were weighed weekly and their blood was taken in order to determine zinc concentrations in blood plasma. Animals from the group supplemented with zinc chelate and zinc lactate shed a significantly (p ≤ 0.05 lower number of oocysts (13.4% and 11.9%, respectively compared to the number of oocyst shed by control and zinc oxide supplemented groups (25% and 49.7%, respectively. Shedding of oocysts was not accompanied by clinical symptoms of coccidiosis in any of the groups. Kids supplemented with zinc chelate showed significantly highest weight gains and blood plasma concentration of zinc (p ≤ 0.05 as compared to control and inorganic zinc supplemented groups. Organic zinc is to be recommended to be used as a prophylaxis against coccidiosis in goat kids.

  13. Study on the Thermal Properties of Some Inorganically Modified Pre- Baked Clay Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, I.; Shakirullah, M.; Ishaq, M.

    2013-01-01

    The paper is focused on the influence of some inorganic modifiers on the thermal stability of the clay-inorganic intercalates. The inorganic modifiers used were NaOH and KOH. Solvent intercalation procedure was used. Clay was modified at 150, 500 and 750 degree C, separately with NaOH and KOH. TGDTA study was performed to evaluate the thermal stability of the resultant intercalates. Intercalation with NaOH and KOH performed at 150 degree C showed significant mass loss. Intercalation with NaOH performed at 500 and 750 degree C, separately showed less mass loss compared to the ones prepared at 150 degree C and hence exhibited thermal stability. In case of intercalation performed with KOH at 500 and 750 degree C separately, the mass loss was comparable to the original pre-baked clay. (author)

  14. The exchange of inorganic carbon on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mol, Jacoba; Thomas, Helmuth; Hu, Xianmin; Myers, Paul G.

    2017-04-01

    The Mackenzie Shelf in the southeastern Beaufort Sea is an area that has experienced large changes in the past several decades as warming, sea-ice loss, and increased river discharge have altered carbon cycling. Upwelling and downwelling events are common on the shelf, caused by strong, fluctuating along-shore winds and resulting cross-shelf Ekman transport. Downwelling carries inorganic carbon and other remineralization products off the shelf and into the deep basin for possible long-term storage in the world oceans. Upwelling carries water high in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and nutrients from the Pacific-origin upper halocline layer (UHL) onto the shelf. Profiles of DIC and total alkalinity (TA) taken in August and September of 2014 are used to investigate the cycling of inorganic carbon on the Mackenzie Shelf. The along-shore and cross-shelf transport of inorganic carbon is quantified using velocity field output from a simulation of the Arctic and Northern Hemisphere Atlantic (ANHA4) configuration of the Nucleus of European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) model. A strong upwelling event prior to sampling on the Mackenzie Shelf is analyzed and the resulting influence on the carbonate system, including the saturation state of aragonite and pH levels, is investigated. TA and δ18O are used to examine water mass distributions in the study area and analyze the influence of Pacific Water, Mackenzie River freshwater, and sea-ice melt on carbon dynamics and air-sea fluxes of CO2 in the surface mixed layer. Understanding carbon transfer in this seasonally dynamic environment is key in order to quantify the importance of Arctic shelf regions to the global carbon cycle and to provide a basis for understanding how its role will respond to the aforementioned changes in the regional marine system.

  15. Precaecal phosphorus digestibility of inorganic phosphate sources in male broilers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bikker, P.; Spek, J. W.; Van Emous, R. A.; Van Krimpen, M. M.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The aim of this study, comprising two experiments, was (1) to determine in Experiment 1 the relationship of incremental dietary P (phosphorus) content on precaecal digestible P in male broilers and (2) to determine in Experiment 2 the precaecal P digestibility of various inorganic P sources at marginal levels of P supply.In Experiment 1, a total of 260 male Ross 308 broilers were divided into groups of 10 birds per pen resulting in 8 replicates for treatment 1 and 6 replicates for treatments 2–4. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 4 incremental concentrations of digestible P by means of increasing concentrations of monocalcium phosphate (MCP). In the second experiment, 480-d-old male Ross 308 broilers were divided in groups of 12 birds per pen resulting in 16 replicates for the basal diet and 6 replicates for each test diet. A total of 4 inorganic P sources, MCP, monodicalcium phosphate (MDCP), dicalcium phosphate (DCP) and defluorinated phosphate (DFP) were added to the basal diet to determine the precaecal P digestibility. Three of the 4 inorganic P sources (MCP, MDCP and DCP) represented a mix of batches from different producers. At the end of both experiments, the chyme of the posterior part of the small intestine was collected. Digestibility of P and Ca was determined using titanium dioxide as indigestible marker.In Experiment 1, a reduction in precaecal digestibility of P was observed above an estimated precaecal digestible dietary P concentration of 4.8 g/kg.The precaecal P digestibility of the tested inorganic P sources in Experiment 2 was 78.3% for MCP, 59.0% for DCP, 70.7% for MDCP and 31.5% for DFP. PMID:27635437

  16. Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chin-Guo Kuo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT. P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

  17. Tidal day organic and inorganic material flux of ponds in the Liberty Island freshwater tidal wetland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehman, Peggy W; Mayr, Shawn; Liu, Leji; Tang, Alison

    2015-01-01

    The loss of inorganic and organic material export and habitat produced by freshwater tidal wetlands is hypothesized to be an important contributing factor to the long-term decline in fishery production in San Francisco Estuary. However, due to the absence of freshwater tidal wetlands in the estuary, there is little information on the export of inorganic and organic carbon, nutrient or phytoplankton community biomass and the associated mechanisms. A single-day study was conducted to assess the potential contribution of two small vegetated ponds and one large open-water pond to the inorganic and organic material flux within the freshwater tidal wetland Liberty Island in San Francisco Estuary. The study consisted of an intensive tidal day (25.5 h) sampling program that measured the flux of inorganic and organic material at three ponds using continuous monitoring of flow, chlorophyll a, turbidity and salt combined with discrete measurements of phytoplankton community carbon, total and dissolved organic carbon and nutrient concentration at 1.5 h intervals. Vegetated ponds had greater material concentrations than the open water pond and, despite their small area, contributed up to 81% of the organic and 61% of the inorganic material flux of the wetland. Exchange between ponds was important to wetland flux. The small vegetated pond in the interior of the wetland contributed as much as 72-87% of the total organic carbon and chlorophyll a and 10% of the diatom flux of the wetland. Export of inorganic and organic material from the small vegetated ponds was facilitated by small-scale topography and tidal asymmetry that produced a 40% greater material export on ebb tide. The small vegetated ponds contrasted with the large open water pond, which imported 29-96% of the inorganic and 4-81% of the organic material into the wetland from the adjacent river. This study identified small vegetated ponds as an important source of inorganic and organic material to the wetland and the

  18. Organic-inorganic hybrid carbon dots for cell imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huan; Zhang, Hongwen; Li, Jiayu; Tang, Yuying; Cao, Yu; Jiang, Yan

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) had been synthesized directly by one-step ultrasonic treatment under mild conditions. During the functionalization process, Octa-aminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane hydrochloride salt (OA-POSS) was used as stabilizing and passivation agent, which lead to self-assembling of CDs in aqueous medium solution. OA-POSS was obtained via hydrolytic condensation of γ-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES). The average size of CDs prepared was approximately 3.3 nm with distribution between 2.5 nm and 4.5 nm. The prepared organic-inorganic hybrid carbon dots have several characteristics such as photoluminescence emission wavelength, efficient cellular uptake, and good biocompatibility. The results indicate that OA-POSS can maintain the fluorescence properties of the carbon dots effectively, and reduced cytotoxicity provides the possibility for biomedical applications. More than 89% of the Hela cells were viable when incubated with 2 mg ml‑1 or lesser organic-inorganic hybrid carbon dots. Thus, it provides a potential for multicolor imaging with HeLa cells.

  19. Lithium-ion transport in inorganic solid state electrolyte

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Jian; Li Hong; Zhao Yu-Sheng; Shi Si-Qi

    2016-01-01

    An overview of ion transport in lithium-ion inorganic solid state electrolytes is presented, aimed at exploring and designing better electrolyte materials. Ionic conductivity is one of the most important indices of the performance of inorganic solid state electrolytes. The general definition of solid state electrolytes is presented in terms of their role in a working cell (to convey ions while isolate electrons), and the history of solid electrolyte development is briefly summarized. Ways of using the available theoretical models and experimental methods to characterize lithium-ion transport in solid state electrolytes are systematically introduced. Then the various factors that affect ionic conductivity are itemized, including mainly structural disorder, composite materials and interface effects between a solid electrolyte and an electrode. Finally, strategies for future material systems, for synthesis and characterization methods, and for theory and calculation are proposed, aiming to help accelerate the design and development of new solid electrolytes. (topical review)

  20. Insights into biogenic and chemical production of inorganic nanomaterials and nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faramarzi, Mohammad Ali; Sadighi, Armin

    2013-03-01

    The synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials and nanostructures by the means of diverse physical, chemical, and biological principles has been developed in recent decades. The nanoscale materials and structures creation continue to be an active area of researches due to the exciting properties of the resulting nanomaterials and their innovative applications. Despite physical and chemical approaches which have been used for a long time to produce nanomaterials, biological resources as green candidates that can replace old production methods have been focused in recent years to generate various inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) or other nanoscale structures. Cost-effective, eco-friendly, energy efficient, and nontoxic produced nanomaterials using diverse biological entities have been received increasing attention in the last two decades in contrast to physical and chemical methods owe using toxic solvents, generate unwanted by-products, and high energy consumption which restrict the popularity of these ways employed in nanometric science and engineering. In this review, the biosynthesis of gold, silver, gold-silver alloy, magnetic, semiconductor nanocrystals, silica, zirconia, titania, palladium, bismuth, selenium, antimony sulfide, and platinum NPs, using bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, yeasts, plant extracts and also informational bio-macromolecules including proteins, polypeptides, DNA, and RNA have been reported extensively to mention the current status of the biological inorganic nanomaterial production. In other hand, two well-known wet chemical techniques, namely chemical reduction and sol-gel methods, used to produce various types of nanocrystalline powders, metal oxides, and hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials have presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The distribution and utilization of nitrogen in developing zea mays L. seedlings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watt, M.P.M. de O.C.

    1987-01-01

    During the first five days of germination, in the presence of NO - 3 - 15 N and N-SERVE, the nitrogen reserves of Zea mays L. caryopses accounted for 75% of the total nitrogen content of the seedlings. By day 7, exogenous nitrate contributed to all the inorganic nitrogen measured in the plant. Although NO - 3 - 15 N (94,2 atom % 15 N) was supplied throughout the germination process, and increasing pool of unlabelled nitrate was detected in both the grain and the seedling during this period. It appears that during germination in maize there is an oxidative pathway from reduced nitrogen in the reserve proteins to nitrate-nitrogen which is then supplied to the developing embryo. The levels of nitrate in the leaf increased towards the sheath, whereas other forms of nitrogen, nitrate reductase activity and capacity for nitrate accumulation increased in the opposite direction. Studies with mesophyll and bundle sheath protoplasts showed that the mesophyll tissue contributes over 80% of the total leaf content of inorganic nitrogen. Leaf tissue of Zea mays was found to have the capacity to assimilate nitrate in the dark, but at a lower rate than in the light. Oxygen did not restrict the initial rate of nitrate reduction in the dark. The rate of the in vivo nitrate reduction declined during the second hour of dark anaerobiosis, and was only restored upon supply of oxygen. Under dark anaerobic conditions nitrite accumulated and, on transfer to oxygen, the accumulate nitrite was reduced

  2. Synthesis of ZSM-5 and Co-ZSM-5 starting from inorganic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zapata N, Mauren; Montes Consuelo; Villa Aida Luz

    1995-01-01

    ZSM-5 was obtained in a completely inorganic system. Besides, several experiments were carried out to introduce Co+2 in the Framework of inorganic ZSM-5. The addition of a cobalt source to the precursor gel increased the time to obtain ZSM-5 crystals compared to the gel without a cobalt source. Furthermore, thermal stability over 500 was lower in Co-ZSM-5. Chemical analysis suggests that some cobalt was in the channels, since it was removed by ion exchange

  3. FABRICATION OF ZNS THIN FILM FOR INORGANIC EL BY THE VACCUUM EVAPORATION

    OpenAIRE

    龍見, 雅美; 島谷, 圭市; 小西, 信行; 元木, 健作

    2008-01-01

    "Zinc sulfide is a typical material for inorganic electroluminescent(EL) device. Recently very high luminance and life time e has been reported on an inorganic EL device based on thin film zinc sulfide material. The present study tries to realize high quality zinc sulfide thin film for EL device. The thin film was grown by the vacuum evaporation method. In order to obtain stoichiometric thin film, the vacuum evaporation was carried out in a quasi-closed vessel under a condition of sulfur atmo...

  4. [Effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on emission and sources of N2O in vegetable soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei; Ding, Jun Jun; Li, Yu Zhong; Xu, Chun Ying; Li, Qiao Zhen; Zheng, Qian; Zhuang, Shan

    2018-05-01

    To clarify the microbial pathway of the N 2 O production and consumption under different fertilizers and provide theoretical basis for the reduction of N 2 O emission and rational management of fertilization in vegetable soils, we examined dynamics of N 2 O flux and isotope signatures under different fertilizer treatments in the vegetable soils of Beijing, by setting up four treatments (organic-acetylene, organic-nonacetylene, inorganic-acetylene, inorganic-nonacetylene) and using the stable isotope technique of natural N 2 O abundance. The results showed that the cumulative N 2 O emission from organic-acetylene group, organic-nonacetylene group, inorganic-acetylene group and inorganic-nonacetylene group was (374±37), (283±34), (458±36), (355±41) g·m -2 in cabbage growing season, respectively. N 2 O fluxes were significantly lower in treatments with organic fertilizer than those with inorganic fertilizer and significantly higher in acetylene group than nonacetylene group. The degree of N 2 O reduction were similar in both fertilizer treatments, and higher nitrification was found in inorganic fertilizer than organic fertilizer treatments. Acetylene only inhibited partial nitrification and partial N 2 O reduction at the peak of N 2 O emission. When the emission was reduced, N 2 O reduction could be completely suppressed. Therefore, the inorganic fertilizer might trigger nitrification and promote higher N 2 O emission. The high concentration of N 2 O could withstand that acetylene to inhibite N 2 O reduction. Hence, using organic fertilizers instead of some inorganic ones could effectively reduce N 2 O emission in vegetable soils of Beijing. The N 2 O concentration threshold should be considered when we identify N 2 O source by acetylene inhibition method.

  5. Metal oxalate complexes as novel inorganic dopants: Studies on ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    UV-visible and IR spectral features not only confirmed the polyaniline doping by complex anions but also substantiated ... MoS3 dopant. Although inorganic metal complexes bear- ... distilled water and then with methanol and acetone until.

  6. Selective determination of inorganic cobalt in nutritional supplements by ultrasound-assisted temperature-controlled ionic liquid dispersive liquid phase microextraction and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berton, Paula; Martinis, Estefanía M.; Martinez, Luis D.; Wuilloud, Rodolfo G.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Synergy of ultrasound energy and TILDLME technique for improved metal extraction. ► Highly selective determination of inorganic Co species at trace levels. ► Speciation analysis of Co in several nutritional supplements with highly complex matrices. ► Development of an environmentally friendly microextraction technique with minimal waste production and sample consumption. - Abstract: In the present work, a simple and rapid analytical method based on application of ionic liquids (ILs) for inorganic Co(II) species (iCo) microextraction in a variety of nutrient supplements was developed. Inorganic Co was initially chelated with 1-nitroso-2-naphtol (1N2N) reagent followed by a modern technique named ultrasound-assisted temperature-controlled ionic liquid dispersive liquid phase microextraction (USA-TILDLME). The extraction was performed with 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C 6 mim][PF 6 ] with the aid of ultrasound to improve iCo recovery. Finally, the iCo-enriched IL phase was solubilized in methanol and directly injected into an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer (ETAAS). Several parameters that could influence iCo microextraction and detection were carefully studied. Since the main difficulty in these samples is caused by high concentrations of potential interfering ions, different approaches were evaluated to eliminate interferences. The limit of detection (LOD) was 5.4 ng L −1 , while the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 4.7% (at 0.5 μg L −1 Co level and n = 10), calculated from the peak height of absorbance signals. Selective microextraction of iCo species was achieved only by controlling the pH value during the procedure. The method was thus successfully applied for determination of iCo species in nutritional supplements.

  7. Selective determination of inorganic cobalt in nutritional supplements by ultrasound-assisted temperature-controlled ionic liquid dispersive liquid phase microextraction and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berton, Paula; Martinis, Estefania M. [Analytical Chemistry Research and Development Group (QUIANID), (LISAMEN-CCT-CONICET-Mendoza), Av. Ruiz Leal S/N Parque General San Martin, M 5502 IRA Mendoza (Argentina); Martinez, Luis D. [INQUISAL-CONICET, Departamento de Quimica Analitica, Facultad de Quimica, Bioquimica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis (Argentina); Wuilloud, Rodolfo G., E-mail: rwuilloud@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar [Analytical Chemistry Research and Development Group (QUIANID), (LISAMEN-CCT-CONICET-Mendoza), Av. Ruiz Leal S/N Parque General San Martin, M 5502 IRA Mendoza (Argentina); Instituto de Ciencias Basicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza (Argentina)

    2012-02-03

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synergy of ultrasound energy and TILDLME technique for improved metal extraction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highly selective determination of inorganic Co species at trace levels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Speciation analysis of Co in several nutritional supplements with highly complex matrices. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Development of an environmentally friendly microextraction technique with minimal waste production and sample consumption. - Abstract: In the present work, a simple and rapid analytical method based on application of ionic liquids (ILs) for inorganic Co(II) species (iCo) microextraction in a variety of nutrient supplements was developed. Inorganic Co was initially chelated with 1-nitroso-2-naphtol (1N2N) reagent followed by a modern technique named ultrasound-assisted temperature-controlled ionic liquid dispersive liquid phase microextraction (USA-TILDLME). The extraction was performed with 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C{sub 6}mim][PF{sub 6}] with the aid of ultrasound to improve iCo recovery. Finally, the iCo-enriched IL phase was solubilized in methanol and directly injected into an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer (ETAAS). Several parameters that could influence iCo microextraction and detection were carefully studied. Since the main difficulty in these samples is caused by high concentrations of potential interfering ions, different approaches were evaluated to eliminate interferences. The limit of detection (LOD) was 5.4 ng L{sup -1}, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 4.7% (at 0.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} Co level and n = 10), calculated from the peak height of absorbance signals. Selective microextraction of iCo species was achieved only by controlling the pH value during the procedure. The method was thus successfully applied for determination of iCo species in nutritional supplements.

  8. A Model System for Concurrent Detection of Antigen and Antibody Based on Immunological Fluorescent Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan-Cheng Cao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a combined antigen/antibody immunoassay implemented in a 96-well plate using fluorescent spectroscopic method. First, goat anti-human IgG was used to capture human IgG (model antigen; goat anti-human IgG (Cy3 or FITC was used to detect the model antigen; a saturating level of model antigen was then added followed by unlabelled goat anti-human IgG (model antibody; finally, Cy3 labelled rabbit anti-goat IgG was used to detect the model antibody. Two approaches were applied to the concomitant assay to analyze the feasibility. The first approach applied FITC and Cy3 when both targets were present at the same time, resulting in 50 ng/mL of the antibody detection limit and 10 ng/mL of antigen detection limit in the quantitative measurements of target concentration, taking the consideration of FRET efficiency of 68% between donor and acceptor. The sequential approach tended to lower the signal/noise (S/N ratio and the detection of the model antigen (lower than 1 ng/mL had better sensitivity than the model antibody (lower than 50 ng/mL. This combined antigen/antibody method might be useful for combined detection of antigens and antibodies. It will be helpful to screen for both antigen and antibody particularly in the situations of the multiserotype and high-frequency mutant virus infections.

  9. Reducing dissolved inorganic nitrogen in surface runoff water from sugarcane production systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, A J; Bartley, R; Armour, J D; Brodie, J E; Thorburn, P J

    2012-01-01

    Nitrogen (N) lost from farms, especially as the highly bioavailable dissolved inorganic form, may be damaging Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). As sugarcane is the dominant cropping system in GBR catchments, its N management practises are coming under increasing scrutiny. This study measured dissolved inorganic N lost in surface runoff water and sugarcane productivity over 3 years. The experiment compared the conventional fertiliser N application rate to sugarcane (average 180kg N/ha/year) and a rate based on replacing N exported in the previous crop (average 94kg N/ha/year). Dissolved inorganic N losses in surface water were 72%, 48% and 66% lower in the three monitored years in the reduced N fertiliser treatment. There was no significant difference in sugarcane yield between the two fertiliser N treatments, nor any treatment difference in soil mineral N - both of these results are indicators of the sustainability of the lower fertiliser N applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Bioinspired synthesis and self-assembly of hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Honghu [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2016-12-17

    Nature is replete with complex organic–inorganic hierarchical materials of diverse yet specific functions. These materials are intricately designed under physiological conditions through biomineralization and biological self-assembly processes. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to investigating mechanisms of such biomineralization and biological self-assembly processes as well as gaining inspiration to develop biomimetic methods for synthesis and self-assembly of functional nanomaterials. In this work, we focus on the bioinspired synthesis and self-assembly of functional inorganic nanomaterials templated by specialized macromolecules including proteins, DNA and polymers. The in vitro biomineralization process of the magnetite biomineralizing protein Mms6 has been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering. Templated by Mms6, complex magnetic nanomaterials can be synthesized on surfaces and in the bulk. DNA and synthetic polymers have been exploited to construct macroscopic two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) superlattices of gold nanocrystals. Employing X-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques, the self-assembled structures and the self-assembly mechanisms have been studied, and theoretical models have been developed. Our results show that specialized macromolecules including proteins, DNA and polymers act as effective templates for synthesis and self-assembly of nanomaterials. These bottom-up approaches provide promising routes to fabricate hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials with rationally designed hierarchical structures, targeting specific functions.

  11. Inorganic and organic trace mineral supplementation in weanling pig diets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARIA C. THOMAZ

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inorganic and organic trace minerals in two levels of supplementation regarding performance, diarrhea occurrence, hematological parameters, fecal mineral excretion and mineral retention in metacarpals and liver of weanling pigs. Seventy piglets weaned at 21 days of age with an average initial body weight of 6.70 ± 0.38 kg were allotted in five treatments: control diet (no added trace mineral premix; 50% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements; 50% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements; 100% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements; and 100% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements. Feed intake and daily weight gain were not affected by treatments, however, piglets supplemented by trace minerals presented better gain:feed ratio. No differences were observed at calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium and sulfur excreted in feces per kilogram of feed intake. Treatments did not affect calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur and iron content in metacarpals. Trace mineral supplementation, regardless of level and source, improved the performance of piglets.

  12. Organic-Inorganic Hydrophobic Nanocomposite Film with a Core-Shell Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Liu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A method to prepare novel organic-inorganic hydrophobic nanocomposite films was proposed by a site-specific polymerization process. The inorganic part, the core of the nanocomposite, is a ternary SiO2–Al2O3–TiO2 nanoparticles, which is grafted with methacryloxy propyl trimethoxyl silane (KH570, and wrapped by fluoride and siloxane polymers. The synthesized samples are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectrscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD, contact angle meter (CA, and scanning electron microscope (SEM. The results indicate that the novel organic-inorganic hydrophobic nanocomposite with a core-shell structure was synthesized successfully. XRD analysis reveals the nanocomposite film has an amorphous structure, and FTIR analysis indicates the nanoparticles react with a silane coupling agent (methacryloxy propyl trimethoxyl silane KH570. Interestingly, the morphology of the nanoparticle film is influenced by the composition of the core. Further, comparing with the film synthesized by silica nanoparticles, the film formed from SiO2–Al2O3–TiO2 nanoparticles has higher hydrophobic performance, i.e., the contact angle is greater than 101.7°. In addition, the TEM analysis reveals that the crystal structure of the particles can be changed at high temperatures.

  13. The transformation of inorganic sulfur compounds and the assimilation of organic and inorganic carbon by the sulfur disproportionating bacterium Desulfocapsa sulfoexigens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederiksen, Trine-Maria; Finster, Kai

    2004-02-01

    The physiology of the sulfur disproportionator Desulfocapsa sulfoexigens was investigated in batch cultures and in a pH-regulated continuously flushed fermentor system. It was shown that a sulphide scavanger in the form of ferric iron was not obligatory and that the control of pH allowed production of more biomass than was possible in carbonate buffered but unregulated batch cultures. Small amounts of sulphite were produced during disproportionation of elemental sulfur and thiosulphate. In addition, it was shown that in the presence of hydrogen, a respiratory type of process is favored before the disproportionation of sulphite, thiosulphate and elemental sulfur. Sulphate reduction was not observed. D. sulfoexigens assimilated inorganic carbon even in the presence of organic carbon sources. Inorganic carbon assimilation was probably catalyzed by the reverse CO-dehydrogenase pathway, which was supported by the constitutive expression of the gene encoding CO-dehydrogenase in cultures grown in the presence of acetate and by the high carbon fractionation values that are indicative of this pathway.

  14. The philosophy and assumptions underlying exposure limits for ionising radiation, inorganic lead, asbestos and noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akber, R.

    1996-01-01

    Full text: A review of the literature relating to exposure to, and exposure limits for, ionising radiation, inorganic lead, asbestos and noise was undertaken. The four hazards were chosen because they were insidious and ubiquitous, were potential hazards in both occupational and environmental settings and had early and late effects depending on dose and dose rate. For all four hazards, the effect of the hazard was enhanced by other exposures such as smoking or organic solvents. In the cases of inorganic lead and noise, there were documented health effects which affected a significant percentage of the exposed populations at or below the [effective] exposure limits. This was not the case for ionising radiation and asbestos. None of the exposure limits considered exposure to multiple mutagens/carcinogens in the calculation of risk. Ionising radiation was the only one of the hazards to have a model of all likely exposures, occupational, environmental and medical, as the basis for the exposure limits. The other three considered occupational exposure in isolation from environmental exposure. Inorganic lead and noise had economic considerations underlying the exposure limits and the exposure limits for asbestos were based on the current limit of detection. All four hazards had many variables associated with exposure, including idiosyncratic factors, that made modelling the risk very complex. The scientific idea of a time weighted average based on an eight hour day, and forty hour week on which the exposure limits for lead, asbestos and noise were based was underpinned by neither empirical evidence or scientific hypothesis. The methodology of the ACGIH in the setting of limits later brought into law, may have been unduly influenced by the industries most closely affected by those limits. Measuring exposure over part of an eight hour day and extrapolating to model exposure over the longer term is not the most effective way to model exposure. The statistical techniques used

  15. Properties of extended inorganic solids predicted/rationalized by ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Due to the vastly complex nature of the problem, guidelines for the preparation of extended inorganic solids with specific electronic properties remain meagre. Here we present the use of First Principles LMTO band structure calculations for the rationalization of the properties of a number of interesting extended solids.

  16. Rare earth doped nanoparticles in organic and inorganic host materials for application in integrated optics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dekker, R.; Hilderink, L.T.H.; Diemeer, Mart; Stouwdam, J.W.; Sudarsan, V; van Veggel, F.C.J.M.; Driessen, A.; Worhoff, Kerstin; Misra, D; Masscher, P.; Sundaram, K.; Yen, W.M.; Capobianco, J.

    2006-01-01

    The preparation and the optical properties of lanthanum fluoride (LaF3) nanoparticles doped with erbium and neodymium will be discussed. Organic and inorganic materials in the form of polymers and sol-gels were used to serve as the hosts for the inorganic nanoparticles, respectively. The organic

  17. Phase 2 SBIR Final Report: An Ultra-Sensitive Optical Biosensor for Flood Safety

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2002-01-01

    The further development of a unique interferometric based optical biosensor platform for the rapid unlabelled detection and identification of foodborne pathogens was carried out under Phase II SBIR...

  18. Neutron activation analysis of the distribution of inorganic elements among five varieties of Brazilian corn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armelin, M.J.; Maihara, V.A.; Vasconcellos, M.B.; Favaro, D.I.; Nascimento, V.F.

    1992-01-01

    Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was applied to determine the elements Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, I, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, S, V, Zn in five varieties of Brazilian corn, resulting from the studies carried out in order to increase their protein contents. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by means of reference material analysis. In general, the precision of the method was lower than 15%, except for Cu, I and S. Sensitivity and detection limit were also determined. Besides, tryptophan contents were determined. It was observed that the tryptophan content in improved corn samples was twice as large as in the normal samples. However, the same ratio was not observed in the inorganic element contents. (author) 11 refs.; 3 tabs

  19. Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping, E-mail: jpzheng@tju.edu.cn [Tianjin University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

    2017-03-15

    Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

  20. Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping

    2017-03-01

    Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

  1. Liquid scintillation counting standardization of ''125 I in organic and inorganic samples by the CIEMAT/NIST method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez Barquero, L.; Grau Malonda, A.; Los Arcos Merino, J.M.; Grau Carles, A.

    1994-01-01

    The liquid scintillation counting standardization of organic and inorganic samples of ''125 I by the CIEMAT/NIST method using five different scintillators is described. The discrepancies between experimental and computed efficiencies are lower than 1.4% and 1.7%, for inorganic and organic samples, respectively, in the interval 421-226 of quenching parameter. Both organic and inorganic solutions have been standardized in terms of activity concentration to an overall uncertainty of 0.76%

  2. Exposure to Inorganic Mercury Causes Oxidative Stress, Cell Death, and Functional Deficits in the Motor Cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Francisco B; de Oliveira, Ana C A; Leão, Luana K R; Fagundes, Nathália C F; Fernandes, Rafael M; Fernandes, Luanna M P; da Silva, Márcia C F; Amado, Lilian L; Sagica, Fernanda E S; de Oliveira, Edivaldo H C; Crespo-Lopez, Maria E; Maia, Cristiane S F; Lima, Rafael R

    2018-01-01

    Mercury is a toxic metal that can be found in the environment in three different forms - elemental, organic and inorganic. Inorganic mercury has a lower liposolubility, which results in a lower organism absorption and reduced passage through the blood-brain barrier. For this reason, exposure models that use inorganic mercury in rats in order to evaluate its effects on the central nervous system are rare, especially in adult subjects. This study investigated if a chronic exposure to low doses of mercury chloride (HgCl2), an inorganic form of mercury, is capable of promoting motor alterations and neurodegenerative in the motor cortex of adult rats. Forty animals were exposed to a dose of 0.375 mg/kg/day, for 45 days. They were then submitted to motor evaluation and euthanized to collect the motor cortex. Measurement of mercury deposited in the brain parenchyma, evaluation of oxidative balance, quantification of cellular cytotoxicity and apoptosis and density of mature neurons and astrocytes of the motor cortex were performed. It was observed that chronic exposure to inorganic mercury caused a decrease in balance and fine motor coordination, formation of mercury deposits and oxidative stress verified by the increase of lipoperoxidation and nitrite concentration and a decrease of the total antioxidant capacity. In addition, we found that this model of exposure to inorganic mercury caused cell death by cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis with a decreased number of neurons and astrocytes in the motor cortex. Our results provide evidence that exposure to inorganic mercury in low doses, even in spite of its poor ability to cross biological barriers, is still capable of inducing motor deficits, cell death by cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and oxidative stress in the motor cortex of adult rats.

  3. Exposure to Inorganic Mercury Causes Oxidative Stress, Cell Death, and Functional Deficits in the Motor Cortex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco B. Teixeira

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Mercury is a toxic metal that can be found in the environment in three different forms – elemental, organic and inorganic. Inorganic mercury has a lower liposolubility, which results in a lower organism absorption and reduced passage through the blood–brain barrier. For this reason, exposure models that use inorganic mercury in rats in order to evaluate its effects on the central nervous system are rare, especially in adult subjects. This study investigated if a chronic exposure to low doses of mercury chloride (HgCl2, an inorganic form of mercury, is capable of promoting motor alterations and neurodegenerative in the motor cortex of adult rats. Forty animals were exposed to a dose of 0.375 mg/kg/day, for 45 days. They were then submitted to motor evaluation and euthanized to collect the motor cortex. Measurement of mercury deposited in the brain parenchyma, evaluation of oxidative balance, quantification of cellular cytotoxicity and apoptosis and density of mature neurons and astrocytes of the motor cortex were performed. It was observed that chronic exposure to inorganic mercury caused a decrease in balance and fine motor coordination, formation of mercury deposits and oxidative stress verified by the increase of lipoperoxidation and nitrite concentration and a decrease of the total antioxidant capacity. In addition, we found that this model of exposure to inorganic mercury caused cell death by cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis with a decreased number of neurons and astrocytes in the motor cortex. Our results provide evidence that exposure to inorganic mercury in low doses, even in spite of its poor ability to cross biological barriers, is still capable of inducing motor deficits, cell death by cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and oxidative stress in the motor cortex of adult rats.

  4. Multinuclear solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance of inorganic materials

    CERN Document Server

    MacKenzie, Kenneth J D

    2002-01-01

    Techniques of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are constantly being extended to a more diverse range of materials, pressing into service an ever-expanding range of nuclides including some previously considered too intractable to provide usable results. At the same time, new developments in both hardware and software are being introduced and refined. This book covers the most important of these new developments. With sections addressed to non-specialist researchers (providing accessible answers to the most common questions about the theory and practice of NMR asked by novices) as well as a more specialised and up-to-date treatment of the most important areas of inorganic materials research to which NMR has application, this book should be useful to NMR users whatever their level of expertise and whatever inorganic materials they wish to study.

  5. Nucleic acid and nucleotide-mediated synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berti, Lorenzo; Burley, Glenn A.

    2008-02-01

    Since the advent of practical methods for achieving DNA metallization, the use of nucleic acids as templates for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) has become an active area of study. It is now widely recognized that nucleic acids have the ability to control the growth and morphology of inorganic NPs. These biopolymers are particularly appealing as templating agents as their ease of synthesis in conjunction with the possibility of screening nucleotide composition, sequence and length, provides the means to modulate the physico-chemical properties of the resulting NPs. Several synthetic procedures leading to NPs with interesting photophysical properties as well as studies aimed at rationalizing the mechanism of nucleic acid-templated NP synthesis are now being reported. This progress article will outline the current understanding of the nucleic acid-templated process and provides an up to date reference in this nascent field.

  6. Energy-effective Grinding of Inorganic Solids Using Organic Additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Ratan K; Weibel, Martin; Müller, Thomas; Heinz, Hendrik; Flatt, Robert J

    2017-08-09

    We present our research findings related to new formulations of the organic additives (grinding aids) needed for the efficient grinding of inorganic solids. Even though the size reduction phenomena of the inorganic solid particles in a ball mill is purely a physical process, the addition of grinding aids in milling media introduces a complex physicochemical process. In addition to further gain in productivity, the organic additive helps to reduce the energy needed for grinding, which in the case of cement clinker has major environmental implications worldwide. This is primarily due to the tremendous amounts of cement produced and almost 30% of the associated electrical energy is consumed for grinding. In this paper, we examine the question of how to optimize these grinding aids linking molecular insight into their working mechanisms, and also how to design chemical additives of improved performance for industrial comminution.

  7. Inorganic Photovoltaics Materials and Devices: Past, Present, and Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hepp, Aloysius F.; Bailey, Sheila G.; Rafaelle, Ryne P.

    2005-01-01

    This report describes recent aspects of advanced inorganic materials for photovoltaics or solar cell applications. Specific materials examined will be high-efficiency silicon, gallium arsenide and related materials, and thin-film materials, particularly amorphous silicon and (polycrystalline) copper indium selenide. Some of the advanced concepts discussed include multi-junction III-V (and thin-film) devices, utilization of nanotechnology, specifically quantum dots, low-temperature chemical processing, polymer substrates for lightweight and low-cost solar arrays, concentrator cells, and integrated power devices. While many of these technologies will eventually be used for utility and consumer applications, their genesis can be traced back to challenging problems related to power generation for aerospace and defense. Because this overview of inorganic materials is included in a monogram focused on organic photovoltaics, fundamental issues and metrics common to all solar cell devices (and arrays) will be addressed.

  8. Synthesis of PbI(2) single-layered inorganic nanotubes encapsulated within carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabana, Laura; Ballesteros, Belén; Batista, Eudar; Magén, César; Arenal, Raúl; Oró-Solé, Judith; Rurali, Riccardo; Tobias, Gerard

    2014-04-02

    The template assisted growth of single-layered inorganic nanotubes is reported. Single-crystalline lead iodide single-layered nanotubes have been prepared using the inner cavities of carbon nanotubes as hosting templates. The diameter of the resulting inorganic nanotubes is merely dependent on the diameter of the host. This facile method is highly versatile opening up new horizons in the preparation of single-layered nanostructures. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Getting the chemicals right: Gaps and opportunities in addressing inorganics in life cycle assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fantke, Peter; Kirchhübel, Nienke

    2017-01-01

    and certain cationic metals is included in existing characterization models within life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). However, a variety of additional inorganic substances used e.g. in the textile, personal care, and building and construction industry are included neither in current life cycle inventory...... databases, nor current LCIA methods. Without the integration of the various economically relevant and potentially human toxic and/or ecotoxic inorganic substances such as inorganic salts, acids, bases and elements, however, no satisfying conclusions regarding the environmental sustainability of any......Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to compare products and product systems in terms of their environmental sustainability and for that LCA needs to include all potential impacts on humans and the environment. Currently, quantifying the toxicity potential of several thousand organic substances...

  10. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and zero resistance ammeters (ZRA) as tools for studying the behaviour of zinc-rich inorganic coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novoa, X.R.; Izquierdo, M.; Merino, P.; Espada, L.

    1989-01-01

    Impedance spectra obtained from zinc-rich inorganic coatings after one year of atmospheric exposure, have been interpreted on the basis of the study of the galvanic couple Zn/Fe, using a potentiostat combined with two ZRA. The area ratio of Zn/Fe is one of the factors conditioning the cathodic protection of iron. When this ratio is locally 1:1 or lower, corrosion spots are detected on iron and the overall impedance spectra shows a 'flattened' shape at low frequencies. The type of atmosphere determines the durability and evolution of the coating's protection mechanism. (author) 9 refs., 13 figs

  11. Molten salt battery having inorganic paper separator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Jr., Robert D.

    1977-01-01

    A high temperature secondary battery comprises an anode containing lithium, a cathode containing a chalcogen or chalcogenide, a molten salt electrolyte containing lithium ions, and a separator comprising a porous sheet comprising a homogenous mixture of 2-20 wt.% chrysotile asbestos fibers and the remainder inorganic material non-reactive with the battery components. The non-reactive material is present as fibers, powder, or a fiber-powder mixture.

  12. A highly efficient dinuclear Cu(II) chemosensor for colorimetric and fluorescent detection of cyanide in water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhaman, Md. Mhahabubur; Alamgir, Azmain; Wong, Bryan M.; Powell, Douglas R.

    2017-01-01

    A novel dinuclear copper chemosensor selectively binds cyanide over a wide range of inorganic anions, enabling it to detect cyanide in water up to 0.02 ppm which is 10 times lower than the EPA standard for drinking water. PMID:28217299

  13. Liquid scintillation counting standardization of 125I in organic and inorganic samples by the CIEMAT/NIST method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez Barquero, L.; Grau Malonda, A.; Los Arcos Merino, J. M.; Grau Carles, A.

    1994-01-01

    The liquid scintillation counting standardization of organic and inorganic samples of ''I25I by the CIEMAT/NIST method using five different scintillators is described. The discrepancies between experimental and computed efficiencies are lower than 1.4% and 1.7%, for inorganic and organic samples, respectively, in the interval 421-226 of quenching parameter. Both organic and inorganic solutions have been standardized in terms of activity concentration to an overall uncertainty of 0.76%. (Author) 14 refs

  14. Detection of Abiotic Methane in Terrestrial Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Socki, Richard A.; Niles, Paul B.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.; Romanek, Christopher S.; Zhang, Chuanlun L.; Bissada, Kadry K.

    2008-01-01

    The recent detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere and the possibility that its origin could be attributed to biological activity, have highlighted the importance of understanding the mechanisms of methane formation and its usefulness as a biomarker. Much debate has centered on the source of the methane in hydrothermal fluids, whether it is formed biologically by microorganisms, diagenetically through the decomposition of sedimentary organic matter, or inorganically via reduction of CO2 at high temperatures. Ongoing research has now shown that much of the methane present in sea-floor hydrothermal systems is probably formed through inorganic CO2 reduction processes at very high temperatures (greater than 400 C). Experimental results have indicated that methane might form inorganically at temperatures lower still, however these results remain controversial. Currently, methane in continental hydrothermal systems is thought to be formed mainly through the breakdown of sedimentary organic matter and carbon isotope equilibrium between CO2 and CH4 is thought to be rarely present if at all. Based on isotopic measurements of CO2 and CH4 in two continental hydrothermal systems, we suggest that carbon isotope equilibration exists at temperatures as low as 155 C. This would indicate that methane is forming through abiotic CO2 reduction at lower temperatures than previously thought and could bolster arguments for an abiotic origin of the methane detected in the martian atmosphere.

  15. Facile fabrication of organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yingzhi; Li, Aoxiang; Yue, Xiaoqi; Wang, Lu-Ning; Huang, Zheng-Hong; Kang, Feiyu; Volinsky, Alex A.

    2016-07-01

    Organic/inorganic heterojunction photoanodes are appealing for making concurrent use of the highly photoactive organic semiconductors, and the efficient dielectric screening provided by their inorganic counterparts. In the present work, organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays composed of TiO2 nanotube arrays and a semiconducting N,N-(dicyclohexyl) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDi) layer were fabricated for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this arrayed architecture, a PDi layer with a tunable thickness was coated on anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays by physical vapor deposition, which is advantageous for the formation of a uniform layer and an adequate interface contact between PDi and TiO2. The obtained PDi/TiO2 junction exhibited broadened visible light absorption, and an effective interface for enhanced photogenerated electron-hole separation, which is supported by the reduced charge transfer resistance and prolonged excitation lifetime via impedance spectroscopy analysis and fluorescence emission decay investigations. Consequently, such a heterojunction photoanode was photoresponsive to a wide visible light region of 400-600 nm, and thus demonstrated a highly enhanced photocurrent density at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode. Additionally, the durability of such a photoanode can be guaranteed after long-time illumination because of the geometrical restraint imposed by the PDi aggregates. These results pave the way to discover new organic/inorganic assemblies for high-performance photoelectric applications and device integration.Organic/inorganic heterojunction photoanodes are appealing for making concurrent use of the highly photoactive organic semiconductors, and the efficient dielectric screening provided by their inorganic counterparts. In the present work, organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays composed of TiO2 nanotube arrays and a semiconducting N,N-(dicyclohexyl) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDi

  16. Nanomaterial-enabled Rapid Detection of Water Contaminants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Shun; Chang, Jingbo; Zhou, Guihua; Chen, Junhong

    2015-10-28

    Water contaminants, e.g., inorganic chemicals and microorganisms, are critical metrics for water quality monitoring and have significant impacts on human health and plants/organisms living in water. The scope and focus of this review is nanomaterial-based optical, electronic, and electrochemical sensors for rapid detection of water contaminants, e.g., heavy metals, anions, and bacteria. These contaminants are commonly found in different water systems. The importance of water quality monitoring and control demands significant advancement in the detection of contaminants in water because current sensing technologies for water contaminants have limitations. The advantages of nanomaterial-based sensing technologies are highlighted and recent progress on nanomaterial-based sensors for rapid water contaminant detection is discussed. An outlook for future research into this rapidly growing field is also provided. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Pure white-light emitting ultrasmall organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite nanoclusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teunis, Meghan B; Lawrence, Katie N; Dutta, Poulami; Siegel, Amanda P; Sardar, Rajesh

    2016-10-14

    Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites, direct band-gap semiconductors, have shown tremendous promise for optoelectronic device fabrication. We report the first colloidal synthetic approach to prepare ultrasmall (∼1.5 nm diameter), white-light emitting, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite nanoclusters. The nearly pure white-light emitting ultrasmall nanoclusters were obtained by selectively manipulating the surface chemistry (passivating ligands and surface trap-states) and controlled substitution of halide ions. The nanoclusters displayed a combination of band-edge and broadband photoluminescence properties, covering a major part of the visible region of the solar spectrum with unprecedentedly large quantum yields of ∼12% and photoluminescence lifetime of ∼20 ns. The intrinsic white-light emission of perovskite nanoclusters makes them ideal and low cost hybrid nanomaterials for solid-state lighting applications.

  18. A novel lattice energy calculation technique for simple inorganic crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaya, Cemal [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas (Turkey); Kaya, Savaş, E-mail: savaskaya@cumhuriyet.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas (Turkey); Banerjee, Priyabrata [Surface Engineering and Tribology Group, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Mahatma Gandhi Avenue, Durgapur 713209 (India)

    2017-01-01

    In this pure theoretical study, a hitherto unexplored equation based on Shannon radii of the ions forming that crystal and chemical hardness of any crystal to calculate the lattice energies of simple inorganic ionic crystals has been presented. To prove the credibility of this equation, the results of the equation have been compared with experimental outcome obtained from Born-Fajans-Haber- cycle which is fundamentally enthalpy-based thermochemical cycle and prevalent theoretical approaches proposed for the calculation of lattice energies of ionic compounds. The results obtained and the comparisons made have demonstrated that the new equation is more useful compared to other theoretical approaches and allows to exceptionally accurate calculation of lattice energies of inorganic ionic crystals without doing any complex calculations.

  19. Investigation of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for differentiating inorganic and organic C in a variety of soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Madhavi Z.; Mayes, Melanie A.; Heal, Katherine R.; Brice, Deanne J.; Wullschleger, Stan D.

    2013-01-01

    Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) along with multivariate analysis was used to differentiate between the total carbon (C), inorganic C, and organic C in a set of 58 different soils from 5 soil orders. A 532 nm laser with 45 mJ of laser power was used to excite the 58 samples of soil and the emission of all the elements present in the soil samples was recorded in a single spectrum with a wide wavelength range of 200–800 nm. The results were compared to the laboratory standard technique, e.g., combustion on a LECO-CN analyzer, to determine the true values for total C, inorganic C, and organic C concentrations. Our objectives were: 1) to determine the characteristic spectra of soils containing different amounts of organic and inorganic C, and 2) to examine the viability of this technique for differentiating between soils that contain predominantly organic and/or inorganic C content for a range of diverse soils. Previous work has shown that LIBS is an accurate and reliable approach to measuring total carbon content of soils, but it remains uncertain whether inorganic and organic forms of carbon can be separated using this approach. Total C and inorganic C exhibited correlation with rock-forming elements such as Al, Si, Fe, Ti, Ca, and Sr, while organic C exhibited minor correlation with these elements and a major correlation with Mg. We calculated a figure of merit (Mg/Ca) based on our results to enable differentiation between inorganic versus organic C. We obtained the LIBS validation prediction for total, inorganic, and organic C to have a coefficient of regression, r 2 = 0.91, 0.87, and 0.91 respectively. These examples demonstrate an advance in LIBS-based techniques to distinguish between organic and inorganic C using the full wavelength spectra. - Highlights: • This research has successfully identified the organic and inorganic carbon in soil. • Multivariate analysis was used to show success in building a statistical model. • Can be used to

  20. Improving Defect-Based Quantum Emitters in Silicon Carbide via Inorganic Passivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polking, Mark J; Dibos, Alan M; de Leon, Nathalie P; Park, Hongkun

    2018-01-01

    Defect-based color centers in wide-bandgap crystalline solids are actively being explored for quantum information science, sensing, and imaging. Unfortunately, the luminescent properties of these emitters are frequently degraded by blinking and photobleaching that arise from poorly passivated host crystal surfaces. Here, a new method for stabilizing the photoluminescence and charge state of color centers based on epitaxial growth of an inorganic passivation layer is presented. Specifically, carbon antisite-vacancy pairs (CAV centers) in 4H-SiC, which serve as single-photon emitters at visible wavelengths, are used as a model system to demonstrate the power of this inorganic passivation scheme. Analysis of CAV centers with scanning confocal microscopy indicates a dramatic improvement in photostability and an enhancement in emission after growth of an epitaxial AlN passivation layer. Permanent, spatially selective control of the defect charge state can also be achieved by exploiting the mismatch in spontaneous polarization at the AlN/SiC interface. These results demonstrate that epitaxial inorganic passivation of defect-based quantum emitters provides a new method for enhancing photostability, emission, and charge state stability of these color centers. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.