Investigation of structural properties associated with alkali-silica reaction by means of macro- and micro-structural analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo Xiangyin; Fournier, Benoit

2007-01-01

Structural properties associated with alkali-silica reaction were systematically investigated by means of macro-structural accelerated mortar prism expansion levels testing, combined with micro-structural analysis. One part of this study is to determine the reactivity of the aggregate by means of accelerated mortar bar tests, and also to evaluate perlite aggregate constituents, especially the presence of deleterious components and find main causes of the alkali-silica reaction, which was based on the petrographic studies by optical microscope and the implication of X-ray diffraction on the aggregate. Results implied that the aggregate was highly alkali-silica reactive and the main micro-crystalline quartz-intermediate character and matrix that is mainly composed of chalcedony are potentially suitable for alkali-silica reaction. The other part is to study the long-term effect of lithium salts against alkali-silica reaction by testing accelerated mortar prism expansion levels. The macro-structural results were also consistent with the micro-structural mechanisms of alkali-silica reaction of mortar prisms containing this aggregate and the effect of chemical admixtures by means of the methods of scanning electron microscope-X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. It was indicated by these techniques that lithium salts, which were introduced into concrete containing reactive aggregate at the mixing stage, suppressed the alkali-silica reaction by producing non-expansive crystalline materials

All-Silica Hollow-Core Microstructured Bragg Fibers for Biosensor Application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Passaro, Davide; Foroni, Matteo; Poli, Federica

2008-01-01

The possibility to exploit all-silica hollow-core-microstructured Bragg fibers to realize a biosensor useful to detect the DNA hybridization process has been investigated. A Bragg fiber recently fabricated has been considered for the analysis performed by means of a full-vector modal solver based...... layer on the inner surface of the fiber holes can modify the fundamental mode properties. The numerical analysis results have successfully demonstrated the DNA bio-sensor feasibility in hollow-core Bragg fibers....

Synthesis of WO3 flower-like hierarchical architectures and their sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Dan; Wang, Guosheng; San, Xiaoguang; Song, Yinmin; Shen, Yanbai; Zhang, Yajing; Wang, Kangjun; Meng, Fanli

2015-01-01

WO 3 flower-like hierarchical architectures were synthesized by hydrothermal process using sodium tungstate (Na 2 WO 4 ·2H 2 O) as tungsten source and citric acid (CA) as an assistant agent. The morphology and crystal structure were investigated using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer. It is found that CA played a significant role in governing morphologies of product during hydrothermal process. The obtained products were identified as triclinic crystal WO 3 structure. The ethanol gas sensing measurements showed that well-defined WO 3 flower-like structures synthesized at CA/W molar ratio of 1 with large specific surface area exhibited the higher responses compared with others at all operating temperatures. Moreover, the reversible and fast response to ethanol gas at various gas concentrations and good selectivity were obtained. The results indicated that the WO 3 flower-like hierarchical architectures are promising materials for gas sensors. - Highlights: • WO 3 flower-like structures were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. • The effect of citric acid amount on morphologies was investigated. • Good ethanol gas sensing properties of WO 3 flower-like structures were obtained

Synthesis and optical properties of flower-like ZnO nanorods by thermal evaporation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, J.H.; Jiang, Q.; Lian, J.S.

2011-01-01

Flower-like ZnO nanorods have been synthesized by heating a mixture of ZnO/graphite powders using the thermal evaporation and vapor transport on Si (1 0 0) substrates without any catalyst. The structures, morphologies and optical properties of the products were characterized in detail by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized products consisted of large quantities of flower-like ZnO nanostructures in the form of uniform nanorods. The flower-like ZnO nanorods had high purity and well crystallized wurtzite structure, whose high crystalline quality was proved by Raman spectroscopy. The as-synthesized flower-like ZnO nanorods showed a strong ultraviolet emission at 386 nm and a weak and broad yellow-green emission in visible spectrum in its room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. In addition, the growth mechanism of the flower-like ZnO nanorods was discussed based on the reaction conditions.

Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of Flower-like Cadmium Sulfide Decorated by Histidine

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qizhao; Lian, Juhong; Li, Jiajia; Wang, Rongfang; Huang, Haohao; Su, Bitao; Lei, Ziqiang

2015-09-01

Morphology-controlled synthesis of CdS can significantly enhance the efficiency of its photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this study, a novel three-dimensional (3D) flower-like CdS is synthesized via a facile template-free hydrothermal process using Cd(NO3)2•4H2O and thiourea as precursors and L-Histidine as a chelating agent. The morphology, crystal phase, and photoelectrochemical performance of the flower-like CdS and pure CdS nanocrystals are carefully investigated via various characterizations. Superior photocatalytic activity relative to that of pure CdS is observed on the flower-like CdS photocatalyst under visible light irradiation, which is nearly 13 times of pure CdS. On the basis of the results from SEM studies and our analysis, a growth mechanism of flower-like CdS is proposed by capturing the shape evolution. The imidazole ring of L-Histidine captures the Cd ions from the solution, and prevents the growth of the CdS nanoparticles. Furthermore, the photocatalytic contrast experiments illustrate that the as-synthesized flower-like CdS with L-Histidine is more stable than CdS without L-Histidine in the hydrogen generation.

The Vaccinium corymbosum FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene (VcFT): a flowering activator reverses photoperiodic and chilling requirements in blueberry.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Guo-qing; Walworth, Aaron; Zhao, Dongyan; Jiang, Ning; Hancock, James F

2013-11-01

The blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T ( FT )-like gene ( VcFT ) cloned from the cDNA of a tetraploid, northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is able to reverse the photoperiodic and chilling requirements and drive early and continuous flowering. Blueberry is a woody perennial bush with a longer juvenile period than annual crops, requiring vernalization to flower normally. Few studies have been reported on the molecular mechanism of flowering in blueberry or other woody plants. Because FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) from Arabidopsis thaliana plays a multifaceted role in generating mobile molecular signals to regulate plant flowering time, isolation and functional analysis of the blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) FT-like gene (VcFT) will facilitate the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of flowering in woody plants. Based on EST sequences, a 525-bpVcFT was identified and cloned from the cDNA of a tetraploid, northern highbush blueberry cultivar, Bluecrop. Ectopic expression of 35S:VcFT in tobacco induced flowering an average of 28 days earlier than wild-type plants. Expression of the 35S:VcFT in the blueberry cultivar Aurora resulted in an extremely early flowering phenotype, which flowered not only during in vitro culture, a growth stage when nontransgenic shoots had not yet flowered, but also in 6-10-week old, soil-grown transgenic plants, in contrast to the fact that at least 1 year and 800 chilling hours are required for the appearance of the first flower of both nontransgenic 'Aurora' and transgenic controls with the gusA. These results demonstrate that the VcFT is a functional floral activator and overexpression of the VcFT is able to reverse the photoperiodic and chilling requirements and drive early and continuous flowering.

Effect of Plasma Spheroidization Process on the Microstructure and Crystallographic Phases of Silica, Alumina and Nickel Particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Peng; Yan Shikai; Yuan Fangli; Bai Liuyang; Li Jinlin; Chen Yunfa

2007-01-01

During the plasma spheroidization process powders undergo different changes in their microstructures and crystal phases. In this paper, simple calculation of heat transfer between the plasma and a suspended particle was performed based on three hypotheses for the purpose of guiding experiments. Experimental investigation of the crystal phases and microstructural changes during the plasma processing was made using silica, alumina and nickel powders as starting materials. It has been revealed from the experimental results that these materials undergo different changes in crystal phases and microstructures, and these changes are essentially determined by the structures, properties and aggregate states of the starting materials

Preparation of flower-like CuS by solvothermal method and its photodegradation and UV protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xiao-Sai; Shen, Yong, E-mail: shenyong@sues.edu.cn; Xu, Li-Hui; Wang, Li-Ming; Xing, Ya-Jun

2016-07-25

The flower-like CuS with hierarchical structures were synthesized by a solvothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–vis optical absorption spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and ultraviolet transmittance analyzer labsphere were used to characterize the as-prepared products. The results of photocatalytic degradation of Methylene blue (MB) demonstrated that the as-prepared flower-like CuS possessed high photocatalytic performance in UV and visible range and its band gap was 1.45 eV. The degradation rate of MB by CuS with the absence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} was 98.23% and 100% under xenon lamp and Mercury tungsten blended lamp for 30 min, respectively. And a new approach for ultraviolet (UV) protection of cotton fabrics treated by flower-like CuS microspheres was innovatively investigated and the results showed that flower-like CuS was a good UV resistant material. - Highlights: • The flower-like CuS was prepared via solvothermal method. • The as-prepared CuS showed better photodegradation of MB solution under visible region. • The cotton fabric treated by the obtained flower-like CuS was proved to have a potential application in anti-UV field.

Plasma-induced formation of flower-like Ag2O nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Zen-Hung; Ho, Chun-Hsien; Lee, Szetsen

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Flower-like Ag 2 O nanostructures. - Highlights: • Flower-like Ag 2 O nanostructures were synthesized from Ag colloids using plasma. • XPS was used to monitor plasma treatment effect on Ag colloids. • SERS of methyl orange was used to monitor the plasma oxidation–reduction processes. • Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was performed using Ag 2 O. • Ag 2 O is a more efficient visible light photocatalyst than Ag colloids. - Abstract: Plasma treatment effect on Ag colloids was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques. XPS showed that O 2 plasma was critical in removing organic residues in Ag colloids synthesized using citric acid as a reducing agent. With O 2 plasma treatment, Ag colloids were also oxidized to form flower-like Ag 2 O nanostructures. The formation mechanism is proposed. The SERS spectral intensity of methyl orange (MO) adsorbed on Ag surface became deteriorated with O 2 plasma treatment. Followed by H 2 plasma treatment, the SERS intensity of MO on Ag regained, which indicated that Ag 2 O has been reduced to Ag. Nonetheless, the reduction by H 2 plasma could not bring Ag back to the original as-synthesized nanoparticle morphology. The flower-like nanostructure morphology still remained. The photocatalytic degradation reactions of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solutions were carried out using Ag colloids and Ag 2 O nanostructures. The results show that Ag 2 O is more efficient than Ag colloids and many other metal oxides for the photocatalytic degradation of MB in solution when utilizing visible light

Facile synthesis and optical property of SnO2 flower-like architectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Qingrui; Li Zhengquan; Wu Changzheng; Bai Xue; Xie Yi

2006-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) hierarchical tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) flower-like architectures consisting of sheet-like nanoparticles have been successfully prepared by a simply mild hydrothermal method based on the reaction between tin foil, NaOH and KBrO 3 . The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum exhibit that the flower-like architectures of SnO 2 have strong PL emission, which suggest its possible applications in nanoscaled optoelectronic devices. The formation process of SnO 2 architectures is investigated and the corresponding mechanism is also proposed

Facile synthesis of the flower-like ternary heterostructure of Ag/ZnO encapsulating carbon spheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xiaohua [School of Environment, Key Laboratory of Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Henan Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Control, Henan Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Functional Materials and Pollution Control, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China); School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China); Su, Shuai; Wu, Guangli; Li, Caizhu [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China); Qin, Zhe [School of Environment, Key Laboratory of Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Henan Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Control, Henan Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Functional Materials and Pollution Control, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China); Lou, Xiangdong [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China); Zhou, Jianguo, E-mail: zhoujgwj@163.com [School of Environment, Key Laboratory of Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Henan Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Control, Henan Engineering Laboratory of Environmental Functional Materials and Pollution Control, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007 (China)

2017-06-01

Highlights: • Flower-like Ag/ZnO encapsulating carbon spheres (Ag/ZnO@C) was synthesized. • A green facile synthesis method was used. • Ag/ZnO@C exhibited better photocatalytic performance than Ag/ZnO, ZnO@C, and ZnO. • Dye and metronidazole both can be decomposed by Ag/ZnO@C. - Abstract: To utilize sunlight more effectively in photocatalytic reactions, the flower-like ternary heterostructure of Ag/ZnO encapsulating carbon spheres (Ag/ZnO@C) was successfully synthesized by a green and facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The carbon spheres (CSs) were wrapped by ZnO nanosheets, forming flower-like microstructures, and Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were deposited on the surface of the ZnO nanosheets. The Ag/ZnO@C ternary heterostructure exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to those of Ag/ZnO, ZnO@C and pure ZnO for the degradation of Reactive Black GR and metronidazole under sunlight and visible light irradiation. This was attributed to the enhanced visible light absorption and effective charge separation based on the synergistic effect of ZnO, Ag NPs, and CSs. Due to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag NPs and surface photosensitizing effect of CSs, Ag/ZnO@C exhibited enhanced visible light absorption. Meanwhile, Ag NPs and CSs can both act as rapid electron transfer units to improve the separation of photogenerated charge carriers in Ag/ZnO@C. The primary active species were determined, and the photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. This work demonstrates an effective way to improve the photocatalytic performance of ZnO and provides information for the facile synthesis of noble metal/ZnO@C ternary heterostructure.

The COMPASS-Like Complex Promotes Flowering and Panicle Branching in Rice1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiliang; Jiang, Haiyang; Cheng, Beijiu

2018-01-01

Flowering time (heading date) and panicle branch number are important agronomic traits that determine yield in rice (Oryza sativa). The activation of flowering requires histone methylation, but the roles of trimethylation of Lys 4 of histone 3 (H3K4me3) in modulating heading date and panicle development are unclear. Here, we showed that the COMPASS-like complex promotes flowering and panicle branching. The rice (Oryza sativa) WD40 protein OsWDR5a interacts with the TRITHORAX-like protein OsTrx1/SET domain group protein 723 (SDG723) to form the core components of the COMPASS-like complex. Plants in which OsWDR5a or OsTrx1 expression was decreased by RNA interference produced fewer secondary branches and less grain and exhibited a delayed heading date under long-day and short-day conditions, whereas loss of OsWDR5a function resulted in embryo lethality. OsWDR5a binds to Early heading date 1 to regulate its H3K4me3 and expression levels. Together, our results show that the COMPASS-like complex promotes flowering and panicle development and suggest that modulation of H3K4me3 levels by the COMPASS-like complex is critical for rice development. PMID:29440594

A highly efficient urea detection using flower-like zinc oxide nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tak, Manvi; Gupta, Vinay; Tomar, Monika

2015-01-01

A novel matrix based on flower-like zinc oxide nanostructures (ZnONF) has been fabricated using hydrothermal method and exploited successfully for the development of urea biosensor. Urease (Urs) is physically immobilized onto the ZnO nanostructure matrix synthesized over platinized silicon substrate. The surface morphology and crystallographic structure of the as-grown ZnONF have been characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The fabricated amperometric biosensor (Urs/ZnONF/Pt/Ti/Si) exhibits a linear sensing response towards urea over the concentration range 1.65 mM to 16.50 mM with an enhanced sensitivity (~ 132 μA/mM/cm 2 ) and a fast response time of 4 s. The relatively low value of Michaelis–Menten constant (K m ) of 0.19 mM confirms the high affinity of the immobilized urease on the nanostructured ZnONF surface towards its analyte (urea). The obtained results demonstrate that flower-like ZnO nanostructures serve as a promising matrix for the realization of efficient amperometric urea biosensor with enhanced response characteristics. - Graphical abstract: The article focuses on the synthesis of flower-like morphology possessing zinc oxide nanostructures and its application towards urea detection with high sensitivity as well as selectivity. - Highlights: • Flower-like ZnO nanostructures based urea biosensor has been fabricated. • Grown ZnO nanostructures offer an advantageous urease immobilization platform owing to its very high surface area. • High sensitivity (~ 132 μA/mM/cm 2 ) and low Michaelis–Menten parameter (K m ) value (~ 0.19 mM) were observed

Laser ablation of toluene liquid for surface micro-structuring of silica glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niino, H.; Kawaguchi, Y.; Sato, T.; Narazaki, A.; Gumpenberger, T.; Kurosaki, R.

2006-01-01

Microstructures with well-defined micropatterns were fabricated on the surfaces of silica glass using a laser-induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) method by diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) UV laser at the repetition rate of 10 kHz. For a demonstration of flexible rapid prototyping as mask-less exposure system, the focused laser beam was directed to the sample by galvanometer-based point scanning system. Additionally, a diagnostics study of plume propagation in the ablated products of toluene solid film was carried out with an intensified CCD (ICCD) camera

Plasma-induced formation of flower-like Ag{sub 2}O nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zen-Hung; Ho, Chun-Hsien; Lee, Szetsen, E-mail: slee@cycu.edu.tw

2015-09-15

Graphical abstract: Flower-like Ag{sub 2}O nanostructures. - Highlights: • Flower-like Ag{sub 2}O nanostructures were synthesized from Ag colloids using plasma. • XPS was used to monitor plasma treatment effect on Ag colloids. • SERS of methyl orange was used to monitor the plasma oxidation–reduction processes. • Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was performed using Ag{sub 2}O. • Ag{sub 2}O is a more efficient visible light photocatalyst than Ag colloids. - Abstract: Plasma treatment effect on Ag colloids was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques. XPS showed that O{sub 2} plasma was critical in removing organic residues in Ag colloids synthesized using citric acid as a reducing agent. With O{sub 2} plasma treatment, Ag colloids were also oxidized to form flower-like Ag{sub 2}O nanostructures. The formation mechanism is proposed. The SERS spectral intensity of methyl orange (MO) adsorbed on Ag surface became deteriorated with O{sub 2} plasma treatment. Followed by H{sub 2} plasma treatment, the SERS intensity of MO on Ag regained, which indicated that Ag{sub 2}O has been reduced to Ag. Nonetheless, the reduction by H{sub 2} plasma could not bring Ag back to the original as-synthesized nanoparticle morphology. The flower-like nanostructure morphology still remained. The photocatalytic degradation reactions of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solutions were carried out using Ag colloids and Ag{sub 2}O nanostructures. The results show that Ag{sub 2}O is more efficient than Ag colloids and many other metal oxides for the photocatalytic degradation of MB in solution when utilizing visible light.

A highly efficient urea detection using flower-like zinc oxide nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tak, Manvi; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Tomar, Monika, E-mail: monikatomar@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2015-12-01

A novel matrix based on flower-like zinc oxide nanostructures (ZnONF) has been fabricated using hydrothermal method and exploited successfully for the development of urea biosensor. Urease (Urs) is physically immobilized onto the ZnO nanostructure matrix synthesized over platinized silicon substrate. The surface morphology and crystallographic structure of the as-grown ZnONF have been characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The fabricated amperometric biosensor (Urs/ZnONF/Pt/Ti/Si) exhibits a linear sensing response towards urea over the concentration range 1.65 mM to 16.50 mM with an enhanced sensitivity (~ 132 μA/mM/cm{sup 2}) and a fast response time of 4 s. The relatively low value of Michaelis–Menten constant (K{sub m}) of 0.19 mM confirms the high affinity of the immobilized urease on the nanostructured ZnONF surface towards its analyte (urea). The obtained results demonstrate that flower-like ZnO nanostructures serve as a promising matrix for the realization of efficient amperometric urea biosensor with enhanced response characteristics. - Graphical abstract: The article focuses on the synthesis of flower-like morphology possessing zinc oxide nanostructures and its application towards urea detection with high sensitivity as well as selectivity. - Highlights: • Flower-like ZnO nanostructures based urea biosensor has been fabricated. • Grown ZnO nanostructures offer an advantageous urease immobilization platform owing to its very high surface area. • High sensitivity (~ 132 μA/mM/cm{sup 2}) and low Michaelis–Menten parameter (K{sub m}) value (~ 0.19 mM) were observed.

Glycine assisted synthesis of flower-like TiO2 hierarchical spheres and its application in photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Yu-gui; Xu, Yan-qiu; Pan, Jun; Gu, Hao; Qin, Chang-yun; Zhou, Peng

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Flower-like anatase TiO 2 hierarchical spheres assembled by nanosheets were synthesized by glycine assistant via a simple hydrothermal approach and after-annealing process. The obtained TiO 2 sample showed good photocatalytic activity of decomposition of methyl orange under sunlight. Highlights: ► Flower-like TiO 2 hierarchical spheres were synthesized by glycine assistant. ► Reaction time, temperature, solution pH and glycine dosage were studied. ► The formation of the flower-like TiO 2 spheres is an Ostwald ripening process. ► Flower-like TiO 2 showed high photocatalytic activity under sunlight. - Abstract: Flower-like anatase TiO 2 hierarchical spheres assembled by nanosheets were synthesized by glycine assistant via a simple hydrothermal approach and after-annealing process. These flower-like spheres are about 2 μm in diameter with sheet thickness about 20 nm. Results showed reaction time, temperature, solution pH and glycine dosage all played an important role in control of shape and size of the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanocrystals. The photocatalytic activity of this nano-TiO 2 was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation decomposition of methyl orange under sunlight illumination in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The photocatalytic activity of the obtained TiO 2 was higher than that of commercial TiO 2 .

Influence of microstructure on the diffusive transport in pastes, mortars and concretes made with cement Portland and silica fume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajja, Zineb

2016-01-01

Thanks to its high mechanical strength and its potential containment capacity conferred by a compact microstructure, concrete is considered as the most suitable material to compose the engineered barrier of some radioactive waste storage structure. Knowledge of diffusion properties and microstructure of these cementitious materials is then essential to study their long-term durability. In a more specific context of low and intermediate waste management, the use of formulations containing silica fume (SF) appears of great importance. The experimental approach consists in selecting many formulations of pastes and mortars to test by the HTO through-out diffusion test. Their initial compositions (water to binder ratio, SF content, sand content and particle size) were varied in order to browse different microstructures and diffusion properties, and to see the influence of each parameter (water, SF, content and grain size of sand) on the evolution of diffusivity within these materials. The microstructure was investigated to interpret the obtained values of diffusion coefficients. Different complementary techniques have been used to characterize the porous structure (water and mercury intrusion porosimetry, nitrogen adsorption), to verify SF reactivity (TGA, SEM associated to EDS) or to determine the profile porosity at ITZ (SEM combined with image analysis).The relationship between microstructure and diffusion coefficients (DeHTO) was then discussed. The ultimate goal was to find a link between microstructure properties and transport parameters to estimate from a simple characterization, the DeHTO of concrete, difficult to get from HTO diffusion cells test. Other attempts have also been made to try to assess the concrete diffusion coefficient, such as the multi-scale modeling approach (the scale of hydrates 3D model), or the diffusion of other elements ( like oxygen or nitrogen). This study shows that silica fume agglomerates (slurry) observed in cement paste and mortar

Synthesis and Characterization of Flower-Like Bundles of ZnO Nanosheets by a Surfactant-Free Hydrothermal Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jijun Qiu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Flower-like bundles of ZnO nanosheets have been prepared by using preheating hydrothermal process without any surfactants. The flower-like bundles consist of many thin and uniform hexagonal-structured ZnO nanosheets, with a thickness of 50 nm. The selected area electronic diffraction (SAED and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM images indicate that the ZnO nanosheets are single crystal in nature. The growth mechanism of the flower-like bundles of ZnO nanosheets is discussed based on the morphology evolution with growth times and reaction conditions. It is believed that the formation of flower-like bundles of ZnO nanosheets is related to the shielding effect of OH− ions and the self-assembly process, which is dominated by a preheating time. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra results show that the annealing atmosphere strongly affects the visible emission band, which is sensitive to intrinsic and surface defects, especially oxygen interstitials, in flower-like bundles of ZnO nanosheets.

Preparation of flower-like CdS with SDBS as surfactant by hydrothermal method and its optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yongqian, E-mail: cugwyq@126.com [Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Yang, Xiande; Ma, Qun; Kong, Junhan; Jia, Hanxiang; Wang, Zhengshu [Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Yu, Meihua [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004 (China)

2015-06-15

Graphical abstract: FESEM image of the CdS obtained by 0.01 mol Cd(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·4H{sub 2}O, 0.03 mol thiourea and 0.5 g SDBS at 160 °C for 24 h. - Highlights: • The role of SDBS is to assemble CdS crystals together to form flower-like structures. • Both reaction time and temperature affect the morphology of flower-like structures. • The growth mechanism of flower-like structures is reasonable, clear and concise. • Its optical energy band gap is 2.50 eV, and it has absorption in visible region. • PL result of flower-like structures shows the max emission wavelength is 508.6 nm. - Abstract: In this article, the flower-like CdS have been prepared by hydrothermal method with thiourea as sulfur source and SDBS as surfactant. The effects of different experimental conditions on the morphology of CdS have been investigated. The performances of CdS have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis. The result of XRD indicates that CdS we prepared are highly crystallized, which are of hexagonal phase. The FE-SEM results indicate that the main role of SDBS is to make the CdS crystals assemble together to form the flower-like structures, and the reaction time affects the morphology of CdS, and the suitable reaction temperature is 160 °C. Its optical energy band gap is observed at 2.50 eV. The fluorescence spectrum shows that the flower-like CdS have a broad absorption peak and the max emission wavelength is 508.6 nm. The growth mechanism for the formation of CdS with flower-like structures is also described.

Shape-Controlled Synthesis of NiCo2 O4 Microstructures and Their Application in Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Nannan; Ni, Yonghong; Ma, Xiang

2015-09-01

The shape-controlled synthesis of NiCo2 O4 microstructures through a facile hydrothermal method and subsequent calcinations was explored. By employing CoSO4 , NiSO4 , and urea as the starting reactants, flower-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures were obtained at 100 °C after 5 h without the assistance of any additive and subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h; dumbbell-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures were prepared at 150 °C after 5 h in the presence of trisodium citrate and subsequent calcination at 300 °C for 2 h. The as-prepared NiCo2 O4 microstructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. Both the flower-like and dumbbell-like NiCo2 O4 microstructures could be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, and they exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including high specific capacitance, good rate capability, and excellent long-term cycle stability. Simultaneously, the shape-dependent electrochemical properties of the product were investigated. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Large-scale and green synthesis of octahedral flower-like cupric oxide nanocrystals with enhanced photochemical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Shi-Kuo; Pan, Yu-Yi; Wu, Mi; Huang, Fang-Zhi; Li, Chuan-Hao; Shen, Yu-Hua

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A green method is reported for large-scale synthesis of CuO nanocrystals via a coordination-deposition technique. • Flower-like nanostructure can be rationally tailored by adjusting reaction parameters. • Flower-like nanostructure can be obtained in a wide reaction solution volume range. • Uniform flower-like nanocrystal film assembled by oil–water interfacial self-assembly method exhibits excellent PEC performance. - Abstract: In this work, a large-scale and green method is reported for the facile synthesis of octahedral flower-like CuO nanocrystals via a coordination-deposition route by using Fehling regents. Not any harmful organic chemicals were used during the reaction period. The obtained hierarchical nanostructure can be rationally tailored by varying the concentration of tartrate ions and reaction time. The typical flower-like CuO nanocrystals in the range of 200–250 nm are consisted of numerous small crystalline whiskers, which present a porous surface with a specific surface area of 32.12 m 2 /g and a narrow band gap of 1.5 eV. Importantly, the flower-like CuO nanocrystals show an enhanced photocatalytic activity toward decomposing Rhodamine B (RhB) molecules. The degradation rate is about 87.9% in 40 min under visible light irradiation, which is about 2.5 times for the commercial CuO powers (35.2%). Moreover, the uniform flower-like monolayered CuO film exhibits an excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance with a maximum photocurrent density of 58.8 μA/cm 2 , which is nearly five times higher than the commercial CuO film. This novel synthesis approach provides a large-scale and green protocol for synthesizing hierarchical metal oxide nanocrystals that are useful for photocatalysis, PEC water splitting and photovoltaic device

Large-scale and green synthesis of octahedral flower-like cupric oxide nanocrystals with enhanced photochemical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Shi-Kuo; Pan, Yu-Yi; Wu, Mi; Huang, Fang-Zhi; Li, Chuan-Hao, E-mail: lichuanhao1983@163.com; Shen, Yu-Hua, E-mail: s_yuhua@163.com

2014-10-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A green method is reported for large-scale synthesis of CuO nanocrystals via a coordination-deposition technique. • Flower-like nanostructure can be rationally tailored by adjusting reaction parameters. • Flower-like nanostructure can be obtained in a wide reaction solution volume range. • Uniform flower-like nanocrystal film assembled by oil–water interfacial self-assembly method exhibits excellent PEC performance. - Abstract: In this work, a large-scale and green method is reported for the facile synthesis of octahedral flower-like CuO nanocrystals via a coordination-deposition route by using Fehling regents. Not any harmful organic chemicals were used during the reaction period. The obtained hierarchical nanostructure can be rationally tailored by varying the concentration of tartrate ions and reaction time. The typical flower-like CuO nanocrystals in the range of 200–250 nm are consisted of numerous small crystalline whiskers, which present a porous surface with a specific surface area of 32.12 m{sup 2}/g and a narrow band gap of 1.5 eV. Importantly, the flower-like CuO nanocrystals show an enhanced photocatalytic activity toward decomposing Rhodamine B (RhB) molecules. The degradation rate is about 87.9% in 40 min under visible light irradiation, which is about 2.5 times for the commercial CuO powers (35.2%). Moreover, the uniform flower-like monolayered CuO film exhibits an excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance with a maximum photocurrent density of 58.8 μA/cm{sup 2}, which is nearly five times higher than the commercial CuO film. This novel synthesis approach provides a large-scale and green protocol for synthesizing hierarchical metal oxide nanocrystals that are useful for photocatalysis, PEC water splitting and photovoltaic device.

The Pozzolanic reaction of silica fume

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

2012-01-01

Silica fume is a very important supplementary cementitious binder in High-Performance and Ultra High-Performance Concretes. Through its pozzolanic reaction the silica fume densifies the concrete micro-structure, in particular it strengthens the paste-aggregate interfacial transition zone. In the ......Silica fume is a very important supplementary cementitious binder in High-Performance and Ultra High-Performance Concretes. Through its pozzolanic reaction the silica fume densifies the concrete micro-structure, in particular it strengthens the paste-aggregate interfacial transition zone....... In the present paper different aspects of the pozzolanic reaction of silica fume are investigated. These include chemical shrinkage, isothermal heat development and strength development. Key data for these are given and compared with theoretical calculations, and based on presented measurements the energy...

The structural properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructures on porous silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Eswar, Kevin Alvin; Suhaimi, Mohd Husairi Fadzillah; Guliling, Muliyadi; Mohamad, Maryam; Khusaimi, Zuraida; Rusop, M.; Abdullah, Saifollah

2018-05-01

The flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) were successfully synthesized on porous silicon (PSi) via hydrothermal method. The characteristic of ZnO nanostructures was investigated using field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (X-Ray). The FESEM images show the flower-like ZnO nanostructures composed ZnO nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction shows that strong intensity of (100), (002) and (101) peaks. The structural analysis revealed that the peaks angles were shifted due to the stress or imperfection of the crystalline of ZnO nanostructures. The crystalline sizes in range of 42.60 to 54.09 nm were produced.

Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of Flower-like Cadmium Sulfide Decorated by Histidine

OpenAIRE

Wang, Qizhao; Lian, Juhong; Li, Jiajia; Wang, Rongfang; Huang, Haohao; Su, Bitao; Lei, Ziqiang

2015-01-01

Morphology-controlled synthesis of CdS can significantly enhance the efficiency of its photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this study, a novel three-dimensional (3D) flower-like CdS is synthesized via a facile template-free hydrothermal process using Cd(NO3)2•4H2O and thiourea as precursors and L-Histidine as a chelating agent. The morphology, crystal phase, and photoelectrochemical performance of the flower-like CdS and pure CdS nanocrystals are carefully investigated via various characte...

Electrodeposition of Zn-doped {alpha}-nickel hydroxide with flower-like nanostructure for supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You Zheng [Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Shen Kui; Wu Zhicheng [Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Wang Xiaofeng [Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Kong Xianghua, E-mail: kongxh@ustb.edu.cn [Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

2012-08-01

Zn-doped {alpha}-nickel hydroxide materials with flower-like nanostructures are synthesized by electrochemical deposition method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical measurements. XRD spectra indicate nickel hydroxide doped with Zn is {alpha}-Ni(OH){sub 2} with excellent crystallization. The SEM observation shows that the formation of Zn-doped Ni(OH){sub 2} includes two steps: a honeycomb-like film forms on the substrate first, then flower-like particles forms on the films. The nickel hydroxide doped with 5% Zn can maintain a maximum specific capacitance of 860 F g{sup -1}, suggesting its potential application in electrochemical capacitors.

Electrodeposition of Zn-doped α-nickel hydroxide with flower-like nanostructure for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

You, Zheng; Shen, Kui; Wu, Zhicheng; Wang, Xiaofeng; Kong, Xianghua

2012-08-01

Zn-doped α-nickel hydroxide materials with flower-like nanostructures are synthesized by electrochemical deposition method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical measurements. XRD spectra indicate nickel hydroxide doped with Zn is α-Ni(OH)2 with excellent crystallization. The SEM observation shows that the formation of Zn-doped Ni(OH)2 includes two steps: a honeycomb-like film forms on the substrate first, then flower-like particles forms on the films. The nickel hydroxide doped with 5% Zn can maintain a maximum specific capacitance of 860 F g-1, suggesting its potential application in electrochemical capacitors.

Controlled synthesis and characterization of hollow flower-like silver nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eid KAM

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Kamel AM Eid, Hassan ME AzzazyNovel Diagnostics and Therapeutics Group, Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, EgyptBackground: The synthesis of anisotropic silver nanoparticles is a time-consuming process and involves the use of expensive toxic chemicals and specialized laboratory equipment. The presence of toxic chemicals in the prepared anisotropic silver nanostructures hindered their medical application. The authors have developed a fast and inexpensive method for the synthesis of three-dimensional hollow flower-like silver nanostructures without the use of toxic chemicals.Methods: In this method, silver nitrate was reduced using dextrose in presence of trisodium citrate as a capping agent. Sodium hydroxide was added to enhance reduction efficacy of dextrose and reduce time of synthesis. The effects of all four agents on the shape and size of silver nanostructures were investigated.Results: Robust hollow flower-like silver nanostructures were successfully synthesized and ranged in size from 0.2 µm to 5.0 µm with surface area between 25–240 m2/g. Changing the concentration of silver nitrate, dextrose, sodium hydroxide, and trisodium citrate affected the size and shape of the synthesized structures, while changing temperature had no effect.Conclusion: The proposed method is simple, safe, and allows controlled synthesis of anisotropic silver nanostructures, which may represent promising tools as effective antimicrobial agents and for in vitro diagnostics. The synthesized hollow nanostructures may be used for enhanced drug encapsulation and sustained release.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, 3D hollow, flower-like, green synthesis

Synthesis, characterization and magnetic property of 3D flower-like ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Three-dimensional (3D) flower-like cubic Ni3S4 nanoplates with single crystalline nature were successfully prepared through decomposing bis(thiourea) nickel(II) chloride crystals (BTNC). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, selected area ...

MoS2 @HKUST-1 Flower-Like Nanohybrids for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengli; Su, Yingchun; Zhao, Xiaole; Tong, Shanshan; Han, Xiaojun

2018-01-24

A novel MoS 2 -based flower-like nanohybrid for hydrogen evolution was fabricated through coating the Cu-containing metal-organic framework (HKUST-1) onto MoS 2 nanosheets. It is the first time that MoS 2 @HKUST-1 nanohybrids have been reported for the enhanced electrochemical performance of HER. The morphologies and components of the MoS 2 @HKUST-1 flower-like nanohybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Compared with pure MoS 2 , the MoS 2 @HKUST-1 hybrids exhibit enhanced performance on hydrogen evolution reaction with an onset potential of -99 mV, a smaller Tafel slope of 69 mV dec -1 , and a Faradaic efficiency of nearly 100 %. The MoS 2 @HKUST-1 flower-like nanohybrids exhibit excellent stability in acidic media. This design opens new possibilities to effectively synthesize non-noble metal catalysts with high performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of three-dimensional flower-like BiOCl:RE{sup 3+} (RE{sup 3+} = Eu{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+}) globular microarchitectures and their luminescence properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Yang-Yang; Zhang, Zhi-Jun [Department of Physics, Dongguk University, Seoul, 100715 (Korea, Republic of); Zhu, Gang-Qiang [Department of Physics, Shanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062 (China); Yang, Woochul, E-mail: wyang@dongguk.edu [Department of Physics, Dongguk University, Seoul, 100715 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Three-dimensional flower-like Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+}-activated BiOCl globular microarchitectures have been synthesized. • Ostwald ripening and recrystallization are responsible for the growth mechanism of BiOCl microarchitectures. • Efficient red-emission from Eu{sup 3+}:BiOCl is observed due to the well-crystallized structures of the microarchitectures. - Abstract: Three-dimensional flower-like Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+}-activated BiOCl globular microarchitectures were synthesized by the solvothermal method employing urea as a dispersing agent for the first time. The crystal structure, morphologies and luminescence properties of Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} doped BiOCl have been systematically investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopy, respectively. The unit cell volumes show a nearly linear decrease by about 0.18 and 0.15% with increasing Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} concentration up to 9 mol%, respectively. All of the prepared samples show flower-like globular microarchitectures with an average diameter about 3–5 μm with different Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} concentrations. Possible formation mechanism for the flower-like microarchitectures is proposed on the basis of time-dependent experiment. Both BiOCl:Eu{sup 3+} and BiOCl:Sm{sup 3+} samples show a strong red emission corresponding to the {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 4} transition (700 nm) of Eu{sup 3+} and {sup 4}G{sub 5/2} → {sup 6}H{sub 7/2} transition (600 nm) of Sm{sup 3+}, respectively. This work sheds some light on the design and preparation of red-emitting phosphors with novel microstructures.

Preparation of flower-like CuS by solvothermal method for photocatalytic, UV protection and EMI shielding applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xiao-Sai; Shen, Yong, E-mail: shenyong@sues.edu.cn; Xu, Li-Hui; Wang, Li-Ming; Lu, Li-sha; Zhang, Ya-ting

2016-11-01

Highlights: • The flower-like CuS was synthesized by a facil solvothermal method. • The as-prepared flower-like CuS showed better solar light-driven photocatalytic activity. • The as-prepared CuS could act as a novel UV blocker. • The flower-like CuS potentially hold promise as electromagnetic shielding material. - Abstract: The flower-like CuS hierarchical structures were synthesized by solvothermal method. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–vis optical absorption spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results demonstrated that the as-prepared flower-like CuS with the diameter of 1–5 um was pure hexagonal phase CuS and had well-defined flower-like structures. (1) The as-prepared CuS was proved to possess high photocatalytic performance with band gap of 1.45 eV. The degradation rate of Methylene blue (MB) was up to, 98.26%, 100% after 30 min under UV and visible irradiation. (2)The UPF of cotton fabric treated with CuS reached up to 174 compared with the original untreated fabric with the UPF 20.62. (3) The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of CuS coating was up to 27–31 dB when the content of CuS increased to 28.6%wt in the frequency of 300 KHz–3 GHz. Furthermore, the influence of reaction conditions on the morphology of the as-prepared CuS was investigated systematically and the possible formation mechanism of the CuS hierarchical structure was also proposed.

Large-scale synthesis and growth habit of 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Nan; Chen, Gang; Yang, Xi; Zhang, Xiaosong

2012-02-01

In this paper, 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe was successfully synthesized using Pb(CH3COO)2·3H2O and Na2TeO3 as precursors under hydrothermal conditions, and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). The reaction parameters that influenced the evolution of PbTe synthesis and morphology were investigated. It was shown that the flower-like crystal of PbTe was composed of a nucleus with eight pods. A possible growth mechanism was proposed based on the calculation of the surface energies of PbTe and the SEM observation. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent transport properties of 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe specimen have been evaluated with an average thermoelectric power of 120 S cm-1 and electrical conductivity of 220 μV K-1 at 740 K.

Urea assisted electrochemical synthesis of flower-like platinum arrays with high electrocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Ming; Lv, Jing-Jing; Li, Fang-Fang; Bao, Ning; Wang, Ai-Jun; Feng, Jiu-Ju; Zhou, Dan-Ling

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: A simple, facile, and controllable method was developed for preparation of well-defined flower-like Pt arrays via one-step electrodeposition, assisted with urea as a growth directing agent. The as-prepared Pt nanocrystals have a larger electroactive surface area and higher electrocatalytic activity toward ethylene glycol and methanol oxidation in acid media, compared with Pt nanoparticles and commercial Pt black catalysts. - Highlights: • Well-defined flower-like Pt arrays were prepared via one-step electrodeposition, assisted with urea as a growth directing agent. • This method is simple, facile, and controllable, without using any template, seed or surfactant. • The Pt arrays show an enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward ethylene glycol and methanol oxidation. - Abstract: In this paper, well-defined flower-like Pt arrays were prepared on the glassy carbon electrode by one-step electrodeposition at–0.3 V for 600 s in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 containing 5 mM H 2 PtCl 6 and 150 mM urea. This method is simple, facile, and controllable, without using any template, seed or surfactant. The experimental parameters were investigated and found urea acted as a growth directing agent. The as-prepared Pt nanocrystals were preferentially growing along the (111) directions, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Moreover, the flower-like Pt nanoarrays exhibited a large effective surface area (EASA) and enhanced performance toward the oxidation of ethylene glycol and methanol in acid media, compared with Pt nanoparticles and commercial Pt black catalysts. This strategy can be extended to prepare other noble metal nanostructures as good electrocatalysts in fuel cells

Nonlinear microstructured polymer optical fibres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frosz, Michael Henoch

is potentially the case for microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOFs). Another advantage is that polymer materials have a higher biocompatibility than silica, meaning that it is easier to bond certain types of biosensor materials to a polymer surface than to silica. As with silica PCFs, it is difficult...

Synthesis of Coral-Like, Straw-Tied-Like, and Flower-Like Antimony Sulfides by a Facile Wet-Chemical Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jutarat Kavinchan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3 was successfully synthesized from antimony chloride (SbCl3 and sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate (Na2S2O3·5H2O in ethylene glycol (EG without using any template by a facile wet-chemical method. X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM show that the products were orthorhombic Sb2S3 nanorods forming the coral-like, straw-tied-like, and flower-like architectures with the nanorods growing along the [001] direction. The energy gap (Eg was determined by UV-visible absorption to be 1.52 eV.

What flowers do we like? The influence of shape and color on the rating of flower beauty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Hůla

2016-06-01

Full Text Available There is no doubt that people find flowers beautiful. Surprisingly, we know very little about the actual properties which make flowers so appealing to humans. Although the evolutionary aesthetics provides some theories concerning generally preferred flower traits, empirical evidence is largely missing. In this study, we used an online survey in which residents of the Czech Republic (n = 2006 rated the perceived beauty of 52 flower stimuli of diverse shapes and colors. Colored flowers were preferred over their uncolored versions. When controlling for flower shape, we found an unequal preference for different flower colors, blue being the most and yellow the least preferred. In the overall assessment of beauty, shape was more important than color. Prototypical flowers, i.e., radially symmetrical flowers with low complexity, were rated as the most beautiful. We also found a positive effect of sharp flower contours and blue color on the overall rating of flower beauty. The results may serve as a basis for further studies in some areas of the people-plant interaction research.

What flowers do we like? The influence of shape and color on the rating of flower beauty

Science.gov (United States)

Flegr, Jaroslav

2016-01-01

There is no doubt that people find flowers beautiful. Surprisingly, we know very little about the actual properties which make flowers so appealing to humans. Although the evolutionary aesthetics provides some theories concerning generally preferred flower traits, empirical evidence is largely missing. In this study, we used an online survey in which residents of the Czech Republic (n = 2006) rated the perceived beauty of 52 flower stimuli of diverse shapes and colors. Colored flowers were preferred over their uncolored versions. When controlling for flower shape, we found an unequal preference for different flower colors, blue being the most and yellow the least preferred. In the overall assessment of beauty, shape was more important than color. Prototypical flowers, i.e., radially symmetrical flowers with low complexity, were rated as the most beautiful. We also found a positive effect of sharp flower contours and blue color on the overall rating of flower beauty. The results may serve as a basis for further studies in some areas of the people-plant interaction research. PMID:27330863

Interconnected mesopores and high accessibility in UVM-7-like silicas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Cabero, Monica [Universitat de Valencia, Institut de Ciencia dels Materials (Spain); Hungria, Ana B. [Universidad de Cadiz, Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Ingenieria Metalurgica y Quimica Inorganica (Spain); Morales, Jose Manuel [Universitat de Valencia, Institut de Ciencia dels Materials (Spain); Tortajada, Marta; Ramon, Daniel [Biopolis S. L. (Spain); Moragues, Alaina; El Haskouri, Jamal; Beltran, Aurelio; Beltran, Daniel; Amoros, Pedro, E-mail: pedro.amoros@uv.es [Universitat de Valencia, Institut de Ciencia dels Materials (Spain)

2012-08-15

Nanoparticulated bimodal mesoporous silicas (NBS) have proved to constitute adequate supports in a variety of applications requiring enhanced accessibility to the active sites. Mass-transfer kinetics seems to be highly favoured in UVM-7-derived NBS materials. To understand the mass-diffusion phenomena throughout UVM-7-like supports requires well-grounded knowledge about their pore architecture. 3-D reconstructions of the UVM-7 mesostructure carried out by electron tomography reveal the existence of a true hierarchic connectivity involving both inter- and intra-nanoparticle pores. This connectivity makes self-supported nanoparticulated mesoporous bimodal carbon replicas of the supports feasible to obtaining by nanocasting. Both the temperature-induced mobility of gold nanodomains and the fast and efficient enzyme adsorption in UVM-7-like silicas are examples of non-constrained diffusion processes happening inside such an open network.

Interconnected mesopores and high accessibility in UVM-7-like silicas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez-Cabero, Mónica; Hungría, Ana B.; Morales, José Manuel; Tortajada, Marta; Ramón, Daniel; Moragues, Alaina; El Haskouri, Jamal; Beltrán, Aurelio; Beltrán, Daniel; Amorós, Pedro

2012-01-01

Nanoparticulated bimodal mesoporous silicas (NBS) have proved to constitute adequate supports in a variety of applications requiring enhanced accessibility to the active sites. Mass-transfer kinetics seems to be highly favoured in UVM-7-derived NBS materials. To understand the mass-diffusion phenomena throughout UVM-7-like supports requires well-grounded knowledge about their pore architecture. 3-D reconstructions of the UVM-7 mesostructure carried out by electron tomography reveal the existence of a true hierarchic connectivity involving both inter- and intra-nanoparticle pores. This connectivity makes self-supported nanoparticulated mesoporous bimodal carbon replicas of the supports feasible to obtaining by nanocasting. Both the temperature-induced mobility of gold nanodomains and the fast and efficient enzyme adsorption in UVM-7-like silicas are examples of non-constrained diffusion processes happening inside such an open network.

Evolutionary Co-Option of Floral Meristem Identity Genes for Patterning of the Flower-Like Asteraceae Inflorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yafei; Zhang, Teng; Broholm, Suvi K; Tähtiharju, Sari; Mouhu, Katriina; Albert, Victor A; Teeri, Teemu H; Elomaa, Paula

2016-09-01

The evolutionary success of Asteraceae, the largest family of flowering plants, has been attributed to the unique inflorescence architecture of the family, which superficially resembles an individual flower. Here, we show that Asteraceae inflorescences (flower heads, or capitula) resemble solitary flowers not only morphologically but also at the molecular level. By conducting functional analyses for orthologs of the flower meristem identity genes LEAFY (LFY) and UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) in Gerbera hybrida, we show that GhUFO is the master regulator of flower meristem identity, while GhLFY has evolved a novel, homeotic function during the evolution of head-like inflorescences. Resembling LFY expression in a single flower meristem, uniform expression of GhLFY in the inflorescence meristem defines the capitulum as a determinate structure that can assume floral fate upon ectopic GhUFO expression. We also show that GhLFY uniquely regulates the ontogeny of outer, expanded ray flowers but not inner, compact disc flowers, indicating that the distinction of different flower types in Asteraceae is connected with their independent evolutionary origins from separate branching systems. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Responses to olfactory signals reflect network structure of flower-visitor interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Junker, Robert R; Höcherl, Nicole; Blüthgen, Nico

2010-07-01

1. Network analyses provide insights into the diversity and complexity of ecological interactions and have motivated conclusions about community stability and co-evolution. However, biological traits and mechanisms such as chemical signals regulating the interactions between individual species--the microstructure of a network--are poorly understood. 2. We linked the responses of receivers (flower visitors) towards signals (flower scent) to the structure of a highly diverse natural flower-insect network. For each interaction, we define link temperature--a newly developed metric--as the deviation of the observed interaction strength from neutrality, assuming that animals randomly interact with flowers. 3. Link temperature was positively correlated to the specific visitors' responses to floral scents, experimentally examined in a mobile olfactometer. Thus, communication between plants and consumers via phytochemical signals reflects a significant part of the microstructure in a complex network. Negative as well as positive responses towards floral scents contributed to these results, where individual experience was important apart from innate behaviour. 4. Our results indicate that: (1) biological mechanisms have a profound impact on the microstructure of complex networks that underlies the outcome of aggregate statistics, and (2) floral scents act as a filter, promoting the visitation of some flower visitors, but also inhibiting the visitation of others.

Evolutionary Co-Option of Floral Meristem Identity Genes for Patterning of the Flower-Like Asteraceae Inflorescence1

Science.gov (United States)

Broholm, Suvi K.; Tähtiharju, Sari

2016-01-01

The evolutionary success of Asteraceae, the largest family of flowering plants, has been attributed to the unique inflorescence architecture of the family, which superficially resembles an individual flower. Here, we show that Asteraceae inflorescences (flower heads, or capitula) resemble solitary flowers not only morphologically but also at the molecular level. By conducting functional analyses for orthologs of the flower meristem identity genes LEAFY (LFY) and UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) in Gerbera hybrida, we show that GhUFO is the master regulator of flower meristem identity, while GhLFY has evolved a novel, homeotic function during the evolution of head-like inflorescences. Resembling LFY expression in a single flower meristem, uniform expression of GhLFY in the inflorescence meristem defines the capitulum as a determinate structure that can assume floral fate upon ectopic GhUFO expression. We also show that GhLFY uniquely regulates the ontogeny of outer, expanded ray flowers but not inner, compact disc flowers, indicating that the distinction of different flower types in Asteraceae is connected with their independent evolutionary origins from separate branching systems. PMID:27382139

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

user

Flowering Trees. Gliricidia sepium(Jacq.) Kunta ex Walp. (Quickstick) of Fabaceae is a small deciduous tree with. Pinnately compound leaves. Flower are prroduced in large number in early summer on terminal racemes. They are attractive, pinkish-white and typically like bean flowers. Fruit is a few-seeded flat pod.

Large-scale and green synthesis of octahedral flower-like cupric oxide nanocrystals with enhanced photochemical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shi-Kuo; Pan, Yu-Yi; Wu, Mi; Huang, Fang-Zhi; Li, Chuan-Hao; Shen, Yu-Hua

2014-10-01

In this work, a large-scale and green method is reported for the facile synthesis of octahedral flower-like CuO nanocrystals via a coordination-deposition route by using Fehling regents. Not any harmful organic chemicals were used during the reaction period. The obtained hierarchical nanostructure can be rationally tailored by varying the concentration of tartrate ions and reaction time. The typical flower-like CuO nanocrystals in the range of 200-250 nm are consisted of numerous small crystalline whiskers, which present a porous surface with a specific surface area of 32.12 m2/g and a narrow band gap of 1.5 eV. Importantly, the flower-like CuO nanocrystals show an enhanced photocatalytic activity toward decomposing Rhodamine B (RhB) molecules. The degradation rate is about 87.9% in 40 min under visible light irradiation, which is about 2.5 times for the commercial CuO powers (35.2%). Moreover, the uniform flower-like monolayered CuO film exhibits an excellent photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance with a maximum photocurrent density of 58.8 μA/cm2, which is nearly five times higher than the commercial CuO film. This novel synthesis approach provides a large-scale and green protocol for synthesizing hierarchical metal oxide nanocrystals that are useful for photocatalysis, PEC water splitting and photovoltaic device.

Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets and their gas sensing properties to volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Fanli, E-mail: flmeng@iim.ac.cn [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Hou, Nannan [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Ge, Sheng [Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000 (China); Sun, Bai [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Jin, Zhen, E-mail: zjin@iim.ac.cn [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Shen, Wei; Kong, Lingtao; Guo, Zheng [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Sun, Yufeng, E-mail: sunyufeng118@126.com [Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000 (China); Wu, Hao; Wang, Chen [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Li, Minqiang [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

2015-03-25

Highlights: • Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets were synthesized. • The flower-like hierarchical structured ZnO exhibited higher response and shorter response and recovery times. • The sensing mechanism of the flower-like hierarchical has been systematically analyzed. - Abstract: Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets (FHPSCZNs) were synthesized by a one-pot wet-chemical method followed by an annealing treatment, which combined the advantages between flower-like hierarchical structure and porous single-crystalline structure. XRD, SEM and HRTEM were used to characterize the synthesized FHPSCZN samples. The sensing properties of the FHPSCZN sensor were also investigated by comparing with ZnO powder sensor, which exhibited higher response and shorter response and recovery times. The sensing mechanism of the FHPSCZN sensor has been further analyzed from the aspects of electronic transport and gas diffusion.

Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets and their gas sensing properties to volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Fanli; Hou, Nannan; Ge, Sheng; Sun, Bai; Jin, Zhen; Shen, Wei; Kong, Lingtao; Guo, Zheng; Sun, Yufeng; Wu, Hao; Wang, Chen; Li, Minqiang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets were synthesized. • The flower-like hierarchical structured ZnO exhibited higher response and shorter response and recovery times. • The sensing mechanism of the flower-like hierarchical has been systematically analyzed. - Abstract: Flower-like hierarchical structures consisting of porous single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets (FHPSCZNs) were synthesized by a one-pot wet-chemical method followed by an annealing treatment, which combined the advantages between flower-like hierarchical structure and porous single-crystalline structure. XRD, SEM and HRTEM were used to characterize the synthesized FHPSCZN samples. The sensing properties of the FHPSCZN sensor were also investigated by comparing with ZnO powder sensor, which exhibited higher response and shorter response and recovery times. The sensing mechanism of the FHPSCZN sensor has been further analyzed from the aspects of electronic transport and gas diffusion

Functional analysis of PI-like gene in relation to flower development ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

lying flower development in bamboo, a petal-identity gene was identified as a ... 35S::BoPI fully rescued the defective petal forma- tion in the ... Arabidopsis converted sepals to petals; BoPI-C interacted with BoAP3 on yeast two-hybrid assay, just like the full-length ... PI homologue function in regulating perianth organ forma-.

Substrate bias induced synthesis of flowered-like bunched carbon nanotube directly on bulk nickel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bisht, Atul [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR Campus, New Delhi 110012 (India); Chockalingam, S. [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Panwar, O.S., E-mail: ospanwar@mail.nplindia.ernet.in [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR Campus, New Delhi 110012 (India); Kesarwani, A.K. [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR Campus, New Delhi 110012 (India); Singh, B.P. [Physics and Engineering of Carbon Materials, Division of Materials Physics and Engineering, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR Campus, New Delhi 110012 (India); Singh, V.N. [Electron and Ion Microscopy, Sophisticated and Analytical Instruments, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR Campus, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2016-02-15

Highlights: • Flowered-like bunched MWCNTs have been synthesized by MW PECVD technique. • Effect of substrate bias on the properties of MWCNT has been studied. • Minimum E{sub T} = 1.9 V/μm with β = 4770 has been obtained in the film deposited at −350 V. - Abstract: This paper reports the effect of substrate bias on the multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) deposited on nickel foil by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The MWCNTs have been characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, field emission and current–voltage characteristic of the heterojunction diode. The SEM images exhibit unique hierarchical flowered-like bunched and conformally coated MWCNTs. Substrate bias induced ion bombardment helps in the enhancement of hydrocarbon dissociation and is responsible for flowered-like MWCNTs growth. The HRTEM micrographs show the base growth mechanism for MWCNTs. The value of turn on field for emission decreases from 5.5 to 1.9 V/μm and field enhancement factor increases from 927 to 4770, respectively, with the increase of substrate bias. The diode ideality factor of CNT/ n-Si heterojunction is evaluated as 2.4 and the on/off current ratio is found to be 7 at ±2 V, respectively.

TiO2 flower-like nanostructures decorated with CdS/PbS nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trenczek-Zajac, Anita; Kusior, Anna; Lacz, Agnieszka; Radecka, Marta; Zakrzewska, Katarzyna

2014-01-01

Highlights: • TiO 2 flower-like nanostructures were prepared with the use of Ti foil and 30% H 2 O 2 . • QDs of CdS and PbS were deposited using the SILAR method. • The SILAR method makes it possible to control the size of QDs. • Band gap energy of CdS was found to be 2.35 eV. • Sensitization of TiO 2 with CdS or PbS improves the photoelectrochemical properties. - Abstract: Flower-like nanostructures of TiO 2 were prepared by immersing Ti foil in 30% H 2 O 2 at 80 °C for times varying from 15 to 240 min. Upon annealing at 450 °C in an Ar atmosphere, the received amorphous samples crystallized in an anatase structure with rutile as a minority phase. SEM images revealed that partially formed flowers were present at the surface of the prepared samples as early as after 15 min of immersion. The size of the individual flowers increased from 400–800 nm after 15 min of reaction to 2.5–6.0 μm after 240 min. It was also found that surface is very rough and surface development is considerable. After 45 min of immersion, the nanoflowers were sensitized with CdS and PbS quantum dots (QDs-CdS/QDs-PbS) deposited using the SILAR method from water- and methanol-based precursor solutions at different concentrations (0.001–0.1 M). QDs-CdS crystallized in the hawleyite structure, while QDs-PbS in the galena form. SEM analysis showed the tendency of quantum dots to agglomerate at high concentrations of the precursor in water-based solutions. QDs obtained from methanol-based solutions were uniformly distributed. The produced QDs-PbS were smaller than QDs-CdS. Based on the optical reflectance spectra, the band-gap energies of TiO 2 nanostructures with and without QDs were calculated to be 3.32 eV for flower-like TiO 2 nanostructures and 2.35 eV for QDs-CdS. The photoelectrochemical behaviour of nanoflowers was found to improve significantly after the deposition of QDs-CdS

Hydrothermal synthesis of flower-like MoS2 nanospheres for electrochemical supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaoping; Xu, Bin; Lin, Zhengfeng; Shu, Dong; Ma, Lin

2014-09-01

Flower-like MoS2 nanospheres were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. The structure and surface morphology of the as-prepared MoS2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The supercapacitive behavior of MoS2 in 1 M KCl electrolyte was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV), constant current charge-discharge cycling (CD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XRD results indicate that the as-prepared MoS2 has good crystallinity. SEM images show that the MoS2 nanospheres have uniform sizes with mean diameter about 300 nm. Many nanosheets growing on the surface make the MoS2 nanospheres to be a flower-like structure. The specific capacitance of MoS2 is 122 F x g(-1) at 1 A x g(-1) or 114 F x g(-1) at 2 mv s(-1). All the experimental results indicate that MoS2 is a promising electrode material for electrochemical supercapacitors.

An unusual characteristic "flower-like" pattern: flash suppressor burns.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurcan, Altun

2012-04-01

The case on contact shots from firearms with a flash suppressor is rare. When a rifle fitted with a flash suppressor is fired, the emerging soot-laden gas in the barrel escapes from the slits of the flash suppressor. If the shot is contact or near contact, the flash suppressor will produce a characteristic "flower-like" pattern of seared, blackened zones around the entrance. This paper presents the injury pattern of the flash suppressor in a 29-year-old man who committed suicide with a G3 automatic infantry rifle.

Copper Salts Mediated Morphological Transformation of Cu2O from Cubes to Hierarchical Flower-like or Microspheres and Their Supercapacitors Performances

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Liang; Zhang, Yu; Zhu, Pengli; Zhou, Fengrui; Zeng, Wenjin; Lu, Daoqiang Daniel; Sun, Rong; Wong, Chingping

2015-01-01

Monodisperse Cu2O of different microstructures, such as cubes, flower-like, and microspheres, have been extensively synthesized by a simple polyol reduction method using different copper salts, i.e. (Cu(acac)2, Cu(OH)2, and Cu(Ac)2·H2O). The effects of copper salts on the morphology of Cu2O were investigated in details through various characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The effects of morphology on the electrochemical properties were further studied. Among the different structures, Cu2O with the microspheric morphology shows the highest specific capacitance and the best cycling stability compared with those of the other two structures, thus bear larger volume charge during the electrochemical reaction due to the microspheres of small nanoparticles. PMID:25857362

Phytoplasma effector SAP54 induces indeterminate leaf-like flower development in Arabidopsis plants.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Allyson M; Sugio, Akiko; Makarova, Olga V; Findlay, Kim C; Grieve, Victoria M; Tóth, Réka; Nicolaisen, Mogens; Hogenhout, Saskia A

2011-10-01

Phytoplasmas are insect-transmitted bacterial plant pathogens that cause considerable damage to a diverse range of agricultural crops globally. Symptoms induced in infected plants suggest that these phytopathogens may modulate developmental processes within the plant host. We report herein that Aster Yellows phytoplasma strain Witches' Broom (AY-WB) readily infects the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ecotype Columbia, inducing symptoms that are characteristic of phytoplasma infection, such as the production of green leaf-like flowers (virescence and phyllody) and increased formation of stems and branches (witches' broom). We found that the majority of genes encoding secreted AY-WB proteins (SAPs), which are candidate effector proteins, are expressed in Arabidopsis and the AY-WB insect vector Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Hemiptera; Cicadellidae). To identify which of these effector proteins induce symptoms of phyllody and virescence, we individually expressed the effector genes in Arabidopsis. From this screen, we have identified a novel AY-WB effector protein, SAP54, that alters floral development, resulting in the production of leaf-like flowers that are similar to those produced by plants infected with this phytoplasma. This study offers novel insight into the effector profile of an insect-transmitted plant pathogen and reports to our knowledge the first example of a microbial pathogen effector protein that targets flower development in a host.

Laser engineered net shaping of quasi-continuous network microstructural TiB reinforced titanium matrix bulk composites: Microstructure and wear performance

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yingbin; Ning, Fuda; Wang, Hui; Cong, Weilong; Zhao, Bo

2018-02-01

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have been successfully applied to the aeronautical and biomedical industries. However, their poor tribological properties restrict their fields of applications under severe wear conditions. Facing to these challenges, this study investigated TiB reinforced Ti matrix composites (TiB-TMCs), fabricated by in-situ laser engineered net shaping (LENS) process, through analyzing parts quality, microstructure formation mechanisms, microstructure characterizations, and workpiece wear performance. At high B content areas (original B particle locations), reaction between Ti and B particles took place, generating flower-like microstructure. At low B content areas, eutectic TiB nanofibers contacted with each other with the formation of crosslinking microstructure. The crosslinking microstructural TiB aggregated and connected at the boundaries of Ti grains, forming a three-dimensional quasi-continuous network microstructure. The results show that compared with commercially pure Ti bulk parts, the TiB-TMCs exhibited superior wear performance (i.e. indentation wear resistance and friction wear resistance) due to the present of TiB reinforcement and the innovative microstructures formed inside TiB-TMCs. In addition, the qualities of the fabricated parts were improved with fewer interior defects by optimizing laser power, thus rendering better wear performance.

Fabrication of flower-like tin/carbon composite microspheres as long-lasting anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Tae-Woo [Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Hyung-Seok [Department of WCU Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seong-Jin [Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Sun, Yang-Kook [Department of WCU Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Suh, Kyung-Do, E-mail: kdsuh@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-01

In this work, we report the fabrication of the flower-like tin/carbon (Sn/C) composite microspheres using sulfonated semi-interpenetrating polystyrene (SPS) microspheres as a carbon precursor. The sulfonation degree of SPS has great effects on the resulting particle size, morphology, amount of introduced Sn, and the carbonization yield of the microspheres after heat treatment. The obtained Sn/C composite microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused-ion beam SEM, and X-ray diffraction. The flower-like Sn/C composite electrodes exhibited higher charge-discharge capacities than those of graphite as an anode material for a lithium ion battery. In addition, they show a long lasting cyclability, even through 400 cycles. - Highlights: • Tin nanocrystals are introduced in flower-like carbon spheres with many ripples. • Long lasting cyclability is exhibited at 1 C rate up to 400 cycles. • Tin content of composite spheres depends on chemical treatment of polymer microspheres.

Simulated solarlight catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) on microwave–ultrasonication synthesized flower-like CuO in the presence of tartaric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Zhihui; Yu, Yaqun; Fang, Di; Liang, Jianru; Zhou, Lixiang

2016-01-01

In this study, flower-like CuO was successfully synthesized by a microwave–ultrasound assisted method and well characterized by X-ray diffractions, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, specific surface area, UV–vis diffused reflection spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and point of zero charge. The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared CuO was examined on the Cr(VI) reduction in the presence of tartaric acid under simulated solarlight irradiation. The results show that the developed CuO catalyst exhibited good photocatalytic activity with 100% reduction of Cr(VI) after irradiation of 30 min under the test condition of c(Cr(VI)) = 100 μM, catalyst loading = 400 mg/L, c(tartaric acid) = 4 mM and initial pH = 3. The reaction mechanism was proposed. The effects of test parameters, such as catalyst loading, tartaric acid concentration and initial pH, on Cr(VI) reduction efficiency were also investigated. It is worth mentioning that the developed catalyst can work at a relatively wide range of pH with quite high catalytic performance. - Highlights: • Flower-like CuO microstructure was prepared by MW-US assisted method. • The prepared CuO can catalyze the reduction Cr(VI) by tartaric acid under simulated solarlight. • The formation of ≡Cu(II)-tartaric acid complex play a key role in the reduction of Cr(VI). • The catalyst can operate effectively at a relatively wide range of pH.

Effects of Tungsten Addition on the Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Fe-3.5B Alloy in Liquid Zinc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Liu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The effects of tungsten addition on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of Fe-3.5B alloys in a liquid zinc bath at 520 °C were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron probe micro-analysis. The microstructure evolution in different alloys is analyzed and discussed using an extrapolated Fe-B-W ternary phase diagram. Experimental results show that there are three kinds of borides, the reticular (Fe, W2B, the rod-like (Fe, W3B and flower-like FeWB. The addition of tungsten can refine the microstructure and improve the stability of the reticular borides. Besides, it is beneficial to the formation of the metastable (Fe, W3B phase. The resultant Fe-3.5B-11W (wt % alloy possesses excellent corrosion resistance to liquid zinc. When tungsten content exceeds 11 wt %, the formed flower-like FeWB phase destroys the integrity of the reticular borides and results in the deterioration of the corrosion resistance. Also, the corrosion failure resulting from the spalling of borides due to the initiation of micro-cracks in the grain boundary of borides is discussed in this paper.

Controllable growth of MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiong, Q.Q., E-mail: zjxqq@hdu.edu.cn; Ji, Z.G.

2016-07-15

Tailored design/fabrication of hierarchical porous advanced electrodes is of great importance for developing high-performance power sources. Herein, we report a facile solvothermal method for fabrication of hierarchical porous MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres. Interestingly, the obtained MoS{sub 2}/C microspheres are composed of interconnected secondary thin nanoflakes and an amorphous carbon layer. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries, the resultant MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 1125.9 mAh g{sup −1} and good cycle capability (916.6 mAh g{sup −1} at 200 mA g{sup −1} up to 400 cycles), as well as enhanced rate performance. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique porous composite architecture with fast transportation of ion/electron and good strain accommodation during the lithiation/delithiation reaction. Our research may pave the way for construction of other high-performance metal sulfides electrodes for electrochemical energy storage. - Graphical abstract: We report a facile solvothermal method for fabrication of hierarchical porous MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres composed of interconnected thin nanoflakes and an amorphous carbon layer. As an anode material for LIBs, MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres electrode delivers enhanced electrochemical performance. - Highlights: • We prepared MoS{sub 2}/C flower-like microspheres via a facile solvothermal method. • The microsphere consists of interconnected nanoflake and an amorphous carbon layer. • The MoS{sub 2}/C microspheres show high capacity and good rate performance.

A Non-sulfided flower-like Ni-PTA Catalyst that Enhances the Hydrotreatment Efficiency of Plant Oil to Produce Green Diesel

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Chen, Pan; Deng, Lihong; He, Jing; Wang, Luying; Rong, Long; Lei, Jiandu

2015-01-01

The development of a novel non-sulfided catalyst with high activity for the hydrotreatment processing of plant oils, is of high interest as a way to improve the efficient production of renewable diesel. To attempt to develop such a catalyst, we first synthesized a high activity flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst used in the hydrotreatment processes of plant oils. The obtained catalyst was characterized with SEM, EDX, HRTEM, BET, XRD, H2-TPR, XPS and TGA. A probable formation mechanism of flower-like Ni(OH)2 is proposed on the basis of a range of contrasting experiments. The results of GC showed that the conversion yield of Jatropha oil was 98.95%, and the selectivity of C11-C18 alkanes was 70.93% at 360 °C, 3 MPa, and 15 h−1. The activity of this flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst was more than 15 times higher than those of the conventional Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalysts. Additionally, the flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst exhibited good stability during the process of plant oil hydrotreatment. PMID:26503896

Colonization by the endophyte Piriformospora indica leads to early flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana likely by triggering gibberellin biosynthesis

KAUST Repository

Kim, Dongjin; Abdelaziz, Mohamad E.; Ntui, Valentine Otang; Guo, Xiujie; Al-Babili, Salim

2017-01-01

Piriformospora indica is an endophytic fungus colonizing roots of a wide variety of plants. Previous studies showed that P. indica promotes early flowering and plant growth in the medicinal plant Coleus forskohlii. To determine the impact of P. indica on flowering time in Arabidopsis, we co-cultivated the plants with P. indica under long day condition. P. indica inoculated Arabidopsis plants displayed significant early flowering phenotype. qRT-PCR analysis of colonized plants revealed an up-regulation of flowering regulatory (FLOWERING LOCUS T, LEAFY, and APETALA1) and gibberellin biosynthetic (Gibberellin 20-Oxidase2, Gibberellin 3-Oxidase1 and Gibberellin requiring1) genes, while the flowering-repressing gene FLOWERING LOCUS C was down regulated. Quantification of gibberellins content showed that the colonization with P. indica caused an increase in GA4 content. Compared to wild-type plants, inoculation of the Arabidopsis ga5 mutant affected in gibberellin biosynthetic gene led to less pronounced changes in the expression of genes regulating flowering and to a lower increase in GA4 content. Taken together, our data indicate that P. indica promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis likely by increasing gibberellin content.

Colonization by the endophyte Piriformospora indica leads to early flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana likely by triggering gibberellin biosynthesis

KAUST Repository

Kim, Dongjin

2017-06-28

Piriformospora indica is an endophytic fungus colonizing roots of a wide variety of plants. Previous studies showed that P. indica promotes early flowering and plant growth in the medicinal plant Coleus forskohlii. To determine the impact of P. indica on flowering time in Arabidopsis, we co-cultivated the plants with P. indica under long day condition. P. indica inoculated Arabidopsis plants displayed significant early flowering phenotype. qRT-PCR analysis of colonized plants revealed an up-regulation of flowering regulatory (FLOWERING LOCUS T, LEAFY, and APETALA1) and gibberellin biosynthetic (Gibberellin 20-Oxidase2, Gibberellin 3-Oxidase1 and Gibberellin requiring1) genes, while the flowering-repressing gene FLOWERING LOCUS C was down regulated. Quantification of gibberellins content showed that the colonization with P. indica caused an increase in GA4 content. Compared to wild-type plants, inoculation of the Arabidopsis ga5 mutant affected in gibberellin biosynthetic gene led to less pronounced changes in the expression of genes regulating flowering and to a lower increase in GA4 content. Taken together, our data indicate that P. indica promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis likely by increasing gibberellin content.

TiO{sub 2} flower-like nanostructures decorated with CdS/PbS nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trenczek-Zajac, Anita, E-mail: anita.trenczek-zajac@agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Kusior, Anna; Lacz, Agnieszka; Radecka, Marta [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Zakrzewska, Katarzyna [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics and Telecommunications, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland)

2014-12-15

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} flower-like nanostructures were prepared with the use of Ti foil and 30% H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • QDs of CdS and PbS were deposited using the SILAR method. • The SILAR method makes it possible to control the size of QDs. • Band gap energy of CdS was found to be 2.35 eV. • Sensitization of TiO{sub 2} with CdS or PbS improves the photoelectrochemical properties. - Abstract: Flower-like nanostructures of TiO{sub 2} were prepared by immersing Ti foil in 30% H{sub 2}O{sub 2} at 80 °C for times varying from 15 to 240 min. Upon annealing at 450 °C in an Ar atmosphere, the received amorphous samples crystallized in an anatase structure with rutile as a minority phase. SEM images revealed that partially formed flowers were present at the surface of the prepared samples as early as after 15 min of immersion. The size of the individual flowers increased from 400–800 nm after 15 min of reaction to 2.5–6.0 μm after 240 min. It was also found that surface is very rough and surface development is considerable. After 45 min of immersion, the nanoflowers were sensitized with CdS and PbS quantum dots (QDs-CdS/QDs-PbS) deposited using the SILAR method from water- and methanol-based precursor solutions at different concentrations (0.001–0.1 M). QDs-CdS crystallized in the hawleyite structure, while QDs-PbS in the galena form. SEM analysis showed the tendency of quantum dots to agglomerate at high concentrations of the precursor in water-based solutions. QDs obtained from methanol-based solutions were uniformly distributed. The produced QDs-PbS were smaller than QDs-CdS. Based on the optical reflectance spectra, the band-gap energies of TiO{sub 2} nanostructures with and without QDs were calculated to be 3.32 eV for flower-like TiO{sub 2} nanostructures and 2.35 eV for QDs-CdS. The photoelectrochemical behaviour of nanoflowers was found to improve significantly after the deposition of QDs-CdS.

Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sini Kuriakose

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Flower-like ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a facile wet chemical method. Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of these nanostructures have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, photoluminescence (PL and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. SEM and TEM studies revealed flower-like structures consisting of nanosheets, formed due to oriented attachment of ZnO nanoparticles. Flower-like ZnO structures showed enhanced photocatalytic activity towards sun-light driven photodegradation of methylene blue dye (MB as compared to ZnO nanoparticles. XRD, UV–vis absorption, PL, FTIR and TEM studies revealed the formation of Zn(OH2 surface layer on ZnO nanostructures upon ageing. We demonstrate that the formation of a passivating Zn(OH2 surface layer on the ZnO nanostructures upon ageing deteriorates their efficiency to photocatalytically degrade of MB.

Controllable synthesis of periodic flower-like ZnO nanostructures on Si subwavelength grating structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Yeong Hwan; Leem, Jung Woo; Yu, Jae Su

2011-01-01

We report on the periodic well-defined flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures (NSs) self-assembled through a simple hydrothermal method using silicon (Si) subwavelength grating (SWG) structures. The Si SWGs serve as building blocks for constructing a two-dimensional (2D) periodic architecture to integrate the one-dimensional (1D) ZnO NSs. Various controlled morphologies of ZnO NSs with high crystallinity are obtained by changing the growth conditions. For 1D ZnO NSs integrated on periodic hexagonal Si SWG structures, the reflection characteristics are investigated in comparison with the conventional ZnO nanorod (NR) arrays. For a three-dimensional (3D) flower-like ZnO NS on Si SWGs, a relatively low total reflectance of < 8% at wavelengths of 300-1050 nm is achieved compared to the ZnO NRs on Si substrate.

Application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the production of cut flower roses under commercial-like conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garmendia, I.; Mangas, V. J.

2012-11-01

The objective of this work was to study the influence of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe, and G. intraradices (Schenck and Smith) on cut flower yield of rose (Rosa hybrida L. cv. Grand Gala) under commercial-like greenhouse conditions. Flower production was positively influenced by G. mosseae inoculation. Both inocula tested caused low levels of mycorrhizal root colonization, with higher percentages in Rosa associated with G. mosseae. Significant improvement of plant biomass, leaf nutritional status or flower quality was not detected in inoculated plants probably due to the low symbiosis establishment. However, G. mosseae reduced by one month the time needed for 80% of the plants to flower and slightly increased number of cut flowers relative to non-mycorrhizal controls on the fourth, sixth and eighth months after transplanting. It is suggested that an altered carbohydrate metabolism could contribute to this positive effect. Low colonization of rose roots supports the idea that more effort is required to ensure successful application of AMF in ornamental production systems. (Author) 40 refs.

Microstructure investigation on micropore formation in microporous silica materials prepared via a catalytic sol-gel process by small angle X-ray scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Wataru; Hokka, Junsuke; Sato, Takaaki; Usami, Hisanao; Murakami, Yasushi

2011-08-04

The so-called sol-gel technique has been shown to be a template-free, efficient way to create functional porous silica materials having uniform micropores. This appears to be closely linked with a postulation that the formation of weakly branched polymer-like aggregates in a precursor solution is a key to the uniform micropore generation. However, how such a polymer-like structure can precisely be controlled, and further, how the generated low-fractal dimension solution structure is imprinted on the solid silica materials still remain elusive. Here we present fabrication of microporous silica from tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) using a recently developed catalytic sol-gel process based on a nonionic hydroxyacetone (HA) catalyst. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), nitrogen adsorption porosimetry, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) allowed us to observe the whole structural evolution, ranging from polymer-like aggregates in the precursor solution to agglomeration with heat treatment and microporous morphology of silica powders after drying and hydrolysis. Using the HA catalyst with short chain monohydric alcohols (methanol or ethanol) in the precursor solution, polymer-like aggregates having microscopic correlation length (or mesh-size) micropores with diameters 2 nm) in the solid product due to apertures between the particle-like aggregates. The data demonstrate that the extremely fine porous silica architecture comes essentially from a gaussian polymer-like nature of the silica aggregates in the precursor having the microscopic mesh-size and their successful imprint on the solid product. The result offers a general but significantly efficient route to creating precisely designed fine porous silica materials under mild condition that serve as low refractive index and efficient thermal insulation materials in their practical applications.

Room temperature one-step synthesis of microarrays of N-doped flower-like anatase TiO2 composed of well-defined multilayer nanoflakes by Ti anodization

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenglin; Wang, Mengye; Xie, Kunpeng; Wu, Qi; Sun, Lan; Lin, Zhiqun; Lin, Changjian

2011-07-01

Microarrays of N-doped flower-like TiO2 composed of well-defined multilayer nanoflakes were synthesized at room temperature by electrochemical anodization of Ti in NH4F aqueous solution. The TiO2 flowers were of good anatase crystallinity. The effects of anodizing time, applied voltage and NH4F concentration on the flower-like morphology were systematically examined. It was found that the morphologies of the anodized Ti were related to the anodizing time and NH4F concentration. The size and density of the TiO2 flowers could be tuned by changing the applied voltage. The obtained N-doped flower-like TiO2 microarrays exhibited intense absorption in wavelengths ranging from 320 to 800 nm. Under both UV and visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of the N-doped flower-like TiO2 microarrays in the oxidation of methyl orange showed a significant increase compared with that of commercial P25 TiO2 film.

Facile One-Pot Synthesis of Flower Like Cobalt Oxide Nanostructures on Nickel Plate and Its Supercapacitance Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandasamy, N; Venugopal, T; Kannan, K

2018-06-01

A flower like cobalt oxide nanostructured thin film (Co2O3) on Nickel (Ni) plate as have been successfully developed via alcoholic Seed Layer assisted chemical bath Deposition (SLD) process. Through the controlled alkaline electrolytes, the flower and paddles like Co2O3 nanoarchitectures were formed. The prepared thin film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM and EDX), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Raman spectroscopy techniques. Electron micrograph reveals the flower and paddles like nanostructured Co2O3 thin film deposited on Ni plates. The electrochemical characteristics were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge and AC impedance spectroscopy in different aqueous electrolytes such as NaOH, KOH, and LiOH. The maximum specific capacitance of 856 Fg-1 was attained with 2 M KOH electrolyte with 2 mVs-1 of the Co2O3 thin film coated Ni plate at 80 °C using SLD method. The capacitance values obtained with various electrolytes are in the order of KOH > NaOH > LiOH. The results indicate that the present method is economical and the material is ecofriendly with enhanced capacitance property.

Silica hollow core microstructured fibers for beam delivery in industrial and medical applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Dale Shephard

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The focus of this review is our recent work to develop microstructured hollow core fibers for two applications where the flexible delivery of a single mode beam is desired. Also, a review of other fiber based solutions is included.High power, short-pulsed lasers are widely used for micro-machining, providing high precision and high quality. However, the lack of truly flexible beam delivery systems limits their application to the processing of relatively small planar components. To address this, we developed hollow-core optical fibers for the 1 μm and green wavelength ranges. The hollow core overcomes the power delivery limitations of conventional silica fibers arising from nonlinear effects and material damage in the solid core. We have characterized such fibers in terms of power handling capability, damage threshold, bend loss and dispersion, and practically demonstrated delivery of high peak power pulses from the nanosecond to the femtosecond regime. Such fibers are ideal candidates for industrial laser machining applications.In laser surgical applications, meanwhile, an Er:YAG laser (2.94 μm is frequently the laser of choice because the water contained in tissue strongly absorbs this wavelength. If this laser beam is precisely delivered damage to surrounding tissue can be minimized. A common delivery method of surgical lasers, for use in the operating theatre, is articulated arms that are bulky, cumbersome and unsuitable for endoscopic procedures. To address this need for flexible mid-IR delivery we developed silica based hollow core fibers. By minimizing the overlap of the light with glass it is possible to overcome the material absorption limits of silica and achieve low attenuation. Additionally, it is possible to deliver pulse energies suitable for the ablation of both hard and soft tissue even with very small bend radii. The flexibility and small physical size of systems based on these fibers will enable new minimally invasive surgical

Theory of second-harmonic generation in silica nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lægsgaard, Jesper

2010-01-01

, while generating the second harmonic in one of the modes of the LP11 multiplet. This is shown to work in both circular and microstructured nanowires, although only one of the LP11 modes can be phase-matched in the microstructure. The prospect of obtaining large conversion efficiencies in silica...

Expression of paralogous SEP-, FUL-, AG- and STK-like MADS-box genes in wild-type and peloric Phalaenopsis flowers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta eAcri-Nunes-Miranda

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The diverse flowers of Orchidaceae are the result of several major morphological transitions, among them the most studied is the differentiation of the inner median tepal into the labellum, a perianth organ key in pollinator attraction. Type A peloria lacking stamens and with ectopic labella in place of inner lateral tepals are useful for testing models on the genes specifying these organs by comparing their patterns of expression between wild-type and peloric flowers. Previous studies focused on DEFICIENS and GLOBOSA-like MADS-box genes because of their conserved role in perianth and stamen development. The ‘orchid code’ model summarizes this work and shows in Orchidaceae there are four paralogous lineages of DEFICIENS/AP3-like genes differentially expressed in each floral whorl. Experimental tests of this model showed the conserved, higher expression of genes from two specific DEF-like gene lineages is associated with labellum development. The present study tests whether eight MADS-box candidate SEP-, FUL-, AG- and STK-like genes have been specifically duplicated in the Orchidaceae and are also differentially expressed in association with the distinct flower organs of Phalaenopsis hyb. Athens. The gene trees indicate orchid-specific duplications. In a way analogous to what is observed in labellum-specific DEF-like genes, a two-fold increase in the expression of SEP3-like gene PhaMADS7 was measured in the labellum-like inner lateral tepals of peloric flowers. The overlap between SEP3-like and DEF-like genes suggests both are associated with labellum specification and similar positional cues determine their domains of expression. In contrast, the uniform messenger levels of FUL-like genes suggest they are involved in the development of all organs and their expression in the ovary suggests cell differentiation starts before pollination. As previously reported AG-like and STK-like are exclusively expressed in gynostemium and ovary, however no

Glycine assisted synthesis of flower-like TiO 2 hierarchical spheres and its application in photocatalysis

KAUST Repository

Tao, Yugui; Xu, Yanqiu; Pan, Jun; Gu, Hao; Qin, Changyun; Zhou, Peng

2012-01-01

Flower-like anatase TiO 2 hierarchical spheres assembled by nanosheets were synthesized by glycine assistant via a simple hydrothermal approach and after-annealing process. These flower-like spheres are about 2 μm in diameter with sheet thickness about 20 nm. Results showed reaction time, temperature, solution pH and glycine dosage all played an important role in control of shape and size of the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanocrystals. The photocatalytic activity of this nano-TiO 2 was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation decomposition of methyl orange under sunlight illumination in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2). The photocatalytic activity of the obtained TiO 2 was higher than that of commercial TiO 2. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Glycine assisted synthesis of flower-like TiO 2 hierarchical spheres and its application in photocatalysis

KAUST Repository

Tao, Yugui

2012-11-01

Flower-like anatase TiO 2 hierarchical spheres assembled by nanosheets were synthesized by glycine assistant via a simple hydrothermal approach and after-annealing process. These flower-like spheres are about 2 μm in diameter with sheet thickness about 20 nm. Results showed reaction time, temperature, solution pH and glycine dosage all played an important role in control of shape and size of the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanocrystals. The photocatalytic activity of this nano-TiO 2 was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation decomposition of methyl orange under sunlight illumination in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2). The photocatalytic activity of the obtained TiO 2 was higher than that of commercial TiO 2. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Room temperature one-step synthesis of microarrays of N-doped flower-like anatase TiO{sub 2} composed of well-defined multilayer nanoflakes by Ti anodization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Chenglin; Wang Mengye; Xie Kunpeng; Wu Qi; Sun Lan; Lin Changjian [Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Lin Zhiqun, E-mail: sunlan@xmu.edu.cn, E-mail: cjlin@xmu.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2011-07-29

Microarrays of N-doped flower-like TiO{sub 2} composed of well-defined multilayer nanoflakes were synthesized at room temperature by electrochemical anodization of Ti in NH{sub 4}F aqueous solution. The TiO{sub 2} flowers were of good anatase crystallinity. The effects of anodizing time, applied voltage and NH{sub 4}F concentration on the flower-like morphology were systematically examined. It was found that the morphologies of the anodized Ti were related to the anodizing time and NH{sub 4}F concentration. The size and density of the TiO{sub 2} flowers could be tuned by changing the applied voltage. The obtained N-doped flower-like TiO{sub 2} microarrays exhibited intense absorption in wavelengths ranging from 320 to 800 nm. Under both UV and visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of the N-doped flower-like TiO{sub 2} microarrays in the oxidation of methyl orange showed a significant increase compared with that of commercial P25 TiO{sub 2} film.

Fabrication of monodispersed nickel flower-like architectures via a solvent-thermal process and analysis of their magnetic and electromagnetic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Jing; Liu Wei; Wang Fenglong; Wang Xinzhen; Luan Liqiang; Liu Jiurong; Wang Yuan; Zhang Zijun; Itoh, Masahiro; Machida, Ken-ichi

2011-01-01

Monodispersed Ni flower-like architectures with size of 1-2 μm were synthesized through a facile solvent-thermal process in 1,2-propanediol solution in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium alkali for electromagnetic absorption application. The Ni architectures are composed of nanoflakes, which assemble to form three dimensional flower-like structure, and the thickness of nanoflakes is about 10-40 nm. A possible formation mechanism for Ni flower-like architectures was proposed and it was confirmed by the control experiments. The Ni architectures exhibited a saturation magnetization (M s ) of 47.7 emu/g and a large coercivity (H cj ) of 332.3 Oe. The epoxy resin composites with 20 vol% Ni sample provided good electromagnetic wave absorption performance (reflection loss cj ) of 332.3 Oe. → Efficient electromagnetic absorption (RL<-20 dB) was provided in 2.8-6.3 GHz.

Flower-like hydrogenated TiO2(B) nanostructures as anode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhonghua; Zhou, Zhenfang; Nie, Sen; Wang, Honghu; Peng, Hongrui; Li, Guicun; Chen, Kezheng

2014-12-01

Flower-like hydrogenated TiO2(B) nanostructures have been synthesized via a facile solvothermal approach combined with hydrogenation treatment. The obtained TiO2(B) nanostructures show uniform and hierarchical flower-like morphology with a diameter of 124 ± 5 nm, which are further constructed by primary nanosheets with a thickness of 10 ± 1.2 nm. The Ti3+ species and/or oxygen vacancies are well introduced into the structures of TiO2(B) after hydrogen reduction, resulting in an enhancement in the electronic conductivity (up to 2.79 × 10-3 S cm-1) and the modified surface electrochemical activity. When evaluated for lithium storage capacity, the hydrogenated TiO2(B) nanostructures exhibit enhanced electrochemical energy storage performances compared to the pristine TiO2(B) nanostructures, including high capacity (292.3 mA h g-1 at 0.5C), excellent rate capability (179.6 mA h g-1 at 10C), and good cyclic stability (98.4% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 10C). The reasons for these improvements are explored in terms of the increased electronic conductivity and the facilitation of lithium ion transport arising from the introduction of oxygen vacancies and the unique flower-like morphologies.

Influence of EARLI1-like genes on flowering time and lignin synthesis of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y; Zhang, X; Xu, Z-Y; Li, L; Zhang, C; Schläppi, M; Xu, Z-Q

2011-09-01

EARLI1 encodes a 14.7 kDa protein in the cell wall, is a member of the PRP (proline-rich protein) family and has multiple functions, including resistance to low temperature and fungal infection. RNA gel blot analyses in the present work indicated that expression of EARLI1-like genes, EARLI1, At4G12470 and At4G12490, was down-regulated in Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants derived from transformation with Agrobacterium strain ABI, which contains a construct encoding a double-strand RNA targeting 8CM of EARLI1. Phenotype analyses revealed that Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants of EARLI1 flowered earlier than Col-FRI-Sf2 wild-type plants. The average bolting time of Col-FRI-Sf2 and Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants was 39.7 and 19.4 days, respectively, under a long-day photoperiod. In addition, there were significant differences in main stem length, internode number and rosette leaf number between Col-FRI-Sf2 and Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants. RT-PCR showed that EARLI1-like genes might delay flowering time through the autonomous and long-day photoperiod pathways by maintaining the abundance of FLC transcripts. In Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants, transcription of FLC was repressed, while expression of SOC1 and FT was activated. Microscopy observations showed that EARLI1-like genes were also associated with morphogenesis of leaf cells in Arabidopsis. Using histochemical staining, EARLI1-like genes were found to be involved in regulation of lignin synthesis in inflorescence stems, and Col-FRI-Sf2 and Col-FRI-Sf2 RNAi plants had 9.67% and 8.76% dry weight lignin, respectively. Expression analysis revealed that cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in lignin synthesis, was influenced by EARLI1-like genes. These data all suggest that EARLI1-like genes could control the flowering process and lignin synthesis in Arabidopsis. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Hydrothermal self-assembly of novel porous flower-like SnO_2 architecture and its application in ethanol sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, X.H.; Ma, S.Y.; Sun, A.M.; Zhang, Z.M.; Jin, W.X.; Wang, T.T.; Li, W.Q.; Xu, X.L.; Luo, J.; Cheng, L.; Mao, Y.Z.; Zhang, M.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We have fabricated porous SnO_2 nanoflowers using a simple hydrothermal route. • The sensitivity of porous SnO_2 nanoflowers is about 208 for 500 ppm ethanol at 300 °C. • The porous SnO_2 nanoflowers could be a good candidate for fabricating effective ethanol sensor. - Abstract: Different morphologies of tin dioxide (SnO_2) architectures were prepared by increasing reaction time (12, 18, 24 and 48 h) under a facile hydrothermal process and followed by calcination. The crystal structures and morphologies of the hierarchical architecture were characterized in detail by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the porous flower-like SnO_2 architecture was obtained by 24 h hydrotherm treatment. Most importantly, the sensors based on porous flower-like SnO_2 architecture exhibited perfect sensing performance toward ethanol with excellent selectivity, high response and fast response-recovery capability compared with other SnO_2 nanoflowers for the same ethanol concentration at 300 °C. The response value was about 208 and the response-recovery time was around 8 and 7 s for 500 ppm ethanol, respectively. The enhancement in gas sensing properties was attributed to the unique structures, including the flower-like structure and porous feature, which provided more gas active center and diffusion pathways. The results indicated that porous flower-like SnO_2 architecture was a potential candidate for fabricating effective ethanol sensor. Furthermore, the possible growth mechanism and the ethanol sensing mechanism of the architecture were discussed, too.

Theory of surface second-harmonic generation in silica nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lægsgaard, Jesper

2010-01-01

, while generating the second harmonic in one of the modes of the LP11 multiplet. This is shown to work in both circular and microstructured nanowires, although only one of the LP11 modes can be phase-matched in the microstructure. The prospect of obtaining large conversion efficiencies in silica...

Enhanced spectral emissivity of CeO2 coating with cauliflower-like microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Jianping; Li Yibin; He Xiaodong; Song Guangping; Fan Chenglei; Sun Yue; Fei Weidong; Du Shanyi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Cauliflower-like microstructured CeO 2 coating is prepared on Ni based substrate. ► The infrared emissive property at high temperature is investigated. ► Rough CeO 2 coating shows high emissivity, that is, 0.9 at 873 K and 0.87 at 1073 K. ► The emissivity enhancement mechanisms for the rough CeO 2 coating are discussed. - Abstract: Cerium dioxide is a transparent oxide with high refractive index (from 1.6 to 2.5 at 633 nm) in the visible and near-IR spectral regions. However, little attention has been paid to its optical property in mid-IR (2.5–25 μm). Here we report that the cauliflower-like microstructured CeO 2 coating deposited by electron beam physical vapor deposition technique shows high emissivity up to 0.9 at 873 K in the mid-IR spectral region. The high emissivity is attributed to the coupling between free propagating waves and space-variant polarizations caused by the cauliflower-like microstructure. This high emissivity coating shows a potential application in high temperature components.

Silica nanoparticles as the adjuvant for the immunisation of mice using hepatitis B core virus-like particles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dace Skrastina

Full Text Available Advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials have facilitated the development of silicon dioxide, or Silica, particles as a promising immunological adjuvant for the generation of novel prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. In the present study, we have compared the adjuvanting potential of commercially available Silica nanoparticles (initial particles size of 10-20 nm with that of aluminium hydroxide, or Alum, as well as that of complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvants for the immunisation of BALB/c mice with virus-like particles (VLPs formed by recombinant full-length Hepatitis B virus core (HBc protein. The induction of B-cell and T-cell responses was studied after immunisation. Silica nanoparticles were able to adsorb maximally 40% of the added HBc, whereas the adsorption capacity of Alum exceeded 90% at the same VLPs/adjuvant ratio. Both Silica and Alum formed large complexes with HBc VLPs that sedimented rapidly after formulation, as detected by dynamic light scattering, spectrophotometry, and electron microscopy. Both Silica and Alum augmented the humoral response against HBc VLPs to the high anti-HBc level in the case of intraperitoneal immunisation, whereas in subcutaneous immunisation, the Silica-adjuvanted anti-HBc level even exceeded the level adjuvanted by Alum. The adjuvanting of HBc VLPs by Silica resulted in the same typical IgG2a/IgG1 ratios as in the case of the adjuvanting by Alum. The combination of Silica with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL led to the same enhancement of the HBc-specific T-cell induction as in the case of the Alum and MPL combination. These findings demonstrate that Silica is not a weaker putative adjuvant than Alum for induction of B-cell and T-cell responses against recombinant HBc VLPs. This finding may have an essential impact on the development of the set of Silica-adjuvanted vaccines based on a long list of HBc-derived virus-like particles as the biological component.

Superlattice Microstructured Optical Fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Ming-Leung Vincent; Liu, Zhengyong; Cho, Lok-Hin; Lu, Chao; Wai, Ping-Kong Alex; Tam, Hwa-Yaw

2014-01-01

A generic three-stage stack-and-draw method is demonstrated for the fabrication of complex-microstructured optical fibers. We report the fabrication and characterization of a silica superlattice microstructured fiber with more than 800 rhomboidally arranged air-holes. A polarization-maintaining fiber with a birefringence of 8.5 × 10−4 is demonstrated. The birefringent property of the fiber is found to be highly insensitive to external environmental effects, such as pressure. PMID:28788693

Expression of paralogous SEP-, FUL-, AG- and STK-like MADS-box genes in wild-type and peloric Phalaenopsis flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Acri-Nunes-Miranda, Roberta; Mondragón-Palomino, Mariana

2014-01-01

The diverse flowers of Orchidaceae are the result of several major morphological transitions, among them the most studied is the differentiation of the inner median tepal into the labellum, a perianth organ key in pollinator attraction. Type A peloria lacking stamens and with ectopic labella in place of inner lateral tepals are useful for testing models on the genes specifying these organs by comparing their patterns of expression between wild-type and peloric flowers. Previous studies focused on DEFICIENS- and GLOBOSA-like MADS-box genes because of their conserved role in perianth and stamen development. The "orchid code" model summarizes this work and shows in Orchidaceae there are four paralogous lineages of DEFICIENS/AP3-like genes differentially expressed in each floral whorl. Experimental tests of this model showed the conserved, higher expression of genes from two specific DEF-like gene lineages is associated with labellum development. The present study tests whether eight MADS-box candidate SEP-, FUL-, AG-, and STK-like genes have been specifically duplicated in the Orchidaceae and are also differentially expressed in association with the distinct flower organs of Phalaenopsis hyb. "Athens." The gene trees indicate orchid-specific duplications. In a way analogous to what is observed in labellum-specific DEF-like genes, a two-fold increase in the expression of SEP3-like gene PhaMADS7 was measured in the labellum-like inner lateral tepals of peloric flowers. The overlap between SEP3-like and DEF-like genes suggests both are associated with labellum specification and similar positional cues determine their domains of expression. In contrast, the uniform messenger levels of FUL-like genes suggest they are involved in the development of all organs and their expression in the ovary suggests cell differentiation starts before pollination. As previously reported AG-like and STK-like genes are exclusively expressed in gynostemium and ovary, however no evidence for

Overexpression of a flower-specific aerolysin-like protein from the dioecious plant Rumex acetosa alters flower development and induces male sterility in transgenic tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Susana; Megías, Zoraida; Martínez, Cecilia; García, Alicia; Aguado, Encarnación; Chileh, Tarik; López-Alonso, Diego; García-Maroto, Federico; Kejnovský, Eduard; Široký, Jiří; Kubát, Zdeněk; Králová, Tereza; Vyskot, Boris; Jamilena, Manuel

2017-01-01

Sex determination in Rumex acetosa, a dioecious plant with a complex XY 1 Y 2 sex chromosome system (females are XX and males are XY 1 Y 2 ), is not controlled by an active Y chromosome but depends on the ratio between the number of X chromosomes and autosomes. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of sex determination, we generated a subtracted cDNA library enriched in genes specifically or predominantly expressed in female floral buds in early stages of development, when sex determination mechanisms come into play. In the present paper, we report the molecular and functional characterization of FEM32, a gene encoding a protein that shares a common architecture with proteins in different plants, animals, bacteria and fungi of the aerolysin superfamily; many of these function as β pore-forming toxins. The expression analysis, assessed by northern blot, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, demonstrates that this gene is specifically expressed in flowers in both early and late stages of development, although its transcripts accumulate much more in female flowers than in male flowers. The ectopic expression of FEM32 under both the constitutive promoter 35S and the flower-specific promoter AP3 in transgenic tobacco showed no obvious alteration in vegetative development but was able to alter floral organ growth and pollen fertility. The 35S::FEM32 and AP3::FEM32 transgenic lines showed a reduction in stamen development and pollen viability, as well as a diminution in fruit set, fruit development and seed production. Compared with other floral organs, pistil development was, however, enhanced in plants overexpressing FEM32. According to these effects, it is likely that FEM32 functions in Rumex by arresting stamen and pollen development during female flower development. The aerolysin-like pore-forming proteins of eukaryotes are mainly involved in defence mechanisms against bacteria, fungi and insects and are also involved in apoptosis and programmed cell death (PCD

Adjustable rheology of fumed silica dispersion in urethane prepolymers: Composition-dependent sol and gel behaviors and energy-mediated shear responses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Zhong, E-mail: 11329038@zju.edu.cn; Song, Yihu, E-mail: s-yh0411@zju.edu.cn; Wang, Xiang, E-mail: 11229036@zju.edu.cn; Zheng, Qiang, E-mail: zhengqiang@zju.edu.cn [MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

2015-07-15

Variation of colloidal and interfacial interactions leads to a microstructural diversity in fumed silica dispersions exhibiting absolutely different sol- or gel-like rheological responses. In this study, fumed silicas with different surface areas (200–400 m{sup 2}/g) and surface characteristics (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) are dispersed into moisture-cured polyurethane. The microstructures investigated using transmission electron microscope are associated perfectly with three different rheological behaviors: (i) Sols with well-dispersed silica aggregates, (ii) weak gels with agglomerate-linked networks, and (iii) strong gels with concentrated networks of large agglomerates. Though sols and gels are well distinguished by shear thickening or sustained thinning response through steady shear flow test, it is interesting that the sols and weak gels exhibit a uniform modulus plateau-softening-hardening-softening response with increasing dynamic strain at frequency 10 rad s{sup −1} while the strong gels show a sustained softening beyond the linear regime. Furthermore, the onset of softening and hardening can be normalized: The two softening are isoenergetic at mechanical energies of 0.3 J m{sup −3} and 10 kJ m{sup −3}. On the other hand, the hardening is initiated by a critical strain of 60%. The mechanisms involved in the generation of the sol- and the gel-like dispersions and their structural evolutions during shear are thoroughly clarified in relation to the polyols, the characteristic and content of silica and the curing catalysts.

Building Composite Fe-Mn Oxide Flower-Like Nanostructures: A Detailed Magnetic Study

KAUST Repository

Zuddas, Efisio; Lentijo Mozo, Sergio; Casu, Alberto; Deiana, Davide; Falqui, Andrea

2017-01-01

Here we show that it’s possible to produce different magnetic core-multiple shells heterostructures from monodispersed iron oxide spherical magnetic seeds by finely controlling the amount of a manganese precursor and using in a smart and simple way a cation exchange synthetic approach. In particular, by increasing the amount of precursor we were able to produce nanostructures ranging from Fe3O4/Mn-ferrite core/single shell nanospheres to larger, flower-like Fe3O4/Mn-ferrite/Mn3O4 core-double shell nanoparticles. We first demonstrate how the formation of the initial thin manganese-ferrite shell determines a dramatic reduction of the superficial disorder in the starting iron oxide, bringing to nanomagnets with lower hardness. Then, the growth of the second and most external manganese oxide shell causes the magnetical hardening of the heterostructures, while its magnetic exchange coupling with the rest of the heterostructure can be antiferromagentic or ferromagnetic, depending on the strength of the applied external magnetic field. This response is similar to that of an iron oxide-manganese oxide core-shell system but differs from what observed in multiple-shell heterostructures. Finally, we report as the most external shell becomes magnetically irrelevant above the ferrimagnetic-paramagnetic transition of the manganese oxide and the resulting magnetic behavior of the flower-like structures is then studied in-depth.

Building Composite Fe-Mn Oxide Flower-Like Nanostructures: A Detailed Magnetic Study

KAUST Repository

Zuddas, Efisio

2017-07-21

Here we show that it’s possible to produce different magnetic core-multiple shells heterostructures from monodispersed iron oxide spherical magnetic seeds by finely controlling the amount of a manganese precursor and using in a smart and simple way a cation exchange synthetic approach. In particular, by increasing the amount of precursor we were able to produce nanostructures ranging from Fe3O4/Mn-ferrite core/single shell nanospheres to larger, flower-like Fe3O4/Mn-ferrite/Mn3O4 core-double shell nanoparticles. We first demonstrate how the formation of the initial thin manganese-ferrite shell determines a dramatic reduction of the superficial disorder in the starting iron oxide, bringing to nanomagnets with lower hardness. Then, the growth of the second and most external manganese oxide shell causes the magnetical hardening of the heterostructures, while its magnetic exchange coupling with the rest of the heterostructure can be antiferromagentic or ferromagnetic, depending on the strength of the applied external magnetic field. This response is similar to that of an iron oxide-manganese oxide core-shell system but differs from what observed in multiple-shell heterostructures. Finally, we report as the most external shell becomes magnetically irrelevant above the ferrimagnetic-paramagnetic transition of the manganese oxide and the resulting magnetic behavior of the flower-like structures is then studied in-depth.

Preparation and characterization of silica aerogels from diatomite via ambient pressure drying

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Baomin; Ma, Hainan; Song, Kai

2014-07-01

The silica aerogels were successfully fabricated under ambient pressure from diatomite. The influence of different dilution ratios of diatomite filtrate on physical properties of aerogels were studied. The microstructure, surface functional groups, thermal stability, morphology and mechanical properties of silica aerogels based on diatomite were investigated by BET adsorption, FT-IR, DTA-TG, FESEM, TEM, and nanoindentation methods. The results indicate that the filtrate diluted with distilled water in a proportion of 1: 2 could give silica aerogels in the largest size with highest transparency. The obtained aerogels with density of 0.122-0.203 g/m3 and specific surface area of 655.5-790.7 m2/g are crack free amorphous solids and exhibited a sponge-like structure. Moreover, the peak pore size resided at 9 nm. The initial aerogels were hydrophobic, when being heat-treated around 400°C, the aerogels were transformed into hydrophilic ones. The obtained aerogel has good mechanical properties.

Expression profiling of FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene in alternate bearing 'Hass' avocado trees suggests a role for PaFT in avocado flower induction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dafna Ziv

Full Text Available In many perennials, heavy fruit load on a shoot decreases the ability of the plant to undergo floral induction in the following spring, resulting in a pattern of crop production known as alternate bearing. Here, we studied the effects of fruit load on floral determination in 'Hass' avocado (Persea americana. De-fruiting experiments initially confirmed the negative effects of fruit load on return to flowering. Next, we isolated a FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene, PaFT, hypothesized to act as a phloem-mobile florigen signal and examined its expression profile in shoot tissues of on (fully loaded and off (fruit-lacking trees. Expression analyses revealed a strong peak in PaFT transcript levels in leaves of off trees from the end of October through November, followed by a return to starting levels. Moreover and concomitant with inflorescence development, only off buds displayed up-regulation of the floral identity transcripts PaAP1 and PaLFY, with significant variation being detected from October and November, respectively. Furthermore, a parallel microscopic study of off apical buds revealed the presence of secondary inflorescence axis structures that only appeared towards the end of November. Finally, ectopic expression of PaFT in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering transition. Together, our data suggests a link between increased PaFT expression observed during late autumn and avocado flower induction. Furthermore, our results also imply that, as in the case of other crop trees, fruit-load might affect flowering by repressing the expression of PaFT in the leaves. Possible mechanism(s by which fruit crop might repress PaFT expression, are discussed.

Expression profiling of FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene in alternate bearing 'Hass' avocado trees suggests a role for PaFT in avocado flower induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziv, Dafna; Zviran, Tali; Zezak, Oshrat; Samach, Alon; Irihimovitch, Vered

2014-01-01

In many perennials, heavy fruit load on a shoot decreases the ability of the plant to undergo floral induction in the following spring, resulting in a pattern of crop production known as alternate bearing. Here, we studied the effects of fruit load on floral determination in 'Hass' avocado (Persea americana). De-fruiting experiments initially confirmed the negative effects of fruit load on return to flowering. Next, we isolated a FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene, PaFT, hypothesized to act as a phloem-mobile florigen signal and examined its expression profile in shoot tissues of on (fully loaded) and off (fruit-lacking) trees. Expression analyses revealed a strong peak in PaFT transcript levels in leaves of off trees from the end of October through November, followed by a return to starting levels. Moreover and concomitant with inflorescence development, only off buds displayed up-regulation of the floral identity transcripts PaAP1 and PaLFY, with significant variation being detected from October and November, respectively. Furthermore, a parallel microscopic study of off apical buds revealed the presence of secondary inflorescence axis structures that only appeared towards the end of November. Finally, ectopic expression of PaFT in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering transition. Together, our data suggests a link between increased PaFT expression observed during late autumn and avocado flower induction. Furthermore, our results also imply that, as in the case of other crop trees, fruit-load might affect flowering by repressing the expression of PaFT in the leaves. Possible mechanism(s) by which fruit crop might repress PaFT expression, are discussed.

Facile synthesis of flower-like BiOI hierarchical spheres at room temperature with high visible-light photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiao-jing; Li, Fa-tang; Li, Dong-yan; Liu, Rui-hong; Liu, Shuang-jun

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Flower-like BiOI hierarchical sphere is obtained in the presence of ethylene glycol. • A template free hydrolysis route is employed at room temperature. • Ethylene glycol plays an important role in assembling BiOI nanoflakes to form spheres. • The BiOI sphere shows high visible-light photocatalytic activity and good stability. - Abstract: Flower-like BiOI hierarchical spheres are prepared at room temperature via a template free route simply by dropping water into ethylene glycol (EG) solution containing reactants based on the hydrolysis and oriented assembly roles of water and EG, respectively. The BiOI samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption, emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–Vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic reaction rate constant of the as-prepared BiOI hierarchical spheres is 15.8, 13.3, and 2.0 times that of BiOI nanoflakes obtained in the absence of EG in degradation of anionic dye (methyl orange), cationic dye (methylene blue), and colorless target pollutant (phenol), respectively, under the visible-light irradiation, which can be attributed to its unique flower-like structure for utilization of light, small crystal size, and large specific surface area

Autonomous patterning of cells on microstructured fine particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Iwori; Kawanabe, Masato; Kaneko, Arata

2015-01-01

Regularly patterned cells can clarify cellular function and are required in some biochip applications. This study examines cell patterning along microstructures and the effect of microstructural geometry on selective cellular adhesion. Particles can be autonomously assembled on a soda-lime glass substrate that is chemically patterned by immersion in a suspension of fine particles. By adopting various sizes of fine particles, we can control the geometry of the microstructure. Cells adhere more readily to microstructured fine particles than to flat glass substrate. Silica particles hexagonally packed in 5–40 μm line and space microstructures provide an effective cell scaffold on the glass substrate. Cultured cells tend to attach and proliferate along the microstructured region while avoiding the flat region. The difference in cell adhesion is attributed to their geometries, as both of the silica particles and soda-lime glass are hydrophilic related with cell adhesiveness. After cell seeding, cells adhered to the flat region migrated toward the microstructured region. For most of the cells to assemble on the scaffold, the scaffolding microstructures must be spaced by at most 65 μm. - Highlights: • PS and SiO 2 particles provide effective scaffolds for cells. • Cells that adhere to microstructured particles successfully proliferate and differentiate. • Selective adhesion and growth along the scaffold can be achieved by patterning the fine particle microstructure. • Cells adhered to flat regions migrate toward microstructured regions. • Selective adhesion by cells depends on the microstructural geometry; specifically, on the inter-line spacing

A morphogram for silica-witherite biomorphs and its application to microfossil identification in the early earth rock record.

Science.gov (United States)

Rouillard, J; García-Ruiz, J-M; Gong, J; van Zuilen, M A

2018-05-01

Archean hydrothermal environments formed a likely site for the origin and early evolution of life. These are also the settings, however, were complex abiologic structures can form. Low-temperature serpentinization of ultramafic crust can generate alkaline, silica-saturated fluids in which carbonate-silica crystalline aggregates with life-like morphologies can self-assemble. These "biomorphs" could have adsorbed hydrocarbons from Fischer-Tropsch type synthesis processes, leading to metamorphosed structures that resemble carbonaceous microfossils. Although this abiogenic process has been extensively cited in the literature and has generated important controversy, so far only one specific biomorph type with a filamentous shape has been discussed for the interpretation of Archean microfossils. It is therefore critical to precisely determine the full distribution in morphology and size of these biomorphs, and to study the range of plausible geochemical conditions under which these microstructures can form. Here, a set of witherite-silica biomorph synthesis experiments in silica-saturated solutions is presented, for a range of pH values (from 9 to 11.5) and barium ion concentrations (from 0.6 to 40 mmol/L BaCl 2 ). Under these varying conditions, a wide range of life-like structures is found, from fractal dendrites to complex shapes with continuous curvature. The size, spatial concentration, and morphology of the biomorphs are strongly controlled by environmental parameters, among which pH is the most important. This potentially limits the diversity of environments in which the growth of biomorphs could have occurred on Early Earth. Given the variety of the observed biomorph morphologies, our results show that the morphology of an individual microstructure is a poor criterion for biogenicity. However, biomorphs may be distinguished from actual populations of cellular microfossils by their wide, unimodal size distribution. Biomorphs grown by diffusion in silica gel can

Manipulation of surface morphology of flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorods to enhance photocatalytic performance

Science.gov (United States)

U-thaipan, Kasira; Tedsree, Karaked

2018-06-01

The surface morphology of flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorod can be manipulated by adopting different synthetic routes and also loading different levels of Ag in order to alter their surface structures to achieve the maximum photocatalytic efficiency. In a single-step preparation method Ag/ZnO was prepared by heating directly a mixture of Zn2+ and Ag+ precursors in an aqueous NaOH-ethylene glycol solution, while in the two-step preparation method an intermediate of flower-shaped ZnO nanorod was obtained by a hydrothermal process before depositing Ag particles on the ZnO surfaces by chemical reduction. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized samples were characterized using TEM, SEM, XRD, DRS and PL techniques. The sample prepared by single-step method are characterized with agglomeration of Ag atoms as clusters on the surface of ZnO, whereas in the sample prepared by two-step method Ag atoms are found uniformly dispersed and deposited as discrete Ag nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO. A significant enhancement in the adsorption of visible light was evident for Ag/ZnO samples prepared by two-step method especially with low Ag content (0.5 mol%). The flower-like Ag/ZnO nanorod prepared with 0.5 mol% Ag by two-step process was found to be the most efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol, which can decompose 90% of phenol within 120 min.

Effects of metal coatings on adhesive characteristics of Gecko-like microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim Kyu Hye; An, Tea Chang; Hwang, Hui Yun

2015-01-01

Recently, there have been several studies on the inspiration and application of optimized natural structures. One study introduced a new adhesion method that was inspired by the feet of geckos because of their superior features such as high adhesion strength, ease-of-removal, and they are environmentally friendly. Various micro- or nano-structures were fabricated and tested for gecko-like dry adhesives, but gecko-like dry adhesives that were developed became easily worn from frequent use. In this study, we propose a metal-coating method to improve the durability of gecko-like dry adhesives. We evaluate the initial adhesion strength and durability by performing repeated adhesion tests on a glass plate. The initial adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was 60% of that for non-coated ones. However, the adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was kept as 58% of their initial adhesion strength, while that of non-coated ones was only 40%

Effects of metal coatings on adhesive characteristics of Gecko-like microstructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim Kyu Hye; An, Tea Chang; Hwang, Hui Yun [Dept. of Mechanical Design Engineering, Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

Recently, there have been several studies on the inspiration and application of optimized natural structures. One study introduced a new adhesion method that was inspired by the feet of geckos because of their superior features such as high adhesion strength, ease-of-removal, and they are environmentally friendly. Various micro- or nano-structures were fabricated and tested for gecko-like dry adhesives, but gecko-like dry adhesives that were developed became easily worn from frequent use. In this study, we propose a metal-coating method to improve the durability of gecko-like dry adhesives. We evaluate the initial adhesion strength and durability by performing repeated adhesion tests on a glass plate. The initial adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was 60% of that for non-coated ones. However, the adhesive strength of gold-coated micro-structures was kept as 58% of their initial adhesion strength, while that of non-coated ones was only 40%.

Silica segregation in the Ni/YSZ electrode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauch, Anne; Jensen, Søren Højgaard; Bilde-Sørensen, Jørgen

2007-01-01

. These postmortem analyses reveal the reason for the observed passivation, because results from energy-dispersive spectroscopy clearly show evidence that silica-containing impurities have segregated to the hydrogen electrode/electrolyte interface during electrolysis testing. Examples of different microstructures...

The effect of Ce3+ on structure, morphology and optical properties of flower-like ZnO synthesized using the chemical bath method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koao, L.F.; Dejene, F.B.; Swart, H.C.; Botha, J.R.

2013-01-01

Ce 3+ doped ZnO flower-like structures were synthesized by the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The influence of Ce 3+ as a dopant on the crystallization, surface morphology, optical and luminescent properties of ZnO flowers-like structures were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of the ZnO:Ce 3+ nanostructures correspond to the various planes of a single hexagonal ZnO phase for the lower Ce concentration samples. The estimated grain sizes calculated using the XRD spectra were found to be in order of 42±2 nm. The grain size was found to be not dependent on the concentration of the Ce 3+ ions used up to 3 mol% of Ce. Scanning Auger electron microscopy and scanning electron micrographs indicate that the addition of Ce 3+ influence the morphology of the samples. The flower-like structures obtained for the undoped and low concentration Ce doped ZnO changed into a mixed structure with the emergence of pyramid shapes for higher concentration Ce doped samples. The solid undoped and low concentration Ce doped powder showed good optical properties with a high reflectance in the visible regions. The properties, however, diminished at higher Ce concentration. The band gap energies decreased linearly with concentration from 3.0±0.1 to 2.4±0.3 eV for ZnO:0 mol% Ce 3+ up to ZnO:10 mol% Ce 3+ . Under 248 nm excitation, the undoped and low concentration Ce doped ZnO flower-like rods exhibited a green emission, peaking at about 559 nm. The higher Ce concentration (0.3 mol% and above) was emitted at 436 and 503 nm due to the Ce transitions. The intensity of these emission spectra of the ZnO:Ce 3+ decreased with the addition of more Ce 3+ ions. -- Highlights: • Ce 3+ doped ZnO flower-like structures were synthesized by CBD. • Flower-like hexagonal ZnO:Ce 3+ nanostructures were obtained for undoped and low mol% Ce. • ZnO changed into a mixed structure with emergence of pyramid shapes for higher mol% Ce. • Good optical properties with a high reflectance

Expression Profiling of FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like Gene in Alternate Bearing ‘Hass' Avocado Trees Suggests a Role for PaFT in Avocado Flower Induction

Science.gov (United States)

Ziv, Dafna; Zviran, Tali; Zezak, Oshrat; Samach, Alon; Irihimovitch, Vered

2014-01-01

In many perennials, heavy fruit load on a shoot decreases the ability of the plant to undergo floral induction in the following spring, resulting in a pattern of crop production known as alternate bearing. Here, we studied the effects of fruit load on floral determination in ‘Hass' avocado (Persea americana). De-fruiting experiments initially confirmed the negative effects of fruit load on return to flowering. Next, we isolated a FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene, PaFT, hypothesized to act as a phloem-mobile florigen signal and examined its expression profile in shoot tissues of on (fully loaded) and off (fruit-lacking) trees. Expression analyses revealed a strong peak in PaFT transcript levels in leaves of off trees from the end of October through November, followed by a return to starting levels. Moreover and concomitant with inflorescence development, only off buds displayed up-regulation of the floral identity transcripts PaAP1 and PaLFY, with significant variation being detected from October and November, respectively. Furthermore, a parallel microscopic study of off apical buds revealed the presence of secondary inflorescence axis structures that only appeared towards the end of November. Finally, ectopic expression of PaFT in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering transition. Together, our data suggests a link between increased PaFT expression observed during late autumn and avocado flower induction. Furthermore, our results also imply that, as in the case of other crop trees, fruit-load might affect flowering by repressing the expression of PaFT in the leaves. Possible mechanism(s) by which fruit crop might repress PaFT expression, are discussed. PMID:25330324

Self-Assembled 3D Flower-Like Hierarchical β-Ni(OH2Hollow Architectures and their In Situ Thermal Conversion to NiO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liao Gui-Hong

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Three-dimensional (3D flower-like hierarchicalβ-Ni(OH2hollow architectures were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route. The as-obtained products were well characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM (HRTEM, SAED, and DSC-TGA. It was shown that the 3D flower-like hierarchicalβ-Ni(OH2hollow architectures with a diameter of several micrometers are assembled from nanosheets with a thickness of 10–20 nm and a width of 0.5–2.5 μm. A rational mechanism of formation was proposed on the basis of a range of contrasting experiments. 3D flower-like hierarchical NiO hollow architectures with porous structure were obtained after thermal decomposition at appropriate temperatures. UV–Vis spectra reveal that the band gap of the as-synthesized NiO samples was about 3.57 eV, exhibiting obviously red shift compared with the bulk counterpart.

Fabrication of non-aging superhydrophobic surfaces by packing flower-like hematite particles

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Anmin; Cao, Liangliang; Gao, Di

2008-03-01

We demonstrate the fabrication of non-aging superhydrophobic surfaces by packing flower-like micrometer-sized hematite particles. Although hematite is intrinsically hydrophilic, the nanometer-sized protrusions on the particles form textures with overhanging structures that prevent water from entering into the textures and induce a macroscopic superhydrophobic phenomenon. These superhydrophobic surfaces do not age even in extremely oxidative environments---they retain the superhydrophobicity after being stored in ambient laboratory air for 4 months, heated to 800 degree C in air for 10 hours, and exposed to ultraviolet ozone for 10 hours.

Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic flower-like polyaniline architectures by using valine as a dopant in polymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jun; Bi, Hong

2012-03-01

A facile method was developed to fabricate superhydrophobic, flower-like polyanline (PANI) architectures with hierarchical nanostructures by adding valine in polymerization as a dopant. The water contact angle of the prepared PANI film was measured to be 155.3°, and the hydrophobic surface of the PANI architectures can be tuned easily by varying the polymerization time as well as valine doping quantity. It is believed that valine plays an important role in not only growth of the hierarchical PANI structures but also formation of the superhydrophobic surface, for it provides functional groups such as sbnd COOH, sbnd NH2 and a hydrophobic terminal group which may further increase intra-/inter-molecular interactions including hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and hydrophobic properties. Similar flower-like PANI architectures have been prepared successfully by employing other amino acids such as threonine, proline and arginine. This method makes it possible for widespread applications of superhydrophobic PANI film due to its simplicity and practicability.

Probing the interaction of flower-like CdSe nanostructure particles targeted to bovine serum albumin using spectroscopic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju Peng; Fan Hai; Liu Tao; Cui Lin; Ai Shiyun

2011-01-01

The interaction between flower-like CdSe nanostructure particles (CdSe NP) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated from a spectroscopic angle under simulative physiological conditions. Under pH 7.4, CdSe NP could effectively quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via static quenching. The binding constant (K A ) was 6.38, 3.27, and 1.90x10 4 M -1 at 298, 304, and 310 K, respectively and the number of binding sites was 1.20. According to the Van't Hoff equation, the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH o =-77.48 kJ mol -1 , ΔS o =-168.17 J mol -1 K -1 ) indicated that hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces played a major role in stabilizing the BSA-CdSe complex. Besides, UV-vis and circular dichroism (CD) results showed that the addition of CdSe NP changed the secondary structure of BSA and led to a decrease in α-helix. These results suggested that BSA underwent substantial conformational changes induced by flower-like CdSe nanostructure particles. - Highlights: → Estimate the binding of flower-like CdSe NP to BSA by spectroscopic methods. → Hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces were the major forces. →Addition of CdSe changed the micro-environmentl of BSA. → Decrease in α-helix of BSA secondary structure induced by CdSe.

Synthesis of flower-like Boehmite (γ-AlOOH) via a one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Zhe; Liang, Jilei; Li, Xuehui; Li, Jingfeng; Guo, Hailing; Liu, Yunqi; Liu, Chenguang

2013-01-01

A simple and novel synthesis process, one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal synthesis route, has been developed in the work to synthesize Bohemithe (γ-AlOOH) with flower-like structure. The samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Ionic liquid [Omim] + Cl − , as a template, plays an important role in the morphology and pore structure of the products due to its strong interactions with reaction particles. With the increase in the dosage of ionic liquid [Omim] + Cl − , the morphology of the γ-AlOOH was changed from initial bundles of nanosheets (without ionic liquid) into final well-developed monodispersed 3D flower-like architectures ([Omim] + Cl − =72 mmol). The pore structure was also altered gradually from initial disordered slit-like pore into final relatively ordered ink-bottle pore. Furthermore, the proposed formation mechanism and other influencing factors such as reaction temperature and urea on formation and morphology of the γ-AlOOH have also been investigated. - Graphical abstract: The flower-like γ-AlOOH architectures composed by nanosheets with narrow size distribution (1.6–2.2 μm) and uniform pore size (6.92 nm) have been synthesized via a one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route. - Highlights: • The γ-AlOOH microflowers were synthesized via an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route. • Ionic liquid plays an important role on the morphology and porous structure of the products. • Ionic liquid can be easily removed from the products and reused in recycling experiments. • A “aggregation–recrystallization–Ostwald Ripening“formation mechanism may occur

Synthesis of flower-like LiMnPO4/C with precipitated NH4MnPO4·H2O as precursor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jiali; Hu Dongge; Huang Tao; Yu Aishui

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Flower-like NH 4 MnPO 4 ·H 2 O is obtained by novel precipitating method. ► It is used as the precursor to synthesize LiMnPO 4 /C. ► Subsequent heat treatment would not destroy the precursor morphology. ► As-prepared LiMnPO 4 /C showed discharge capacity of 85 mAh/g at 0.05 C. - Abstract: Ammonium magnesium phosphate monohydrate (NH 4 MnPO 4 ·H 2 O) precursor was prepared by a novel precipitating process with manganese citrate complexes as intermediate. The morphology of the precursor observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was flower-like which was self-assembled by plate-like particles. Further analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the lattice of the plate crystal was orientated along (0 1 0) plane. By solid-state reaction of the precursor, with lithium acetate and glucose as carbon source, pure olivine structured LiMnPO 4 /C composite was obtained and meanwhile, the original flower-like morphology could be retained.

Ultrathin g-C3N4 Nanosheet-Modified BiOCl Hierarchical Flower-Like Plate Heterostructure with Enhanced Photostability and Photocatalytic Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiekun Jia

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A novel ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheet-modified BiOCl hierarchical flower-like plate heterostructure (abbreviated as BC/CN was constructed via a thermal polymerization of urea precursor followed with hydrolysis route. The as-prepared samples were well characterized by various analytical techniques. The morphological observation showed that hierarchical flower-like BiOCl nanoplates were discretely anchored on the surface of ultra-thin C3N4 nanosheets. The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared photocatalysts was evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB under visible-light irradiation. The results showed that BC/CN photocatalyst exhibited enhanced photostability and photocatalytic performance in the degradation process. On the basis of experimental results and the analysis of band energy structure, it could be inferred that the enhanced photocatalytic performance of BC/CN photocatalyst was intimately related with the hybridization of hierarchical flower-like BiOCl nanoplates with ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets, which provided good adsorptive capacity, extended light absorption, suppressed the recombination of photo-generated electron–hole pairs, and facilitated charge transfer efficiently.

In situ alkali-silica reaction observed by x-ray microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurtis, K.E.; Monteiro, P.J.M.; Brown, J.T.; Meyer-Ilse, W.

1997-01-01

In concrete, alkali metal ions and hydroxyl ions contributed by the cement and reactive silicates present in aggregate can participate in a destructive alkali-silica reaction (ASR). This reaction of the alkalis with the silicates produces a gel that tends to imbibe water found in the concrete pores, leading to swelling of the gel and eventual cracking of the affected concrete member. Over 104 cases of alkali-aggregate reaction in dams and spillways have been reported around the world. At present, no method exists to arrest the expansive chemical reaction which generates significant distress in the affected structures. Most existing techniques available for the examination of concrete microstructure, including ASR products, demand that samples be dried and exposed to high pressure during the observation period. These sample preparation requirements present a major disadvantage for the study of alkali-silica reaction. Given the nature of the reaction and the affect of water on its products, it is likely that the removal of water will affect the morphology, creating artifacts in the sample. The purpose of this research is to observe and characterize the alkali-silica reaction, including each of the specific reactions identified previously, in situ without introducing sample artifacts. For observation of unconditioned samples, x-ray microscopy offers an opportunity for such an examination of the alkali-silica reaction. Currently, this investigation is focusing on the effect of calcium ions on the alkali-silica reaction

In situ alkali-silica reaction observed by x-ray microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurtis, K.E.; Monteiro, P.J.M. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Brown, J.T.; Meyer-Ilse, W. [Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)

1997-04-01

In concrete, alkali metal ions and hydroxyl ions contributed by the cement and reactive silicates present in aggregate can participate in a destructive alkali-silica reaction (ASR). This reaction of the alkalis with the silicates produces a gel that tends to imbibe water found in the concrete pores, leading to swelling of the gel and eventual cracking of the affected concrete member. Over 104 cases of alkali-aggregate reaction in dams and spillways have been reported around the world. At present, no method exists to arrest the expansive chemical reaction which generates significant distress in the affected structures. Most existing techniques available for the examination of concrete microstructure, including ASR products, demand that samples be dried and exposed to high pressure during the observation period. These sample preparation requirements present a major disadvantage for the study of alkali-silica reaction. Given the nature of the reaction and the affect of water on its products, it is likely that the removal of water will affect the morphology, creating artifacts in the sample. The purpose of this research is to observe and characterize the alkali-silica reaction, including each of the specific reactions identified previously, in situ without introducing sample artifacts. For observation of unconditioned samples, x-ray microscopy offers an opportunity for such an examination of the alkali-silica reaction. Currently, this investigation is focusing on the effect of calcium ions on the alkali-silica reaction.

Enhanced spectral emissivity of CeO{sub 2} coating with cauliflower-like microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Jianping [Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080 Harbin (China); Li Yibin, E-mail: liyibin@hit.edu.cn [Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080 Harbin (China); He Xiaodong; Song Guangping [Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080 Harbin (China); Fan Chenglei [Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001 Harbin (China); Sun Yue [Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080 Harbin (China); Fei Weidong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001 Harbin (China); Du Shanyi [Center for Composite Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150080 Harbin (China)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cauliflower-like microstructured CeO{sub 2} coating is prepared on Ni based substrate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The infrared emissive property at high temperature is investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rough CeO{sub 2} coating shows high emissivity, that is, 0.9 at 873 K and 0.87 at 1073 K. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The emissivity enhancement mechanisms for the rough CeO{sub 2} coating are discussed. - Abstract: Cerium dioxide is a transparent oxide with high refractive index (from 1.6 to 2.5 at 633 nm) in the visible and near-IR spectral regions. However, little attention has been paid to its optical property in mid-IR (2.5-25 {mu}m). Here we report that the cauliflower-like microstructured CeO{sub 2} coating deposited by electron beam physical vapor deposition technique shows high emissivity up to 0.9 at 873 K in the mid-IR spectral region. The high emissivity is attributed to the coupling between free propagating waves and space-variant polarizations caused by the cauliflower-like microstructure. This high emissivity coating shows a potential application in high temperature components.

Comprehensive analysis of the flowering genes in Chinese cabbage and examination of evolutionary pattern of CO-like genes in plant kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiaoming; Duan, Weike; Huang, Zhinan; Liu, Gaofeng; Wu, Peng; Liu, Tongkun; Li, Ying; Hou, Xilin

2015-09-01

In plants, flowering is the most important transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. The flowering patterns of monocots and eudicots are distinctly different, but few studies have described the evolutionary patterns of the flowering genes in them. In this study, we analysed the evolutionary pattern, duplication and expression level of these genes. The main results were as follows: (i) characterization of flowering genes in monocots and eudicots, including the identification of family-specific, orthologous and collinear genes; (ii) full characterization of CONSTANS-like genes in Brassica rapa (BraCOL genes), the key flowering genes; (iii) exploration of the evolution of COL genes in plant kingdom and construction of the evolutionary pattern of COL genes; (iv) comparative analysis of CO and FT genes between Brassicaceae and Grass, which identified several family-specific amino acids, and revealed that CO and FT protein structures were similar in B. rapa and Arabidopsis but different in rice; and (v) expression analysis of photoperiod pathway-related genes in B. rapa under different photoperiod treatments by RT-qPCR. This analysis will provide resources for understanding the flowering mechanisms and evolutionary pattern of COL genes. In addition, this genome-wide comparative study of COL genes may also provide clues for evolution of other flowering genes.

Three-dimensional hierarchical porous flower-like nickel-cobalt oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite for high-capacity supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Peipei; Hu, Zhonghua, E-mail: huzh@tongji.edu.cn; Liu, Yafei; Yao, Mingming; Zhang, Qiang

2015-02-15

Highlights: • 3D hierarchical porous flower-like Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs was synthesized. • The electrode shows a large specific surface area and desirable mesoporosity. • High specific capacitances and outstanding stability were obtained. • The content of MWCNTs affects the electrochemical properties of the electrode. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous flower-like nickel-cobalt oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs) nanocomposites were fabricated by a facile and template-free hydrothermal method as electrodes for high-capacity supercapacitors. The samples were characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrochemical performance was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge, and cycle life. It was found that Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs nanocomposites displayed a high specific capacitance (1703 F g{sup −1} at a discharge current density of 1 A g{sup −1}) and, additionally, an excellent cycling performance, retaining 97% of the maximum capacitance after 2000 cycles at 10 A g{sup −1}. Even at a high current density (20 A g{sup −1}), the specific capacitance was still up to 1309 F g{sup −1}. This outstanding capacitive performance may be attributed to the ideal composition of the material and to its unique 3D hierarchical porous flower-like architecture.

Enhanced hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of Mg doped with flower-like MoS2 for fuel cell applications

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Minghong; Ouyang, Liuzhang; Liu, Jiangwen; Wang, Hui; Shao, Huaiyu; Zhu, Min

2017-10-01

In this work, flower-like MoS2 spheres are synthesized via a hydrothermal method and the catalytic activity of the as-prepared and bulk MoS2 on hydrolysis of Mg is systematically investigated for the first time. The Mg-MoS2 composites are prepared by ball milling and the hydrogen generation performances of the composites are investigated in 3.5% NaCl solution. The experimental results suggest that the as-prepared MoS2 exhibits better catalytic effect on hydrolysis of Mg compared to bulk MoS2. In particular, Mg-10 wt% MoS2 (as-prepared) composite milled for 1 h shows the best hydrogen generation properties and releases 90.4% of theoretical hydrogen generation capacity within 1 min at room temperature. The excellent catalytic effect of as-prepared MoS2 may be attributed to the following aspects: three-dimensional flower-like MoS2 architectures improve its dispersibility on Mg particles; make the composite more reactive; hamper the generated Mg(OH)2 from adhering to the surface of Mg; and increase the galvanic corrosion of Mg. In addition, a hydrogen generator based on the hydrolysis reaction of Mg-0.2 wt% MoS2 composite is manufactured and it can supply a maximum hydrogen flow rate of 2.5 L/min. The findings here demonstrate the as-prepared flower-like MoS2 can be a promising catalyst for hydrogen generation from Mg.

Three-dimensional hierarchical porous flower-like nickel-cobalt oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite for high-capacity supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Peipei; Hu, Zhonghua; Liu, Yafei; Yao, Mingming; Zhang, Qiang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • 3D hierarchical porous flower-like Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs was synthesized. • The electrode shows a large specific surface area and desirable mesoporosity. • High specific capacitances and outstanding stability were obtained. • The content of MWCNTs affects the electrochemical properties of the electrode. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous flower-like nickel-cobalt oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs) nanocomposites were fabricated by a facile and template-free hydrothermal method as electrodes for high-capacity supercapacitors. The samples were characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrochemical performance was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge, and cycle life. It was found that Ni-Co oxide/MWCNTs nanocomposites displayed a high specific capacitance (1703 F g −1 at a discharge current density of 1 A g −1 ) and, additionally, an excellent cycling performance, retaining 97% of the maximum capacitance after 2000 cycles at 10 A g −1 . Even at a high current density (20 A g −1 ), the specific capacitance was still up to 1309 F g −1 . This outstanding capacitive performance may be attributed to the ideal composition of the material and to its unique 3D hierarchical porous flower-like architecture

Phytoplasma Effector SAP54 Induces Indeterminate Leaf-Like Flower Development in Arabidopsis Plants1[C][W][OA

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Allyson M.; Sugio, Akiko; Makarova, Olga V.; Findlay, Kim C.; Grieve, Victoria M.; Tóth, Réka; Nicolaisen, Mogens; Hogenhout, Saskia A.

2011-01-01

Phytoplasmas are insect-transmitted bacterial plant pathogens that cause considerable damage to a diverse range of agricultural crops globally. Symptoms induced in infected plants suggest that these phytopathogens may modulate developmental processes within the plant host. We report herein that Aster Yellows phytoplasma strain Witches’ Broom (AY-WB) readily infects the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ecotype Columbia, inducing symptoms that are characteristic of phytoplasma infection, such as the production of green leaf-like flowers (virescence and phyllody) and increased formation of stems and branches (witches’ broom). We found that the majority of genes encoding secreted AY-WB proteins (SAPs), which are candidate effector proteins, are expressed in Arabidopsis and the AY-WB insect vector Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Hemiptera; Cicadellidae). To identify which of these effector proteins induce symptoms of phyllody and virescence, we individually expressed the effector genes in Arabidopsis. From this screen, we have identified a novel AY-WB effector protein, SAP54, that alters floral development, resulting in the production of leaf-like flowers that are similar to those produced by plants infected with this phytoplasma. This study offers novel insight into the effector profile of an insect-transmitted plant pathogen and reports to our knowledge the first example of a microbial pathogen effector protein that targets flower development in a host. PMID:21849514

Flower-Like ZnO-Assisted One-Pot Encapsulation of Noble Metal Nanoparticles Supported Catalysts with ZIFs

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lu; Liu, Haiou; Zhang, Xiongfu

2018-03-01

Rational design of efficient approaches to fabricate MOFs-coated core-shell composites is promising but challenging. We report here the encapsulation of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) supported flower-like ZnO (F-ZnO) microspheres with ZIF-8 shell through a facile strategy, in which the formation and immobilization of Pd NPs on F-ZnO supports and the subsequent growth of ZIF-8 shells over them are effectively integrated into one-pot synthetic route. Importantly, the utilization of ZnO both as support of Pd NPs and Zn2+ source of ZIF-8 is favorable for the implement of one-pot synthesis, due to its functions in anchoring Pd NPs and inducing ZIF-8 formation. Further insights into the morphological influence of zinc oxide particles on the resulting materials indicate that the flower-like microspheres with 2D nanosheets as subunits also benefit the coating of Pd NPs supported cores with ZIF-8, resulting in a well-defined core-shell catalyst. The achieved catalyst deliveries remarkable performance in terms of selectivity, anti-poisoning and recyclability in the liquid hydrogenations of alkenes.

Flower-like self-assembly of gold nanoparticles for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of chromium(VI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang Ruizhuo; Bragg, Stefanie A.; Chambers, James Q.; Xue Ziling

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Fabrication of a flower-like self-assembly of two AuNP layers on a GCE. ► Cr(VI) detection: 10–1200 ng L −1 concentration range; 2.9 ng L −1 detection limit. ► The 1st AuNP layer on the GCE surface as anchors for a thiol sol–gel film. ► The sol–gel film link the 1st AuNP layer to the 2nd AuNP layer. ► Functionalization of the 2nd AuNP layer by a thiol pyridinium for HCrO 4 − detection. - Abstract: We report here the fabrication of a flower-like self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as a highly sensitive platform for ultratrace Cr(VI) detection. Two AuNP layers are used in the current approach, in which the first is electroplated on the GCE surface as anchors for binding to an overcoated thiol sol–gel film derived from 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS). The second AuNP layer is then self-assembled on the surface of the sol–gel film, forming flower-like gold nanoelectrodes enlarging the electrode surface. When functionalized by a thiol pyridinium, the fabricated electrode displays a well-defined peak for selective Cr(VI) reduction with an unusually large, linear concentration range of 10–1200 ng L −1 and a low detection limit of 2.9 ng L −1 . In comparison to previous approaches using MPTS and AuNPs on Au electrodes, the current work expands the use of AuNPs to the GCE. Subsequent functionalization of the secondary AuNPs by a thiol pyridinium and adsorption/preconcentration of Cr(VI) lead to the unusually large detection range and high sensitivity. The stepwise preparation of the electrode has been characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and IR. The newly designed electrode exhibits good stability, and has been successfully employed to measure chromium in a pre-treated blood sample. The method demonstrates acceptable fabrication reproducibility and accuracy.

Self-assembled cabbage-like NaInS2 microstructures with efficient visible light photocatalytic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Yuanhao; Zhai, Xuezhen; Zhang, Yange; Xu, Zhihong; Li, Pinjiang; Zheng, Zhi

2013-01-01

Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures have been synthesized by reacting In(NO 3 ) 3 with the alkaline sulfur aqueous solution of NaOH in a simple hydrothermal process without any shape-directing surfactants. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures are monodispersed in large quantities. The cabbage-like morphologies depend strongly on the different ratios of S powder to NaOH, the reaction temperature and reaction time. The possible growth mechanism for the formation of cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures is discussed. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures exhibit the superiority of photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of RhB irradiation under visible light irradiation. It is believed that the photocatalytic superiority of the cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures is mainly due to their special surface areas and inner interconnected structural features. - Graphical abstract: Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures were facilely synthesized via simple hydrothermal reaction. The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures exhibit the superiority of photocatalytic performance for the photodegradation of RhB irradiation under visible light irradiation. - Highlights: • Cabbage-like NaInS 2 microstructures were facilely synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction. • Influencing parameters on the NaInS 2 morphologies have been discussed in detail. • The cabbage-like NaInS 2 architectures hold efficient photocatalytic performance. • The photocatalytic superiority is mainly due to their special structural features

Transcript Profile of Flowering Regulatory Genes in VcFT-Overexpressing Blueberry Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Walworth, Aaron E; Chai, Benli; Song, Guo-Qing

2016-01-01

In order to identify genetic components in flowering pathways of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), a transcriptome reference composed of 254,396 transcripts and 179,853 gene contigs was developed by assembly of 72.7 million reads using Trinity. Using this transcriptome reference and a query of flowering pathway genes of herbaceous plants, we identified potential flowering pathway genes/transcripts of blueberry. Transcriptome analysis of flowering pathway genes was then conducted on leaf tissue samples of transgenic blueberry cv. Aurora ('VcFT-Aurora'), which overexpresses a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene (VcFT). Sixty-one blueberry transcripts of 40 genes showed high similarities to 33 known flowering-related genes of herbaceous plants, of which 17 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated genes were identified in 'VcFT-Aurora'. All down-regulated genes encoded transcription factors/enzymes upstream in the signaling pathway containing VcFT. A blueberry CONSTANS-LIKE 5-like (VcCOL5) gene was down-regulated and associated with five other differentially expressed (DE) genes in the photoperiod-mediated flowering pathway. Three down-regulated genes, i.e., a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 2-like gene (VcMAF2), a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 5-like gene (VcMAF5), and a VERNALIZATION1-like gene (VcVRN1), may function as integrators in place of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) in the vernalization pathway. Because no CONSTAN1-like or FLOWERING LOCUS C-like genes were found in blueberry, VcCOL5 and VcMAF2/VcMAF5 or VRN1 might be the major integrator(s) in the photoperiod- and vernalization-mediated flowering pathway, respectively. The major down-stream genes of VcFT, i.e., SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of Constans 1-like (VcSOC1), LEAFY-like (VcLFY), APETALA1-like (VcAP1), CAULIFLOWER 1-like (VcCAL1), and FRUITFULL-like (VcFUL) genes were present and showed high similarity to their orthologues in herbaceous plants. Moreover, overexpression of VcFT promoted expression of all of these

Transcript Profile of Flowering Regulatory Genes in VcFT-Overexpressing Blueberry Plants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron E Walworth

Full Text Available In order to identify genetic components in flowering pathways of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L., a transcriptome reference composed of 254,396 transcripts and 179,853 gene contigs was developed by assembly of 72.7 million reads using Trinity. Using this transcriptome reference and a query of flowering pathway genes of herbaceous plants, we identified potential flowering pathway genes/transcripts of blueberry. Transcriptome analysis of flowering pathway genes was then conducted on leaf tissue samples of transgenic blueberry cv. Aurora ('VcFT-Aurora', which overexpresses a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene (VcFT. Sixty-one blueberry transcripts of 40 genes showed high similarities to 33 known flowering-related genes of herbaceous plants, of which 17 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated genes were identified in 'VcFT-Aurora'. All down-regulated genes encoded transcription factors/enzymes upstream in the signaling pathway containing VcFT. A blueberry CONSTANS-LIKE 5-like (VcCOL5 gene was down-regulated and associated with five other differentially expressed (DE genes in the photoperiod-mediated flowering pathway. Three down-regulated genes, i.e., a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 2-like gene (VcMAF2, a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 5-like gene (VcMAF5, and a VERNALIZATION1-like gene (VcVRN1, may function as integrators in place of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC in the vernalization pathway. Because no CONSTAN1-like or FLOWERING LOCUS C-like genes were found in blueberry, VcCOL5 and VcMAF2/VcMAF5 or VRN1 might be the major integrator(s in the photoperiod- and vernalization-mediated flowering pathway, respectively. The major down-stream genes of VcFT, i.e., SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of Constans 1-like (VcSOC1, LEAFY-like (VcLFY, APETALA1-like (VcAP1, CAULIFLOWER 1-like (VcCAL1, and FRUITFULL-like (VcFUL genes were present and showed high similarity to their orthologues in herbaceous plants. Moreover, overexpression of VcFT promoted expression of all of

Transcript Profile of Flowering Regulatory Genes in VcFT-Overexpressing Blueberry Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Walworth, Aaron E.; Chai, Benli; Song, Guo-qing

2016-01-01

In order to identify genetic components in flowering pathways of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), a transcriptome reference composed of 254,396 transcripts and 179,853 gene contigs was developed by assembly of 72.7 million reads using Trinity. Using this transcriptome reference and a query of flowering pathway genes of herbaceous plants, we identified potential flowering pathway genes/transcripts of blueberry. Transcriptome analysis of flowering pathway genes was then conducted on leaf tissue samples of transgenic blueberry cv. Aurora (‘VcFT-Aurora’), which overexpresses a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T-like gene (VcFT). Sixty-one blueberry transcripts of 40 genes showed high similarities to 33 known flowering-related genes of herbaceous plants, of which 17 down-regulated and 16 up-regulated genes were identified in ‘VcFT-Aurora’. All down-regulated genes encoded transcription factors/enzymes upstream in the signaling pathway containing VcFT. A blueberry CONSTANS-LIKE 5-like (VcCOL5) gene was down-regulated and associated with five other differentially expressed (DE) genes in the photoperiod-mediated flowering pathway. Three down-regulated genes, i.e., a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 2-like gene (VcMAF2), a MADS-AFFECTING FLOWERING 5-like gene (VcMAF5), and a VERNALIZATION1-like gene (VcVRN1), may function as integrators in place of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) in the vernalization pathway. Because no CONSTAN1-like or FLOWERING LOCUS C-like genes were found in blueberry, VcCOL5 and VcMAF2/VcMAF5 or VRN1 might be the major integrator(s) in the photoperiod- and vernalization-mediated flowering pathway, respectively. The major down-stream genes of VcFT, i.e., SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of Constans 1-like (VcSOC1), LEAFY-like (VcLFY), APETALA1-like (VcAP1), CAULIFLOWER 1-like (VcCAL1), and FRUITFULL-like (VcFUL) genes were present and showed high similarity to their orthologues in herbaceous plants. Moreover, overexpression of VcFT promoted expression of all

The effect of Ce{sup 3+} on structure, morphology and optical properties of flower-like ZnO synthesized using the chemical bath method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koao, L.F. [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866 (South Africa); Dejene, F.B., E-mail: dejenebf@qwa.ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866 (South Africa); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa); Botha, J.R. [Physics Department, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

2013-11-15

Ce{sup 3+} doped ZnO flower-like structures were synthesized by the chemical bath deposition method (CBD). The influence of Ce{sup 3+} as a dopant on the crystallization, surface morphology, optical and luminescent properties of ZnO flowers-like structures were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of the ZnO:Ce{sup 3+}nanostructures correspond to the various planes of a single hexagonal ZnO phase for the lower Ce concentration samples. The estimated grain sizes calculated using the XRD spectra were found to be in order of 42±2 nm. The grain size was found to be not dependent on the concentration of the Ce{sup 3+} ions used up to 3 mol% of Ce. Scanning Auger electron microscopy and scanning electron micrographs indicate that the addition of Ce{sup 3+} influence the morphology of the samples. The flower-like structures obtained for the undoped and low concentration Ce doped ZnO changed into a mixed structure with the emergence of pyramid shapes for higher concentration Ce doped samples. The solid undoped and low concentration Ce doped powder showed good optical properties with a high reflectance in the visible regions. The properties, however, diminished at higher Ce concentration. The band gap energies decreased linearly with concentration from 3.0±0.1 to 2.4±0.3 eV for ZnO:0 mol% Ce{sup 3+} up to ZnO:10 mol% Ce{sup 3+}. Under 248 nm excitation, the undoped and low concentration Ce doped ZnO flower-like rods exhibited a green emission, peaking at about 559 nm. The higher Ce concentration (0.3 mol% and above) was emitted at 436 and 503 nm due to the Ce transitions. The intensity of these emission spectra of the ZnO:Ce{sup 3+} decreased with the addition of more Ce{sup 3+} ions. -- Highlights: • Ce{sup 3+} doped ZnO flower-like structures were synthesized by CBD. • Flower-like hexagonal ZnO:Ce{sup 3+}nanostructures were obtained for undoped and low mol% Ce. • ZnO changed into a mixed structure with emergence of pyramid shapes for higher mol% Ce

Giant reversible magnetocaloric effect in flower-like β-Co(OH){sub 2} hierarchical superstructures self-assembled by nanosheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xianguo; Feng, Chao; Xiao, Feng; Jin, Chuangui; Xia, Ailin, E-mail: liuxianguohugh@gmail.com, E-mail: eeswor@polyu.edu.hk [Anhui Key Laboratory of Metal Materials and Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, PR (China); Or, Siu Wing [Department of Electrical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Sun, Yuping [Center for Engineering Practice and Innovation Education, Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan, PR (China)

2014-01-15

A facile hydrothermal strategy is proposed to synthesize flower-like β- Co(OH){sub 2} hierarchical microspherical superstructures with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 µm, which are self-assembled by β - Co(OH){sub 2} nano sheets with the average thickness ranging between 20 and 40 nm. The magnetocaloric effect associated with magnetic phase transitions in Co(OH){sub 2} superstructures has been investigated. A sign change in the magnetocaloric effect is induced by a magnetic field, which is related to a filed-induced transition from the antiferromagnetic to the ferromagnetic state below the Néel temperature. The large reversible magnetic-entropy change –ΔS{sub m} (13.4 J/kg K at 15 K for a field change of 5 T) indicates that flower-like Co(OH){sub 2} superstructures is a potential candidate for application in magnetic refrigeration in the low-temperature range. (author)

Flower morphology of Dendrobium Sonia mutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakinah Ariffin; Azhar Mohamad; Affrida Abu Hassan; Zaiton Ahmad; Mohd Nazir Basiran

2010-01-01

Dendrobium Sonia is a commercial hybrid which is popular as cut flower and potted plant in Malaysia. Variability in flower is important for new variety to generate more demands and choices in selection. Mutation induction is a tool in creating variability for new flower color and shape. In vitro cultures of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were exposed to gamma ray at dose 35 Gy. Phenotypic characteristics of the flower were observed at fully bloomed flower with emphasis on shape and color. Approximately 2000 regenerated irradiated plants were observed and after subsequent flowering, 100 plants were finally selected for further evaluation. Most of the color and shape changes are expressed in different combinations of petal, sepal and lip of the flower. In this work, 11 stable mutants were found different at flower phenotype as compared to control. Amongst these, four mutant varieties with commercial potential has been named as Dendrobium 'SoniaKeenaOval', Dendrobium 'SoniaKeenaRadiant', Dendrobium 'SoniaKeenaHiengDing' and Dendrobium 'Sonia KeenaAhmadSobri'. In this paper, variations in flower morphology and flower color were discussed, giving emphasis on variations in flower petal shape. (author)

New Methods of Enhancing the Thermal Durability of Silica Optical Fibers.

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Wysokiński, Karol; Stańczyk, Tomasz; Gibała, Katarzyna; Tenderenda, Tadeusz; Ziołowicz, Anna; Słowikowski, Mateusz; Broczkowska, Małgorzata; Nasiłowski, Tomasz

2014-10-13

Microstructured optical fibers can be precisely tailored for many different applications, out of which sensing has been found to be particularly interesting. However, placing silica optical fiber sensors in harsh environments results in their quick destruction as a result of the hydrolysis process. In this paper, the degradation mechanism of bare and metal-coated optical fibers at high temperatures under longitudinal strain has been determined by detailed analysis of the thermal behavior of silica and metals, like copper and nickel. We furthermore propose a novel method of enhancing the lifetime of optical fibers by the deposition of electroless nickel-phosphorous alloy in a low-temperature chemical process. The best results were obtained for a coating comprising an inner layer of copper and outer layer of low phosphorous nickel. Lifetime values obtained during the annealing experiments were extrapolated to other temperatures by a dedicated model elaborated by the authors. The estimated copper-coated optical fiber lifetime under cycled longitudinal strain reached 31 h at 450 °C.

A chalcone isomerase-like protein enhances flavonoid production and flower pigmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Yasumasa; Takagi, Kyoko; Fukuchi-Mizutani, Masako; Ishiguro, Kanako; Tanaka, Yoshikazu; Nitasaka, Eiji; Nakayama, Masayoshi; Saito, Norio; Kagami, Takashi; Hoshino, Atsushi; Iida, Shigeru

2014-04-01

Flavonoids are major pigments in plants, and their biosynthetic pathway is one of the best-studied metabolic pathways. Here we have identified three mutations within a gene that result in pale-colored flowers in the Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil). As the mutations lead to a reduction of the colorless flavonoid compound flavonol as well as of anthocyanins in the flower petal, the identified gene was designated enhancer of flavonoid production (EFP). EFP encodes a chalcone isomerase (CHI)-related protein classified as a type IV CHI protein. CHI is the second committed enzyme of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, but type IV CHI proteins are thought to lack CHI enzymatic activity, and their functions remain unknown. The spatio-temporal expression of EFP and structural genes encoding enzymes that produce flavonoids is very similar. Expression of both EFP and the structural genes is coordinately promoted by genes encoding R2R3-MYB and WD40 family proteins. The EFP gene is widely distributed in land plants, and RNAi knockdown mutants of the EFP homologs in petunia (Petunia hybrida) and torenia (Torenia hybrida) had pale-colored flowers and low amounts of anthocyanins. The flavonol and flavone contents in the knockdown petunia and torenia flowers, respectively, were also significantly decreased, suggesting that the EFP protein contributes in early step(s) of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway to ensure production of flavonoid compounds. From these results, we conclude that EFP is an enhancer of flavonoid production and flower pigmentation, and its function is conserved among diverse land plant species. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Leveraging a temperature-tunable, scale-like microstructure to produce multimodal, supersensitive sensors

KAUST Repository

Tai, Yanlong

2017-05-31

The microstructure of a flexible film plays an important role in its sensing capability. Here, we fabricate a temperature-dependent wrinkled single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) film (WSPF) and a wrinkle-dependent scale-like SWCNT/PDMS film (SSPF) successfully, and address the formation and evolution mechanisms of each film. The low elastic modulus and high coefficient of thermal expansion of the PDMS layer combined with the excellent piezoresistive behavior of the SWCNT film motivated us to investigate how the scale-like microstructure of the SSPF could be used to design multimodal-sensing devices with outstanding capabilities. The results show that SSPFs present supersensitive performance in mechanical loading (an effective sensitivity of up to 740.7 kPa-1) and in temperature (a tunable thermal index of up to 29.9 × 103 K). These exceptional properties were demonstrated in practical applications in a programmable flexile pressure sensor, thermal/light monitor or switch, etc., and were further explained through the macroscopic and microscopic piezoresistive behaviors of scale-like SWCNT coatings.

Microstructured fibers with high lanthanum oxide glass core for nonlinear applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kobelke, J.; Schuster, K.; Litzkendorf, D.; Schwuchow, A.; Kirchhof, J.; Bartelt, H.; Tombelaine, V.; Leproux, P.; Couderc, V.; Labruyere, A.

2009-05-01

We demonstrate a low loss microstructured fiber (MOF) with a high nonlinear glass core and silica holey cladding. The substitution of mostly used silica as core material of microstructured fibers by lanthanum oxide glass promises a high nonlinear conversion efficiency for supercontinuum (SC) generation. The glass composition is optimized in terms of thermochemical and optical requirements. The glass for the MOF core has a high lanthanum oxide concentration (10 mol% La2O3) and a good compatibility with the silica cladding. This is performed by adding a suitable alumina concentration up to 20 mol%. The lanthanum oxide glass preform rods were manufactured by melting technique. Besides purity issues the material homogeneity plays an important role to achieve low optical loss. The addition of fluorides allows the better homogenization of the glass composition in the preform volume by refining. The minimum attenuation of an unstructured fiber drawn from this glass is about 0.6 dB/m. It is mostly caused by decreasing of scattering effects. The microstructured silica cladding allows the considerable shifting of dispersive behavior of the MOF for an optimal pump light conversion. The MOF shows zero dispersion wavelengths (ZDW) of 1140 nm (LP01 mode) and 970 nm (LP11 mode). The supercontinuum generation was investigated with a 1064 nm pump laser (650 ps). It shows a broad band emission between 500 nm and 2200 nm.

Hierarchical flower-like carbon nanosheet assembly with embedded hollow NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles for high- performance lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Ling; Qiu, Huajun; Luo, Pan; Li, Wenxiang; Zhang, Huijuan; Wang, Yu, E-mail: wangy@cqu.edu.cn

2017-05-01

Highlights: • Flower-like NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}@carbon nanosphere is firstly synthesized for Li-ion batteries. • The nanostructure exhibits the unique feature of hollow NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles embedded inside and graphitized carbon layers coating outside. • The sample reveals stable structure, large specific surface area and good electrical conductivity. • The composite exhibits superior rate capability, cycling capacity and excellent Coulombic efficiency. - Abstract: The fabrication of closely bounded metal oxides/carbon hybrid nano-structures is significant for its use in energy-related areas especially lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this research, a flower-like carbon sphere with hollow NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles encapsulated inside the carbon thin nanopetal is fabricated by using a mixed basic carbonate nickel and cobalt sphere as the precursor and templates followed by the outer carbon membrane covering and two-step calcination process. When tested as anode material for LIBs, this flower-like carbon-based hybrid sphere demonstrates a significantly enhanced reversible capacity and cycling stability at various current densities.

Ultrasound-Assisted Enantioselective Esterification of Ibuprofen Catalyzed by a Flower-Like Nanobioreactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baiyi An

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A flower-like nanobioreactor was prepared for resolution of ibuprofen in organic solvents. Ultrasound irradiation has been used to improve the enzyme performance of APE1547 (a thermophilic esterase from the archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 in the enantioselective esterification. Under optimum reaction conditions (ultrasound power, 225 W; temperature, 45 °C; water activity, 0.21, the immobilized APE1547 showed an excellent catalytic performance (enzyme activity, 13.26 μmol/h/mg; E value, 147.1. After ten repeated reaction batches, the nanobioreactor retained almost 100% of its initial enzyme activity and enantioselectivity. These results indicated that the combination of the immobilization method and ultrasound irradiation can enhance the enzyme performance dramatically.

Facile synthesis of flower like copper oxide and their application to hydrogen peroxide and nitrite sensing

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Zhang Li

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and nitrite ion (NO2- is of great important in various fields including clinic, food, pharmaceutical and environmental analyses. Compared with many methods that have been developed for the determination of them, the electrochemical detection method has attracted much attention. In recent years, with the development of nanotechnology, many kinds of micro/nano-scale materials have been used in the construction of electrochemical biosensors because of their unique and particular properties. Among these catalysts, copper oxide (CuO, as a well known p-type semiconductor, has gained increasing attention not only for its unique properties but also for its applications in many fields such as gas sensors, photocatalyst and electrochemistry sensors. Continuing our previous investigations on transition-metal oxide including cuprous oxide and α-Fe2O3 modified electrode, in the present paper we examine the electrochemical and electrocatalytical behavior of flower like copper oxide modified glass carbon electrodes (CuO/GCE. Results Flower like copper oxide (CuO composed of many nanoflake was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction and characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD. CuO modified glass carbon electrode (CuO/GCE was fabricated and characterized electrochemically. A highly sensitive method for the rapid amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and nitrite (NO2- was reported. Conclusions Due to the large specific surface area and inner characteristic of the flower like CuO, the resulting electrode show excellent electrocatalytic reduction for H2O2 and oxidation of NO2-. Its sensitivity, low detection limit, fast response time and simplicity are satisfactory. Furthermore, this synthetic approach can also be applied for the synthesis of other inorganic oxides with improved performances and they can also be extended to

Enhanced photocatalytic properties of the 3D flower-like Mg-Al layered double hydroxides decorated with Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} under visible light illumination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ao, Yanhui, E-mail: andyao@hhu.edu.cn; Wang, Dandan; Wang, Peifang; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Qian, Jin

2016-08-15

Highlights: • 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite was prepared. • The nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants. • The mechanism of the enhanced activity were investigated. - Abstract: A facile anion-exchange precipitation method was employed to synthesize 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite photocatalyst. Results showed that Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on the petals of the flower-like Mg-Al LDH. The obtained nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants (cationic and anionic dyes, phenol) under visible light illumination. The high photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the special structure which accomplishes the wide-distribution of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles on the surfaces of the 3D flower-like nanocomposites. Therefore, it can provide much more active sites for the degradation of organic pollutant. Then the photocatalytic mechanism was also verified by reactive species trapping experiments in detail. The work would pave a facile way to prepare LDHs based hierarchical photocatalysts with high activity for the degradation of wide range organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.

In situ-growth of silica nanowires in ceramic carbon composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahul Kumar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available An understanding of the processing and microstructure of ceramic–carbon composites is critical to development of these composites for applications needing electrically conducting, thermal shock resistant ceramic materials. In the present study green compacts of carbon ceramic composites were prepared either by slurry processing or dry powder blending of one or more of the three — clay, glass, alumina and carbon black or graphite. The dried green compacts were sintered at 1400 °C in flowing argon. The ceramic carbon composites except the ones without clay addition showed formation of silica nanowires. The silica nanowire formation was observed in both samples prepared by slip casting and dry powder compaction containing either carbon black or graphite. TEM micrographs showed presence of carbon at the core of the silica nanowires indicating that carbon served the role of a catalyst. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED suggested that the silica nanowires are amorphous. Prior studies have reported formation of silica nanowires from silicon, silica, silicon carbide but this is the first report ever on formation of silica nanowires from clay.

Blooming Knit Flowers: Loop-Linked Soft Morphing Structures for Soft Robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Min-Woo; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

2017-04-01

A loop-linked structure, which is capable of morphing in various modes, including volumetric transformation, is developed based on knitting methods. Morphing flowers (a lily-like, a daffodil-like, gamopetalous, and a calla-like flower) are fabricated using loop patterning, and their blooming motion is demonstrated by controlling a current that selectively actuates the flowers petals. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The effect of high-pressure devitrification and densification on ballistic-penetration resistance of fused silica

Science.gov (United States)

Avuthu, Vasudeva Reddy

Despite the clear benefits offered by more advanced transparent materials, (e.g. transparent ceramics offer a very attractive combination of high stiffness and high hardness levels, highly-ductile transparent polymers provide superior fragment-containing capabilities, etc.), ballistic ceramic-glass like fused-silica remains an important constituent material in a majority of transparent impact-resistant structures (e.g. windshields and windows of military vehicles, portholes in ships, ground vehicles and spacecraft) used today. Among the main reasons for the wide-scale use of glass, the following three are most frequently cited: (i) glass-structure fabrication technologies enable the production of curved, large surface-area, transparent structures with thickness approaching several inches; (ii) relatively low material and manufacturing costs; and (iii) compositional modifications, chemical strengthening, and controlled crystallization have been demonstrated to be capable of significantly improving the ballistic properties of glass. In the present work, the potential of high-pressure devitrification and densification of fused-silica as a ballistic-resistance-enhancement mechanism is investigated computationally. In the first part of the present work, all-atom molecular-level computations are carried out to infer the dynamic response and material microstructure/topology changes of fused silica subjected to ballistic impact by a nanometer-sized hard projectile. The analysis was focused on the investigation of specific aspects of the dynamic response and of the microstructural changes such as the deformation of highly sheared and densified regions, and the conversion of amorphous fused silica to SiO2 crystalline allotropic modifications (in particular, alpha-quartz and stishovite). The microstructural changes in question were determined by carrying out a post-processing atom-coordination procedure. This procedure suggested the formation of high-density stishovite (and

Effects of Ag loading on structural and photocatalytic properties of flower-like ZnO microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiaodong, E-mail: fatzhxd@126.com [Environment and Low-Carbon Research Center, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Wang, Yuxin, E-mail: wyx790914@aliyun.com [Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Taizhou Vocation & Technical College, Taizhou Zhejiang 318000 (China); Hou, Fulin; Li, Hongxin; Yang, Yang [Environment and Low-Carbon Research Center, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Zhang, Xinxin [Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Taizhou Vocation & Technical College, Taizhou Zhejiang 318000 (China); Yang, Yiqiong; Wang, Yin [Environment and Low-Carbon Research Center, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Unique flower-like Ag/ZnO spheres were synthesized by simple hydrothermal method. • Depositing with moderate Ag improved visible light response and activity. • Photoexcited electrons transfer from Ag to ZnO due to surface plasmon resonance. • Ag/ZnO was stable even after recycling many times. - Abstract: Flower-like Ag/ZnO samples were successfully fabricated via a simple and cost efficient method without surfactants. The morphologies, structural and optical properties of Ag/ZnO samples with various Ag content were investigated. The samples were systematically characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption isotherm, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). It was found that ZnO was wurtzite phase and metallic Ag particles were wrapped by ZnO nanosheets. Compared with pure metallic Ag, the binding energy of Ag 3d for the Ag/ZnO samples distinctly shifted to the lower binding energy, which was attributed to the interaction between ZnO and Ag. With the increase of Ag content, surface plasmon absorption band of Ag/ZnO samples was obviously widened; meanwhile, PL intensity was decreased. The photocatalytic performance of Ag/ZnO samples were carried out by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) solution under visible light irradiation. The deposition of a certain amount of Ag was beneficial to the improvement of photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate of the Ag/ZnO sample with Ag/Zn ratio 1/20 was greater than fourfold times faster than that of ZnO. It was suggested that photoexcited electrons transferred from Ag to ZnO due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which could effectively reduce the recombination of electron–hole pairs and prolong lifetime of the electron–holes pairs, promoting the degradation efficiency. The deposition of a large amount of Ag

Pyrolytic carbon membranes containing silica: morphological approach on gas transport behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ho Bum; Lee, Sun Yong; Lee, Young Moo

2005-04-01

Pyrolytic carbon membrane containing silica (C-SiO 2) is a new-class material for gas separation, and in the present work we will deal with it in view of the morphological changes arising from the difference in the molecular structure of the polymeric precursors. The silica embedded carbon membranes were fabricated by a predetermined pyrolysis step using imide-siloxane copolymers (PISs) that was synthesized from benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydrides (BTDA), 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA), and amine-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). To induce different morphologies at the same chemical composition, the copolymers were prepared using one-step (preferentially a random segmented copolymer) sand two-step polymerization (a block segmented copolymer) methods. The polymeric precursors and their pyrolytic C-SiO 2 membranes were analyzed using thermal analysis, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, etc. It was found that the C-SiO 2 membrane derived from the random PIS copolymer showed a micro-structure containing small well-dispersed silica domains, whereas the C-SiO 2 membrane from the block PIS copolymer exhibited a micro-structure containing large silica domains in the continuous carbon matrix. Eventually, the gas transport through these C-SiO 2 membranes was significantly affected by the morphological changes of the polymeric precursors.

Constitutive expression of the K-domain of a Vaccinium corymbosum SOC1-like (VcSOC1-K) MADS-box gene is sufficient to promote flowering in tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Guo-qing; Walworth, Aaron; Zhao, Dongyan; Hildebrandt, Britton; Leasia, Michael

2013-11-01

The K-domain of a blueberry-derived SOC1 -like gene promotes flowering in tobacco without negatively impacting yield, demonstrating potential for manipulation of flowering time in horticultural crops. The SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) and SOC1-likes, belonging to the MIKC(c) (type II) MADS-box gene subfamily, are major floral activators and integrators of plant flowering. Both MADS-domains and K (Keratin)-domains are highly conserved in MIKC(c)-type MADS proteins. While there are many reports on overexpression of intact MIKC(c)-type MADS-box genes, few studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of the K-domains. In this report, a 474-bp K-domain of Vaccinium SOC1-like (VcSOC1-K) was cloned from the cDNA library of the northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). Functional analysis of the VcSOC1-K was conducted by ectopically expressing of 35S:VcSOC1-K in tobacco. Reverse transcription PCR confirmed expression of the VcSOC1-K in T0 plants. Phenotypically, T1 transgenic plants (10 T1 plants/event) flowered sooner after seeding, and were shorter with fewer leaves at the time of flowering, than nontransgenic plants; but seed pod production of transgenic plants was not significantly affected. These results demonstrate that overexpression of the K-domain of a MIKC(c)-type MADS-box gene alone is sufficient to promote early flowering and more importantly without affecting seed production.

Three-dimensional printing of transparent fused silica glass

Science.gov (United States)

Kotz, Frederik; Arnold, Karl; Bauer, Werner; Schild, Dieter; Keller, Nico; Sachsenheimer, Kai; Nargang, Tobias M.; Richter, Christiane; Helmer, Dorothea; Rapp, Bastian E.

2017-04-01

Glass is one of the most important high-performance materials used for scientific research, in industry and in society, mainly owing to its unmatched optical transparency, outstanding mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance as well as its thermal and electrical insulating properties. However, glasses and especially high-purity glasses such as fused silica glass are notoriously difficult to shape, requiring high-temperature melting and casting processes for macroscopic objects or hazardous chemicals for microscopic features. These drawbacks have made glasses inaccessible to modern manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional printing (3D printing). Using a casting nanocomposite, here we create transparent fused silica glass components using stereolithography 3D printers at resolutions of a few tens of micrometres. The process uses a photocurable silica nanocomposite that is 3D printed and converted to high-quality fused silica glass via heat treatment. The printed fused silica glass is non-porous, with the optical transparency of commercial fused silica glass, and has a smooth surface with a roughness of a few nanometres. By doping with metal salts, coloured glasses can be created. This work widens the choice of materials for 3D printing, enabling the creation of arbitrary macro- and microstructures in fused silica glass for many applications in both industry and academia.

Parallel evolution of TCP and B-class genes in Commelinaceae flower bilateral symmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Preston Jill C

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Flower bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy has evolved multiple times independently across angiosperms and is correlated with increased pollinator specialization and speciation rates. Functional and expression analyses in distantly related core eudicots and monocots implicate independent recruitment of class II TCP genes in the evolution of flower bilateral symmetry. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that monocot flower bilateral symmetry might also have evolved through changes in B-class homeotic MADS-box gene function. Methods In order to test the non-exclusive hypotheses that changes in TCP and B-class gene developmental function underlie flower symmetry evolution in the monocot family Commelinaceae, we compared expression patterns of teosinte branched1 (TB1-like, DEFICIENS (DEF-like, and GLOBOSA (GLO-like genes in morphologically distinct bilaterally symmetrical flowers of Commelina communis and Commelina dianthifolia, and radially symmetrical flowers of Tradescantia pallida. Results Expression data demonstrate that TB1-like genes are asymmetrically expressed in tepals of bilaterally symmetrical Commelina, but not radially symmetrical Tradescantia, flowers. Furthermore, DEF-like genes are expressed in showy inner tepals, staminodes and stamens of all three species, but not in the distinct outer tepal-like ventral inner tepals of C. communis. Conclusions Together with other studies, these data suggest parallel recruitment of TB1-like genes in the independent evolution of flower bilateral symmetry at early stages of Commelina flower development, and the later stage homeotic transformation of C. communis inner tepals into outer tepals through the loss of DEF-like gene expression.

Fabrication and characterization of special microstructured fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Kobelke, J.; Schuster, K.; Schwuchow, A.; Litzkendorf, D.; Spittel, R.; Kirchhof, J.; Bartelt, H.

2011-05-01

Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) as a novel type of light guiding media typically combine structural elements with very different chemical and optical behavior, e.g. silica - air, silica - high refractive index glasses. The applicative potential is very manifold: devices for telecommunication, nonlinear optics, sensing devices, fiber based gas lasers, etc. We report about preparation and characterization of selected total internal reflection (TIR) guiding MOFs: Air Clad Fiber, Suspended Core Fiber and heavy metal oxide (HMO) glass core MOFs. We fabricated Air Clad Fibers with extreme air fraction. The bridge width of about 0.13 μm corresponds to a numerical aperture (NA) of about 0.6. Suspended core fibers for evanescent sensing were prepared by pressurized drawing of arrangements of three and four capillaries. By inflating the cavities the NA was increased up to 0.68. Material combined MOFs were prepared for nonlinear application (e.g. supercontinuum generation) with lanthanum aluminum silicate glass core. Thermochemical and optical behaviors of high nonlinear core glass candidates were investigated for alumina concentration up to 20 mol% and lanthanum oxide concentration up to 24 mol% in silica matrix. The manufactured HMO glass core MOF with a La2O3 concentration of 10 mol% shows a similar background loss level like the unstructured HMO glass fiber about 1 dB/m.

Cloning and characterisation of two CTR1-like genes in Cucurbita pepo: regulation of their expression during male and female flower development.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Susana; Martínez, Cecilia; Gómez, Pedro; Garrido, Dolores; Jamilena, Manuel

2010-12-01

Ethylene is an essential regulator of flower development in Cucurbita pepo, controlling the sexual expression, and the differentiation and maturation of floral organs. To study the action mechanism of ethylene during the male and female flower development, we have identified two CTR1 homologues from C. pepo, CpCTR1 and CpCTR2, and analysed their expressions during female and male flower development and in response to external treatments with ethylene. CpCTR1 and CpCTR2 share a high homology with plant CTR1-like kinases, but differ from other related kinases such as the Arabidopsis EDR1 and the tomato LeCTR2. The C-terminal ends of both CpCTR1 and CpCTR2 have all the conserved motifs of Ser/Thr kinase domains, including the ATP-binding signature and the protein kinase active site consensus sequence, which suggests that CpCTR1 and CpCTR2 could have the same function as CTR1 in ethylene signalling. The transcripts of both genes were detected in different organs of the plant, including roots, leaves and shoots, but were mostly accumulated in mature flowers. During the development of male and female flowers, CpCTR1 and CpCTR2 expressions were concomitant with ethylene production, which indicates that both genes could be upregulated by ethylene, at least in flowers. Moreover, external treatments with ethylene, although did not alter the expression of these two genes in seedlings and leaves, were able to upregulate their expression in flowers. In the earlier stages of flower development, when ethylene production is very low, the expression of CpCTR1 and CpCTR2 is higher in male floral organs, which agrees with the role of these genes as negative regulators of ethylene signalling, and explain the lower ethylene sensitivity of male flowers in comparison with female flowers. The function of the upregulation of these two genes in later stages of female flower development, when the production of ethylene is also increased, is discussed.

An investigation of laser processing of silica surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, A.J.; Stewart, A.F.; Exarhos, G.J.; Stowell, W.K.

1988-01-01

An initial set of experiments has been conducted to determine the practicality of laser processing of optical substrates. In contrast to earlier work, a high average power CO 2 laser was used to flood load the entire surface of each test sample. Fused silica substrates were laser polished on both surfaces at power densities ranging from 150 to 350 W/cm 2 . During each test sequence sample surface temperatures were recorded using a thermal imaging system. Extensive pre- and post-test characterization revealed that surface roughness and scattering of bare silica surfaces were reduced while internal stress increased. Laser damage thresholds were found to increase only for certain conditions. Changes in the microstructure were observed. These preliminary experiments demonstrate that laser processing can dramatically improve the optical properties of fused silica substrates

Association of FLOWERING LOCUS T/TERMINAL FLOWER 1-like gene FTL2 expression with growth rhythm in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Science.gov (United States)

Avia, Komlan; Kärkkäinen, Katri; Lagercrantz, Ulf; Savolainen, Outi

2014-10-01

Understanding the genetic basis of the timing of bud set, an important trait in conifers, is relevant for adaptation and forestry practice. In common garden experiments, both Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) show a latitudinal cline in the trait. We compared the regulation of their bud set biology by examining the expression of PsFTL2, a Pinus sylvestris homolog to PaFTL2, a FLOWERING LOCUS T/TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (FT/TFL1)-like gene, the expression levels of which have been found previously to be associated with the timing of bud set in Norway spruce. In a common garden study, we analyzed the relationship of bud phenology under natural and artificial photoperiods and the expression of PsFTL2 in a set of Scots pine populations from different latitudes. The expression of PsFTL2 increased in the needles preceding bud set and decreased during bud burst. In the northernmost population, even short night periods were efficient to trigger this expression, which also increased earlier under all photoperiodic regimes compared with the southern populations. Despite the different biology, with few limitations, the two conifers that diverged 140 million yr ago probably share an association of FTL2 with bud set, pointing to a common mechanism for the timing of growth cessation in conifers. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Synthesis of flower-like sulfadiazine copper/polyvinyl pyrrolidone composite and its antimicrobial activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Ping [Henan University, Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials (China); Xu, Xiangmin [Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute (China); Li, Binjie, E-mail: lbj821@163.com [Medical School of Henan University (China); Zhao, Yanbao [Henan University, Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials (China)

2015-09-15

Flower-like sulfadiazine copper/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (SD-Cu/PVP) composite was synthesized at room temperature. Its structure and morphology were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and the possible forming mechanism was discussed as well. In addition, its antibacterial activity toward the bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration, the minimum bactericidal concentration, and cup diffusion method. Results suggested that the SD-Cu/PVP composite displayed selectively antibacterial activity for E. coli and P. aeruginosa than S. aureus.

Ultrafast synthesis of flower-like ordered Pd3Pb nanocrystals with superior electrocatalytic activities towards oxidation of formic acid and ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Jana, Rajkumar; Subbarao, Udumula; Peter, Sebastian C.

2016-01-01

Ordered intermetallic nanocrystals with high surface area are highly promising as efficient catalysts for fuel cell applications because of their unique electrocatalytic properties. The present work discusses about the controlled synthesis of ordered intermetallic Pd3Pb nanocrystals in different morphologies at relatively low temperature for the first time by polyol and hydrothermal methods both in presence and absence of surfactant. Here for the first time we report surfactant free synthesis of ordered flower-like intermetallic Pd3Pb nanocrystals in 10 s. The structural characteristics of the nanocrystals are confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The as synthesized ordered Pd3Pb nanocrystals exhibit far superior electrocatalytic activity and durability towards formic acid and ethanol oxidation over commercially available Pd black (Pd/C). The morphological variation of nanocrystals plays a crucial role in the electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and ethanol. Among the catalysts, the flower-like Pd3Pb shows enhanced activity and stability in electrocatalytic formic acid and ethanol oxidation. The current density and mass activity of flower-like Pd3Pb catalyst are higher by 2.5 and 2.4 times than that of Pd/C for the formic acid oxidation and 1.5 times each for ethanol oxidation.

Thermo-optic characteristics of hybrid polymer/silica microstructured optical fiber: An analytical approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Dinesh Kumar; Sharma, Anurag; Tripathi, Saurabh Mani

2018-04-01

Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) allow a variety of advanced materials to be infiltrated in their air-voids for obtaining the increased fiber functionality, and offering a new versatile platform for developing the compact sensors devices. We aim to investigate the thermal characteristics of high-index core triangular hybrid polymer/silica MOFs with circular air-voids infused with polymer by using the analytical field model [1]. We demonstrate that infiltration of air-voids with polymer, e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can facilitate to tune the fundamental modal properties of MOF such as effective index of the mode, near and the far-field profiles, effective mode area and the numerical aperture over the temperature ranging from 0 °C to 100 °C, for different values of relative air-void ratios. The evolution of the mode shape for a given temperature has been investigated in transition from near-field to far-field regime. We have studied the thermal dependence of splice losses between hybrid MOF and the standard step-index single-mode optical fiber in combination with Fresnel losses. For enhancing the evanescent field interactions, we have evaluated fraction of power associated with fundamental mode of hybrid MOF. We have compared the accuracy of our results with those based on full-vector finite-difference (FD) method, as available in the literature.

Bio-inspired synthesis of hybrid silica nanoparticles templated from elastin-like polypeptide micelles

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; MacEwan, Sarah R.; Chilkoti, Ashutosh; López, Gabriel P.

2015-07-01

The programmed self-assembly of block copolymers into higher order nanoscale structures offers many attractive attributes for the development of new nanomaterials for numerous applications including drug delivery and biosensing. The incorporation of biomimetic silaffin peptides in these block copolymers enables the formation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, which can potentially enhance the utility and stability of self-assembled nanostructures. We demonstrate the design, synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) diblock copolymers that undergo temperature-triggered self-assembly into well-defined spherical micelles. Genetically encoded incorporation of the silaffin R5 peptide at the hydrophilic terminus of the diblock ELP leads to presentation of the silaffin R5 peptide on the coronae of the micelles, which results in localized condensation of silica and the formation of near-monodisperse, discrete, sub-100 nm diameter hybrid ELP-silica particles. This synthesis method, can be carried out under mild reaction conditions suitable for bioactive materials, and will serve as the basis for the development and application of functional nanomaterials. Beyond silicification, the general strategies described herein may also be adapted for the synthesis of other biohybrid nanomaterials as well.The programmed self-assembly of block copolymers into higher order nanoscale structures offers many attractive attributes for the development of new nanomaterials for numerous applications including drug delivery and biosensing. The incorporation of biomimetic silaffin peptides in these block copolymers enables the formation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, which can potentially enhance the utility and stability of self-assembled nanostructures. We demonstrate the design, synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) diblock copolymers that undergo temperature-triggered self-assembly into well

Facile Synthesis of A 3D Flower-Like Mesoporous Ni@C Composite Material for High-Energy Aqueous Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Song; An, Cuihua; Zang, Lei; Chang, Xiaoya; Guo, Huinan; Jiao, Lifang; Wang, Yijing

2018-04-16

A 3D flower-like mesoporous Ni@C composite material has been synthesized by using a facile and economical one-pot hydrothermal method. This unique 3D flower-like Ni@C composite, which exhibited a high surface area (522.4 m 2  g -1 ), consisted of highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon flakes. The effect of calcination temperature on the electrochemical performance of the Ni@C composite was systematically investigated. The optimized material (Ni@C 700) displayed high specific capacity (1306 F g -1 at 2 A g -1 ) and excellent cycling performance (96.7 % retention after 5000 cycles). Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) that contained Ni@C 700 as cathode and mesoporous carbon (MC) as anode demonstrated high energy density (60.4 W h kg -1 at a power density of 750 W kg -1 ). © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Celtis tetrandra Roxb. of Ulmaceae is a moderately large handsome deciduous tree with green branchlets and grayish-brown bark. Leaves are simple with three to four secondary veins running parallel to the mid vein. Flowers are solitary, male, female and bisexual and inconspicuous. Fruit is berry-like, small and globose ...

Deep reactive ion etching of fused silica using a single-coated soft mask layer for bio-analytical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, Tathagata; Zhu, Haixin; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2010-01-01

In this note, we present our results from process development and characterization of reactive ion etching (RIE) of fused silica using a single-coated soft masking layer (KMPR® 1025, Microchem Corporation, Newton, MA). The effects of a number of fluorine-radical-based gaseous chemistries, the gas flow rate, RF power and chamber pressure on the etch rate and etching selectivity of fused silica were studied using factorial experimental designs. RF power and pressure were found to be the most important factors in determining the etch rate. The highest fused silica etch rate obtained was about 933 Å min −1 by using SF 6 -based gas chemistry, and the highest etching selectivity between the fused silica and KMPR® 1025 was up to 1.2 using a combination of CF 4 , CHF 3 and Ar. Up to 30 µm deep microstructures have been successfully fabricated using the developed processes. The average area roughness (R a ) of the etched surface was measured and results showed it is comparable to the roughness obtained using a wet etching technique. Additionally, near-vertical sidewalls (with a taper angle up to 85°) have been obtained for the etched microstructures. The processes developed here can be applied to any application requiring fabrication of deep microstructures in fused silica with near-vertical sidewalls. To our knowledge, this is the first note on deep RIE of fused silica using a single-coated KMPR® 1025 masking layer and a non-ICP-based reactive ion etcher. (technical note)

Preparation and characterization of flower-like gold nanomaterials and iron oxide/gold composite nanomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Zusing; Lin, Z H; Tang, C-Y; Chang, H-T

2007-01-01

We have successfully synthesized flower-like gold nanomaterials and Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanomaterials through the use of wet chemical methods in aqueous solution. In the presence of 0.5 mM citrate, 0.313 mM poly(ethylene glycol), and 109.72 mM sodium acetate (NaOAc), we prepared Au nanoflowers (NFs) having diameters ranging from 300 to 400 nm in aqueous solution after the reduction of Au ions at room temperature for 10 min. In the presence of spherical Fe 3 O 4 nanomaterials, we applied a similar synthetic method to prepare Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanomaterials, including nanowires (NWs) that have a length of 1.58 μm and a width of 28.3 nm. We conducted energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, and x-ray powder diffraction measurements to characterize the as-prepared flower-like Au nanomaterials and Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanomaterials. From time-evolution TEM measurements, we suggested that Au atoms that were bound to the Fe 3 O 4 nanomaterials grew to form Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanomaterials. The as-prepared Au NFs absorbed light strongly in the visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) region (500-1200 nm). The Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanomaterials had electronic conductivities greater than 100 nA at an applied voltage of 20 mV, which induced a temperature increase of 20.5 ± 0.5 deg. C under an alternating magnetic field (62 μT)

A microstructure-composition map of a ternary liquid/liquid/particle system with partially-wetting particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Junyi; Roell, David; Echavarria, Martin; Velankar, Sachin S

2017-11-22

We examine the effect of composition on the morphology of a ternary mixture comprising two molten polymeric liquid phases (polyisobutylene and polyethylene oxide) and micron-scale spherical silica particles. The silica particles were treated with silanes to make them partially wetted by both polymers. Particle loadings up to 30 vol% are examined while varying the fluid phase ratios across a wide range. Numerous effects of particle addition are catalogued, stabilization of Pickering emulsions and of interfacially-jammed co-continuous microstructures, meniscus-bridging of particles, particle-induced coalescence of the dispersed phase, and significant shifts in the phase inversion composition. Many of the effects are asymmetric, for example particle-induced coalescence is more severe and drop sizes are larger when polyisobutylene is the continuous phase, and particles promote phase continuity of the polyethylene oxide. These asymmetries are likely attributable to a slight preferential wettability of the particles towards the polyethylene oxide. A state map is constructed which classifies the various microstructures within a triangular composition diagram. Comparisons are made between this diagram vs. a previous one constructed for the case when particles are fully-wetted by polyethylene oxide.

Fabrication of hierarchical flower-like porous ZnO nanostructures from layered ZnC2O4·3Zn(OH)2 and gas sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Jiashan; Sun, Jianbo; Liu, Xin; Li, Jinwei; Ma, Xinzhi; Chen, Tingting

2014-01-01

ZnO materials with porous and hierarchical flower-like structure were synthesized through mild hydrothermal and simple calcination approach, in which the flower-like layered zinc oxalate hydroxide (ZnC 2 O 4 ·3Zn(OH) 2 ) precursor was first synthesized and then calcined at 600 °C. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopic (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. We proposed the possible growth mechanism of the material via studying the time evolution experiment results. In the process of reaction, oxalic acid as a structure-directing agent hydrolyzed and then formed primarily sheets-like intermediate ZnC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) as surfactant, with directional adsorption, leads to the formation of layered zinc oxalate hydroxide precursor. Furthermore, the gas sensitivity also can be characterized, whose results indicated that the synthesized materials had a preferable selectivity to ethanol gas. The fast response rate and reversible performance can be attributed to the produced greater specific surface area produced, which was caused by the porous and hierarchical flower-like structure.

Fabrication of hierarchical flower-like porous ZnO nanostructures from layered ZnC2O4·3Zn(OH)2 and gas sensing properties

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jiashan; Sun, Jianbo; Liu, Xin; Li, Jinwei; Ma, Xinzhi; Chen, Tingting

2014-07-01

ZnO materials with porous and hierarchical flower-like structure were synthesized through mild hydrothermal and simple calcination approach, in which the flower-like layered zinc oxalate hydroxide (ZnC2O4·3Zn(OH)2) precursor was first synthesized and then calcined at 600 °C. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopic (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. We proposed the possible growth mechanism of the material via studying the time evolution experiment results. In the process of reaction, oxalic acid as a structure-directing agent hydrolyzed and then formed primarily sheets-like intermediate ZnC2O4·2H2O. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) as surfactant, with directional adsorption, leads to the formation of layered zinc oxalate hydroxide precursor. Furthermore, the gas sensitivity also can be characterized, whose results indicated that the synthesized materials had a preferable selectivity to ethanol gas. The fast response rate and reversible performance can be attributed to the produced greater specific surface area produced, which was caused by the porous and hierarchical flower-like structure.

Preparation of flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere/reduced graphene oxide composites for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae-Woong [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Mira [Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak Yong [Department of BIN Convergence technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

In this study, novel flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere (FTS)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites (FTS-G) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic performance of the FTS-G composites was evaluated through the photodegradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) and trichloroethylene (TCE) under simulated solar light irradiation. The rGO to FTS ratio in the composites significantly affected photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activities of FTS-Gs in the degradation of Rh B and TCE were superior to that of pure FTS. Of all the FTS-G composites tested, FTS-G with 1 wt% rGO (FTS-G-1) had the greatest photocatalytic activity, while FTS-G composites with rGO contents over 1 wt% had lower photocatalytic activities. Additionally, it is expected that the synthesis of FTS with a high specific surface area and well-developed pore structure and simultaneous conversion of GO to graphene-like rGO without the use of strong reducing agents could be a promising strategy to prepare other carbon-based flower-like TiO{sub 2} sphere composite photocatalysts. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of high photocatalytic activity for FTS-G composites. Display Omitted.

New Methods of Enhancing the Thermal Durability of Silica Optical Fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karol Wysokiński

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Microstructured optical fibers can be precisely tailored for many different applications, out of which sensing has been found to be particularly interesting. However, placing silica optical fiber sensors in harsh environments results in their quick destruction as a result of the hydrolysis process. In this paper, the degradation mechanism of bare and metal-coated optical fibers at high temperatures under longitudinal strain has been determined by detailed analysis of the thermal behavior of silica and metals, like copper and nickel. We furthermore propose a novel method of enhancing the lifetime of optical fibers by the deposition of electroless nickel-phosphorous alloy in a low-temperature chemical process. The best results were obtained for a coating comprising an inner layer of copper and outer layer of low phosphorous nickel. Lifetime values obtained during the annealing experiments were extrapolated to other temperatures by a dedicated model elaborated by the authors. The estimated copper-coated optical fiber lifetime under cycled longitudinal strain reached 31 h at 450 °C.

Self-assembly of novel hierarchical flowers-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} decorated on 2D graphene nanosheets hybrid as high-performance anode materials for LIBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xuefang, E-mail: 1021633952@qq.com [Department of Applied Chemistry and The Key Laboratory of Space Applied Physics and Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Huang, Ying, E-mail: yingh@nwpu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Chemistry and The Key Laboratory of Space Applied Physics and Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China); Li, Tianpeng [Shijiazhuang Mechanical Engineering College, Shi Jia Zhuang 050003 (China); Wei, Chao; Yan, Jing; Feng, Xuansheng [Department of Applied Chemistry and The Key Laboratory of Space Applied Physics and Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072 (China)

2017-05-31

Highlights: • Novel hierarchical Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} decorated on graphene nanosheets has been synthesized. • As the anode materials, the composite has not been investigated. • An insight into the common discharging behavior of the composite. • The composite displayed high capacity and good cycling stability. - Abstract: Novel hierarchical flower-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} assembled by thin Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanosheets{sub ,} as a kind of mixed-valence tin oxide, decorated on two-dimensional graphene nanosheets has been synthesized via a hydrothermal route and a step solution deoxidization technique. More importantly, as the anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the flower-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/graphene composite has not been investigated in detail. Noticeably, the nanosheets stemming from flower-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} and graphene have been linked together to form a specials three dimensional structure, possessing high active surface area and large enough inner spaces, which is benefit to the diffusion of liquid electrolyte into the electrode materials. In addition, the special structure could provide sufficient free volume to buffer the volume expansion appeared in the process of discharging and charging. The as-prepared flowers-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/graphene displayed excellent electrochemical performance with high capacity and good cycling stability as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The discharge capacity is 1727 mAh/g in the first cycle at the current density of 60 mA/g. The obtained reversible capacity is 631mAh/g with a coulomb efficiency of 97.04% after 50 cycles. With its better electrochemical properties, the as-prepared flowers-like Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/graphene has the potential to be the next generation materials as an environmentally benign, abundant, cheap anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Efficient 3D porous microstructure reconstruction via Gaussian random field and hybrid optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Z; Chen, W; Burkhart, C

2013-11-01

Obtaining an accurate three-dimensional (3D) structure of a porous microstructure is important for assessing the material properties based on finite element analysis. Whereas directly obtaining 3D images of the microstructure is impractical under many circumstances, two sets of methods have been developed in literature to generate (reconstruct) 3D microstructure from its 2D images: one characterizes the microstructure based on certain statistical descriptors, typically two-point correlation function and cluster correlation function, and then performs an optimization process to build a 3D structure that matches those statistical descriptors; the other method models the microstructure using stochastic models like a Gaussian random field and generates a 3D structure directly from the function. The former obtains a relatively accurate 3D microstructure, but computationally the optimization process can be very intensive, especially for problems with large image size; the latter generates a 3D microstructure quickly but sacrifices the accuracy due to issues in numerical implementations. A hybrid optimization approach of modelling the 3D porous microstructure of random isotropic two-phase materials is proposed in this paper, which combines the two sets of methods and hence maintains the accuracy of the correlation-based method with improved efficiency. The proposed technique is verified for 3D reconstructions based on silica polymer composite images with different volume fractions. A comparison of the reconstructed microstructures and the optimization histories for both the original correlation-based method and our hybrid approach demonstrates the improved efficiency of the approach. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2013 Royal Microscopical Society.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Srimath

Grevillea robusta A. Cunn. ex R. Br. (Sil- ver Oak) of Proteaceae is a daintily lacy ornamental tree while young and growing into a mighty tree (45 m). Young shoots are silvery grey and the leaves are fern- like. Flowers are golden-yellow in one- sided racemes (10 cm). Fruit is a boat- shaped, woody follicle.

The introns in FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE (FTL) genes are useful markers for tracking paternity in tetraploid Chenopodium quinoa Willd

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Štorchová, Helena; Drabešová, Jana; Cháb, David; Kolář, Jan; Jellen, E.N.

2015-01-01

Roč. 62, č. 6 (2015), s. 913-925 ISSN 0925-9864 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP506/12/1359 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Ancestry * Chenopodium quinoa * FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE (FTL) genes Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 1.258, year: 2015

An identification of the soft polyelectrolyte gel-like layer on silica colloids using atomic force and electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Škvarla, Jiří; Škvarla, Juraj

2017-10-01

A procedure is introduced for measuring the radius of spherical colloid particles from the curvature of upper parts of their central cross-sectional profiles obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To minimize the possible compression and displacement of the spheres, AFM is operated in a mode rendering a constant ultralow pN force on the tip. The procedure allows us to evaluate the mean radius of nearly monodisperse submicrometer spheres of silica in their natively hydrated state in aqueous electrolyte solutions, irrespective of whether they are coagulated or not. A variation in the volume (swelling degree) of layers delimited by the AFM mean radii of these spheres in KCl solutions and their invariable mean radius in vacuum is obtained that follows a scaling power law derived in polymer physics for swellable polyelectrolyte gels and deduced previously by us from coagulation tests. This supports our former suggestion about the existence of soft polyelectrolyte gel-like layer developed spontaneously around silica surfaces and colloids. We discuss this finding in the context of recent knowledge about the structure of the silica/water interface obtained from direct surface force measurements between macroscopic silica surfaces and from particle size measurements of silica colloids and highlight its importance for colloid chemistry and condensed mattter physics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fouling behavior of microstructured hollow fibers in cross-flow filtrations: Critical flux determination and direct visual observation of particle deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Culfaz, P.Z.; Haddad, M.; Wessling, Matthias; Lammertink, Rob G.H.

2011-01-01

The fouling behavior of microstructured hollow fiber membranes was investigated in cross-flow filtrations of colloidal silica and yeast. In addition to the as-fabricated microstructured fibers, twisted fibers made by twisting the microstructured fibers around their own axes were tested and compared

Glycolthermal synthesis and characterization of hexagonal CdS round microparticles in flower-like clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phuruangrat, Anukorn; Ekthammathat, Nuengruethai; Thongtem, Titipun; Thongtem, Somchai

2011-01-01

Highlights: → CdS as one of II-VI semiconducting materials. → Lab-made Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclaves enable us to form hexagonal CdS. → By 100-200 deg. C processing, round microparticles in flower clusters were synthesized. → A promising material for multiple potential applications. - Abstract: Hexagonal CdS round microparticles in flower-like clusters were synthesized by glycolthermal reactions of CdCl 2 and thiourea as cadmium and sulphur sources in 1,2-propylene glycol (PG) at 100-200 deg. C for 10-30 h. Phase and morphology were detected using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The products were pure phase of hexagonal wurtzite CdS. The quantitative elemental analysis of Cd:S ratio was detected using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer. Raman spectrometer revealed the presence of fundamental and overtone modes at 296 and 595 cm -1 , corresponding to the strong 1LO and weak 2LO modes, respectively. Photonic properties were investigated using UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. They showed the same absorption at 493-498 nm, and emission at 431 nm due to the excitonic recombination process. A possible formation mechanism was also proposed, according to experimental results.

Glycolthermal synthesis and characterization of hexagonal CdS round microparticles in flower-like clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phuruangrat, Anukorn, E-mail: phuruangrat@hotmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Ekthammathat, Nuengruethai [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongtem, Titipun, E-mail: ttpthongtem@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongtem, Somchai [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

2011-10-13

Highlights: > CdS as one of II-VI semiconducting materials. > Lab-made Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclaves enable us to form hexagonal CdS. > By 100-200 deg. C processing, round microparticles in flower clusters were synthesized. > A promising material for multiple potential applications. - Abstract: Hexagonal CdS round microparticles in flower-like clusters were synthesized by glycolthermal reactions of CdCl{sub 2} and thiourea as cadmium and sulphur sources in 1,2-propylene glycol (PG) at 100-200 deg. C for 10-30 h. Phase and morphology were detected using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The products were pure phase of hexagonal wurtzite CdS. The quantitative elemental analysis of Cd:S ratio was detected using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer. Raman spectrometer revealed the presence of fundamental and overtone modes at 296 and 595 cm{sup -1}, corresponding to the strong 1LO and weak 2LO modes, respectively. Photonic properties were investigated using UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. They showed the same absorption at 493-498 nm, and emission at 431 nm due to the excitonic recombination process. A possible formation mechanism was also proposed, according to experimental results.

Wear resistance and electrical properties of functionally graded epoxy-resin/silica composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rihan, Y. A.; Abd El-Bary, B.

2012-12-01

In this paper graded Silica/Epoxy composite fabricated by controlled mold filling to obtain a stepwise graded structure. The generated graded structure was controlled by the w 1% content of silica particulates of size range from (45 μm-250 μm). Microstructural characterization was conducted using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Electrical properties were conducted in High Voltage-Lab using Sphere-Plate Electrode System and Insulating resistance equipment s. Wear characteristics were studied using Block-on-Ring wear testing machine for the different layers of the graded silica/epoxy composites, The prepared materials are used as coating materials for the floors of chemical laboratories. (Author)

Preparation of 3D flower-like NiO hierarchical architectures and their electrochemical properties in lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Qing; Chen, Yuejiao; Yang, Ting; Lei, Danni; Zhang, Guanhua; Mei, Lin; Chen, Libao; Li, Qiuhong; Wang, Taihong

2013-01-01

3D flower-like NiO hierarchical architectures have been synthesized by a simple ethanolamine (EA)-mediated self-assembly route and subsequent calcination process. The synthesized β-Ni(OH) 2 precursors annealed at 300, 400 and 500 °C exhibit similar morphology by scanning electron microscopy and different crystallinity, surface area, and pore distribution via X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. The electrochemical properties indicate that the synthesized NiO hierarchical architectures annealed at 300 °C show the best electrochemical performance, which presents a reversible specific capacity of 713 mAh g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 after 40 cycles. With varying the rate from 100 to 1000 mA g −1 , the capacity still remains 580 mAh g −1 at 500 mA g −1 after 18 cycles and resumes to 470 mAh g −1 at the same rate after 30 cycles. The above results indicate that the 3D flower-like NiO hierarchical architectures are promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Synthesis and silica coating of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like titanate (K0.8Li0.27Ti1.73O4) nanocomposite by seeded polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Yin, Shu; Sato, Tsugio

2007-01-01

Calcia-doped ceria is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products because of the excellent UV light absorption property and low catalytic ability for the oxidation of organic materials superior to undoped ceria. In order to reduce the oxidation catalytic activity further, calcia-doped ceria was coated with amorphous silica by means of seeded polymerization technique. Generally, nanoparticles of inorganic materials do not provide a good coverage for human skin because of the agglomeration of the particles. The plate-like particles are required to enhance the coverage ability of inorganic materials. This can be accomplished by synthesis of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate (K 0.8 Li 0.27 Ti 1.73 O 4 ) nanocomposite with subsequent silica coating to control catalytic activity of calcia-doped ceria. Calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was prepared by soft chemical method followed by silica coating via seeded polymerization technique. Silica coated calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM, XPS and FT-IR

Large and abundant flowers increase indirect costs of corollas: a study of coflowering sympatric Mediterranean species of contrasting flower size.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixido, Alberto L; Valladares, Fernando

2013-09-01

Large floral displays receive more pollinator visits but involve higher production and maintenance costs. This can result in indirect costs which may negatively affect functions like reproductive output. In this study, we explored the relationship between floral display and indirect costs in two pairs of coflowering sympatric Mediterranean Cistus of contrasting flower size. We hypothesized that: (1) corolla production entails direct costs in dry mass, N and P, (2) corollas entail significant indirect costs in terms of fruit set and seed production, (3) indirect costs increase with floral display, (4) indirect costs are greater in larger-flowered sympatric species, and (5) local climatic conditions influence indirect costs. We compared fruit set and seed production of petal-removed flowers and unmanipulated control flowers and evaluated the influence of mean flower number and mean flower size on relative fruit and seed gain of petal-removed and control flowers. Fruit set and seed production were significantly higher in petal-removed flowers in all the studied species. A positive relationship was found between relative fruit gain and mean individual flower size within species. In one pair of species, fruit gain was higher in the large-flowered species, as was the correlation between fruit gain and mean number of open flowers. In the other pair, the correlation between fruit gain and mean flower size was also higher in the large-flowered species. These results reveal that Mediterranean environments impose significant constraints on floral display, counteracting advantages of large flowers from the pollination point of view with increased indirect costs of such flowers.

Low resolution structural X-ray studies of human FEZ1: a natively unfolded protein associated to the flower-like nuclei phenotype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanza, Daniel Carlos Ferreira; Trindade, Daniel Maragno; Bressan, Gustavo Costa; Kobarg, Joerg

2008-01-01

The fasciculation and elongation protein Zeta1 (FEZ1) has been implicated in important functions in mammalian cells, ranging from molecular transport to transcriptional regulation. Theoretical predictions, circular dichroism spectroscopy and limiting proteolysis experiments all suggested that FEZ1 contains regions of low structural complexity and that it may belong to the growing family of natively unfolded proteins. We therefore performed Small Angle Scattering (SAXS) experiments which showed that FEZ1 is a dimer of elongated shape and that its conformation is mainly disordered. In parallel functional studies we observed that the overexpression of FEZ1 in human cells causes the so-called 'flower-like nuclei' phenotype, similar to what is observed in certain leukemic cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the FEZ1 dimer configuration may be critical to explain why its overexpression causes the formation of flower-like nuclei in human cells. (author)

Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles and Its Beneficial Role in Cementitious Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ahalawat

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Spherical silica nanoparticles (n‐SiO2 with controllable size have been synthesized using tetraethoxysilane as starting material and ethanol as solvent by sol‐gel method. Morphology and size of the particles was controlled through surfactants. Sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitain monopalmitate and sorbitain monostearate produced silica nanoparticles of varying sizes (80‐150 nm, indicating the effect of chain length of the surfactant. Increase in chain length of non‐ionic surfactant resulted in decreasing particle size of silica nanoparticles. Further, the size of silica particles was also controlled using NH3 as base catalyst. These silica nanoparticles were incorporated into cement paste and their role in accelerating the cementitious reactions was investigated. Addition of silica nanoparticles into cement paste improved the microstructure of the paste and calcium leaching is significantly reduced as n‐SiO2 reacts with calcium hydroxide and form additional calcium‐ silicate‐hydrate (C‐S‐H gel. It was found that calcium hydroxide content in silica nanoparticles incorporated cement paste reduced ~89% at 1 day and up to ~60% at 28 days of hydration process. Synthesized silica particles and cement paste samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD, infrared spectroscopy (IR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA.

Advanced nanostructured photocatalysts based on reduced graphene oxide-flower-like Bi_2WO_6 composites for an augmented simulated solar photoactivity activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yukun; Chen, Lin; Wang, Yue; Zhu, Liang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A simple route was proposed to prepare flower-like Bi_2WO_6 and RGO/Bi_2WO_6. • Cipro HCl was degraded firstly by RGO/Bi_2WO_6 under the visible-light. • 2% RGO/Bi_2WO_6 exhibited the best removal efficiency. - Abstract: A simple hydrothermal process was proposed to prepare the flower-like Bi_2WO_6 architectures, and the as-synthesized Bi_2WO_6 photocatalysts were further processed with the prepared graphene oxide (GO) to form novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/Bi_2WO_6 composites. The nano-materials were characterized with the help of XRD, XPS, SEM, FTIR, UV-DRS, PL techniques to investigate their morphological, physical, optical, and photochemical properties. Photocatalytic performances of the pure flower-like Bi_2WO_6 architectures and RGO/Bi_2WO_6 composites were compared and evaluated through the degradation of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro HCl) wastewater under the simulated visible light. It was found that the RGO/Bi_2WO_6 composites displayed enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activities. It might be that the RGO loading not only effectively suppressed the electron–hole recombination, but also increased the light absorption ability. The effects of operating condition involved in the photocatalytic process were further examined, and the cycle-stability experiment demonstrated that as-obtained 2% RGO/Bi_2WO_6 photocatalysts had good photocatalytic repeatability.

Self-assembly of a superparamagnetic raspberry-like silica/iron oxide nanocomposite using epoxy-amine coupling chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Cano, Manuel; de la Cueva-Méndez, Guillermo

2015-02-28

The fabrication of colloidal nanocomposites would benefit from controlled hetero-assembly of ready-made particles through covalent bonding. Here we used epoxy-amine coupling chemistry to promote the self-assembly of superparamagnetic raspberry-like nanocomposites. This adaptable method induced the covalent attachment of iron oxide nanoparticles sparsely coated with amine groups onto epoxylated silica cores in the absence of other reactants.

Measurement of chromatic dispersion of microstructured polymer fibers by white-light spectral interferometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hlubina, Petr; Ciprian, Dalibor; Frosz, Michael Henoch

2009-01-01

We present a white-light spectral interferometric method for measuring the chromatic dispersion of microstructured fibers made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The method uses an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer with the fiber of known length placed in one of the interferometer arms...... of the method by measuring the wavelength dependence of the differential group refractive index of a pure silica fiber. We apply a five-term power series fit to the measured data and confirm by its differentiation that the chromatic dispersion of pure silica glass agrees well with theory. Second, we measure...... the chromatic dispersion for the fundamental mode supported by two different PMMA microstructured fibers, the multimode fiber and the large-mode area one....

Investigation on raspberry-like magnetic-hollow silica nanospheres and its preliminary application for drug delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chunlei; Yan, Juntao; Li, Zhanfeng; Wang, Hongyan; Cui, Xuejun

2013-01-01

A series of raspberry-like magnetic-hollow silica nanospheres were successfully synthesized via the sol–gel process, which was based on the principle of the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged silica and positively charged polystyrene. The Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 particles as the outer shell were compactly assembled on the surface of PS, and then magnetic-hollow nanospheres were obtained by calcination. Different synthesis conditions including the amount of NH 4 OH, TEOS, Fe 3 O 4 , and the adding time of PS were systematically investigated to discuss the influence of these conditions on the morphology and structure. The prepared magnetic-hollow nanospheres were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectrometry, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement. SEM and TEM images exhibited that the obtained samples with the perfect spherical profile and large cavities structure were well monodisperse and uniform under the optimized condition. Zeta-potential analysis was employed to make clear the formation mechanism of raspberry-like PS@Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 composite nanosphere. Moreover, the drug release of ibuprofen experiment results demonstrated that the magnetic-hollow nanospheres could be used as a drug carrier to slowly release and deliver drugs

Lithium battery using sulfur infiltrated in three-dimensional flower-like hierarchical porous carbon electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno, Noelia; Caballero, Alvaro [Dpto.Química Inorgánica, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Química Fina y Nanoquímica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales (Spain); Morales, Julián, E-mail: iq1mopaj@uco.es [Dpto.Química Inorgánica, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Química Fina y Nanoquímica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales (Spain); Agostini, Marco [Department of Chemistry, SapienzaUniversity, P.zzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome (Italy); Hassoun, Jusef, E-mail: jusef.hassoun@unife.it [Università di Ferrara, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Ferrara (Italy)

2016-09-01

Three dimensional, flower-like hierarchical porous carbon (FPC) and its CO{sub 2}-activation (AFPC) are reported as sulfur-hosting matrixes in Li/S battery. The composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms as well as by galvanostatic cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in lithium-cell. Both samples show well defined micrometric morphology and a sulfur content as high as 66% expected to reflect into rather high practical energy density of the electrode in lithium-sulfur battery. The lithium sulfur cell using the FPC-S composite exhibits at 25 °C a moderate cycling stability with delivered capacity ranging from 1000 to about 610 mAh g{sup −1} upon 50 cycles at 100 mA g{sup −1}. The AFPC-S composite reveals increased cycling stability and delivers a capacity ranging from 1000 to 680 mAh g{sup −1}. Improved capacity is achieved by slightly increasing the temperature, as demonstrated by cycling the FPC-S at 35 °C using a current as high as 500 mA g{sup −1}. The excellent rate capability of the electrode is associated to the carbon texture and morphology that significantly lower the cell resistance, as indeed demonstrated by EIS measurement upon cycling. - Highlights: • Sulfur electrode basing on activated, flower-like hierarchical porous carbon is reported. • Defined micrometric morphology and a sulfur content as high as 66% are obtained. • Lithium sulfur cell using the composite exhibits remarkable performances. • A specific capacity of about 1000 mAh g{sup −1} is obtained at high current rate. • The resulting Li/S battery has relevant energy content.

Metal-loaded SBA-16-like silica – Correlation between basicity and affinity towards hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouargli-Saker, R.; Bouazizi, N.; Boukoussa, B.; Barrimo, Diana; Paola-Nunes-Beltrao, Ana; Azzouz, A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Metal dispersion in longitudinal channels confers adsorption properties to SBA-16. • Both Fe"0-NPs and Cu"0-NPs seem to be responsible of this effect. • Effect of the repetitive adsorption-desorption cycles on CO_2 and water sorption. • Hydrogen storage on the functionalized materials. - Abstract: Nanoparticles of Cu"o (CuNPs) and Fe"o (FeNPs) were dispersed in SBA-16-like silica, resulting metal-loaded materials (Cu-SBA-16 and Fe-SBA-16) with improved affinity towards hydrogen. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that MNP dispersion occurs mainly inside SBA-16 channels. MNP incorporation was found to confer affinity to the silica surface, since higher CO_2 retention capacity (CRC) was registered Cu/SBA-16 and Fe/SBA-16. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the affinity towards hydrogen, as supported by hydrogen adsorption tests. This was explained in terms of strong hydrogen interaction with MNP and lattice oxygen atoms. The results reported herein open new prospects for SBA-16 as potential adsorbents for hydrogen storage.

Metal-loaded SBA-16-like silica – Correlation between basicity and affinity towards hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouargli-Saker, R. [Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology, El M’naouer, BP 1505, Oran (Algeria); Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Bouazizi, N. [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Unité de recherche, Electrochimie, Matériaux et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès (Tunisia); Boukoussa, B. [Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology, El M’naouer, BP 1505, Oran (Algeria); Lqamb, Laboratório de Química Analítica Ambiental, Faculdade de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Barrimo, Diana [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Paola-Nunes-Beltrao, Ana [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Laboratory of Materials Chemistry L.C.M, University of Oran1 Ahmed Ben Bella, BP 1524, El-Mnaouer, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Azzouz, A., E-mail: azzouz.a@uqam.ca [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada)

2017-07-31

Highlights: • Metal dispersion in longitudinal channels confers adsorption properties to SBA-16. • Both Fe{sup 0}-NPs and Cu{sup 0}-NPs seem to be responsible of this effect. • Effect of the repetitive adsorption-desorption cycles on CO{sub 2} and water sorption. • Hydrogen storage on the functionalized materials. - Abstract: Nanoparticles of Cu{sup o} (CuNPs) and Fe{sup o} (FeNPs) were dispersed in SBA-16-like silica, resulting metal-loaded materials (Cu-SBA-16 and Fe-SBA-16) with improved affinity towards hydrogen. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that MNP dispersion occurs mainly inside SBA-16 channels. MNP incorporation was found to confer affinity to the silica surface, since higher CO{sub 2} retention capacity (CRC) was registered Cu/SBA-16 and Fe/SBA-16. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the affinity towards hydrogen, as supported by hydrogen adsorption tests. This was explained in terms of strong hydrogen interaction with MNP and lattice oxygen atoms. The results reported herein open new prospects for SBA-16 as potential adsorbents for hydrogen storage.

Photocatalytic degradation mechanisms of self-assembled rose-flower-like CeO2 hierarchical nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabari Arul, N.; Mangalaraj, D.; Whan Kim, Tae

2013-01-01

Hierarchical rose-flower-like CeO 2 nanostructures were formed by using solvothermal and thermal annealing processes. The CeCO 3 OH thin film was transformed into CeO 2 roses due to thermal annealing. CeO 2 nanostructured roses exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity with a degradation rate of 65% for the azo dye acid orange 7 (AO7) under ultraviolet illumination. The fitting of the absorbance maximum versus time showed that the degradation of AO7 obeyed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity for the CeO 2 roses was attributed to the high adsorptivity resulting from the surface active sites and special 4f electron configuration.

Preparation of Cement Composites with Ordered Microstructures via Doping with Graphene Oxide Nanosheets and an Investigation of Their Strength and Durability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shenghua Lv

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The main problem with cement composites is that they have structural defects, including cracks, holes, and a disordered morphology, which significantly affects their strength and durability. Therefore, the construction of cement composites with defect-free structures and high strength and long durability is an important research topic. Here, by controlling the size and chemical groups of graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs used for doping, we were able to control the entire cement matrix to form an ordered microstructure consisting of polyhedron-like crystals and exhibit flower-like patterns. The cracks and holes in the cement matrix just about vanished. The compressive and flexural strengths as well as the parameters for the durability assessment of the corresponding cement composites obviously improved compared with the control samples. Thus, the formation mechanism of the cement matrix with the ordered microstructure is proposed, and a proper explanation is given to regulation action.

Optical properties and photocatalytic activities of spherical ZnO and flower-like ZnO structures synthesized by facile hydrothermal method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Yongling [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Li, Zhongyu, E-mail: zhongyuli@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Changzhou Expansion New Stuff Technology Limited Company, Changzhou 213122 (China); Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin 132022 (China); Xu, Song [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Han, Dandan; Lu, Dayong [Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin 132022 (China)

2013-10-25

Highlights: •Spherical ZnO and flower-like ZnO were prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. •The as-prepared ZnO showed high photocatalytic activity over MO degradation. •The as-prepared ZnO were well crystallized and exhibited good optical properties. -- Abstract: Spherical ZnO and flower-like ZnO were prepared by facile hydrothermal method at 180 °C and 160 °C, respectively. The as-prepared samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) spectra. The optical properties of as-prepared sample, such as photoluminescence (PL) spectra and Raman spectra were studied. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared ZnO particles were investigated by degrading the methyl orange (MO) under UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic studies showed that the organic pollutants have been almost completely degraded and mineralized after irradiation of the UV light. These results indicated that the as-prepared ZnO particles exhibited good optical properties and high photocatalytic activities.

Granulated Silica Method for the Fiber Preform Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sönke Pilz

2017-07-01

Full Text Available During the past few years, we have studied the granulated silica method as a versatile and cost effective way of fiber preform production and the sol-gel method. Until now, we have used the sol-gel technology together with an iterative re-melting and milling step in order to produce rare earth or transition metal doped granular material for the granulated silica method. Here, we present that the iterative re-melting (laser-assisted and milling step is no longer needed to reach a high homogeneity. The sol-gel method also offers a high degree of compositional flexibility with respect to dopants; it further facilitates achieving high concentrations, even in cases when several dopants are used. We employed optical active doped sol-gel derived granulate for the fiber core, whereas pure or index-raised granulated silica has been employed for the cladding. Based on the powder-in-tube technique, where silica glass tubes are appropriately filled with these granular materials, fibers has been directly drawn (“fiber rapid prototyping”, or eventually after an additional optional quality enhancing vitrification step. The powder-in-tube technique is also ideally suited for the preparation of microstructured optical fibers.

The effect of silica toward polymer membrane for water separation process

Science.gov (United States)

Jamalludin, Mohd Riduan; Rosli, M. U.; Ishak, Muhammad Ikman; Khor, C. Y.; Shahrin, Suhaimi; Ismail, Ras Izzati; Lailina N., M.; Leng Y., L.; Jahidi, H.

2017-09-01

The aim of this present work was to investigate the effect of different percentage rice husk silica (RHS) particles composition towards polymer mixed matrix membrane microstructure and performance in water separation process. The polymer membranes were prepared by a phase inversion method using polysulfone (PSf), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent, distilled water as non-solvent and fixed RHS at 400°C as an additive. The microstructures of PSf/PEG/RHS sample were characterized by performing scanning electron microscope (SEM). The performance was measured by using pure water flux and humic acid for the rejection test. The analyzed result of SEM analysis revealed that the addition of RHS obviously improved the microstructure of the membrane especially at the top and sub layer at the range of 1 until 3 wt. %. This was proven by the pure water flux (PWF) value measured from 114.47 LMH to 154.04 LMH and rejection from value 83% to 96% at this specified range substantially higher than the mixed matrix membrane with synthetic silica. In fact, the presence of RHS particles not only improved the properties and performance of membrane but also possess biodegradable properties which can minimize the pollution and provide a membrane green technology system.

Biomimetic silica encapsultation of living cells

Science.gov (United States)

Jaroch, David Benjamin

Living cells perform complex chemical processes on size and time scales that artificial systems cannot match. Cells respond dynamically to their environment, acting as biological sensors, factories, and drug delivery devices. To facilitate the use of living systems in engineered constructs, we have developed several new approaches to create stable protective microenvironments by forming bioinspired cell-membrane-specific silica-based encapsulants. These include vapor phase deposition of silica gels, use of endogenous membrane proteins and polysaccharides as a site for silica nucleation and polycondensation in a saturated environment, and protein templated ordered silica shell formation. We demonstrate silica layer formation at the surface of pluripotent stem-like cells, bacterial biofilms, and primary murine and human pancreatic islets. Materials are characterized by AFM, SEM and EDS. Viability assays confirm cell survival, and metabolite flux measurements demonstrate normal function and no major diffusion limitations. Real time PCR mRNA analysis indicates encapsulated islets express normal levels of genetic markers for β-cells and insulin production. The silica glass encapsulant produces a secondary bone like calcium phosphate mineral layer upon exposure to media. Such bioactive materials can improve device integration with surrounding tissue upon implantation. Given the favorable insulin response, bioactivity, and long-term viability observed in silica-coated islets, we are currently testing the encapsulant's ability to prevent immune system recognition of foreign transplants for the treatment of diabetes. Such hybrid silica-cellular constructs have a wide range of industrial, environmental, and medical applications.

Flower-like Bi2Se3 nanostructures: Synthesis and their application for the direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin and H2O2 detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Hai; Zhang Shenxiang; Ju Peng; Su Haichao; Ai Shiyun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Flower-like Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures were prepared via a hydrothermal technique. ► Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures significantly improve the direct electron-transfer of Hb. ► The immobilized Hb shows high catalytic activity to the reduction of H 2 O 2 . - Abstract: In this paper, flower-like Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures consisting of intercrossed nanosheets networks have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal technique and applied to the protein electrochemistry for the first time. The prepared Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) has been achieved by immobilizing Hb on the prepared Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures and Nafion (Nf) modified glassy carbon electrode. Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures show significant promotion to the direct electron-transfer of Hb. The immobilized Hb retained its biological activity well and shows high catalytic activity to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Under the optimal experimental conditions, the catalytic currents are linear to the concentrations of H 2 O 2 in the range of 2.0 × 10 −6 to 1.0 × 10 −4 M. The corresponding detection limits are 6.3 × 10 −7 M. The prepared flower-like Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructures provide an alternative matrix for protein immobilization and biosensor preparation.

Microstructure and wear resistance of a laser clad TiC reinforced nickel aluminides matrix composite coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Wang, H.M.

2004-01-01

Wear resistant TiC/(NiAl-Ni 3 Al) composite coating was fabricated on a substrate of electrolyzed nickel by laser cladding using Ni-Al-Ti-C alloy powders. The laser clad coating is metallurgically bonded to the substrate and has a homogenous fine microstructure consisting of the flower-like equiaxed TiC dendrite and the dual phase matrix of NiAl and Ni 3 Al. The intermetallic matrix composite coating exhibits excellent wear resistance under both room- and high-temperature sliding wear test conditions due to the high hardness of TiC coupled with the strong atomic bonds of intermetallic matrix

Synthesis of flower-like Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH p-n heterojunction with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Shijie [Innovation & Application Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province 316022 (China); Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood, Zhoushan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan 316021 (China); State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Xu, Kaibing [State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Research Center for Analysis and Measurement, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Hu, Shiwei, E-mail: hushiweihai@163.com [Innovation & Application Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province 316022 (China); Jiang, Wei [Innovation & Application Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province 316022 (China); Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood, Zhoushan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan 316021 (China); Zhang, Junlei [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Liu, Jianshe [State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Zhang, Lisha, E-mail: lszhang@dhu.edu.cn [State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Pollution Treatment and Control in Textile Industry, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China)

2017-03-01

Highlights: • Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH p-n heterojunctions are prepared by a solvothermal deposition-precipitation method. • They consist of flower-like BiOCOOH microspheres decorated with Ag{sub 2}O nanoparticles. • Heterojunction with the Ag/Bi molar ratio of 0.2/1 showed the highest photocatalytic activity. • The photogenerated holes (h{sup +}) and superoxide radical anions (·O{sub 2}{sup −}) have been found to be the main reactive species. - Abstract: The development of efficient semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts has drawn much attention. Herein, we have reported a kind of flower-like Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH p-n heterojunction as a novel and efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst. The Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH heterojunctions have been successfully prepared via a solvothermal precipitation-deposition method. They consist of flower-like BiOCOOH microspheres (diameters: 1–2.5 μm) decorated with Ag{sub 2}O nanoparticles (size: ∼14 nm). In addition, optical characterization reveals that they have broad visible-light photo-absorption. Importantly, under visible-light irradiation (λ > 400 nm), all Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH heterojunctions exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity than pure BiOCOOH or Ag{sub 2}O for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and para-chlorophenol (4-CP). Especially, the Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH heterojunction with the Ag/Bi molar ratio of 0.2/1 shows the highest photocatalytic activity, which is even higher than the activity from the mechanical mixture (8 wt% Ag{sub 2}O + 92 wt% BiOCOOH). This enhanced photocatalytic performance could be predominantly attributed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The photogenerated holes (h{sup +}) and superoxide radical anions (·O{sub 2}{sup −}) have been found to be the main reactive species responsible for the photodegradation of RhB dye in aqueous solution. Therefore, the Ag{sub 2}O/BiOCOOH p-n heterojunction has great potential to be used as a kind of efficient

Ag nanoparticles hosted in monolithic mesoporous silica by thermal decomposition method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wei; Zhang Junying

2003-01-01

Ag nanoparticles were obtained by thermal decomposition of silver nitrate within pores of mesoporous silica. Microstructure of this composite was examined by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Optical measurements for the nanocomposite show that Ag particle doping leads to a large red shift of the absorption edge

Investigation on raspberry-like magnetic-hollow silica nanospheres and its preliminary application for drug delivery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chunlei; Yan, Juntao, E-mail: yanjuntaonihao@163.com [Wuhan Polytechnic University, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering (China); Li, Zhanfeng; Wang, Hongyan; Cui, Xuejun [Jilin University, College of Chemistry (China)

2013-09-15

A series of raspberry-like magnetic-hollow silica nanospheres were successfully synthesized via the sol-gel process, which was based on the principle of the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged silica and positively charged polystyrene. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} particles as the outer shell were compactly assembled on the surface of PS, and then magnetic-hollow nanospheres were obtained by calcination. Different synthesis conditions including the amount of NH{sub 4}OH, TEOS, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, and the adding time of PS were systematically investigated to discuss the influence of these conditions on the morphology and structure. The prepared magnetic-hollow nanospheres were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectrometry, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement. SEM and TEM images exhibited that the obtained samples with the perfect spherical profile and large cavities structure were well monodisperse and uniform under the optimized condition. Zeta-potential analysis was employed to make clear the formation mechanism of raspberry-like PS@Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} composite nanosphere. Moreover, the drug release of ibuprofen experiment results demonstrated that the magnetic-hollow nanospheres could be used as a drug carrier to slowly release and deliver drugs.

Thermogravimetric analyses and mineralogical study of polymer modified mortar with silica fume

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Etuko Feuzicana de Souza Almeida

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Mineral and organic additions are often used in mortars to improve their properties. Microstructural investigation concerning the effects of styrene acrylic polymer and silica fume on the mineralogical composition of high-early-strength portland cement pastes after 28 days of hydration are presented in this paper. Thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry were used to study the interaction between polymers and cement, as well as the extent of pozzolanic reaction of the mortars with silica fume. Differential scanning calorimetry and X ray diffraction were used to investigate the cement hydration and the effect of the additions. The results showed that the addition of silica fume and polymer reduces the portlandite formation due to delaying of Portland cement hydration and pozzolanic reaction.

The Influence of Microgravity on Silica Sol-Gel Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Sibille, L.; Smith, D. D.; Cronise, R.; Hunt, A. J.; Wolfe, D. B.; Snow, L. A.; Oldenberg, S.; Halas, N.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We discuss space-flight experiments involving the growth of silica particles and gels. The effect of microgravity on the growth of silica particles via the sol-gel route is profound. In four different recipes spanning a large range of the parameter space that typically produces silica nanoparticles in unit-gravity, low-density gel structures were instead formed in microgravity. The particles that did form were generally smaller and more polydisperse than those grown on the ground. These observations suggest that microgravity reduces the particle growth rate, allowing unincorporated species to form aggregates and ultimately gel. Hence microgravity favors the formation of more rarefied structures, providing a bias towards diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation. These results further suggest that in unit gravity, fluid flows and sedimentation can significantly perturb sol-gel substructures prior to gelation and these deleterious perturbations may be "frozen" into the resulting microstructure. Hence, sol-gel pores may be expected to be smaller, more uniform, and less rough when formed in microgravity.

Flower-Like Nanoparticles of Pt-BiIII Assembled on Agmatine Sulfate Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and Their Electrocatalysis of H2O2

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Mingshu; Yan, Yuhua; Feng, Kai; Tian, Yanping; Miao, Yuqing

2015-04-01

A new electrochemical technique to detect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was developed. The Pt nanoparticles and BiIII were subsequently assembled on agmatine sulfate (AS) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and the prepared GCE-AS-Pt-BiIII was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with result showing that the flower-like nanostructure of Pt-BiIII was yielded. Compared with Pt nanoparticles, the flower-like nanostructure of Pt-BiIII greatly enhanced the electrocatalysis of GCE-AS-Pt-BiIII towards H2O2, which is ascribed to more Pt-OH obtained on GCE-AS-Pt-BiIII surface for the presence of BiIII. Based on its high electrocatalysis, GCE-AS-Pt-BiIII was used to determine the content of H2O2 in the sample of sheet bean curd with standard addition method. Meantime, its electrocatalytic activity also was studied.

Microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of flower-like Ag/AgBr/BiOBr microspheres and their high efficient photocatalytic degradation for p-nitrophenol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tingting; Luo, Shenglian; Yang, Lixia

2013-01-01

Flower-like Ag/AgBr/BiOBr microspheres were successfully fabricated by the approach of microwave-assisted solvothermal and in situ photo-assisted reduction. A reactive ionic liquid 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C 16 mim]Br) was employed as Br source in the presence of surfactant polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgBr/BiOBr towards the decomposition of p-nitrophenol under visible light irradiation was evaluated. The results indicated that Ag/AgBr/BiOBr showed enhanced photocatalytic activity towards p-nitrophenol, comparing with P25, BiOBr and Ag/AgBr. More than 96% of p-nitrophenol was decomposed in 3.5 h under visible-light irradation. The excellent photocatalytic activity of flower-like Ag/AgBr/BiOBr microspheres can be attributed to the large specific surface area, strong visible-light absorption, suitable energy band structure and surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag nanoparticles. The possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the active species test and band gap structure analysis. - Graphical abstract: The photocatalytic reaction mechanisms of the as-prepared Ag/AgBr/BiOBr. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Successful synthesis of flower-like Ag/AgBr/BiOBr microspheres. • The Ag/AgBr/BiOBr showed much higher photocatalytic activity towards p-nitrophenol as compared to BiOBr and Ag/AgBr. • The reasons for the excellent photocatalytic activity are the large specific surface area, strong visible-light absorption and surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag nanoparticles. • The O 2 · − , Br 0 and photogenerated h + play key roles in the photocatalytic degradation process

Surface roughening of ground fused silica processed by atmospheric inductively coupled plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin, Qiang; Li, Na; Wang, Jun; Wang, Bo; Li, Guo; Ding, Fei; Jin, Huiliang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The morphology evolution of ground fused silica, processed by atmospheric plasma, was investigated experimentally. • The roughness development results from opening and coalescing of the plasma-etched cracks. • The shapes of grain-like etched pits are the results of the adjacent cracks coalescing with one another. • The descent of the pits density is due to some smaller etched pits that are swallowed up by larger pits. • Leading role in surface smoothing is laterally etching away the side walls of the intersecting pits. - Abstract: Subsurface damage (SSD) is a defect that is inevitably induced during mechanical processes, such as grinding and polishing. This defect dramatically reduces the mechanical strength and the laser damage thresholds of optical elements. Compared with traditional mechanical machining, atmospheric pressure plasma processing (APPP) is a relatively novel technology that induces almost no SSD during the processing of silica-based optical materials. In this paper, a form of APPP, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), is used to process fused silica substrates with fluorocarbon precursor under atmospheric pressure. The surface morphology evolution of ICP-processed substrates was observed and characterized by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the roughness evolves with the etching depth, and the roughness evolution is a single-peaked curve. This curve results from the opening and the coalescing of surface cracks and fractures. The coalescence procedure of these microstructures was simulated with two common etched pits on a polished fused silica surface. Understanding the roughness evolution of plasma-processed surface might be helpful in optimizing the optical fabrication chain that contains APPP

Surface roughening of ground fused silica processed by atmospheric inductively coupled plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xin, Qiang; Li, Na; Wang, Jun; Wang, Bo, E-mail: bradywang@hit.edu.cn; Li, Guo; Ding, Fei; Jin, Huiliang

2015-06-30

Highlights: • The morphology evolution of ground fused silica, processed by atmospheric plasma, was investigated experimentally. • The roughness development results from opening and coalescing of the plasma-etched cracks. • The shapes of grain-like etched pits are the results of the adjacent cracks coalescing with one another. • The descent of the pits density is due to some smaller etched pits that are swallowed up by larger pits. • Leading role in surface smoothing is laterally etching away the side walls of the intersecting pits. - Abstract: Subsurface damage (SSD) is a defect that is inevitably induced during mechanical processes, such as grinding and polishing. This defect dramatically reduces the mechanical strength and the laser damage thresholds of optical elements. Compared with traditional mechanical machining, atmospheric pressure plasma processing (APPP) is a relatively novel technology that induces almost no SSD during the processing of silica-based optical materials. In this paper, a form of APPP, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), is used to process fused silica substrates with fluorocarbon precursor under atmospheric pressure. The surface morphology evolution of ICP-processed substrates was observed and characterized by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the roughness evolves with the etching depth, and the roughness evolution is a single-peaked curve. This curve results from the opening and the coalescing of surface cracks and fractures. The coalescence procedure of these microstructures was simulated with two common etched pits on a polished fused silica surface. Understanding the roughness evolution of plasma-processed surface might be helpful in optimizing the optical fabrication chain that contains APPP.

Facile Synthesis of Flower-Like Copper-Cobalt Sulfide as Binder-Free Faradaic Electrodes for Supercapacitors with Improved Electrochemical Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tianlei; Liu, Meitang; Ma, Hongwen

2017-01-01

Supercapacitors have been one of the highest potential candidates for energy storage because of their significant advantages beyond rechargeable batteries in terms of large power density, short recharging time, and long cycle lifespan. In this work, Cu–Co sulfides with uniform flower-like structure have been successfully obtained via a traditional two-step hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated Cu–Co sulfide vulcanized from precursor (P–Cu–Co sulfide) is able to deliver superior specific capacitance of 592 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 518 F g−1 at 10 A g−1 which are surprisingly about 1.44 times and 2.39 times higher than those of Cu–Co oxide electrode, respectively. At the same time, excellent cycling stability of P–Cu–Co sulfide is indicated by 90.4% capacitance retention at high current density of 10 A g−1 after 3000 cycles. Because of the introduction of sulfur during the vulcanization process, these new developed sulfides can get more flexible structure and larger reaction surface area, and will own richer redox reaction sites between the interfaces of active material/electrolyte. The uniform flower-like P–Cu–Co sulfide electrode materials will have more potential alternatives for oxides electrode materials in the future. PMID:28590417

Facile Synthesis of Flower-Like Copper-Cobalt Sulfide as Binder-Free Faradaic Electrodes for Supercapacitors with Improved Electrochemical Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianlei Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Supercapacitors have been one of the highest potential candidates for energy storage because of their significant advantages beyond rechargeable batteries in terms of large power density, short recharging time, and long cycle lifespan. In this work, Cu–Co sulfides with uniform flower-like structure have been successfully obtained via a traditional two-step hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated Cu–Co sulfide vulcanized from precursor (P–Cu–Co sulfide is able to deliver superior specific capacitance of 592 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 518 F g−1 at 10 A g−1 which are surprisingly about 1.44 times and 2.39 times higher than those of Cu–Co oxide electrode, respectively. At the same time, excellent cycling stability of P–Cu–Co sulfide is indicated by 90.4% capacitance retention at high current density of 10 A g−1 after 3000 cycles. Because of the introduction of sulfur during the vulcanization process, these new developed sulfides can get more flexible structure and larger reaction surface area, and will own richer redox reaction sites between the interfaces of active material/electrolyte. The uniform flower-like P–Cu–Co sulfide electrode materials will have more potential alternatives for oxides electrode materials in the future.

Facile Synthesis of Flower-Like Copper-Cobalt Sulfide as Binder-Free Faradaic Electrodes for Supercapacitors with Improved Electrochemical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tianlei; Liu, Meitang; Ma, Hongwen

2017-06-07

Supercapacitors have been one of the highest potential candidates for energy storage because of their significant advantages beyond rechargeable batteries in terms of large power density, short recharging time, and long cycle lifespan. In this work, Cu-Co sulfides with uniform flower-like structure have been successfully obtained via a traditional two-step hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated Cu-Co sulfide vulcanized from precursor (P-Cu-Co sulfide) is able to deliver superior specific capacitance of 592 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 and 518 F g -1 at 10 A g -1 which are surprisingly about 1.44 times and 2.39 times higher than those of Cu-Co oxide electrode, respectively. At the same time, excellent cycling stability of P-Cu-Co sulfide is indicated by 90.4% capacitance retention at high current density of 10 A g -1 after 3000 cycles. Because of the introduction of sulfur during the vulcanization process, these new developed sulfides can get more flexible structure and larger reaction surface area, and will own richer redox reaction sites between the interfaces of active material/electrolyte. The uniform flower-like P-Cu-Co sulfide electrode materials will have more potential alternatives for oxides electrode materials in the future.

Two new compounds from the flowers of Rhododendron molle.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shao-Nong; Bao, Guan-Hu; Wang, Li-Quan; Qin, Guo-Wei

2013-09-01

To study the chemical constituents of the flowers of Rhododendron molle. Compounds were isolated by repeated chromatography over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. Structures were elucidated based on spectral techniques, mainly 1D- and 2D-NMR and mass spectrometric analyses. Two compounds (1 and 2) were isolated. Compounds 1 and 2 were identified as two new compounds: 2α, 10α-epoxy-3β, 5β, 6β, 14β, 16α-hexahydroxy-grayanane and benzyl 2, 6-dihydroxybenzoate-6-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. Copyright © 2013 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional regulation of three EIN3-like genes of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. cv. Improved White Sim) during flower development and upon wounding, pollination, and ethylene exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Iordachescu, Mihaela; Verlinden, Sven

2005-08-01

Using a combination of approaches, three EIN3-like (EIL) genes DC-EIL1/2 (AY728191), DC-EIL3 (AY728192), and DC-EIL4 (AY728193) were isolated from carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) petals. DC-EIL1/2 deduced amino acid sequence shares 98% identity with the previously cloned and characterized carnation DC-EIL1 (AF261654), 62% identity with DC-EIL3, and 60% identity with DC-EIL4. DC-EIL3 deduced amino acid sequence shares 100% identity with a previously cloned carnation gene fragment, Dc106 (CF259543), 61% identity with Dianthus caryophyllus DC-EIL1 (AF261654), and 59% identity with DC-EIL4. DC-EIL4 shared 60% identity with DC-EIL1 (AF261654). Expression analyses performed on vegetative and flower tissues (petals, ovaries, and styles) during growth and development and senescence (natural and ethylene-induced) indicated that the mRNA accumulation of the DC-EIL family of genes in carnation is regulated developmentally and by ethylene. DC-EIL3 mRNA showed significant accumulation upon ethylene exposure, during flower development, and upon pollination in petals and styles. Interestingly, decreasing levels of DC-EIL3 mRNA were found in wounded leaves and ovaries of senescing flowers whenever ethylene levels increased. Flowers treated with sucrose showed a 2 d delay in the accumulation of DC-EIL3 transcripts when compared with control flowers. These observations suggest an important role for DC-EIL3 during growth and development. Changes in DC-EIL1/2 and DC-EIL4 mRNA levels during flower development, and upon ethylene exposure and pollination were very similar. mRNA levels of the DC-EILs in styles of pollinated flowers showed a positive correlation with ethylene production after pollination. The cloning and characterization of the EIN3-like genes in the present study showed their transcriptional regulation not previously observed for EILs.

Symmetric metamaterials based on flower-shaped structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuong, P.V.; Park, J.W.; Rhee, J.Y.; Kim, K.W.; Cheong, H.; Jang, W.H.; Lee, Y.P.

2013-01-01

We proposed new models of metamaterials (MMs) based on a flower-shaped structure (FSS), whose “meta-atoms” consist of two flower-shaped metallic parts separated by a dielectric layer. Like the non-symmetric MMs based on cut-wire-pairs or electric ring resonators, the symmetrical FSS demonstrates the negative permeability at GHz frequencies. Employing the results, we designed a symmetric negative-refractive-index MM [a symmetric combined structure (SCS)], which is composed of FSSs and cross continuous wires. The MM properties of the FSS and the SCS are presented numerically and experimentally. - Highlights: • A new designed of sub-wavelength metamaterial, flower-shaped structure was proposed. • Flower-shaped meta-atom illustrated effective negative permeability. • Based on the meta-atom, negative refractive index was conventionally gained. • Negative refractive index was demonstrated with symmetric properties for electromagnetic wave. • Dimensional parameters were studied under normal electromagnetic wave

Blob Flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Canfield, Elaine

2003-01-01

Describes an art project called blob flowers in which fifth-grade students created pictures of flowers using watercolor and markers. Explains that the lesson incorporates ideas from art and science. Discusses in detail how the students created their flowers. (CMK)

Concentration-dependent luminescence and energy transfer of flower-like Y2(MoO4)3:Dy3+ phosphor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Yue; Chen Baojiu; Tian Bining; Hua Ruinian; Sun Jiashi; Cheng Lihong; Zhong Haiyang; Li Xiangping; Zhang Jinsu; Zheng Yanfeng; Yu Tingting; Huang Libo; Meng Qingyu

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Flower-shaped Y 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 phosphors were prepared by a co-precipitation method. → The structure and morphology of the prepared phosphors were characterized. → Energy transfer between Dy 3+ was studied by Huang's theory, IH and Uitert's models. - Abstract: Flower-like Y 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 :Dy 3+ phosphors have been synthesized via a co-precipitation approach with the aid of β-cyclodextrin. The crystal structure and morphology of the phosphors were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy), respectively. The excitation and emission properties of the phosphors were examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The dependence of color coordinates on the Dy 3+ doping concentration was analyzed. The energy transfer mechanism between Dy 3+ ions was studied based on the Huang's theory, I-H and Van Uitert's models. It was concluded simultaneously from these three routes that the electric dipole-dipole interaction between Dy 3+ ions is the main physical mechanism for the energy transfers between Dy 3+ .

Notable light-free catalytic activity for pollutant destruction over flower-like BiOI microspheres by a dual-reaction-center Fenton-like process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Yan, Dengbiao; Lyu, Lai; Hu, Chun; Jiang, Ning; Zhang, Lili

2018-10-01

BiOI is widely used as photocatalysts for pollutant removal, water splitting, CO 2 reduction and organic transformation due to its excellent photoelectric properties. Here, we report for the first time that a light-free catalyst consisting of the flower-like BiOI microspheres (f-BiOI MSs) exposing (1 0 1) and (1 1 0) crystal planes prepared by a hydrothermal method in ethylene glycol environment can rapidly eliminate the refractory BPA within only ∼3 min through a Fenton-like process. The reaction activity is ∼190 times higher than that of the conventional Fenton catalyst Fe 2 O 3 . A series of characterizations and experiments reveal the formation of the dual reaction centers on f-BiOI MSs. The electron-rich O centers efficiently reduce H 2 O 2 to OH, while the electron-poor oxygen vacancies capture electrons from the adsorbed pollutants and divert them to the electron-rich area during the Fenton-like reactions. By these processes, pollutants are degraded and mineralized quickly in a wide pH range. Our findings address the problems of the classical Fenton reaction and are useful for the development of efficient Fenton-like catalysts through constructing dual reaction centers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Eating flowers? Exploring attitudes and consumers' representation of edible flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, H; Cielo, D P; Goméz-Corona, C; Silveira, A A S; Marchesan, T A; Galmarini, M V; Richards, N S P S

2017-10-01

Edible flowers have gained more attention in recent years thanks to their perceived health benefits. Despite this attention, it seems that edible flowers are not popularized for consumption in South America, being considered unfamiliar for some cultures from this continent. In this context, the general goal of the present study was to investigate the three dimensions of social representation theory, the representational field, the information and the attitude of the two conditions of edible flowers: a more general "food made with flowers" and more directional product "yoghurt made with flowers", using Brazilian consumers. To achieve this goal, a free word association task was applied. A total of 549 consumers participated in this study. Participants were divided into two conditions, in which the inductor expressions for the free word association task changed: (a) food products made with flowers and (b) yoghurt made with flowers. Results showed a very positive attitude to both situations, and consumers associated Food products made with flowers to "health care" while the central core of yoghurt made with flowers reflected the innovative condition of this product, supported here by their unpredictable character (information generated). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The structure of flower visitation webs : how morphology and abundance affect interaction patterns between flowers and flower visitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stang, Martina

2007-01-01

Interaction patterns between plants and flower visitors in a Mediterranean flower visitation web can be explained surprisingly well by the combination of two simple mechanisms. Firstly, the size threshold that the nectar tube depth of flowers puts on the tongue length of potential flower visitors;

Microscopical and elemental FESEM and Phenom ProX-SEM-EDS analysis of osteocyte- and blood vessel-like microstructures obtained from fossil vertebrates of the Eocene Messel Pit, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadena, Edwin

2016-01-01

The Eocene (∾48 Ma) Messel Pit in Germany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptionally preserved fossils, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Messel fossil vertebrates are typically characterized by their articulated state, and in some cases the skin, hair, feathers, scales and stomach contents are also preserved. Despite the exceptional macroscopic preservation of Messel fossil vertebrates, the microstructural aspect of these fossils has been poorly explored. In particular, soft tissue structures such as hair or feathers have not been chemically analyzed, nor have bone microstructures. I report here the preservation and recovery of osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures from the bone of Messel Pit specimens, including the turtles Allaeochelys crassesculpta and Neochelys franzeni, the crocodile Diplocynodon darwini, and the pangolin Eomanis krebsi. I used a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and a Phenom ProX desktop scanning electron microscope (LOT-QuantumDesign) equipped with a thermionic CeB6 source and a high sensitivity multi-mode backscatter electron (BSE) for microscopical and elemental characterization of these bone microstructures. Osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures are constituted by a thin layer (∾50 nm thickness), external and internal mottled texture with slightly marked striations. Circular to linear marks are common on the external surface of the osteocyte-like microstructures and are interpreted as microbial troughs. Iron (Fe) is the most abundant element found in the osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures, but not in the bone matrix or collagen fibril-like microstructures. The occurrence of well-preserved soft-tissue elements (at least their physical form) establishes a promising background for future studies on preservation of biomolecules (proteins or DNA) in Messel Pit fossils.

Microscopical and elemental FESEM and Phenom ProX-SEM-EDS analysis of osteocyte- and blood vessel-like microstructures obtained from fossil vertebrates of the Eocene Messel Pit, Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edwin Cadena

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Eocene (∾48 Ma Messel Pit in Germany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptionally preserved fossils, including vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Messel fossil vertebrates are typically characterized by their articulated state, and in some cases the skin, hair, feathers, scales and stomach contents are also preserved. Despite the exceptional macroscopic preservation of Messel fossil vertebrates, the microstructural aspect of these fossils has been poorly explored. In particular, soft tissue structures such as hair or feathers have not been chemically analyzed, nor have bone microstructures. I report here the preservation and recovery of osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures from the bone of Messel Pit specimens, including the turtles Allaeochelys crassesculpta and Neochelys franzeni, the crocodile Diplocynodon darwini, and the pangolin Eomanis krebsi. I used a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM and a Phenom ProX desktop scanning electron microscope (LOT-QuantumDesign equipped with a thermionic CeB6 source and a high sensitivity multi-mode backscatter electron (BSE for microscopical and elemental characterization of these bone microstructures. Osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures are constituted by a thin layer (∾50 nm thickness, external and internal mottled texture with slightly marked striations. Circular to linear marks are common on the external surface of the osteocyte-like microstructures and are interpreted as microbial troughs. Iron (Fe is the most abundant element found in the osteocyte-like and blood vessel-like microstructures, but not in the bone matrix or collagen fibril-like microstructures. The occurrence of well-preserved soft-tissue elements (at least their physical form establishes a promising background for future studies on preservation of biomolecules (proteins or DNA in Messel Pit fossils.

Structural and microstructural characterization of Co-hydrotalcite-like compounds by X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Lozano, G.; Hesiquio-Garduno, M.; Zeifert, B.; Salmones, J.

2007-01-01

Co-hydrotalcite-like compounds (Co-HTlcs) were synthesized by coprecipitation technique from Mg(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O, Al(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 O and Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O, with a constant molar ratio Mg/Al of 1.6 and a variable molar ratio Co/Mg from 0.01 to 0.1 (controlling the pH around 10). X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate structural (lattice parameters) and microstructural (crystallite size and microstrain) parameters of the samples. Lattice parameters were calculated from (0 0 3) (0 0 6) (1 1 0) and (1 1 3) reflections by the least squares method, changes on a and c lattice parameters are discussed and related to Co/Mg ratio. The microstructural parameters were analyzed using two approaches: (a) analytical methods with the Voigt method and the two stages approach and (b) graphical methods using a modified Williamson-Hall plot with Lorentzian, Gaussian and Lorentzian-Gaussian variants. It was found that increasing the Co content, the morphology of crystallites tends to be plate-like and it was observed that the crystallite size increases, while the microstrain values decrease. This behavior is related to an improvement of crystal perfection, due to addition of cobalt

Laboratory Investigation on Compressive Strength and Micro-structural Features of Foamed Concrete with Addition of Wood Ash and Silica Fume as a Cement Replacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Othuman Mydin M.A.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Wood Ash (WA and Silica Fume (SF exhibit good cementation properties and have great potential as supplementary binder materials for the concrete production industry. This study will focus on enhancing the micro-structural formation and compressive strength of foamed concrete with the addition of WA and SF. A total of 3 mixes were prepared with the addition of WA and SF at various cement replacement levels by total binder weight. For this particular study, the combination of WA (5%, 10%, and 15% by binder weight and SF (5%, 10%, and 15% by binder weight were utilized as supplementary binder materials to produce foamed concrete mixes. As was made evident from micrographs obtained in the study, the improvement observed in the compressive strength of the foamed concrete was due to a significant densification in the microstructure of the cement paste matrix in the presence of WA and SF hybrid supplementary binders. Experimental results indicated that the combination of 15% SF and 5% WA by binder weight had a more substantial influence on the compressive strength of foamed concrete compared to the control mix. Furthermore, the addition of WA and SF significantly prolonged the setting times of the blended cement paste of the foamed concrete.

Ionic liquid-assisted electrochemical determination of pyrimethanil using reduced graphene oxide conjugated to flower-like NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Lijun; Hu, Yandong; Wang, Qiong; Dong, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Lei, E-mail: zhanglei63@126.com

2016-09-07

The novel hierarchical flower-like superstructure NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids have been successfully synthesized with a facile one-step hydrothermal process for the determination of fungicide pyrimethanil (PMT). For comparison, various structures of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO including hexagonal nanoplates and nanorods were also synthesized. Among them, three-dimensional (3D) flower-like NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO exhibited the highest electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of PMT. With the synergistic effect of [OMIM]PF{sub 6} ionic liquid (IL), the electrochemical sensor film (NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO/IL) further facilitated interfacial electron transfer and enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of PMT. Under the optimum conditions, the electrochemical sensor exhibited two linear ranges of 0.1–10.0 μmol/L and 20.0–140 μmol/L for PMT with a low detection concentration of 11.0 nmol/L. Besides, the interference, repeatability, reproducibility and stability measurements were also evaluated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the detection of PMT in water, seawater, fruits and vegetables with good recovery ranging from 93% to 105%, and possessed potential applications in the analysis of real samples. - Highlights: • A novel sensor based on layered flower-like NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO/IL hybrid was fabricated. • Various structures of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO were synthesized for electrocatalytic comparison. • 3D structure NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}/rGO/IL/GCE displayed superior electrocatalytic activity for PMT. • The sensor showed a much wider linear range and a lower detection limit than others. • The method was satisfactorily applied to detection of PMT in real samples.

Antidepressant-like effects of methanol extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus flowers in mice

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Hibiscus tiliaceus L. (Malvaceae) is used in postpartum disorders. Our purpose was to examine the antidepressant, anxiolytic and sedative actions of the methanol extract of H. tiliaceus flowers using animal models. Methods Adult male Swiss albino mice were treated with saline, standard drugs or methanol extract of H. tiliaceus and then subjected to behavioral tests. The forced swimming and tail suspension tests were used as predictive animal models of antidepressant activity, where the time of immobility was considered. The animals were submitted to the elevated plus-maze and ketamine-induced sleeping time to assess anxiolytic and sedative activities, respectively. Results Methanol extract of H. tiliaceus significantly decreased the duration of immobility in both animal models of antidepressant activity, forced swimming and tail suspension tests. This extract did not potentiate the effect of ketamine-induced hypnosis, as determined by the time to onset and duration of sleeping time. Conclusion Our results indicate an antidepressant-like profile of action for the extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus without sedative side effect. PMID:22494845

Antidepressant-like effects of methanol extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus flowers in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanzella Cláudia

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hibiscus tiliaceus L. (Malvaceae is used in postpartum disorders. Our purpose was to examine the antidepressant, anxiolytic and sedative actions of the methanol extract of H. tiliaceus flowers using animal models. Methods Adult male Swiss albino mice were treated with saline, standard drugs or methanol extract of H. tiliaceus and then subjected to behavioral tests. The forced swimming and tail suspension tests were used as predictive animal models of antidepressant activity, where the time of immobility was considered. The animals were submitted to the elevated plus-maze and ketamine-induced sleeping time to assess anxiolytic and sedative activities, respectively. Results Methanol extract of H. tiliaceus significantly decreased the duration of immobility in both animal models of antidepressant activity, forced swimming and tail suspension tests. This extract did not potentiate the effect of ketamine-induced hypnosis, as determined by the time to onset and duration of sleeping time. Conclusion Our results indicate an antidepressant-like profile of action for the extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus without sedative side effect.

Solvothermal synthesis and high optical performance of three-dimensional sea-urchin-like TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yi; Wang, Yutang; Li, Mengyao; Li, Xuzhi; Yi, Qin; Deng, Pan; Wu, Hongyan

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: I–V characteristics of different TiO 2 microspheres based DSSCs (a) 3D sphere-like, (b) 3D flower-like, (c) 3D sea-urchin-like. - Highlights: • 3D sea-urchin-like TiO 2 was synthesized by solvothermal method. • The effects of preparation parameters on the microstructure of the microspheres were investigated. • The photoelectric properties of 3D sea-urchin-like TiO 2 were studied upon DSSCs. • The PCE of the 3D sea-urchin-like TiO 2 was higher than that of other morphologies. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) sea-urchin-like TiO 2 microspheres were successfully synthesised by solvothermal method. The effects of preparation parameters including reaction temperature, concentration and mass fraction of precursor, and solvent volume on the microstructure of the microspheres were investigated. Results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the preparation parameters played a critical role in the morphology of 3D sea-urchin-like TiO 2 . In addition, when the sea-urchin-like TiO 2 nanostructures were used as the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) anode, the power-conversion efficiency was higher than that of other morphologies, which was due to the special 3D hierarchical nanostructure, large specific surface area, and enhanced absorption of UV–vis of the TiO 2 nanostructures

Fabrication of keratin-silica hydrogel for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kakkar, Prachi; Madhan, Balaraman, E-mail: bmadhan76@yahoo.co.in

2016-09-01

In the recent past, keratin has been fabricated into different forms of biomaterials like scaffold, gel, sponge, film etc. In lieu of the myriad advantages of the hydrogels for biomedical applications, a keratin-silica hydrogel was fabricated using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Textural analysis shed light on the physical properties of the fabricated hydrogel, inturn enabling the optimization of the hydrogel. The optimized keratin-silica hydrogel was found to exhibit instant springiness, optimum hardness, with ease of spreadability. Moreover, the hydrogel showed excellent swelling with highly porous microarchitecture. MTT assay and DAPI staining revealed that keratin-silica hydrogel was biocompatible with fibroblast cells. Collectively, these properties make the fabricated keratin-silica hydrogel, a suitable dressing material for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • Keratin-silica hydrogel has been fabricated using sol–gel technique. • The hydrogel shows appropriate textural properties. • The hydrogel promotes fibroblast cells proliferation. • The hydrogel has potential soft tissue engineering applications like wound healing.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

Flowering Trees. Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. (INDIAN TREE OF. HEAVEN) of Simaroubaceae is a lofty tree with large pinnately compound alternate leaves, which are ... inflorescences, unisexual and greenish-yellow. Fruits are winged, wings many-nerved. Wood is used in making match sticks. 1. Male flower; 2. Female flower.

Advanced nanostructured photocatalysts based on reduced graphene oxide-flower-like Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} composites for an augmented simulated solar photoactivity activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yukun [Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China); Chen, Lin [Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Environment, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China); Wang, Yue [Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China); Zhu, Liang, E-mail: liangzhu_hh@163.com [Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China); College of Environment, Hohai University, 1st Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098 (China)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • A simple route was proposed to prepare flower-like Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} and RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}. • Cipro HCl was degraded firstly by RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} under the visible-light. • 2% RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} exhibited the best removal efficiency. - Abstract: A simple hydrothermal process was proposed to prepare the flower-like Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} architectures, and the as-synthesized Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} photocatalysts were further processed with the prepared graphene oxide (GO) to form novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} composites. The nano-materials were characterized with the help of XRD, XPS, SEM, FTIR, UV-DRS, PL techniques to investigate their morphological, physical, optical, and photochemical properties. Photocatalytic performances of the pure flower-like Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} architectures and RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} composites were compared and evaluated through the degradation of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (Cipro HCl) wastewater under the simulated visible light. It was found that the RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} composites displayed enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activities. It might be that the RGO loading not only effectively suppressed the electron–hole recombination, but also increased the light absorption ability. The effects of operating condition involved in the photocatalytic process were further examined, and the cycle-stability experiment demonstrated that as-obtained 2% RGO/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} photocatalysts had good photocatalytic repeatability.

Microstructural characterization of catalysis product of nanocement based materials: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Sutan, Norsuzailina Mohamed; Izaitul Akma Ideris, Nur; Taib, Siti Noor Linda; Lee, Delsye Teo Ching; Hassan, Alsidqi; Kudnie Sahari, Siti; Mohamad Said, Khairul Anwar; Rahman Sobuz, Habibur

2018-03-01

Cement as an essential element for cement-based products contributed to negative environmental issues due to its high energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission during its production. These issues create the need to find alternative materials as partial cement replacement where studies on the potential of utilizing silica based materials as partial cement replacement come into picture. This review highlights the effectiveness of microstructural characterization techniques that have been used in the studies that focus on characterization of calcium hydroxide (CH) and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) formation during hydration process of cement-based product incorporating nano reactive silica based materials as partial cement replacement. Understanding the effect of these materials as cement replacement in cement based product focusing on the microstructural development will lead to a higher confidence in the use of industrial waste as a new non-conventional material in construction industry that can catalyse rapid and innovative advances in green technology.

Microstructural characterization of catalysis product of nanocement based materials: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Sutan Norsuzailina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Cement as an essential element for cement-based products contributed to negative environmental issues due to its high energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission during its production. These issues create the need to find alternative materials as partial cement replacement where studies on the potential of utilizing silica based materials as partial cement replacement come into picture. This review highlights the effectiveness of microstructural characterization techniques that have been used in the studies that focus on characterization of calcium hydroxide (CH and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H formation during hydration process of cement-based product incorporating nano reactive silica based materials as partial cement replacement. Understanding the effect of these materials as cement replacement in cement based product focusing on the microstructural development will lead to a higher confidence in the use of industrial waste as a new non-conventional material in construction industry that can catalyse rapid and innovative advances in green technology.

Reproducible and recyclable SERS substrates: Flower-like Ag structures with concave surfaces formed by electrodeposition

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Juncao; Shu, Shiwei; Li, Jianfu; Huang, Chao; Li, Yang Yang; Zhang, Rui-Qin

2015-04-01

Direct synthesis of three-dimensional Ag structures on solid substrates for the purposes of producing reproducible and recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications remains challenging. In this work, flower-like Ag structures with concave surfaces (FACS) were successfully electrodeposited onto ITO glass using the double-potentiostatic method. The FACS, with an enhancement factor of the order of 108, exhibited a SERS signal intensity 3.3 times stronger than that measured from Ag nanostructures without concave surfaces. A cleaning procedure involving lengthy immersion of the sample in ethanol and KNO3 was proposed to recycle the substrate and confirmed by using rhodamine 6G, adenine, and 4-aminothiophenol as target molecules. The findings can help to advance the practical applications of Ag nanostructure-based SERS substrates.

Natural variation of the RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1 contributes to flowering time divergence in rice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eri Ogiso-Tanaka

Full Text Available In rice (Oryza sativa L., there is a diversity in flowering time that is strictly genetically regulated. Some indica cultivars show extremely late flowering under long-day conditions, but little is known about the gene(s involved. Here, we demonstrate that functional defects in the florigen gene RFT1 are the main cause of late flowering in an indica cultivar, Nona Bokra. Mapping and complementation studies revealed that sequence polymorphisms in the RFT1 regulatory and coding regions are likely to cause late flowering under long-day conditions. We detected polymorphisms in the promoter region that lead to reduced expression levels of RFT1. We also identified an amino acid substitution (E105K that leads to a functional defect in Nona Bokra RFT1. Sequencing of the RFT1 region in rice accessions from a global collection showed that the E105K mutation is found only in indica, and indicated a strong association between the RFT1 haplotype and extremely late flowering in a functional Hd1 background. Furthermore, SNPs in the regulatory region of RFT1 and the E105K substitution in 1,397 accessions show strong linkage disequilibrium with a flowering time-associated SNP. Although the defective E105K allele of RFT1 (but not of another florigen gene, Hd3a is found in many cultivars, relative rate tests revealed no evidence for differential rate of evolution of these genes. The ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions suggest that the E105K mutation resulting in the defect in RFT1 occurred relatively recently. These findings indicate that natural mutations in RFT1 provide flowering time divergence under long-day conditions.

Transcriptome Analysis of Flower Sex Differentiation in Jatropha curcas L. Using RNA Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Gang; Huang, Jian; Yang, Yong; Yao, Yin-an

2016-01-01

Jatropha curcas is thought to be a promising biofuel material, but its yield is restricted by a low ratio of instaminate/staminate flowers (1/10-1/30). Furthermore, valuable information about flower sex differentiation in this plant is scarce. To explore the mechanism of this process in J. curcas, transcriptome profiling of flower development was carried out, and certain genes related with sex differentiation were obtained through digital gene expression analysis of flower buds from different phases of floral development. After Illumina sequencing and clustering, 57,962 unigenes were identified. A total of 47,423 unigenes were annotated, with 85 being related to carpel and stamen differentiation, 126 involved in carpel and stamen development, and 592 functioning in the later development stage for the maturation of staminate or instaminate flowers. Annotation of these genes provided comprehensive information regarding the sex differentiation of flowers, including the signaling system, hormone biosynthesis and regulation, transcription regulation and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. A further expression pattern analysis of 15 sex-related genes using quantitative real-time PCR revealed that gibberellin-regulated protein 4-like protein and AMP-activated protein kinase are associated with stamen differentiation, whereas auxin response factor 6-like protein, AGAMOUS-like 20 protein, CLAVATA1, RING-H2 finger protein ATL3J, auxin-induced protein 22D, and r2r3-myb transcription factor contribute to embryo sac development in the instaminate flower. Cytokinin oxidase, Unigene28, auxin repressed-like protein ARP1, gibberellin receptor protein GID1 and auxin-induced protein X10A are involved in both stages mentioned above. In addition to its function in the differentiation and development of the stamens, the gibberellin signaling pathway also functions in embryo sac development for the instaminate flower. The auxin signaling pathway also participates in both stamen development

Synthesis of flower-like BaTiO3/Fe3O4 hierarchically structured particles and their electrorheological and magnetic properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Baoxiang; Yin, Yichao; Liu, Chenjie; Yu, Shoushan; Chen, Kezheng

2013-07-21

Flower-like BaTiO3/Fe3O4 hierarchically structured particles composed of nano-scale structures on micro-scale materials were synthesized by a simple solvothermal approach and characterized by the means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), magnetic testing and rotary viscometer. The influences on the morphology and structure of solvothermal times, type and amount of surfactant, EG : H2O ratio, etc. were studied. Magnetic testing results show that the samples have strong magnetism and they exhibit superparamagnetic behavior, as evidenced by no coercivity and the remanence at room temperature, due to their very small sizes, observed on the M-H loop. The saturation magnetization (M(s)) value can achieve 18.3 emu g(-1). The electrorheological (ER) effect was investigated using a suspension of the flower-like BaTiO3/Fe3O4 hierarchically structured particles dispersed in silicone oil. We can observe a slight shear-thinning behavior of shear viscosity at a low shear rate region even at zero applied electric field and a Newtonian fluid behavior at high shear rate regions.

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO2-deposited diatomites: Highly efficient absorbents for the removal of Cr(VI).

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yucheng; Wang, Liping; Wang, Jinshu; Zheng, Guangwei; Wu, Junshu; Dai, Hongxing

2015-03-01

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO2-deposited diatomites have been prepared using a hydrothermal method with Mn(Ac)2, KMnO4 and/or MnSO4 as Mn source and diatomite as support. Physical properties of the materials were characterized by means of numerous analytical techniques, and their behaviors in the adsorption of chromium(VI) were evaluated. It is shown that the MnO2-deposited diatomite samples with different morphologies possessed high surface areas and abundant surface hydroxyl groups (especially the wire-like MnO2/diatomite sample). The wire-like MnO2/diatomite sample showed the best performance in the removal of Cr(VI), giving the maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of 101 mg/g. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Anomalous enthalpy relaxation in vitreous silica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yue, Yuanzheng

2015-01-01

scans. It is known that the liquid fragility (i.e., the speed of the viscous slow-down of a supercooled liquid at its Tg during cooling) has impact on enthalpy relaxation in glass. Here, we find that vitreous silica (as a strong system) exhibits striking anomalies in both glass transition and enthalpy...... relaxation compared to fragile oxide systems. The anomalous enthalpy relaxation of vitreous silica is discovered by performing the hyperquenching-annealing-calorimetry experiments. We argue that the strong systems like vitreous silica and vitreous Germania relax in a structurally cooperative manner, whereas...... the fragile ones do in a structurally independent fashion. We discuss the origin of the anomalous enthalpy relaxation in the HQ vitreous silica....

Preparation and characterization of rice hull silica products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quirit, Leni L.; Llaguno, Elma C.; Pagdanganan, Fernando C.; Hernandez, Karen N.

2008-01-01

Rice hull is an abundant agricultural waste material which could be a renewable energy source when combusted. The combustion residue (called rice hull ash or RHA) contains a significant amount (20% of the hull) of potentially high grade silica. Silica gels prepared from rice hull were found to have properties comparable to two commercial desiccant silica gels (Blue Merck and FNG-A) in terms of chemical and amorphous structure, surface area, desiccant characteristics, microstructure and heats of adsorption. These properties were determined from water vapor adsorption measurements, electron microscopy, and from infrared and x-ray diffraction spectra. The acid treated rice hull gels were found to have fewer elemental impurities detected by qualitative x-ray fluorescence, compared to the commercial gels. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data showed that this technique can also be used to indirectly compare impurity levels in the samples, in terms of the amorphous to crystalline phase transition. Using an improved acid treatment method, a silica gel sample was prepared from rice hull and compared to three commercial chromatographic silica gels using quantitative elemental x-ray fluorescence analysis. Elemental levels in the rice hull gel were within the range of levels or close to the detection limits of corresponding elements in the chromatographic gels. Water vapor adsorption, x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that the rice hull gel was similar to the commercial chromatographic silica gel Davison 12. Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates used as molecular sieves for purification and catalytic purposes. Zeolites X and Y were synthesized from rice hull silica gel and aluminum hydroxide. For comparison, controls were synthesized from commercial silica gel. The samples and controls exhibited characteristics infrared peaks corresponding to the vibrations of the TO 4 (T=Si, Al) of the zeolite framework. The x

Role of surface functionality on the formation of raspberry-like polymer/silica composite particles: Weak acid–base interaction and steric effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lan; Song, LinYong; Chao, ZhiYin; Chen, PengPeng; Nie, WangYan; Zhou, YiFeng

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Core–shell structured polymer/SiO 2 was obtained with carboxylic-functionalized templates. • Raspberry-like structure was observed with carboxylic and poly(ethylene glycol) hybrid-functionalized polymer microspheres. • Carboxylic groups contributed to the nucleation and the poly(ethylene glycol) chains was used to control the growth of silica particles. • Super-hydrophobic surface was obtained and the contact angle of water on the dual-sized structured surface was up to 160°. - Abstract: The surface functionality of polymer microspheres is the crucial factor to determine the nucleation and growth of silica particles and to construct the organic/inorganic hierarchical structures. The objective of this work was to evaluate the surface functionality and hierarchical morphology relationship via in situ sol–gel reaction. Carboxylic-functionalized poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) [P(S-co-MA)], poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized poly(styrene-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) [P(S-co-PEGMA)], and hybrid functionalized poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) [P(S-co-MA-co-PEGMA)] microspheres were synthesized by emulsifier-free polymerization and used as templates. The morphologies of the composite particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that core–shell structure was obtained with P(S-co-MA) as templates; raspberry-like structure was observed by using P(S-co-MA-co-PEGMA) as templates; and no silica particles were attached onto the surface of P(S-co-PEGMA) microspheres. These results indicated that the carboxylic groups on the surface formed by hydrolysis of anhydride groups were the determinate factor to control the nucleation of silica nanoparticles, and the PEG chains on the surface can affect the growth of silica particles. In addition, the particulate films were constructed by assembling these

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 8 Issue 8 August 2003 pp 112-112 Flowering Trees. Zizyphus jujuba Lam. of Rhamnaceae · More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 8 Issue 9 September 2003 pp 97-97 Flowering Trees. Moringa oleifera · More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 8 Issue 10 October 2003 pp 100-100 Flowering Trees.

Optically transparent, superhydrophobic methyltrimethoxysilane based silica coatings without silylating reagent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavale, Mahendra S.; Mahadik, D.B.; Parale, V.G.; Wagh, P.B.; Gupta, Satish C.; Rao, A.Venkateswara; Barshilia, Harish C.

2011-01-01

The superhydrophobic surfaces have drawn lot of interest, in both academic and industries because of optically transparent, adherent and self-cleaning behavior. Surface chemical composition and morphology plays an important role in determining the superhydrophobic nature of coating surface. Such concert of non-wettability can be achieved, using surface modifying reagents or co-precursor method in sol-gel process. Attempts have been made to increase the hydrophobicity and optical transparency of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) based silica coatings using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) instead of formal routes like surface modification using silylating reagents. The optically transparent, superhydrophobic uniform coatings were obtained by simple dip coating method. The molar ratio of MTMS:MeOH:H 2 O was kept constant at 1:5.63:1.58, respectively with 0.5 M NH 4 F as a catalyst and the weight percent of PMMA varied from 1 to 8. The hydrophobicity of silica coatings was analyzed by FTIR and contact angle measurements. These substrates exhibited 91% optical transmittance as compared to glass and water drop contact angle as high as 171 ± 1 deg. The effect of humidity on hydrophobic nature of coating has been studied by exposing these films at relative humidity of 90% at constant temperature of 30 deg. C for a period of 45 days. The micro-structural studies carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Solvothermal synthesis and high optical performance of three-dimensional sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Yi, E-mail: zhouyihn@163.com; Wang, Yutang; Li, Mengyao; Li, Xuzhi; Yi, Qin; Deng, Pan; Wu, Hongyan

2015-06-15

Graphical abstract: I–V characteristics of different TiO{sub 2} microspheres based DSSCs (a) 3D sphere-like, (b) 3D flower-like, (c) 3D sea-urchin-like. - Highlights: • 3D sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2} was synthesized by solvothermal method. • The effects of preparation parameters on the microstructure of the microspheres were investigated. • The photoelectric properties of 3D sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2} were studied upon DSSCs. • The PCE of the 3D sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2} was higher than that of other morphologies. - Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2} microspheres were successfully synthesised by solvothermal method. The effects of preparation parameters including reaction temperature, concentration and mass fraction of precursor, and solvent volume on the microstructure of the microspheres were investigated. Results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the preparation parameters played a critical role in the morphology of 3D sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2}. In addition, when the sea-urchin-like TiO{sub 2} nanostructures were used as the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) anode, the power-conversion efficiency was higher than that of other morphologies, which was due to the special 3D hierarchical nanostructure, large specific surface area, and enhanced absorption of UV–vis of the TiO{sub 2} nanostructures.

One-pot, self-assembled hydrothermal synthesis of 3D flower-like CuS/g-C3N4 composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Azam; Alam, Umair; Raza, Waseem; Bahnemann, D.; Muneer, M.

2018-04-01

Novel visible-light-driven 3D flower-like CuS/g-C3N4 composites have been synthesized by different wt% of CuS using hydrothermal method and characterized by standard analytical techniques such as XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, UV-Vis DRS spectroscopy, SEM-EDS, and TEM. SEM and TEM analyses showed an intimate interfacial contact between flower-like CuS and g-C3N4 sheet. The synthesized composite materials (CuS/g-C3N4) showed excellent photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous suspension under visible-light irradiation, compared with pure CuS and g-C3N4. Among various composites of CuS/g-C3N4, 10 wt% of CuS showed highest photocatalytic activity for the decolorization of dye (MB). This remarkably improved photocatalytic performance of the synthesized materials could be attributed to the synergistic interaction between CuS and g-C3N4, leading to prolonged lifetime of photo-generated e- and h+ pair through the Z-scheme system. A probable Z-scheme mechanism explaining the origin of enhanced performance of the composite material has been proposed. This work not only provides a facile way to synthesize 3D flower-like heterostructure, but also renders rational design for the development of highly efficient Z-scheme photocatalytic systems.

Structural and microstructural characterization of Co-hydrotalcite-like compounds by X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez-Lozano, G. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, ESFM, Av. IPN s/n, Edif. 9, UPALM, Mexico, D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Hesiquio-Garduno, M. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, ESFM, Av. IPN s/n, Edif. 9, UPALM, Mexico, D.F. 07738 (Mexico)]. E-mail: miguelhg@esfm.ipn.mx; Zeifert, B. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, ESIQIE, Av. IPN s/n, Edif. 7, UPALM, Mexico, D.F. 07738 (Mexico)]. E-mail: bzeifert@yahoo.com; Salmones, J. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, ESIQIE, Av. IPN s/n, Edif. 7, UPALM, Mexico, D.F. 07738 (Mexico)]. E-mail: jose_salmones@yahoo.com.mx

2007-05-31

Co-hydrotalcite-like compounds (Co-HTlcs) were synthesized by coprecipitation technique from Mg(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}.6H{sub 2}O, Al(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.9H{sub 2}O and Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}.6H{sub 2}O, with a constant molar ratio Mg/Al of 1.6 and a variable molar ratio Co/Mg from 0.01 to 0.1 (controlling the pH around 10). X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate structural (lattice parameters) and microstructural (crystallite size and microstrain) parameters of the samples. Lattice parameters were calculated from (0 0 3) (0 0 6) (1 1 0) and (1 1 3) reflections by the least squares method, changes on a and c lattice parameters are discussed and related to Co/Mg ratio. The microstructural parameters were analyzed using two approaches: (a) analytical methods with the Voigt method and the two stages approach and (b) graphical methods using a modified Williamson-Hall plot with Lorentzian, Gaussian and Lorentzian-Gaussian variants. It was found that increasing the Co content, the morphology of crystallites tends to be plate-like and it was observed that the crystallite size increases, while the microstrain values decrease. This behavior is related to an improvement of crystal perfection, due to addition of cobalt.

Flower, fruit phenology and flower traits in Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae) from northeastern Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Adriano, Cristian Adrian; Jurado, Enrique; Flores, Joel; González-Rodríguez, Humberto; Cuéllar-Rodríguez, Gerardo

2016-01-01

We characterized variations in Cordia boissieri flowers and established if these variations occur between plants or between flowering events. Flowering and fruiting was measured for 256 plants. A GLM test was used to determine the relationship between flowering and fruit set processes and rainfall. We performed measurements of floral traits to detect variations within the population and between flowering events. The position of the anthers with respect to the ovary was determined in 1,500 flowers. Three out of four flowering events of >80% C. boissieri plants occurred after rainfall events. Only one flowering event occurred in a drought. Most plants flowered at least twice a year. The overlapping of flowering and fruiting only occurred after rainfall. Anthesis lasted three-to-five days, and there were two flower morphs. Half of the plants had longistylus and half had brevistylus flowers. Anacahuita flower in our study had 1-4 styles; 2-9 stamens; 6.5-41.5 mm long corolla; sepals from 4.5-29.5 mm in length; a total length from 15.5-59 mm; a corolla diameter from 10.5-77 mm. The nectar guide had a diameter from 5-30.5 mm; 4-9 lobes; and 5 distinguishable nectar guide colors. The highest variation of phenotypic expression was observed between plants.

Functional optics of glossy buttercup flowers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Kooi, Casper J; Elzenga, J Theo M; Dijksterhuis, Jan; Stavenga, Doekele G

2017-01-01

Buttercup (Ranunculus spp.) flowers are exceptional because they feature a distinct gloss (mirror-like reflection) in addition to their matte-yellow coloration. We investigated the optical properties of yellow petals of several Ranunculus and related species using (micro)spectrophotometry and

Synthesis of poly(ethylene oxide)-silica hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishak Manaf

2002-01-01

A hybrid material incorporating silica networks in poly (ethylene oxide) was produced using the sol-gel process from solution mixtures of poly (ethylene oxide) dissolved in water and partially polymerized tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) with and without compatibilisation agent. These mixtures were converted into films by solvent evaporation and drying them in an air-circulating oven at 60 degree C. Depending on the alkoxysilane solution composition and several mixing parameters, different morphologies were obtained, varying from semi-interpenetrating networks of PEO within highly cross linked silica chains, to finely dispersed heterogeneous system exhibiting either co-continuous or particulate microstructure. The influence of pH, type of solvents, mixing temperatures and time, as well as the nature of compatibiliser was found to be extremely important in controlling the morphology and properties of the fine hybrid films. It was found that compatibilisation of PEO-SiO 2 hybrid system is achieved exclusively with the use of γ-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOTMS) coupling agent. (Author)

[Catalytic Degradation of Diclofenac Sodium over the Catalyst of 3D Flower-like alpha-FeOOH Synergized with H2O2 Under Visible Light Irradiation].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jun-ge; Li, Yun-qin; Huang, Hua-shan; Yuan, Bao-ling; Cui, Hao-jie; Fu, Ming-lai

2015-06-01

Three dimensional (3D) flower-like alpha-FeOOH nanomaterials were prepared by oil bath reflux method using FeSO4, urea, ethanol and water, and the products which were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and SEM techniques. The SEM images showed that the 3D flower-like samples consisted of nanorods with a length of 400-500 nm and a diameter of 40-60 nm. The catalytic performance of the samples was evaluated by catalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium using H2O2 as the oxidant under simulated visible light. The results showed that the as-prepared samples presented high efficient catalytic performances, and more than 99% of the initial diclofenac sodium (30 mg x L(-1)) was degraded in 90 min. A radical mechanism can be proposed for the catalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium solution.

Proteomic Identification of Differentially Expressed Proteins during Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Flower Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lingling; Chen, Quanzhu; Zhu, Yanqiao; Hou, Longyu; Mao, Peisheng

2016-01-01

Flower development, pollination, and fertilization are important stages in the sexual reproduction process of plants; they are also critical steps in the control of seed formation and development. During alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) seed production, some distinct phenomena such as a low seed setting ratio, serious flower falling, and seed abortion commonly occur. However, the causes of these phenomena are complicated and largely unknown. An understanding of the mechanisms that regulate alfalfa flowering is important in order to increase seed yield. Hence, proteomic technology was used to analyze changes in protein expression during the stages of alfalfa flower development. Flower samples were collected at pre-pollination (S1), pollination (S2), and the post-pollination senescence period (S3). Twenty-four differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified, including 17 down-regulated in pollinated flowers, one up-regulated in pollinated and senesced flowers, and six up-regulated in senesced flowers. The largest proportions of the identified proteins were involved in metabolism, signal transduction, defense response, oxidation reduction, cell death, and programmed cell death (PCD). Their expression profiles demonstrated that energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism provided the nutrient foundation for pollination in alfalfa. Furthermore, there were three proteins involved in multiple metabolic pathways: dual specificity kinase splA-like protein (kinase splALs), carbonic anhydrase, and NADPH: quinone oxidoreductase-like protein. Expression patterns of these proteins indicated that MAPK cascades regulated multiple processes, such as signal transduction, stress response, and cell death. PCD also played an important role in the alfalfa flower developmental process, and regulated both pollination and flower senescence. The current study sheds some light on protein expression profiles during alfalfa flower development and

Flower, fruit phenology and flower traits in Cordia boissieri (Boraginaceae from northeastern Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Adrian Martínez-Adriano

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We characterized variations in Cordia boissieri flowers and established if these variations occur between plants or between flowering events. Flowering and fruiting was measured for 256 plants. A GLM test was used to determine the relationship between flowering and fruit set processes and rainfall. We performed measurements of floral traits to detect variations within the population and between flowering events. The position of the anthers with respect to the ovary was determined in 1,500 flowers. Three out of four flowering events of >80% C. boissieri plants occurred after rainfall events. Only one flowering event occurred in a drought. Most plants flowered at least twice a year. The overlapping of flowering and fruiting only occurred after rainfall. Anthesis lasted three-to-five days, and there were two flower morphs. Half of the plants had longistylus and half had brevistylus flowers. Anacahuita flower in our study had 1–4 styles; 2–9 stamens; 6.5–41.5 mm long corolla; sepals from 4.5–29.5 mm in length; a total length from 15.5–59 mm; a corolla diameter from 10.5–77 mm. The nectar guide had a diameter from 5–30.5 mm; 4–9 lobes; and 5 distinguishable nectar guide colors. The highest variation of phenotypic expression was observed between plants.

Modulation of human dermal microvascular endothelial cell and human gingival fibroblast behavior by micropatterned silica coating surfaces for zirconia dental implant applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laranjeira, Marta S; Carvalho, Ângela; Ferraz, Maria Pia; Monteiro, Fernando Jorge; Pelaez-Vargas, Alejandro; Hansford, Derek; Coimbra, Susana; Costa, Elísio; Santos-Silva, Alice; Fernandes, Maria Helena

2014-01-01

Dental ceramic implants have shown superior esthetic behavior and the absence of induced allergic disorders when compared to titanium implants. Zirconia may become a potential candidate to be used as an alternative to titanium dental implants if surface modifications are introduced. In this work, bioactive micropatterned silica coatings were produced on zirconia substrates, using a combined methodology of sol–gel processing and soft lithography. The aim of the work was to compare the in vitro behavior of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) on three types of silica-coated zirconia surfaces: flat and micropatterned (with pillars and with parallel grooves). Our results showed that cells had a higher metabolic activity (HGF, HDMEC) and increased gene expression levels of fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and collagen type I (COL I) on surfaces with pillars. Nevertheless, parallel grooved surfaces were able to guide cell growth. Even capillary tube-like networks of HDMEC were oriented according to the surface geometry. Zirconia and silica with different topographies have shown to be blood compatible and silica coating reduced bacteria adhesion. All together, the results indicated that microstructured bioactive coating seems to be an efficient strategy to improve soft tissue integration on zirconia implants, protecting implants from peri-implant inflammation and improving long-term implant stabilization. This new approach of micropatterned silica coating on zirconia substrates can generate promising novel dental implants, with surfaces that provide physical cues to guide cells and enhance their behavior. (paper)

Pulse-Like Rupture Induced by Three-Dimensional Fault Zone Flower Structures

KAUST Repository

Pelties, Christian

2014-07-04

. The first healing mechanism is dominant for events with hypocenter inside the LVFZ. The second one is dominant if the hypocenter is deeper than a shallow LVFZ. These results suggest that the depth-dependence of rise time might help constrain the depth extent of the LVFZ. We also show that ruptures can spontaneously stop in flower-like LVFZs with uniform velocity reduction, but continue propagating as slip pulses if velocity reduction is depth-dependent.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone adsorption effects on the morphologies of synthesized platinum particles and its catalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ooi, Mahayatun Dayana Johan [Nano - Optoelectronic Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Aziz, Azlan Abdul [Nano - Optoelectronic Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Nanobiotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), INFORMM, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

2015-04-24

Flower-like Platinum micro-structures were synthesized from different concentration of the PVP using solvothermal method. At 5.0×10{sup −3} mmol of PVP, well-defined flower-like pattern consists of triangular petals radiating from the centre were produced whereas larger flower network developed at higher PVP concentration. High degree of crystallinity was obtained upon each increment of PVP. The well defined flower like pattern synthesized using 5.0×10{sup −3} mmol PVP exhibit the highest catalytic activity and stability towards electro-oxidation of formic acid.

Determining the Compressive, Flexural and Splitting Tensile Strength of Silica Fume Reinforced Lightweight Foamed Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mydin M.A.O.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the performance of the properties of foamed concrete in replacing volumes of cement of 10%, 15% and 20% by weight. A control unit of foamed concrete mixture made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC and 10%, 15% and 20% silica fume was prepared. Three mechanical property parameters were studied such as compressive strength, flexural strength and splitting tensile of foamed concrete with different percentages of silica fume. Silica fume is commonly used to increase the mechanical properties of concrete materials and it is also chosen due to certain economic reasons. The foamed concrete used in this study was cured at a relative humidity of 70% and a temperature of ±28°C. The improvement of mechanical properties was due to a significant densification in the microstructure of the cement paste matrix in the presence of silica fume hybrid supplementary binder as observed from micrographs obtained in the study. The overall results showed that there is a potential to utilize silica fume in foamed concrete, as there was a noticeable enhancement of thermal and mechanical properties with the addition of silica fume.

Mesoporous silica films as catalyst support for microstructured reactors: preparation and characterization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muraza, O.; Kooyman, P.J.; Lafont, U.; Albouy, P.A.; Khimyak, T.; Rebrov, E.V.; Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Schouten, J.C.

2008-01-01

Mesoporous silica thin films with hexagonal and cubic mesostructure have been deposited by the evaporation induced self-assembly assisted sol–gel route on microchannels etched in a Pyrex® 7740 borosilicate glass substrate. Prior to the synthesis, a 50 nm TiO2 film has been deposited on the substrate

Flower diversity and bee reproduction in an arid ecosystem

OpenAIRE

Dorado, Jimena; V?zquez, Diego P.

2016-01-01

Background: Diverse flower communities are more stable in floral resource production along the flowering season, but the question about how the diversity and stability of resources affect pollinator reproduction remains open. High plant diversity could favor short foraging trips, which in turn would enhance bee fitness. In addition to plant diversity, greater temporal stability of floral resources in diverse communities could favor pollinator fitness because such communities are likely to occ...

Formation of Flower-Like Crystals of Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinealuminum from 8-Hydroxyquinoline on Anodic Porous Alumina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shohei Yamaguchi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The treatment of anodic porous alumina (APA plates in heated water containing 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ produces crystalline tris(8-hydroxyquinolinealuminum (Alq3 microbelts about 5–10 μm wide and 5–20 μm long. These microbelts were found to aggregate to form flower-like structures on the surface. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the Alq3 microbelts are composed of an α-phase having a meridional structure. The Alq3 microbelts exhibited green photoluminescence with a peak at around 520 nm. Scanning electron microscope images and energy dispersive X-ray spectra showed that this reaction is induced at the APA surface by the reaction between the HQ and amorphous Al2O3 species.

Chosen aspects of flowering of Ranunculaceae representatives in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bożena Denisow

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The family Ranunculaceae consists of numerous widespread species occuring from lowlands to subalpine or alpine zones. In Poland, the species grow in different types of habitats, including xerothermic swards (Adonido-Brachypodietum, Brachypodio- Teucrietum, Thalictro-Salvietum, Seslerio- Scorzoneretum and decidous forests (Tilio- Carpinetum. Many species are popular ornamentals cultivated fro their esthetic value. Ranunculaceans vary remarkably in the phenology of blooming. Among them, there are early spring blooming species like Eranthis hyemalis, Ficaria verna, Isopyrum thalictroides, Anemone nemorosa, A. ranunculoides, and those that start to bloom in autumn, e.g. Aconitum carmichaelli. The overall flowering duration may differ significantly between years – for example, in Anemone sylvestris the disparities reached more than three weeks. The occurrence and the length of each blooming phase may vary considerably between sites, e.g. in Adonis vernalis 10-15-day dissimilarities in the occurrence of blooming stages were recorded. Additionally, the duration of the full blooming stage varied from 10 to 30 days. The diurnal pattern of blooming among Ranunculaceae members was proved to be highly species-specific. Flowers of Aquilegia vulgaris started opening at approx. 5.00 (GMT+2, which was 2-3 hours earlier than those of Adonis vernalis. Significant differences in the diurnal flowering dynamics can be found even in the same genus: flowers of Aconitum lycoctonum began opening at 5.00 (with the peak between 6.00-9.00, while flowers of Aconitum carmichaelii started opening at 8.00 and peaked between 11.00-13.00. The flowering abundance may differ among populations of the same species. The management type was found to have an impact on the individuals’ density of Adonis vernalis occurring in xerothermic grasslands. The control of shrub encashment has already been designated as the factor determining the flowering abundance of Adonis vernalis in

The effect of pozzolans and slag on the expansion of mortars cured at elevated temperature Part II: Microstructural and microchemical investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramlochan, T.; Thomas, M.D.A.; Hooton, R.D.

2004-01-01

The microstructural and microchemical development of heat-cured Portland cement mortars containing silica fume, metakaolin, blast-furnace slag, and fly ash were analysed using pore solution analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Incorporation of these materials into the mixture modifies the composition of the C-S-H gel, the quantities of the hydration products, and the microstructure. Ettringite was formed during moist storage in all specimens, but was not accompanied by expansion where a sufficient amount of metakaolin, blast-furnace slag, or a suitable fly ash replaced a proportion of the Portland cement; replacement with silica fume was not as effective at eliminating expansion. The different behaviour of silica fume from the other supplementary cementing materials is believed to reflect a difference in the way ettringite is formed in the presence of Al 2 O 3 -bearing mineral admixtures

Floral vascular patterns of the double-flowered and wildtype morphs of Nigella damascena L. (Ranunculaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Deroin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The perianth of the double-flowered morph of Nigella damascena L. consists of spirally inserted petaloid sepals and sepal-like organs, similar in shape and colour to the petaloid sepals of the wild-type flower. It is devoid of petals. We compare the vascularization of each organ category of the double flower with that of the wild-type. We show that the vascular patterns of the sepal-like organs and of the petals are identical, and found an inverse relationship between the number of bracts and the number of sepals in the double-flowered morph. These two surprising findings will influence the future evo-devo studies on this plant model.

Effect of colloidal nano-silica on the mechanical and physical behaviour of waste-glass cement mortar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aly, M.; Hashmi, M.S.J.; Olabi, A.G.; Messeiry, M.; Abadir, E.F.; Hussain, A.I.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → Glass powder (GP) and nano-silica (CS) were used as a partial cement replacement in cement mortar (CM). → No damaging effect can be detected due to the reaction between GP and CM with particle size up to 75 μm. → Hybrid combination of GP/CS greatly improved mechanical properties and microstructure of CM. -- Abstract: This paper presents a laboratory study of the properties of colloidal nano-silica (CS)/waste glass cement composites. The microstructure, alkali-silica reaction (ASR), and the mechanical properties of cement mortars containing waste glass powder (WG) as a cement replacement with and without CS are investigated and compared with plain mortar. In addition, the hydration of cement compounds was followed by differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that incorporation of WG has a positive effect on the mechanical properties of cement mortars especially when CS is presented. In addition, the DTA/TGA results and XRD analysis show a reduction in the calcium hydroxide (CH) content in mortars with both WG and a hybrid combination of WG and CS. This confirms the improvement of mechanical properties and the occurrence of the pozzolanic reaction after 28 days of hydration.

Variability of biological effects of silicas: Different degrees of activation of the fifth component of complement by amorphous silicas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Governa, Mario; Amati, Monica; Fenoglio, Ivana; Valentino, Matteo; Coloccini, Sabrina; Bolognini, Lucia; Carlo Botta, Gian; Emanuelli, Monica; Pierella, Francesca; Volpe, Anna Rita; Astolfi, Paola; Carmignani, Marco; Fubini, Bice

2005-01-01

A biogenic and a pyrogenic amorphous silica were incubated in normal human plasma and compared on a per unit surface basis for their ability to split C5 molecules and yield small C5a peptides. Since C5a peptides induce selective chemotactic attraction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), measurement of PMN-induced chemotaxis was used as an index of C5 activation. Though to a lesser extent than the crystalline forms, amorphous silicas can promote the cleavage of C5 protein and generation of C5a-like fragment. The biogenic silica, which differs from the pyrogenic variety in particle shape, level of contaminants, and degree of surface hydrophilicity, besides specific surface, induced a greater response. Both silicas activated C5 through a process which seems to involve multiple events similar to those induced by crystalline silica. C5 molecules are adsorbed and hydroxyl radicals are generated through Haber Weiss cycles catalyzed by the redox-active iron present at the particle surface either as trace impurities or chelated from plasma by silanol groups. In turn, these radicals convert native C5 to an oxidized C5-like form C5(H 2 O 2 ). Finally, C5(H 2 O 2 ) is cleaved by protease enzymatic action of plasma kallikrein activated by the same silica dusts, yielding a product, C5a(H 2 O 2 ), having the same functional characteristic as C5a

Study of silica sol-gel materials for sensor development

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Qiong

Silica sol-gel is a transparent, highly porous silicon oxide glass made at room temperature by sol-gel process. The name of silica sol-gel comes from the observable physical phase transition from liquid sol to solid gel during its preparation. Silica sol-gel is chemically inert, thermally stable, and photostable, it can be fabricated into different desired shapes during or after gelation, and its porous structure allows encapsulation of guest molecules either before or after gelation while still retaining their functions and sensitivities to surrounding environments. All those distinctive features make silica sol-gel ideal for sensor development. Study of guest-host interactions in silica sol-gel is important for silica-based sensor development, because it helps to tailor local environments inside sol-gel matrix so that higher guest loading, longer shelf-life, higher sensitivity and faster response of silica gel based sensors could be achieved. We focused on pore surface modification of two different types of silica sol-gel by post-grafting method, and construction of stable silica hydrogel-like thin films for sensor development. By monitoring the mobility and photostability of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in silica alcogel thin films through single molecule spectroscopy (SMS), the guest-host interactions altered by post-synthesis grafting were examined. While physical confinement remains the major factor that controls mobility in modified alcogels, both R6G mobility and photostability register discernable changes after surface charges are respectively reversed and neutralized by aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) grafting. The change in R6G photostability was found to be more sensitive to surface grafting than that of mobility. In addition, silica film modification by 0.4% APTS is as efficient as that by pure MTES in lowering R6G photostability, which suggests that surface charge reversal is more effective than charge neutralization

Influence of polyolefin fibers on the engineering properties of cement-based composites containing silica fume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Ta-Yuan; Lin, Wei-Ting; Cheng, An; Huang, Ran; Huang, Chin-Cheng

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Experimental study is focus on the engineering properties of cement-based composites. ► Different mixes containing fiber and silica fume proportions have been tested. ► The influence of different mixes on the engineering properties has been discussed. ► The properties are included strength, ductility, permeability and microstructure. -- Abstract: This study evaluated the mechanical properties of cement-based composites produced with added polyolefin fibers and silica fume. Material variables included the water-cementitious ratio, the dosage of silica fume, and the length and dosage of polyolefin fiber. Researchers conducted tests on compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, direct tensile strength, resistivity, rapid chloride penetration, and initial surface absorption, and performed microscopic observation. Test results indicate that the specimens containing silica fume have higher compressive strength than the control and specimen made with fibers. The specimens with polyolefin fiber and silica fume have considerably higher tensile strength and ductility than the control and specimens made with silica fume. The specimens containing silica fume and polyolefin fiber demonstrated better resistance to chloride penetration than composites with polyolefin fiber or silica fume. For a given volume fraction, short polyolefin fiber performs better than its long counterpart in improving the properties of concrete. Specimens containing silica fume demonstrated a significant increase in resistivity and decrease in the total charge passed and absorption. Scanning electron microscopy illustrates that the polyolefin fiber acts to arrest the propagation of internal cracks.

Self-assembled 3D flower-like Ni2+-Fe3+ layered double hydroxides and their calcined products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Ting; Tang Yiwen; Jia Zhiyong; Li Dawei; Hu Xiaoyan; Li Bihui; Luo Lijuan

2009-01-01

This paper describes a facile solvothermal method to synthesize self-assembled three-dimensional (3D) Ni 2+ -Fe 3+ layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Flower-like Ni 2+ -Fe 3+ LDHs constructed of thin nanopetals were obtained using ethylene glycol (EG) as a chelating reagent and urea as a hydrolysis agent. The reaction mechanism and self-assembly process are discussed. After calcinating the as-prepared LDHs at 450 0 C in nitrogen gas, porous NiO/NiFe 2 O 4 nanosheets were obtained. This work resulted in the development of a simple, cheap, and effective route for the fabrication of large area Ni 2+ -Fe 3+ LDHs as well as porous NiO/NiFe 2 O 4 nanosheets.

Pyrethrum flowers and pyrethroid insecticides.

OpenAIRE

Casida, J E

1980-01-01

The natural pyrethrins from the daisy-like flower, Tanacetum or Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, are nonpersistent insecticides of low toxicity to mammals. Synthetic analogs or pyrethroids, evolved from the natural compounds by successive isosteric modifications, are more potent and stable and are the newest important class of crop protection chemicals. They retain many of the favorable properties of the pyrethrins.

Early histological, hormonal, and molecular changes during pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill) artificial flowering induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, Maita Eulalia Ávila; Moreira, Rafael Oliveira; Lima, André Almeida; Ságio, Solange Aparecida; Barreto, Horllys Gomes; Luiz, Sara Lazara Pérez; Abreu, Carlos Eduardo Aragón; Yanes-Paz, Ermis; Ruíz, Yanelis Capdesuñer; González-Olmedo, Justo Lorenzo; Chalfun-Júnior, Antonio

2017-02-01

Natural flowering can cause serious scheduling problems in the pineapple (Ananas comosus) industry and increase harvest costs. Pineapple flowering is thought to be triggered by increased ethylene levels and artificial forcing of pineapple flowering is a common practice to promote flowering synchronisation. However, little is known about the early hormonal and molecular changes of pineapple flowering induction and development. Here, we aimed to analyse the molecular, hormonal, and histological changes during artificial pineapple flowering by Ethrel ® 48 treatment. Histological analyses of the shoot apical meristem, leaf gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), and ethylene quantification were carried out during the first 72h after Ethrel ® 48 treatment. Expression profiles from ethylene biosynthesis (AcACS2 and AcACO1), gibberellin metabolism (AcGA2-ox1 and AcDELLA1), and flower development (FT-like gene (AcFT), LFY-like gene (AcLFY), and a PISTILLATA-like gene (AcPI)) genes were analysed during the first 24h after Ethrel ® 48 treatment. Differentiation processes of the shoot apical meristem into flower buds were already present in the first 72h after Ethrel ® 48 treatment. Ethrel ® 48 lead to a reduction in GA 3 levels, probably triggered by elevated ethylene levels and the positive regulation AcGA2-ox1. AcLFY activation upon Ethrel ® 48 may also have contributed to the reduction of GA 3 levels and, along with the up-regulation of AcPI, are probably associated with the flower induction activation. AcFT and AcDELLA1 do not seem to be regulated by GA 3 and ethylene. Decreased GA 3 and increased ethylene levels suggest an accumulation of AcDELLA1, which may display an important role in pineapple flowering induction. Thus, this study shows that molecular, hormonal, and histological changes are present right after Ethrel ® 48 treatment, providing new insights into how pineapple flowering occurs under natural conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Say it with flowers: Flowering acceleration by root communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Falik, Omer; Hoffmann, Ishay; Novoplansky, Ariel

2014-01-01

The timing of reproduction is a critical determinant of fitness, especially in organisms inhabiting seasonal environments. Increasing evidence suggests that inter-plant communication plays important roles in plant functioning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that flowering coordination can involve communication between neighboring plants. We show that soil leachates from Brassica rapa plants growing under long-day conditions accelerated flowering and decreased allocation to vegetative organs in target plants growing under non-inductive short-day conditions. The results suggest that besides endogenous signaling and external abiotic cues, flowering timing may involve inter-plant communication, mediated by root exudates. The study of flowering communication is expected to illuminate neglected aspects of plant reproductive interactions and to provide novel opportunities for controlling the timing of plant reproduction in agricultural settings.

Proteomic identification of differentially expressed proteins during alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. flower development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingling Chen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Flower development, pollination, and fertilization are important stages in the sexual reproduction process of plants; they are also critical steps in the control of seed formation and development. During alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. seed production, some distinct phenomena such as a low seed setting ratio, serious flower falling, and seed abortion commonly occur. However, the causes of these phenomena are complicated and largely unknown. An understanding of the mechanisms that regulate alfalfa flowering is important in order to increase seed yield. Hence, proteomic technology was used to analyze changes in protein expression during the stages of alfalfa flower development. Flower samples were collected at pre-pollination (S1, pollination (S2, and the post-pollination senescence period (S3. Twenty-four differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified, including 17 down-regulated in pollinated flowers, one up-regulated in pollinated and senesced flowers, and six up-regulated in senesced flowers. The largest proportions of the identified proteins were involved in metabolism, signal transduction, defense response, oxidation reduction, cell death, and programmed cell death (PCD. Their expression profiles demonstrated that energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism provided the nutrient foundation for pollination in alfalfa. Furthermore, there were three proteins involved in multiple metabolic pathways: dual specificity kinase splA-like protein (kinase splALs, carbonic anhydrase (CA, and NADPH: quinone oxidoreductase-like protein (NQOLs. Expression patterns of these proteins indicated that MAPK cascades regulated multiple processes, such as signal transduction, stress response, and cell death. PCD also played an important role in the alfalfa flower developmental process, and regulated both pollination and flower senescence. The current study sheds some light on protein expression profiles during alfalfa flower

Effects of flowering phenology and synchrony on the reproductive success of a long-flowering shrub

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Javier; Traveset, Anna

2016-01-01

Flowering phenology and synchrony with biotic and abiotic resources are crucial traits determining the reproductive success in insect-pollinated plants. In seasonal climates, plants flowering for long periods should assure reproductive success when resources are more predictable. In this work, we evaluated the relationship between flowering phenology and synchrony and reproductive success in Hypericum balearicum, a shrub flowering all year round but mainly during spring and summer. We studied two contrasting localities (differing mostly in rainfall) during 3 years, and at different biological scales spanning from localities to individual flowers and fruits. We first monitored (monthly) flowering phenology and reproductive success (fruit and seed set) of plants, and assessed whether in the locality with higher rainfall plants had longer flowering phenology and synchrony and relatively higher reproductive success within or outside the flowering peak. Secondly, we censused pollinators on H. balearicum individuals and measured reproductive success along the flowering peak of each locality to test for an association between (i) richness and abundance of pollinators and (ii) fruit and seed set, and seed weight. We found that most flowers (∼90 %) and the highest fruit set (∼70 %) were produced during the flowering peak of each locality. Contrary to expectations, plants in the locality with lower rainfall showed more relaxed flowering phenology and synchrony and set more fruits outside the flowering peak. During the flowering peak of each locality, the reproductive success of early-flowering individuals depended on a combination of both pollinator richness and abundance and rainfall; by contrast, reproductive success of late-flowering individuals was most dependent on rainfall. Plant species flowering for long periods in seasonal climates, thus, appear to be ideal organisms to understand how flowering phenology and synchrony match with biotic and abiotic resources, and

Hydrothermal stability of silica, hybrid silica and Zr-doped hybrid silica membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Hove, Marcel; Luiten-Olieman, Mieke W.J.; Huiskes, Cindy; Nijmeijer, Arian; Winnubst, Louis

2017-01-01

Hybrid silica membranes have demonstrated to possess a remarkable hydrothermal stability in pervaporation and gas separation processes allowing them to be used in industrial applications. In several publications the hydrothermal stability of pure silica or that of hybrid silica membranes are

Photocrosslinked nanocomposite hydrogels from PEG and silica nanospheres: Structural, mechanical and cell adhesion characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaharwar, Akhilesh K.; Rivera, Christian; Wu, Chia-Jung; Chan, Burke K.; Schmidt, Gudrun

2013-01-01

Photopolymerized hydrogels are extensively investigated for various tissue engineering applications, primarily due to their ability to form hydrogels in a minimally invasive manner. Although photocrosslinkable hydrogels provide necessary biological and chemical characteristics to mimic cellular microenvironments, they often lack sufficient mechanical properties. Recently, nanocomposite approaches have demonstrated potential to overcome these deficits by reinforcing the hydrogel network with. In this study, we investigate some physical, chemical, and biological properties of photocrosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-silica hydrogels. The addition of silica nanospheres significantly suppresses the hydration degree of the PEG hydrogels, indicating surface interactions between the silica nanospheres and the polymer chains. No significant change in hydrogel microstructure or average pore size due to the addition of silica nanospheres was observed. However, addition of silica nanospheres significantly increases both the mechanical strength and the toughness of the hydrogel networks. The biological properties of these nanocomposite hydrogels were evaluated by seeding fibroblast cells on the hydrogel surface. While the PEG hydrogels showed minimum cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation, the addition of silica nanospheres enhanced initial cell adhesion, promoted cell spreading and increased the metabolic activity of the cells. Overall, results indicate that the addition of silica nanospheres improves the mechanical stiffness and cell adhesion properties of PEG hydrogels and can be used for biomedical applications that required controlled cell adhesion. - Graphical abstract: Structural, mechanical and biological properties of photocrosslinked nanocomposite hydrogels from silica and poly(ethylene oxide) are investigated. Silica reinforce the hydrogel network and improved mechanical strength. Addition of induces cell adhesion characteristic properties for various

Overexpression of DOSOC1, an ortholog of Arabidopsis SOC1, promotes flowering in the orchid Dendrobium Chao Parya Smile.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Lihua; Wang, Yanwen; Yu, Hao

2013-04-01

SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1) encodes a MADS-box protein that plays an essential role in integrating multiple flowering signals to regulate the transition from vegetative to reproductive development in the model plant Arabidopsis. Although SOC1-like genes have been isolated in various angiosperms, its orthologs in Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of flowering plants, are so far unknown. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of flowering time control in orchids, we isolated a SOC1-like gene, DOSOC1, from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. DOSOC1 was highly expressed in reproductive organs, including inflorescence apices, pedicels, floral buds and open flowers. Its expression significantly increased in whole plantlets during the transition from vegetative to reproductive development, which usually occurred after 8 weeks of culture in Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. In the shoot apex at the floral transitional stage, DOSOC1 was particularly expressed in emerging floral meristems. Overexpression of DOSOC1 in wild-type Arabidopsis plants resulted in early flowering, which was coupled with the up-regulation of two other flowering promoters, AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 and LEAFY. In addition, overexpression of DOSOC1 was able partially to complement the late-flowering phenotype of Arabidopsis soc1-2 loss-of-function mutants. Furthermore, we successfully created seven 35S:DOSOC1 transgenic Dendrobium orchid lines, which consistently exhibited earlier flowering than wild-type orchids. Our results suggest that SOC1-like genes play an evolutionarily conserved role in promoting flowering in the Orchidaceae family, and that DOSOC1 isolated from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile could serve as an important target for genetic manipulation of flowering time in orchids.

Fumed silica. Fumed silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sukawa, T.; Shirono, H. (Nippon Aerosil Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-10-18

The fumed silica is explained in particulate superfineness, high purity, high dispersiveness and other remarkable characteristics, and wide application. The fumed silica, being presently produced, is 7 to 40nm in average primary particulate diameter and 50 to 380m{sup 2}/g in specific surface area. On the surface, there coexist hydrophilic silanol group (Si-OH) and hydrophobic siloxane group (Si-O-Si). There are many characteristics, mutually different between the fumed silica, made hydrophobic by the surface treatment, and untreated hydrophilic silica. The treated silica, if added to the liquid product, serves as agent to heighten the viscosity, prevent the sedimentation and disperse the particles. The highest effect is given to heighten the viscosity in a region of 4 to 9 in pH in water and alcohol. As filling agent to strengthen the elastomer and polymer, and powder product, it gives an effect to prevent the consolidation and improve the fluidity. As for its other applications, utilization is made of particulate superfineness, high purity, thermal insulation properties and adsorption characteristics. 2 to 3 patents are published for it as raw material of quartz glass. 38 refs., 16 figs., 4 tabs.

Thermodynamics of the silica-steam system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krikorian, Oscar H [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA (United States)

1970-05-01

In most nuclear cratering and cavity formation applications, the working fluid in the expanding cavity consists primarily of vaporized silica and steam. The chemical reaction products of silica and steam under these conditions are not known, although it is known that silica is very volatile in the presence of high-pressure steam under certain geologic conditions and in steam turbines. A review is made of work on the silica-steam system in an attempt to determine the vapor species that exist, and to establish the associated thermo-dynamic data. The review indicates that at 600-900 deg K and 1-100 atm steam pressure, Si(OH){sub 4} is the most likely silicon-containing gaseous species. At 600-900 deg. K and 100-1000 atm steam, Si{sub 2}O(OH){sub 6} is believed to predominate, whereas at 1350 deg K and 2000-9000 atm, a mixture of Si(OH){sub 4} and Si{sub 2}O(OH){sub 6} is consistent with the observed volatilities. In work at 1760 deg. K in which silica was reacted either with steam at 0.5 and 1 atm, or with gaseous mixtures of H{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O and O{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O at 1 atm total pressure, only part of the volatility could be accounted for by Si(OH){sub 4}. Hydrogen was found to greatly enhance the volatility of silica, and oxygen to suppress it. The species most likely to explain this behavior is believed to be SiO(OH). A number of other species may also be significant under these conditions. Thermodynamic data have been estimated for all species considered. The Si-OH bond dissociation energy is found to be {approx}117 kcal/mole in both Si(OH){sub 4} and Si{sub 2}O(OH){sub 6}. (author)

All-silica photonic bandgap fibre with zero dispersion and a large mode area at 730 nm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riishede, Jesper; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Broeng, Jes

2004-01-01

A theoretical analysis of a photonic bandgap fibre, consisting of a pure silica background with a triangular lattice of Ge-doped high-index rods, is presented. This novel fibre design guides a single, well-confined mode in a core region made from undoped silica. The fibre is found to have positive...... waveguide dispersion, which may be used to shift the zero-dispersion wavelength down to 730 nm, while maintaining an effective mode area of 17 $mu@-m$+2$/. This is an order of magnitude larger than what may be achieved in highly non-linear index-guiding microstructured fibres with comparable zero...

Synthesis of Various Silica Nanoparticles for Foam Stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Suk Bon; Yoon, Inho; Jung, Chonghun; Kim, Chorong; Choi, Wangkyu; Moon, Jeikwon

2013-01-01

The synthesis of the non-porous silica nanoparticles with uniform sizes has been reported through the Sto ber method, the synthesis of meso porous silica nanoparticles with a specific morphology such as core-shell, rod-like, and hexagonal shapes is not so common. As a synthetic strategy for controlling the particle size, shape, and porosity, the synthesis of core-shell silicas with meso porous shells formed on silica particle cores through the self-assembly of silica precursor and organic templates or spherical meso porous silicas using modified Sto ber method was also reported. Recently, in an effort to reduce the amount of radioactive waste and enhance the decontamination efficiency during the decontamination process of nuclear facilities contaminated with radionuclides, a few research for the preparation of the decontamination foam containing solid nanoparticles has been reported. In this work, the silica nanoparticles with various sizes, shapes, and structures were synthesized based on the previous literatures. The resulting silica nanoparticles were used to investigate the effect of the nanoparticles on the foam stability. In a study on the foam stability using various silica nanoparticles, the results showed that the foam volume and liquid volume in foam was enhanced when using a smaller size and lower density of the silica nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles with various sizes, shapes, and structures such as a non-porous, meso porous core-shell, and meso porous silica were synthesized to investigate the effect of the foam stability. The sizes and structural properties of the silica nanoparticles were easily controlled by varying the amount of silica precursor, surfactant, and ammonia solution as a basic catalyst. The foam prepared using various silica nanoparticles showed that foam the volume and liquid volume in the foam were enhanced when using a smaller size and lower density of the silica nanoparticles

Corolla herbivory, pollination success and fruit predation in complex flowers: an experimental study with Linaria lilacina (Scrophulariaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Lafuente, Alfonso M

2007-02-01

Herbivory on floral structures has been postulated to influence the evolution of floral traits in some plant species, and may also be an important factor influencing the occurrence and outcome of subsequent biotic interactions related to floral display. In particular, corolla herbivory may affect structures differentially involved in flower selection by pollinators and fruit predators (specifically, those ovopositing in ovaries prior to fruit development); hence floral herbivores may influence the relationships between these mutualistic and antagonistic agents. The effects of corolla herbivory in Linaria lilacina (Scrophulariaceae), a plant species with complex flowers, were considered in relation to plant interactions with pollinators and fruit predators. Tests were made as to whether experimentally created differences in flower structure (resembling those occurring naturally) may translate into differences in reproductive output in terms of fruit or seed production. Flowers with modified corollas, particularly those with lower lips removed, were less likely to be selected by pollinators than control flowers, and were less likely to be successfully visited and pollinated. As a consequence, fruit production was also less likely in these modified flowers. However, none of the experimental treatments affected the likelihood of visitation by fruit predators. Since floral herbivory may affect pollinator visitation rates and reduce seed production, differences among plants in the proportion of flowers affected by herbivory and in the intensity of the damage inflicted on affected flowers may result in different opportunities for reproduction for plants in different seasons.

Effect of Zirconia Nanoparticles in Epoxy-Silica Hybrid Adhesives to Join Aluminum Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José de Jesús Figueroa-Lara

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This research presents the interaction of the epoxy polymer diglicydil ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA with silica (SiO2 nanoparticles plus zirconia (ZrO2 nanoparticles obtained via the sol-gel method in the synthesis of an epoxy-silica-zirconia hybrid adhesive cured with polyamide. ZrO2 nanoparticles were added to the epoxy-silica hybrid adhesive produced in situ to modify the apparent shear strength of two adhesively bonded aluminum specimens. The results showed that the addition of different amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles increased the shear strength of the adhesively bonded aluminum joint, previously treated by sandblasting, immersion in hot water and silanized with a solution of hydrolyzed 3-glycidoxipropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS. The morphology and microstructure of the nanoparticles and aluminum surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and elemental analysis was performed with the Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS detector; the chemical groups were investigated during the aluminum surface modification using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR.

Description of some characteristics of flowers and seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana - ecotype landsberg erecta and mutant NW4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leszek Trząski

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Flowers and seeds of Landsberg erecta (Ler ecotype and NW4 mutant were studied by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to reveal characteristic features of their structure. The NW4 mutant flowers differ from Ler mainly in presence of two bract-like sepals with complicated vasculature and a variable number of secondary flowers. In the two outer whorls of NW4 flower, variable number of transformed stamen-, petal-, sepal- and style-like elements also occur. The NW4 mutant seeds are characterized by the absence of mucilage around the surface and a deviating seed coat morphology.

Efikasi Chitosan untuk Memperpanjang Flower Longevity Bunga Anggrek Dendrobium Hibrida dalam Pot (Potted Flower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I MADE SUKEWIJAYA

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Effication of Chitosan on Lengthening The Flower Longevity of Potted Orchid ofDendrobium Hybrid. The aim of the current research is to investigate general effects of Chitosantreatment on the flowering of Dendrobium orchid and to find out the optimum concentration of Chitosanin lengthening flower longevity of potted orchid of Dendrobium hybrid. Results of the research showedthat Chitosan application significantly affected variables of the number of flower per-plant, the length ofindividual flower, period of time to get full blooming, and the flower longevity. The best results for thoseof variables was achieved with Chitosan concentration of 0.15%.

Comparison Study on the Microstructure of Nanocrystalline TiO2 in Different Ti-Si Binary Oxides

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Three different Ti-Si oxide structuares, silica supported titania, silica coated titania and intimately mixed silicatitania, containing 10%-40% SiO2, were made by sol-gel process. The variations of microstructure parameters of nanocrystalline (nc) TiO2-anatase in the three kirds of binary oxides, including in-plane spacing d, cell constants (a0, CQ), cell volume V, cell axial ratio c0/a0 and crystal grain size, were comparatively investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that the microstructure parameters vary remarkably with increasing SiO2 content and annealing temperature. Different structured Ti-Si binary oxides lead to different variation tendencies of microstructure parameters. The more SiO2 the binary oxide contains, the more lattice defects of nc TiO2-anatase appear; diffusion or migration of Si cations could be an important influential factor in the variations of microstructure. The grain size of nc TiO2 in the three kinds of binary oxides not only depends on SiO2 content and annealing temperature but also on the degree of lattice microstrain and distortion of nc TiO2-anatase. Both grain size and phase transformation of nc TiO2-anatase are effectively inhibited with increasing SiOa content.

Use of ground clay brick as a pozzolanic material to reduce the alkali-silica reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turanli, L.; Bektas, F.; Monteiro, P.J.M.

2003-01-01

The objective of this experimental study was to use ground clay brick (GCB) as a pozzolanic material to minimize the alkali-silica reaction expansion. Two different types of clay bricks were finely ground and their activity indices were determined. ASTM accelerated mortar bar tests were performed to investigate the effect of GCB when used to replace cement mass. The microstructure of the mortar was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the GCBs meet the strength activity requirements of ASTM. In addition, the GCBs were found to be effective in suppressing the alkali-silica reaction expansion. The expansion decreased as the amount of GCBs in the mortar increased

Positron annihilation in vitreous silica glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uedono, Akira; Tanigawa, Shoichiro

1993-01-01

The annihilation characteristics of positrons in vitreous silica glasses (v-SiO 2 ) were studied by measurements of two-dimensional angular correlation of positron annihilation radiations and positron lifetime spectra. From the measurements, it was found that positrons and positronium (Ps) atoms mainly annihilate from trapped states by vacancy-type defects in v-SiO 2 . For v-SiO 2 specimens with cylindrical porous structures, annihilations of Ps with anisotropic momentum distributions were observed. This fact was attributed to the momentum uncertainty due to localization of Ps in a finite dimension of pores. This investigation showed possibilities for the detection of microstructures in v-SiO 2 by the positron annihilation technique. (author)

Dry powder mixes comprising phase change materials

Science.gov (United States)

Salyer, I.O.

1994-02-01

Free flowing, conformable powder-like mix of silica particles and a phase change material (PCM) is provided. The silica particles have a critical size of about 0.005 to about 0.025 microns and the PCM must be added to the silica in an amount of 75% or less PCM per combined weight of silica and PCM. The powder-like mix can be used in tableware items, medical wraps, tree wraps, garments, quilts and blankets, and in cementitious compositions of the type in which it is beneficial to use a PCM material. The silica-PCM mix can also be admixed with soil to provide a soil warming effect and placed about a tree, flower, or shrub. 2 figures.

A sensitive electrochemical aptasensor based on the co-catalysis of hemin/G-quadruplex, platinum nanoparticles and flower-like MnO2 nanosphere functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wenju; Xue, Shuyan; Yi, Huayu; Jing, Pei; Chai, Yaqin; Yuan, Ruo

2015-01-28

In this work, a sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of thrombin (TB) is developed and demonstrated based on the co-catalysis of hemin/G-quadruplex, platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and flower-like MnO2 nanosphere functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-MnO2).

Size-dependent surface plasmon resonance in silver silica nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Senoy; Nair, Saritha K; Jamal, E Muhammad Abdul; Anantharaman, M R; Al-Harthi, S H; Varma, Manoj Raama

2008-01-01

Silver silica nanocomposites were obtained by the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) as precursors. The silver nitrate concentration was varied for obtaining composites with different nanoparticle sizes. The structural and microstructural properties were determined by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were done for determining the chemical states of silver in the silica matrix. For the lowest AgNO 3 concentration, monodispersed and spherical Ag crystallites, with an average diameter of 5 nm, were obtained. Grain growth and an increase in size distribution was observed for higher concentrations. The occurrence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands and their evolution in the size range 5-10 nm is studied. For decreasing nanoparticle size, a redshift and broadening of the plasmon-related absorption peak was observed. The observed redshift and broadening of the SPR band was explained using modified Mie scattering theory

Reinforcement of natural rubber hybrid composites based on marble sludge/Silica and marble sludge/rice husk derived silica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil Ahmed

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A research has been carried out to develop natural rubber (NR hybrid composites reinforced with marble sludge (MS/Silica and MS/rice husk derived silica (RHS. The primary aim of this development is to scrutinize the cure characteristics, mechanical and swelling properties of such hybrid composite. The use of both industrial and agricultural waste such as marble sludge and rice husk derived silica has the primary advantage of being eco-friendly, low cost and easily available as compared to other expensive fillers. The results from this study showed that the performance of NR hybrid composites with MS/Silica and MS/RHS as fillers is extremely better in mechanical and swelling properties as compared with the case where MS used as single filler. The study suggests that the use of recently developed silica and marble sludge as industrial and agricultural waste is accomplished to provide a probable cost effective, industrially prospective, and attractive replacement to the in general purpose used fillers like china clay, calcium carbonate, and talc.

Synthesis of vanadium oxide, V{sub 6}O{sub 13} hollow-flowers materials and their application in electrochemical supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Zhiyong [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Zeng Hongmei, E-mail: zenghongmei@scu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Xue Li; Zhou Xiangge [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Zhao Yan [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068 (China); Lai Qiongyu [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China)

2011-10-13

Highlights: > Hollow flowers-like V{sub 6}O{sub 13} with an average size of 3 {mu}m was successfully synthesized. > An intercalating-exfoliating-self-assembly model was proposed to explain the formation process of hollow-flower structure. > The hollow flowers-like V{sub 6}O{sub 13} exhibits high specific capacitance, good cyclability and low resistance. - Abstract: Hollow flowers-like V{sub 6}O{sub 13} with an average size of 3 {mu}m was successfully synthesized via a facile sol-hydrothermal approach in a short time. The surface composition, crystalline components and morphology of V{sub 6}O{sub 13} were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, respectively. An intercalating-exfoliating-self-assembly model was proposed to explain the formation process of hollow-flower structure based on experimental results. The obtained hollow flowers-like V{sub 6}O{sub 13} exhibits high specific capacitance, good cyclability and low resistance as revealed by analysis of cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Experimental results also indicate that hollow flowers-like V{sub 6}O{sub 13} can deliver a capacitance of 417 F g{sup -1} at a scan rate of 5 mV s{sup -1}. This value would decrease to 400 F g{sup -1} after 1000 cycles in potential range from 0 to 0.8 V versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) in 1 mol L{sup -1} NaNO{sub 3} aqueous electrolyte at pH of 2.

Breeding as a tool for improving postharvest quality characters of lily and tulip flowers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen-Muisers, van der J.J.M.; Oeveren, van J.C.; Tuyl, van J.M.

1997-01-01

Segregation of postharvest quality characters was studied in lily and tulip. A large variation in longevity of both lily and tulip flowers was found within populations tested at individual plant level. Other postharvest quality characters like number of flowers per stem, male sterility (lily) and

Influence of particle surface properties on the dielectric behavior of silica/epoxy nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Lihong; Zheng Liaoying; Li Guorong; Zeng Jiangtao; Yin Qingrui

2008-01-01

Silica/epoxy composites have been widely used in functional electric device applications. Silica nanoparticles, both unmodified and modified with the coupling agent KH-550, were used to prepare epoxy composites. Dielectric measurements showed that nanocomposites exhibit a higher dielectric constant than the control sample, and had more obvious dielectric relaxation characteristics. Results showed that particle surface properties have a profound effect on the dielectric behavior of the nanocomposites. These characteristics are attributed to the local ununiformity of the microstructure caused by the large interface area and the interaction between the filler and the matrix. This phenomenon is explained in terms of prolonging chemical chains created during the curing process. The mechanism is discussed with measurements of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)

Flower-like nanostructure MNb2O6 (M = Mn, Zn) with high surface area: Hydrothermal synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xue; Jing, Yan; Yang, Jia; Ju, Jing; Cong, Rihong; Gao, Wenliang; Yang, Tao

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • MNb 2 O 6 was prepared by a mild two-step hydrothermal method. • Their flower-like nanostructure morphology was studied by SEM and TEM. • High BET surface areas for MnNb 2 O 6 (∼50 m 2 /g) and ZnNb 2 O 6 (∼100 m 2 /g). • Band gap energies were estimated by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. • Photocatalytic activities were evaluated under UV-light irradiation. - Abstract: Nano-scaled MNb 2 O 6 (M = Mn, Zn) was successfully synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal method. It is important to control the exact pH of the reaction solution in order to obtain pure products. The as-prepared samples both crystallize in the columbite structure. Interestingly, the products possess a flower-like morphology in a pseudo-six-fold symmetry, which is in fact arrayed by two-dimensional nanosheets. Their surface areas (51 m 2 /g for MnNb 2 O 6 and 103 m 2 /g for ZnNb 2 O 6 ) are about 25–50 times of those prepared by solid state reaction. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra show the nano-scaled sample has a stronger absorption and a narrower band gap than its bulk form. The estimated band gap energies are 2.70 eV (MnNb 2 O 6 ) and 3.77 eV (ZnNb 2 O 6 ), respectively. The nano-scaled ZnNb 2 O 6 exhibits a double enhancement of photocatalytic activity in the decolorization of methylene blue than bulk ZnNb 2 O 6

Flower Constancy, Insect Psychology, and Plant Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Chittka, Lars; Thomson, James D.; Waser, Nickolas M.

Individuals of some species of pollinating insects tend to restrict their visits to only a few of the available plant species, in the process bypassing valuable food sources. The question of why this flower constancy exists is a rich and important one with implications for the organization of natural communities of plants, floral evolution, and our understanding of the learning processes involved in finding food. Some scientists have assumed that flower constancy is adaptive per se. Others argued that constancy occurs because memory capacity for floral features in insects is limited, but attempts to identify the limitations often remained rather simplistic. We elucidate now different sensory and motor memories from natural foraging tasks are stored and retrieved, using concepts from modern learning science and visual search, and conclude that flower constancy is likely to have multiple causes. Possible constraints favoring constancy are interference sensitivity of short-term memory, and temporal limitations on retrieving information from long-term memory as rapidly as from short-term memory, but further empirical evidence is needed to substantiate these possibilities. In addition, retrieving memories may be slower and more prone to errors when there are several options than when an insect copes with only a single task. In addition to memory limitations, we also point out alternative explanations for flower constancy. We then consider the way in which floral parameters, such as interplant distances, nectar rewards, flower morphology, and floral color (as seen through bees' eyes) affect constancy. Finally, we discuss the implications of pollinator constancy for plant evolution. To date there is no evidence that flowers have diverged to favor constancy, although the appropriate tests may not have yet been conducted. However, there is good evidence against the notion that pollinator constancy is involved in speciation or maintenance of plant species integrity.

Phylogeny determines flower size-dependent sex allocation at flowering in a hermaphroditic family.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixido, A L; Guzmán, B; Staggemeier, V G; Valladares, F

2017-11-01

In animal-pollinated hermaphroditic plants, optimal floral allocation determines relative investment into sexes, which is ultimately dependent on flower size. Larger flowers disproportionally increase maleness whereas smaller and less rewarding flowers favour female function. Although floral traits are considered strongly conserved, phylogenetic relationships in the interspecific patterns of resource allocation to floral sex remain overlooked. We investigated these patterns in Cistaceae, a hermaphroditic family. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among Cistaceae species and quantified phylogenetic signal for flower size, dry mass and nutrient allocation to floral structures in 23 Mediterranean species using Blomberg's K-statistic. Lastly, phylogenetically-controlled correlational and regression analyses were applied to examine flower size-based allometry in resource allocation to floral structures. Sepals received the highest dry mass allocation, followed by petals, whereas sexual structures increased nutrient allocation. Flower size and resource allocation to floral structures, except for carpels, showed a strong phylogenetic signal. Larger-flowered species allometrically allocated more resources to maleness, by increasing allocation to corollas and stamens. Our results suggest a major role of phylogeny in determining interspecific changes in flower size and subsequent floral sex allocation. This implies that flower size balances the male-female function over the evolutionary history of Cistaceae. While allometric resource investment in maleness is inherited across species diversification, allocation to the female function seems a labile trait that varies among closely related species that have diversified into different ecological niches. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Flowering Trees. Gyrocarpus americanus Jacq. (Helicopter Tree) of Hernandiaceae is a moderate size deciduous tree that grows to about 12 m in height with a smooth, shining, greenish-white bark. The leaves are ovate, rarely irregularly ... flowers which are unpleasant smelling. Fruit is a woody nut with two long thin wings.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Flowering Trees. Acrocarpus fraxinifolius Wight & Arn. (PINK CEDAR, AUSTRALIAN ASH) of. Caesalpiniaceae is a lofty unarmed deciduous native tree that attains a height of 30–60m with buttresses. Bark is thin and light grey. Leaves are compound and bright red when young. Flowers in dense, erect, axillary racemes.

Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants over Flower-Like Bi2O2CO3 Dotted with Ag@AgBr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuanglong Lin

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A facile and feasible oil-in-water self-assembly approach was developed to synthesize flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 micro-composites. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated through methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation. Compared to Bi2O2CO3, flower-like Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 micro-composites show enhanced photocatalytic activities. In addition, results indicate that both the physicochemical properties and associated photocatalytic activities of Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 composites are shown to be dependent on the loading quantity of Ag@AgBr. The highest photocatalytic performance was achieved at 7 wt % Ag@AgBr, degrading 95.18% methylene blue (MB after 20 min of irradiation, which is over 1.52 and 3.56 times more efficient than that of pure Ag@AgBr and pure Bi2O2CO3, respectively. Bisphenol A (BPA was also degraded to further demonstrate the degradation ability of Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3. A photocatalytic mechanism for the degradation of organic compounds over Ag@AgBr/Bi2O2CO3 was proposed. Results from this study illustrate an entirely new approach to fabricate semiconductor composites containing Ag@AgX/bismuth (X = a halogen.

Design a Hummingbird Flower.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Kim

2002-01-01

Presents an activity that engages students in designing and making an artificial flower adapted for pollination by hummingbirds. Students work in teams to design flowers that maximize the benefit from attracting hummingbirds. Examines characteristics of real flowers adapted to pollination by hummingbirds. (DLH)

Hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on hemoglobin immobilized at graphene, flower-like zinc oxide, and gold nanoparticles nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Lingling; Xu, Yuandong; Cao, Xiaoyu

2013-07-01

In this work, a highly sensitive hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) biosensor based on immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) at Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)/flower-like zinc oxide/graphene (AuNPs/ZnO/Gr) composite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was constructed, where ZnO and Au nanoparticles were modified through layer-by-layer onto Gr/GCE. Flower-like ZnO nanoparticles could be easily prepared by adding ethanol to the precursor solution having higher concentration of hydroxide ions. The Hb/AuNPs/ZnO/Gr composite film showed a pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible redox peaks with a formal potential (E(0)) of -0.367 V, characteristic features of heme redox couple of Hb. The electron transfer rate constant (k(s)) of immobilized Hb was 1.3 s(-1). The developed biosensor showed a very fast response (<2 s) toward H2O2 with good sensitivity, wide linear range, and low detection limit of 0.8 μM. The fabricated biosensor showed interesting features, including high selectivity, acceptable stability, good reproducibility, and repeatability along with excellent conductivity, facile electron mobility of Gr, and good biocompatibility of ZnO and AuNPs. The fabrication method of this biosensor was simple and effective for determination of H2O2 in real samples with quick response, good sensitivity, high selectivity, and acceptable recovery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cerasomes and Bicelles: Hybrid Bilayered Nanostructures with Silica-like Surface in Cancer Theranostics

Science.gov (United States)

Hameed, Sadaf; Bhattarai, Pravin; Dai, Zhifei

2018-04-01

Over years, theranostic nanoplatforms have provided a new avenue for the diagnosis and treatment of various cancer types. To this end, a myriad of nanocarriers such as polymeric micelles, liposomes, and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) with distinct physiochemical and biological properties are routinely investigated for preclinical and clinical studies. So far, liposomes have received great attention for various biomedical applications, however, it still suffers from insufficient morphological stability. On the other hand, inorganic NPs depicting excellent therapeutic ability have failed to address biocompatibility issues. This has raised a serious concern about the clinical approval of multifunctional organic or inorganic-based theranostic agents. Recently, partially silica coated nanohybrids such as cerasomes and bicelles demonstrating both diagnostic and therapeutic ability in a single system, have drawn profound attention as a fascinating novel drug delivery system. Compared with traditional liposomal or inorganic-based nanoformulations, this new and highly stable nanocarriers integrates the functional attributes of biomimetic liposomes and silica NPs, therefore, synergize strengths and functions, or even surpass weaknesses of individual components. This review at its best enlightens the emerging concept of such partially silica coated nanohybrids, fabrication strategies, and theranostic opportunities to combat cancer and related diseases.

Investigation of Coral-Like Cu2O Nano/Microstructures as Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Hung Tsai

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, a chemical oxidation method was employed to fabricate coral-like Cu2O nano/microstructures on Cu foils as counter electrodes (CEs for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. The Cu2O nano/microstructures were prepared at various sintering temperatures (400, 500, 600 and 700 °C to investigate the influences of the sintering temperature on the DSSC characteristics. First, the Cu foil substrates were immersed in an aqueous solution containing (NH42S2O8 and NaOH. After reacting at 25 °C for 30 min, the Cu substrates were converted to Cu(OH2 nanostructures. Subsequently, the nanostructures were subjected to nitrogen sintering, leading to Cu(OH2 being dehydrated into CuO, which was then deoxidized to form coral-like Cu2O nano/microstructures. The material properties of the Cu2O CEs were comprehensively determined using a scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope, and cyclic voltameter. The Cu2O CEs sintered at various temperatures were used in DSSC devices and analyzed according to the current density–voltage characteristics, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency, and electrochemical impedance characteristics. The Cu2O CEs sintered at 600 °C exhibited the optimal electrode properties and DSSC performance, yielding a power conversion efficiency of 3.62%. The Cu2O CEs fabricated on Cu foil were generally mechanically flexible and could therefore be applied to flexible DSSCs.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

narrow towards base. Flowers are large and attrac- tive, but emit unpleasant foetid smell. They appear in small numbers on erect terminal clusters and open at night. Stamens are numerous, pink or white. Style is slender and long, terminating in a small stigma. Fruit is green, ovoid and indistinctly lobed. Flowering Trees.

Impact of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation on flower, pollen, and nectar production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sampson, B.J.; Cane, J.H.

1999-01-01

Intensified ultraviolet-B radiation or UV-B (wavelengths between 280 and 320 nm) can delay flowering and diminish lifetime flower production in a few plants. Here we studied the effects of enhanced UV-B on floral traits crucial to pollination and pollinator reproduction. We observed simultaneous flowering responses of a new crop plant, Limnanthes alba (Limnathaceae), and a wildflower, Phacelia campanularia (Hydrophyllaceae), to five lifetime UV-B dosages ranging between 2.74 and 15.93 kJ·m -2 ·d -1 . Floral traits known to link plant pollination with bee host preference, host fidelity and larval development were measured. Intensified UV-B had no overall effect on nectar and pollen production of L. alba and P. campanularia flowers. A quadratic relationship between UV-B and nectar sugar production occurred in P. campanularia and showed that even subambient UV-B dosages can be deleterious for a floral trait. Other floral responses to UV-B were more dramatic and idiosyncratic. As UV-B dosage increased, L. alba plants were less likely to flower, but suffered no delays in flowering or reductions to lifetime flower production for those that did flower. Conversely, an equal proportion of P. campanularia plants flowered under all UV-B treatments, but these same plants experienced delayed onset to bloom and produced fewer flowers at greater UV-B intensities. Therefore, intensified UV-B elicits idiosyncratic responses in flowering phenology and flower production from these two annual plants. Diurnal patterns in nectar and pollen production strongly coincided with fluctuating humidity and only weakly with UV-B dosage. Overall, our results indicated that intensified UVB can alter some flowering traits that impinge upon plant competition for pollinator services, as well as plant and pollinator reproductive success. (author)

Evolution of floral display in Eichhornia paniculata (Pontederiaceae): direct and correlated responses to selection on flower size and number.

Science.gov (United States)

Worley, A C; Barrett, S C

2000-10-01

Trade-offs between flower size and number seem likely to influence the evolution of floral display and are an important assumption of several theoretical models. We assessed floral trade-offs by imposing two generations of selection on flower size and number in a greenhouse population of bee-pollinated Eichhornia paniculata. We established a control line and two replicate selection lines of 100 plants each for large flowers (S+), small flowers (S-), and many flowers per inflorescence (N+). We compared realized heritabilities and genetic correlations with estimates based on restricted-maximum-likelihood (REML) analysis of pedigrees. Responses to selection confirmed REML heritability estimates (flower size, h2 = 0.48; daily flower number, h2 = 0.10; total flower number, h2 = 0.23). Differences in nectar, pollen, and ovule production between S+ and S- lines supported an overall divergence in investment per flower. Both realized and REML estimates of the genetic correlation between daily and total flower number were r = 1.0. However, correlated responses to selection were inconsistent in their support of a trade-off. In both S- lines, correlated increases in flower number indicated a genetic correlation of r = -0.6 between flower size and number. In contrast, correlated responses in N+ and S+ lines were not significant, although flower size decreased in one N+ line. In addition, REML estimates of genetic correlations between flower size and number were positive, and did not differ from zero when variation in leaf area and age at first flowering were taken into account. These results likely reflect the combined effects of variation in genes controlling the resources available for flowering and genes with opposing effects on flower size and number. Our results suggest that the short-term evolution of floral display is not necessarily constrained by trade-offs between flower size and number, as is often assumed.

Pozzolanic Reactivity of Silica Fume and Ground Rice Husk Ash as Reactive Silica in a Cementitious System: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiting Xu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study comparably assessed the pozzolanic effect of silica fume (SF and ground rice husk ash (RHA as supplementary cementing materials on the properties of blended cement pastes and concretes. A commonly commercial silica fume (SF and locally-produced rice husk ash (RHA samples with two finenesses (one with larger size than cement and the other with smaller size than cement were used in this study. Material properties of SF and RHA were experimentally characterized. Hydration and mechanical properties of cement pastes incorporating SF and RHA were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and compressive strength tests, respectively. Properties of concretes regarding workability, mechanical property, durability, and microstructure were evaluated. Results showed that, although the finely ground RHA used in this study possessed lower SiO2 content and higher particle size compared to SF, it exhibited comparable pozzolanic reactivity with SF due to the nano-scale pores on its each single particle, leading to a higher specific surface area. The optimal replacement levels of SF and RHA were 10% by weight of cement in pastes and concretes. Although addition of SF and RHA led to a significant reduction in slump for the fresh mixtures, inclusion of up to 30% of SF or 15% of ground RHA did not adversely affect the strength of concretes. At the same mix, incorporation of finely-ground RHA in cement composites provided comparable mechanical properties, hydration degree, and durability with SF blended cement composites, owing to the porous structure and high specific surface area of RHA particles. Microstructure morphology analysis of concretes explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM further validated the strength and the durability test results.

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Canthium parviflorum Lam. of Rubiaceae is a large shrub that often grows into a small tree with conspicuous spines. Leaves are simple, in pairs at each node and are shiny. Inflorescence is an axillary few-flowered cymose fascicle. Flowers are small (less than 1 cm across), 4-merous and greenish-white. Fruit is ellipsoid ...

Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

mid-sized slow-growing evergreen tree with spreading branches that form a dense crown. The bark is smooth, thick, dark and flakes off in large shreds. Leaves are thick, oblong, leathery and bright red when young. The female flowers are drooping and are larger than male flowers. Fruit is large, red in color and velvety.

The effects of different irrigation levels on flowering and flower ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-10-26

Oct 26, 2011 ... important export production in cut flower is carnation and it consists of 89% of cut flower export. ... irrigation management in arid and semi-arid regions will shift from emphasizing ..... Handbook of Plant and Crop. Stress (Ed: M.

Nanostructured ‘Anastacia’ flowers for Zn coating by electrodepositing ZnO at room temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Marta M., E-mail: martamalves@tecnico.ulisboa.pt [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal); Santos, Catarina F.; Carmezim, Maria J. [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal); EST Setúbal, DEM, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus IPS, 2910 Setúbal (Portugal); Montemor, Maria F. [ICEMS Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal)

2015-03-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Functional coating of Zn with ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. • Flowers are composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO. • The growth mechanism of these flowers is discussed. • Room temperature yield cost-effective electrodeposited ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. - Abstract: Functional coatings composed of ZnO, a new flowered structured denominated as ‘Anastacia’ flowers, were successfully obtained through a facile and green one-step electrodeposition approach on Zn substrate. Electrodeposition was performed at constant cathodic potential, in Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} aqueous solution, at pH 6 and at room temperature. The resulting ZnO thin uniform layer, with an average thickness of 300 nm, bearing top 3D hierarchical nanostructures that compose ‘Anastacia’ flowers, was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman. The results reveal a nano-architecture structure composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO structure with a [0 0 0 1] growth direction along the longitudinal particles axis. Other morphological features, sphere-like, rod-like and random distributed hexagons were also obtained by varying the electrodeposition time as observed by SEM. The Raman spectroscopy revealed the typical peak of ZnO wurtzite for all the obtained morphologies. Coatings wettability was studied and the different morphologies display distinct water contact angles with the ‘Anastacia’ flowers coating showing a wettability of 110°. These results pave the way for simple and low-cost routes for the production of novel functionalized coatings of ZnO over Zn, with potential for biomedical devices.

Nanostructured ‘Anastacia’ flowers for Zn coating by electrodepositing ZnO at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Marta M.; Santos, Catarina F.; Carmezim, Maria J.; Montemor, Maria F.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Functional coating of Zn with ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. • Flowers are composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO. • The growth mechanism of these flowers is discussed. • Room temperature yield cost-effective electrodeposited ZnO ‘Anastacia’ flowers. - Abstract: Functional coatings composed of ZnO, a new flowered structured denominated as ‘Anastacia’ flowers, were successfully obtained through a facile and green one-step electrodeposition approach on Zn substrate. Electrodeposition was performed at constant cathodic potential, in Zn(NO 3 ) 2 aqueous solution, at pH 6 and at room temperature. The resulting ZnO thin uniform layer, with an average thickness of 300 nm, bearing top 3D hierarchical nanostructures that compose ‘Anastacia’ flowers, was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman. The results reveal a nano-architecture structure composed by nano-hexagonal units of single-crystal wurtzite ZnO structure with a [0 0 0 1] growth direction along the longitudinal particles axis. Other morphological features, sphere-like, rod-like and random distributed hexagons were also obtained by varying the electrodeposition time as observed by SEM. The Raman spectroscopy revealed the typical peak of ZnO wurtzite for all the obtained morphologies. Coatings wettability was studied and the different morphologies display distinct water contact angles with the ‘Anastacia’ flowers coating showing a wettability of 110°. These results pave the way for simple and low-cost routes for the production of novel functionalized coatings of ZnO over Zn, with potential for biomedical devices

Femtosecond laser-induced structural difference in fused silica with a non-reciprocal writing process

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Hui; Dai, Ye; Song, Juan; Ma, Hongliang; Yan, Xiaona; Ma, Guohong

2017-04-01

In this paper, we report a non-reciprocal writing process for inducing asymmetric microstructure using a femtosecond laser with tilted pulse fronts in fused silica. The shape of the induced microstructure at the focus closely depends on the laser scan direction. An elongated end is observed as a kind of structural difference between the written lines with two reverse scans along + x and - x, which further leads to a birefringence intensity difference. We also find a bifurcation in the head region of the induced microstructure between the written lines along x and y. That process results from the focal intensity distortion caused by the pulse front tilt by comparing the simulated intensity distribution with the experimental results. The current results demonstrate that the pulse front tilt not only affects the free electron excitation at the focus but also further distorts the shape of the induced microstructure during a high-energy femtosecond laser irradiation. These results offer a route to fabricate optical elements by changing the spatiotemporal characteristics of ultrashort pulses.

Flowering, nectar production and insects visits in two cultivars of Cucurbita maxima Duch. flowers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Dmitruk

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted on experimental plots in the conditions of Lublin. In the years 1998-2000 flowering, nectar secretion and insect visitation of male and female flowers of two winter squash (Cucurbita maxima Duch. cultivars: 'Ambar' and 'Amazonka', were studied. The plants flowered from July to October. The flower life span was within the range of 7-10 hours. Female flowers of cv. Ambar were marked by the most abundant nectar secretion (129 mg. The nectar sugar content can be estimated as average (25%-35%. Winter squash nectar contained 84% of sucrose as well as 8-9% of fructose and 7%-8% of glucose. Flowers of the studied taxa were frequently foraged by the honey bee (66%-98% of total insects and bumblebees (1%-30%.

Dry powder mixes comprising phase change materials

Science.gov (United States)

Salyer, Ival O.

1992-01-01

Free flowing, conformable powder-like mix of silica particles and a phase change material (p.c.m.) is disclosed. The silica particles have a critical size of about 7.times.10.sup.-3 to about 7.times.10.sup.-2 microns and the pcm must be added to the silica in an amount of 80 wt. % or less pcm per combined weight of silica and pcm. The powder-like mix can be used in tableware items, medical wraps, tree wraps, garments, quilts and blankets, and in cementitious compositions of the type in which it is beneficial to use a pcm material. The silica-pcm mix can also be admixed with soil to provide a soil warming effect and placed about a tree, flower, or shrub.

Development of Natural Anthocyanin Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles for pH and Borate-Sensing Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Chu T.; Lien, Nghiem T. Ha; Anh, Nguyen D.; Lam, Nguyen L.

2017-12-01

Anthocyanin belongs to a large group of phenolic compounds called flavonoids. It is found primarily in fruits, flowers, roots and other parts of higher plants. Within the black carrot, it has been found that the cyanidin component 1,2 diol was the major anthocyanine. Since the terminal thiols potentially display chemical interactions with borate additives, anthocyanin from the black carrot can act as a sensing material for detecting borate in the environment. As a natural dye, anthocyanin responds to pH change of the medium. Here, we present an application of black carrot dyes for pH sensing and for the detection of borate additives within meats. The dyes were encapsulated within a mesoporous silica (SiO2) matrix in order to prevent the sensing materials from dissolution into the aqueous medium. The encapsulation was done in situ during preparation of silica nanoparticles (size from 100 nm to 500 nm) following an advanced Stöber method. These anthocyanin-encapsulated silica nanoparticles show a clear color change from green in an aqueous solution free of borate to GRAY-red in the presence of borate additive and red (pH 2) to green (pH 10).

Chemical control of flowering time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ionescu, Irina Alexandra; Møller, Birger Lindberg; Sánchez Pérez, Raquel

2017-01-01

Flowering at the right time is of great importance; it secures seed production and therefore species survival and crop yield. In addition to the genetic network controlling flowering time, there are a number of much less studied metabolites and exogenously applied chemicals that may influence...... on the genetic aspects of flowering time regulation in annuals, but less so in perennials. An alternative to plant breeding approaches is to engineer flowering time chemically via the external application of flower-inducing compounds. This review discusses a variety of exogenously applied compounds used in fruit...

Preferences of cut flowers consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylwia Kierczyńska

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The results of interviews suggest that majority of the cut flowers’ consumers has favourite kind of flower, among which most frequently pointed one was the rose. More than half of the interviewed favour the uniform colour of cut flowers and red colour was the most favourite one. The subtle smell of flowers was the most preferable one but the intensive fragrance was favoured for more consumers than odourless flowers. The data from selected florists’ confirm the information from interviews – in spite of the occasion, roses were the most demanded cut flowers.

Psidium guajava and Piper betle leaf extracts prolong vase life of cut carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, M M; Ahmad, S H; Lgu, K S

2012-01-01

The effect of leaf extracts of Psidium guajava and Piper betle on prolonging vase life of cut carnation flowers was studied. "Carola" and "Pallas Orange" carnation flowers, at bud stage, were pulsed 24 hours with a floral preservative. Then, flowers were placed in a vase solution containing sprite and a "germicide" (leaf extracts of P. guajava and P. betle, 8-HQC, or a copper coin). Flowers treated with 8-HQC, copper coin, and leaf extracts had longer vase life, larger flower diameter, and higher rate of water uptake compared to control (tap water). The leaf extracts of P. guajava and P. betle showed highest antibacterial and antifungal activities compared to the other treatments. Both showed similar effects on flower quality as the synthetic germicide, 8-HQC. Therefore, these extracts are likely natural germicides to prolong vase life of cut flowers.

Refuges, flower strips, biodiversity and agronomic interest.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Grégory; Wateau, Karine; Legrand, Mickaël; Oste, Sandrine

2008-01-01

Several arthropods are natural predators of pests, and they are able to reduce and control their population development. FREDON Nord Pas-de-Calais (Federation Regionate de Defense contre les Organismes Nuisibles = Regional Federation for Pest Control) has begun for a long time to form farmers to the recognition of beneficial arthropods and to show them their usefulness. These beneficial insects or arachnids are present everywhere, in orchards and even in fields which are areas relatively poor in biodiversity. Adults feed in the flower strips instead larvae and some adults feed on preys such as aphids or caterpillars. Most of the time, beneficial insects can regulate pest but sometimes, in agricultural area, they can't make it early enough and efficiently. Their action begin too late and there biodiversity and number are too low. It's possible to enhance their action by manipulating the ecological infrastructures, like sewing flower strips or installing refuges. Flower strips increase the density of natural enemies and make them be present earlier in the field in order to control pests. Refuges permit beneficial's to spend winter on the spot. So they're able to be active and to grow in number earlier. From 2004 to 2007, on the one hand, FREDON Nord Pas-de-Calais has developed a research program. Its purpose was to inventory practices and also tools and means available and to judge the advisability of using such or such beneficial refuge in orchards. On the second hand, it studied the impact in orchard of refuges on population of beneficial's and the difference there were between manufactured refuges and homemade refuges. Interesting prospects were obtained with some of them. Otherwise, since 2003, FREDON has studied flower strips influence on beneficial population and their impact on pest control. In cabbage fields, results of trials have shown that flower strips lead to a reduction of aphid number under acceptable economic level, up to 50 meters from flower strips

Synthesis of Pyrimethanil-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Its Distribution and Dissipation in Cucumber Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Pengyue; Cao, Lidong; Ma, Dukang; Zhou, Zhaolu; Huang, Qiliang; Pan, Canping

2017-05-16

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are used as pesticide carries in plants, which has been considered as a novel method to reduce the indiscriminate use of conventional pesticides. In the present work, mesoporous silica nanoparticles with particle diameters of 200-300 nm were synthesized in order to obtain pyrimethanil-loaded nanoparticles. The microstructure of the nanoparticles was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The loading content of pyrimethanil-loaded nanoparticles was investigated. After treatment on cucumber leaves, the concentrations of pyrimethanil were determined in different parts of cucumber over a period of 48 days using high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. It was shown that the pyrimethanil-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles might be more conducive to acropetal, rather than basipetal, uptake, and the dosage had almost no effect on the distribution and dissipation rate in cucumber plants. The application of the pesticide-loaded nanoparticles in leaves had a low risk of pyrimethanil accumulating in the edible part of the plant.

Flower power: tree flowering phenology as a settlement cue for migrating birds.

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, Laura J; van Riper, Charles; Fontaine, Joseph J

2009-01-01

1. Neotropical migrant birds show a clear preference for stopover habitats with ample food supplies; yet, the proximate cues underlying these decisions remain unclear. 2. For insectivorous migrants, cues associated with vegetative phenology (e.g. flowering, leaf flush, and leaf loss) may reliably predict the availability of herbivorous arthropods. Here we examined whether migrants use the phenology of five tree species to choose stopover locations, and whether phenology accurately predicts food availability. 3. Using a combination of experimental and observational evidence, we show migrant populations closely track tree phenology, particularly the flowering phenology of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), and preferentially forage in trees with more flowers. Furthermore, the flowering phenology of honey mesquite reliably predicts overall arthropod abundance as well as the arthropods preferred by migrants for food. 4. Together, these results suggest that honey mesquite flowering phenology is an important cue used by migrants to assess food availability quickly and reliably, while in transit during spring migration.

Increasing temperature causes flowering onset time changes of alpine ginger Roscoea in the Central Himalayas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dharmalingam Mohandass

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Recent herbarium-based phenology assessments of many plant species have found significant responses to global climate change over the previous century. In this study, we investigate how the flowering phenology of three alpine ginger Roscoea species responses to climate change over the century from 1913 to 2011, by comparing between herbarium-based phenology records and direct flowering observations. According to the observations, flowering onset of the three alpine ginger species occurred either 22 days earlier or was delayed by 8–30 days when comparing the mean peak flowering date between herbarium-based phenology records and direct flowering observations. It is likely that this significant change in flowering onset is due to increased annual minimum and maximum temperatures and mean annual temperature by about 0.053°C per year. Our results also show that flowering time changes occurred due to an increasing winter–spring minimum temperature and monsoon minimum temperature, suggesting that these Roscoea species respond greatly to climate warming resulting in changes on flowering times.

One-Pot Synthesis of Hierarchical Flower-Like Pd-Cu Alloy Support on Graphene Towards Ethanol Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingyi; Feng, Anni; Bai, Jie; Tan, Zhibing; Shao, Wenyao; Yang, Yang; Hong, Wenjing; Xiao, Zongyuan

2017-09-01

The synergetic effect of alloy and morphology of nanocatalysts play critical roles towards ethanol electrooxidation. In this work, we developed a novel electrocatalyst fabricated by one-pot synthesis of hierarchical flower-like palladium (Pd)-copper (Cu) alloy nanocatalysts supported on reduced graphene oxide (Pd-Cu(F)/RGO) for direct ethanol fuel cells. The structures of the catalysts were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The as-synthesized Pd-Cu(F)/RGO nanocatalyst was found to exhibit higher electrocatalytic performances towards ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline medium in contrast with RGO-supported Pd nanocatalyst and commercial Pd black catalyst in alkaline electrolyte, which could be attributed to the formation of alloy and the morphology of nanoparticles. The high performance of nanocatalyst reveals the great potential of the structure design of the supporting materials for the future fabrication of nanocatalysts.

Some aspects of mineral nutrition and flowering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hinnawy, El E.I.

1956-01-01

In mustard N deficiency accelerated flower initiation and particularly flower bud development. Excess N delayed flowering but increased number of flowers. Of other elements Ca influenced flowering most.

Dill developed its flowers most rapidly with normal or high rates of N. N deficiency retarded

Microstructure of ultra high performance concrete containing lithium slag.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhi-Hai; Du, Shi-Gui; Chen, Deng

2018-04-03

Lithium slag (LS) is discharged as a byproduct in the process of the lithium carbonate, and it is very urgent to explore an efficient way to recycle LS in order to protect the environments and save resources. Many available supplementary cementitious materials for partial replacement of cement and/or silica fume (SF) can be used to prepare ultra high performance concrete (UHPC). The effect of LS to replace SF partially by weight used as a supplementary cementitious material (0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of binder) on the compressive strengths and microstructure evolution of UHPC has experimentally been studied by multi-techniques including mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscope and nanoindentation technique. The results show that the use of LS degrades the microstructure of UHPC at early ages, and however, the use of LS with the appropriate content improves microstructure of UHPC at later ages. The hydration products of UHPC are mainly dominated by ultra-high density calcium-silicate-hydrate (UHD C-S-H) and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in UHPC has similar compact microstructure with the matrix. The use of LS improves the hydration degree of UHPC and increases the elastic modulus of ITZ in UHPC. LS is a promising substitute for SF for preparation UHPC. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructural and analytical analysis of plasma dissociated zircon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minnaar, E G; Neethling, J H; Lee, M E; Snyders, E

2012-01-01

The investigation of the microstructure and distribution of impurities was carried out on plasma dissociated zircon (PDZ). The morphology of the PDZ and crystalline nature of the zirconia was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) provided compositional information. The SEM and TEM results indicate that the morphology and crystalline nature of the zirconia varies as a result of the existence of a thermal gradient. The EDS results show that the majority of the impurities segregates to the silica phase of the PDZ.

Characterization of new allele influencing flowering time in bread wheat introgressed from Triticum militinae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivaničová, Zuzana; Jakobson, Irena; Reis, Diana; Šafář, Jan; Milec, Zbyněk; Abrouk, Michael; Doležel, Jaroslav; Järve, Kadri; Valárik, Miroslav

2016-09-25

Flowering time variation was identified within a mapping population of doubled haploid lines developed from a cross between the introgressive line 8.1 and spring bread wheat cv. Tähti. The line 8.1 carried introgressions from tetraploid Triticum militinae in the cv. Tähti genetic background on chromosomes 1A, 2A, 4A, 5A, 7A, 1B and 5B. The most significant QTL for the flowering time variation was identified within the introgressed region on chromosome 5A and its largest effect was associated with the VRN-A1 locus, accounting for up to 70% of phenotypic variance. The allele of T. militinae origin was designated as VRN-A1f-like. The effect of the VRN-A1f-like allele was verified in two other mapping populations. QTL analysis identified that in cv. Tähti and cv. Mooni genetic background, VRN-A1f-like allele incurred a delay of 1.9-18.6 days in flowering time, depending on growing conditions. Sequence comparison of the VRN-A1f-like and VRN-A1a alleles from the parental lines of the mapping populations revealed major mutations in the promoter region as well as in the first intron, including insertion of a MITE element and a large deletion. The sequence variation allowed construction of specific diagnostic PCR markers for VRN-A1f-like allele determination. Identification and quantification of the effect of the VRN-A1f-like allele offers a useful tool for wheat breeding and for studying fine-scale regulation of flowering pathways in wheat. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psidium guajava and Piper betle Leaf Extracts Prolong Vase Life of Cut Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus Flowers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Rahman

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of leaf extracts of Psidium guajava and Piper betle on prolonging vase life of cut carnation flowers was studied. “Carola” and “Pallas Orange” carnation flowers, at bud stage, were pulsed 24 hours with a floral preservative. Then, flowers were placed in a vase solution containing sprite and a “germicide” (leaf extracts of P. guajava and P. betle, 8-HQC, or a copper coin. Flowers treated with 8-HQC, copper coin, and leaf extracts had longer vase life, larger flower diameter, and higher rate of water uptake compared to control (tap water. The leaf extracts of P. guajava and P. betle showed highest antibacterial and antifungal activities compared to the other treatments. Both showed similar effects on flower quality as the synthetic germicide, 8-HQC. Therefore, these extracts are likely natural germicides to prolong vase life of cut flowers.

Mapping of genes for flower-related traits and QTLs for flowering ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Mapping of genes for flower-related traits and QTLs for flowering time ... which would greatly enhance the use of G. darwinii-specific desirable genes in ... used to determine all linkage groups, the order of groups on the same ... age groups.

Say it with flowers: Flowering acceleration by root communication

OpenAIRE

Falik, Omer; Hoffmann, Ishay; Novoplansky, Ariel

2014-01-01

The timing of reproduction is a critical determinant of fitness, especially in organisms inhabiting seasonal environments. Increasing evidence suggests that inter-plant communication plays important roles in plant functioning. Here, we tested the hypothesis that flowering coordination can involve communication between neighboring plants. We show that soil leachates from Brassica rapa plants growing under long-day conditions accelerated flowering and decreased allocation to vegetative organs i...

Poly(2-aminothiazole)-silica nanocomposite particles: Synthesis and morphology control

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Hua; Wu, Di; Sun, Hao; Chen, Suwu; Wang, Xia

2018-04-01

Synthesis of conducting polymer-silica colloidal nanocomposites has been recognized as an effective method to overcome the poor processability of heterocyclic conducting polymers prepared by chemical oxidative method. However, the morphology control of such conducting polymer-silica nanocomposites was seldomly reported in the literature. Novel poly(2-aminothiazole)(PAT)-silica nanocomposite particles can be conveniently prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of 2-aminothiazole using CuCl2 oxidant in the presence of ∼20 nm silica nanoparticles. The effects of varying the oxidant/monomer ratio and silica sol concentration on the morphology and size of the resulting PAT-silica nanocmposites have been studied. Optimization of the oxidant/monomer molar ratio and initial silica sol concentration allows relatively round spherical particles of 150-350 nm in diameter to be achieved. The nanocomposite particles have a well-defined raspberry-like morphology with a silica-rich surface, but a significant fraction of PAT component still exists on the surface and, which is beneficial for its applications. Furthermore, the surface compositions of the colloidal nanocomposites could be regulated to some extent. Based on the above results, a possible formation mechanism of the spherical nanocomposite particles is proposed.

Investigating the Association between Flowering Time and Defense in the Arabidopsis thaliana-Fusarium oxysporum Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Rebecca; Rusu, Anca; Stiller, Jiri; Powell, Jonathan; Manners, John M.; Kazan, Kemal

2015-01-01

Plants respond to pathogens either by investing more resources into immunity which is costly to development, or by accelerating reproductive processes such as flowering time to ensure reproduction occurs before the plant succumbs to disease. In this study we explored the link between flowering time and pathogen defense using the interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana and the root infecting fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We report that F. oxysporum infection accelerates flowering time and regulates transcription of a number of floral integrator genes, including FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and GIGANTEA (GI). Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between late flowering and resistance to F. oxysporum in A. thaliana natural ecotypes. Late-flowering gi and autonomous pathway mutants also exhibited enhanced resistance to F. oxysporum, supporting the association between flowering time and defense. However, epistasis analysis showed that accelerating flowering time by deletion of FLC in fve-3 or fpa-7 mutants did not alter disease resistance, suggesting that the effect of autonomous pathway on disease resistance occurs independently from flowering time. Indeed, RNA-seq analyses suggest that fve-3 mediated resistance to F. oxysporum is most likely a result of altered defense-associated gene transcription. Together, our results indicate that the association between flowering time and pathogen defense is complex and can involve both pleiotropic and direct effects. PMID:26034991

Silica Nephropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Ghahramani

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Occupational exposure to heavy metals, organic solvents and silica is associated with a variety of renal manifestations. Improved understanding of occupational renal disease provides insight into environmental renal disease, improving knowledge of disease pathogenesis. Silica (SiO2 is an abundant mineral found in sand, rock, and soil. Workers exposed to silica include sandblasters, miners, quarry workers, masons, ceramic workers and glass manufacturers. New cases of silicosis per year have been estimated in the US to be 3600–7300. Exposure to silica has been associated with tubulointerstitial disease, immune-mediated multisystem disease, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. A rare syndrome of painful, nodular skin lesions has been described in dialysis patients with excessive levels of silicon. Balkan endemic nephropathy is postulated to be due to chronic intoxication with drinking water polluted by silicates released during soil erosion. The mechanism of silica nephrotoxicity is thought to be through direct nephrotoxicity, as well as silica-induced autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus. The renal histopathology varies from focal to crescentic and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with aneurysm formation suggestive of polyarteritis nodosa. The treatment for silica nephrotoxicity is non-specific and depends on the mechanism and stage of the disease. It is quite clear that further research is needed, particularly to elucidate the pathogenesis of silica nephropathy. Considering the importance of diagnosing exposure-related renal disease at early stages, it is imperative to obtain a thorough occupational history in all patients with renal disease, with particular emphasis on exposure to silica, heavy metals, and solvents.

Characterization of FLOWERING LOCUS T1 (FT1 gene in Brachypodium and wheat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Lv

Full Text Available The phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth is a critical event in the life cycle of flowering plants. FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT plays a central role in the regulation of this transition by integrating signals from multiple flowering pathways in the leaves and transmitting them to the shoot apical meristem. In this study, we characterized FT homologs in the temperate grasses Brachypodium distachyon and polyploid wheat using transgenic and mutant approaches. Downregulation of FT1 by RNAi was associated with a significant downregulation of the FT-like genes FT2 and FT4 in Brachypodium and FT2 and FT5 in wheat. In a transgenic wheat line carrying a highly-expressed FT1 allele, FT2 and FT3 were upregulated under both long and short days. Overexpression of FT1 caused extremely early flowering during shoot regeneration in both Brachypodium and hexaploid wheat, and resulted in insufficient vegetative tissue to support the production of viable seeds. Downregulation of FT1 transcripts by RNA interference (RNAi resulted in non-flowering Brachypodium plants and late flowering plants (2-4 weeks delay in wheat. A similar delay in heading time was observed in tetraploid wheat plants carrying mutations for both FT-A1 and FT-B1. Plants homozygous only for mutations in FT-B1 flowered later than plants homozygous only for mutations in FT-A1, which corresponded with higher transcript levels of FT-B1 relative to FT-A1 in the early stages of development. Taken together, our data indicate that FT1 plays a critical role in the regulation of flowering in Brachypodium and wheat, and that this role is associated with the simultaneous regulation of other FT-like genes. The differential effects of mutations in FT-A1 and FT-B1 on wheat heading time suggest that different allelic combinations of FT1 homoeologs could be used to adjust wheat heading time to improve adaptation to changing environments.

Buzz in Paris: flower production and plant-pollinator interactions in plants from contrasted urban and rural origins.

Science.gov (United States)

Desaegher, James; Nadot, Sophie; Dajoz, Isabelle; Colas, Bruno

2017-12-01

Urbanisation, associated with habitat fragmentation, affects pollinator communities and insect foraging behaviour. These biotic changes are likely to select for modified traits in insect-pollinated plants from urban populations compared to rural populations. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment involving four plant species commonly found in both urban and rural landscapes of the Île-de-France region (France): Cymbalaria muralis, Geranium robertianum, Geum urbanum and Prunella vulgaris. The four species were grown in four urban and four rural experimental sites in 2015. For each species and each experimental site, plants were grown from seeds collected in five urban and five rural locations. During flowering, we observed flower production and insect-flower interactions during 14 weeks and tested for the effects of experimental site location and plant origin on flower production and on the number of floral visits. The study species had various flower morphology and hence were visited by different floral visitors. The effect of experimental sites and seed origin also varied among study species. We found that (1) insect visits on P. vulgaris were more frequent in rural than in urban sites; (2) for C. muralis, the slope relating the number of pollinator visits to the number of flowers per individual was steeper in urban versus rural sites, suggesting a greater benefit in allocating resources to flower production in urban conditions; (3) as a likely consequence, C. muralis tended to produce more flowers in plants from urban versus rural origin.

Flower diversity and bee reproduction in an arid ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimena Dorado

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Diverse flower communities are more stable in floral resource production along the flowering season, but the question about how the diversity and stability of resources affect pollinator reproduction remains open. High plant diversity could favor short foraging trips, which in turn would enhance bee fitness. In addition to plant diversity, greater temporal stability of floral resources in diverse communities could favor pollinator fitness because such communities are likely to occupy the phenological space more broadly, increasing floral availability for pollinators throughout the season. In addition, this potential effect of flower diversity on bee reproduction could be stronger for generalist pollinators because they can use a broader floral spectrum. Based on above arguments we predicted that pollinator reproduction would be positively correlated to flower diversity, and to temporal stability in flower production, and that this relationship would be stronger for the most generalized pollinator species. Materials and Methods: Using structural equation models, we evaluated the effect of these variables and other ecological factors on three estimates of bee reproduction (average number of brood cells per nest per site, total number of brood cells per site, and total number of nests per site, and whether such effects were modulated by bee generalization on floral resources. Results: Contrary to our expectations, flower diversity had no effect on bee reproduction, stability in flower production had a weakly negative effect on one of the bee reproductive variables, and the strength of the fitness-diversity relationship was unrelated to bee generalization. In contrast, elevation had a negative effect on bee reproduction, despite the narrow elevation range encompassed by our sites. Discussion: Flower diversity did not affect the reproduction of the solitary bees studied here. This result could stem from the context dependence of the

Flower diversity and bee reproduction in an arid ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorado, Jimena; Vázquez, Diego P

2016-01-01

Diverse flower communities are more stable in floral resource production along the flowering season, but the question about how the diversity and stability of resources affect pollinator reproduction remains open. High plant diversity could favor short foraging trips, which in turn would enhance bee fitness. In addition to plant diversity, greater temporal stability of floral resources in diverse communities could favor pollinator fitness because such communities are likely to occupy the phenological space more broadly, increasing floral availability for pollinators throughout the season. In addition, this potential effect of flower diversity on bee reproduction could be stronger for generalist pollinators because they can use a broader floral spectrum. Based on above arguments we predicted that pollinator reproduction would be positively correlated to flower diversity, and to temporal stability in flower production, and that this relationship would be stronger for the most generalized pollinator species. Using structural equation models, we evaluated the effect of these variables and other ecological factors on three estimates of bee reproduction (average number of brood cells per nest per site, total number of brood cells per site, and total number of nests per site), and whether such effects were modulated by bee generalization on floral resources. Contrary to our expectations, flower diversity had no effect on bee reproduction, stability in flower production had a weakly negative effect on one of the bee reproductive variables, and the strength of the fitness-diversity relationship was unrelated to bee generalization. In contrast, elevation had a negative effect on bee reproduction, despite the narrow elevation range encompassed by our sites. Flower diversity did not affect the reproduction of the solitary bees studied here. This result could stem from the context dependence of the diversity-stability relationship, given that elevation had a positive effect on

Specific features of direct formation of graphite-like microstructures in polycarbonate samples by single femtosecond laser pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganin, D V; Lapshin, K E; Obidin, A Z; Vartapetov, S K [Physics Instrumentation Center, A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)

2015-11-30

We present the result of the experiments on producing graphite-like cylindrical microstructures by focusing single femtosecond laser pulses into the bulk of a transparent polymer (polycarbonate). The microstructures are embedded in a cladding with a modified refractive index, possessing waveguide properties. In the experiments with nontransparent screens and diaphragms, placed in the laser beam in front of the entrance pupil of the objective with a large numerical aperture, we have found that the paraxial rays are blocked by the peripheral ones, which reduces the length of the destruction region in the pre-focal zone. In the experiments with transparent screens and diaphragms, introducing optical delays τ{sub d} between the paraxial and peripheral rays, the quantitative dependence of the destruction region length in the pre-focal zone on the value of τ{sub d} is determined. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

On the formation mechanisms of the diffuse atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in CVD processes of thin silica-like films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starostin, S A; Premkumar, P Antony; Creatore, M; Van Veldhuizen, E M; Van de Sanden, M C M; De Vries, H; Paffen, R M J

2009-01-01

Pathways of formation and temporal evolution of the diffuse dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure were experimentally studied in this work by means of optical (fast imaging camera) and electrical diagnostics. The chosen model system is relevant for applications of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of thin silica-like film on the polymeric substrate, from cost-efficient gas mixtures of Ar/N 2 /O 2 /hexamethyldisiloxane. It was found that the discharge can gradually experience the phases of homogeneous low current Townsend-like mode, local Townsend to glow transition and expanding high current density (∼0.7 A cm -2 ) glow-like mode. While the glow-like current spot occupies momentarily only a small part of the electrode area, its expanding behavior provides uniform treatment of the whole substrate surface. Alternatively, it was observed that a visually uniform discharge can be formed by the numerous microdischarges overlapping over the large electrode area.

On the formation mechanisms of the diffuse atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in CVD processes of thin silica-like films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starostin, S A; Premkumar, P Antony [Materials Innovation Institute (M2i), Mekelweg 2, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherland (Netherlands); Creatore, M; Van Veldhuizen, E M; Van de Sanden, M C M [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); De Vries, H; Paffen, R M J [FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V, PO Box 90156, Tilburg (Netherlands)

2009-11-15

Pathways of formation and temporal evolution of the diffuse dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure were experimentally studied in this work by means of optical (fast imaging camera) and electrical diagnostics. The chosen model system is relevant for applications of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of thin silica-like film on the polymeric substrate, from cost-efficient gas mixtures of Ar/N{sub 2}/O{sub 2}/hexamethyldisiloxane. It was found that the discharge can gradually experience the phases of homogeneous low current Townsend-like mode, local Townsend to glow transition and expanding high current density ({approx}0.7 A cm{sup -2}) glow-like mode. While the glow-like current spot occupies momentarily only a small part of the electrode area, its expanding behavior provides uniform treatment of the whole substrate surface. Alternatively, it was observed that a visually uniform discharge can be formed by the numerous microdischarges overlapping over the large electrode area.

Synthesis, morphology and microstructure of pomegranate-like hematite (α-Fe2O3) superstructure with high coercivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tadic, Marin; Citakovic, Nada; Panjan, Matjaz; Stanojevic, Boban; Markovic, Dragana; Jovanovic, Đorđe; Spasojevic, Vojislav

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We found superior magnetic properties of the hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). ► TEM and HRTEM images show a pomegranate-like superstructure. ► Magnetic measurements display high coercivity H C = 4350 Oe at the room temperature. - Abstract: We found novel and superior magnetic properties of the hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) that originate from an internal microstructure of particles and strong inter-particle interactions between nanocrystal sub-units. The hematite particles were synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron (III) nitrate without any template or surfactant. The purity, size, crystallinity, morphology, microstructure and magnetic features of the as-prepared particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and SQUID magnetometry. An XRD study reveals a pure phase of α-Fe 2 O 3 whereas TEM shows α-Fe 2 O 3 spheres with a diameter of about 150 nm. RS also shows high quality and purity of the sample. Moreover, TEM and HRTEM images show a pomegranate-like superstructure and evidence that the spherical particles are composed of individual well-crystallized nanoparticle sub-units (self-assembled nanoparticles) with a size of about 20 nm. Magnetic measurements display hysteretic behavior at the room temperature with remanent magnetization M r = 0.731 emu/g, saturation magnetization M S = 6.83 emu/g and coercivity H C = 4350 Oe, as well as the Morin transition at T M = 261 K. These results and comparison with those in the literature reveal that the sample has extremely high coercivity. The magnetic properties of the sample are discussed in relation to morphology, internal microstructure, surface effects and exchange and dipole–dipole interactions.

Template preparation of twisted nanoparticles of mesoporous silica

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Kui Niu; Zhongbin Ni; Chengwu Fu; Tatsuo Kaneko; Mingqing Chen

2011-01-01

Optical isomers of N-lauroyl-L-(or-D-) alanine sodium salt {C12-L-(or-D-)AlaS} surfactants were used for the preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a twisted hexagonal rod-like morphology. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the temperature for template removal. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the surfactant solution with various compositions illustrated the formation and supramolecular assembly of protein-like molecular architecture leading to formation of twisted nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns of these as-synthesized mesoporous silica confirmed that the twisted morphology of these nanoparticles was closely related to the supramolecular-assembled complex of amino acid surfactants.

Silica biomineralization via the self-assembly of helical biomolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ben; Cao, Yuanyuan; Huang, Zhehao; Duan, Yingying; Che, Shunai

2015-01-21

The biomimetic synthesis of relevant silica materials using biological macromolecules as templates via silica biomineralization processes attract rapidly rising attention toward natural and artificial materials. Biomimetic synthesis studies are useful for improving the understanding of the formation mechanism of the hierarchical structures found in living organisms (such as diatoms and sponges) and for promoting significant developments in the biotechnology, nanotechnology and materials chemistry fields. Chirality is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature and is an inherent feature of biomolecular components in organisms. Helical biomolecules, one of the most important types of chiral macromolecules, can self-assemble into multiple liquid-crystal structures and be used as biotemplates for silica biomineralization, which renders them particularly useful for fabricating complex silica materials under ambient conditions. Over the past two decades, many new silica materials with hierarchical structures and complex morphologies have been created using helical biomolecules. In this review, the developments in this field are described and the recent progress in silica biomineralization templating using several classes of helical biomolecules, including DNA, polypeptides, cellulose and rod-like viruses is summarized. Particular focus is placed on the formation mechanism of biomolecule-silica materials (BSMs) with hierarchical structures. Finally, current research challenges and future developments are discussed in the conclusion. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Frydenvang, Jens; Gasda, Patrick J.; Hurowitz, Joel A.; Grotzinger, John P.; Wiens, Roger C.; Newsom, Horton E.; Edgett, Ken S.; Watkins, Jessica; Bridges, John C.; Maurice, Sylvestre; Fisk, Martin R.; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Rapin, William; Stein, Nathan; Clegg, Sam M.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Bedford, C.; Edwards, P.; Mangold, Nicolas; Cousin, Agnes; Anderson, Ryan; Payre, Valerie; Vaniman, David; Blake, David; Lanza, Nina L.; Gupta, Sanjeev; Van Beek, Jason; Sautter, Violaine; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Rice, Melissa; Milliken, Ralf; Gellert, Ralf; Thompson, Lucy; Clark, Ben C.; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Fraeman, Abigail A.; Kinch, Kjartan M; Madsen, Morten B.; Mitofranov, Igor; Jun, Insoo; Calef, Fred J.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2017-01-01

Diagenetic silica enrichment in fracture-associated halos that crosscut lacustrine and unconformably overlying aeolian sedimentary bedrock is observed on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater, Mars. The diagenetic silica enrichment is colocated with detrital silica enrichment observed in the lacustrine bedrock yet extends into a considerably younger, unconformably draping aeolian sandstone, implying that diagenetic silica enrichment postdates the detrital silica enrichment. A causal connection between the detrital and diagenetic silica enrichment implies that water was present in the subsurface of Gale crater long after deposition of the lacustrine sediments and that it mobilized detrital amorphous silica and precipitated it along fractures in the overlying bedrock. Although absolute timing is uncertain, the observed diagenesis likely represents some of the most recent groundwater activity in Gale crater and suggests that the timescale of potential habitability extended considerably beyond the time that the lacustrine sediments of Aeolis Mons were deposited.

Pedogenic silica accumulation in chronosequence soils, southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Kendrick, K.J.; Graham, R.C.

2004-01-01

Chronosequential analysis of soil properties has proven to be a valuable approach for estimating ages of geomorphic surfaces where no independent age control exists. In this study we examined pedogenic silica as an indicator of relative ages of soils and geomorphic surfaces, and assessed potential sources of the silica. Pedogenic opaline silica was quantified by tiron (4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene-disulfonic acid [disodium salt], C6H 4Na2O8S2) extraction for pedons in two different chromosequences in southern California, one in the San Timoteo Badlands and one in Cajon Pass. The soils of hoth of these chronosequences are developed in arkosic sediments and span 11.5 to 500 ka. The amount of pedogenic silica increases with increasing duration of pedogenesis, and the depth of the maximum silica accumulation generally coincides with the maximum expression of the argillic horizon. Pedogenic silica has accumulated in all of the soils, ranging from 1.2% tiron-extractable Si (Sitn) in the youngest soil to 4.6% in the oldest. Primary Si decreases with increasing duration of weathering, particularly in the upper horizons, where weathering conditions are most intense. The loss of Si coincides with the loss of Na and K, implicating the weathering of feld-spars as the likely source of Si loss. The quantity of Si lost in the upper horizons is adequate to account for the pedogenic silica accumulation in the subsoil. Pedogenic silica was equally effective as pedogenic Fe oxides as an indicator of relative soil age in these soils.

A novel biosensor based on the direct electrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase immobilized in the three-dimensional flower-like Bi_2WO_6 microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hui; Guo, Kai; Duan, Congyue; Chen, Xianjin; Zhu, Zhenfeng

2016-01-01

Three-dimensional flower-like Bi_2WO_6 microspheres (3D-Bi_2WO_6 MSs) have been synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of 3D-Bi_2WO_6 MSs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The 3D-Bi_2WO_6 MSs subsequently were used to immobilize horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and fabricate a mediator-free biosensor for the detection of H_2O_2. Spectroscopic and electrochemical results reveal that 3D-Bi_2WO_6 MSs constitute an excellent immobilization matrix with biocompatibility for enzymes. Meanwhile, due to unique morphology of the flower-like microspheres, the direct electron transfer of HRP is facilitated and the prepared biosensors display good performances for the detection of H_2O_2 with a wide linear range, including two linear sections: 0.5–100 μM (R"2 = 0.9983) and 100–250 μM (R"2 = 0.9981), as well as an extremely low method detection limit of 0.18 μM. - Highlights: • 3D-Bi_2WO_6 microspheres are used to fabricate a mediator-free biosensor firstly. • The biosensor displays a wide linear range of 0.5–250 μM for H_2O_2. • The biosensor exhibits a low detection limit of 0.18 μM for H_2O_2.

Some Durability Characteristics of Micro Silica and Nano Silica Contained Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Salah Nasr

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the influence of replacement of cement with nano and micro silica admixtures on some durability properties of concrete such as water absorption, chloride content and pH tests. Three replacement ratios (5%,10%,15% of micro silica and four replacement proportions (0.5%,1.5%,3%,5% for nano silica were used in this study. Two exposure conditions were considered for chloride content test: wetting-drying and full immersing exposure in 6% of chloride ions solution, NaCl type. Results showed that mixes of %5 micro silica and 5% nano silica had lower content of chloride (about 0.19% and 0.18% for wetting-drying and full immersing exposure respectively. For water absorption test, all mixes incorporated micro and nano silica, except for %5 micro silica mix, showed lower absorption than control mixes. For pH test, results indicated that the adding of nano and micro silica didn’t affect adversely the alkalinity of concrete.

The effects of different irrigation levels on flowering and flower ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Water usage is a vital issue for all agricultural crops as well as for ornamental crops. To obtain high quality flowers, it is essential to supply water when it is required. A problem which is common with cut flower growers are determining when to irrigate and the amount of water to apply. The effect of two irrigation intervals (I1: ...

The strength and failure of silica optical fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, C; Bai, R X; Yu, H; Canning, J; Law, S

2010-01-01

The mechanical strength and failure behavior of conventional and microstructured silica optical fibers was investigated using a tensile test and fracture mechanics and numerical analyses. The effect of polymer coating on failure behavior was also studied. The results indicate that all these fibers fail in a brittle manner and failure normally starts from fiber surfaces. The failure loads observed in coated fibers are higher than those in bare fibers. The introduction of air holes reduces fiber strength and their geometrical arrangements have a remarkable effect on stress distribution in the longitudinal direction. These results are potentially useful for the design, fabrication and evaluation of optical fibers for a wide range of applications.

Zingiber zerumbet flower stem postharvest characterization

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Charleston Gonçalves

2017-05-01

Full Text Available About the Zingiber zerumbet little is known about its cut flower postharvest and market, despite its high ornamental potential. The inflorescences, which resemble a compact cone, emerge from the base of the plants and start with green color changing to red with the age. This study objective was to characterize floral stem of ornamental ginger in two cultivate conditions and to evaluate the longevity of those submitted to post-harvest treatments. Flower stems were harvest from clumps cultivated under full sun and partial shade area, and were submitted to the postharvest treatments: complete flower immersion in tap water (CFI or only the base stem immersion (BSI. The flower stems harvested from clumps at partial shade presented higher fresh weight, length and diameter of the inflorescences compared to flower stems harvested from clumps at full sun area. The flower stem bracts cultivated in full sun area changed the color from green to red 10.69 and 11.94 days after BSI and CFI postharvest treatments, and the vase life were 22.94 and 28.19 days, respectively. Flower stem harvest in partial shade area change the color only after 18.94 and 18.43 days and the vase life durability was 27.56 and 31.81, respectively. The complete immersion of the flower stem increase the vase life durability in 5.25 and 4.25 days compared to flowers kept with the stem base immersed only, in flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and partial shade area, respectively. Flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in partial shade area and completely immerse in tap water during 3 hours increase the vase life durability in 8.87 days compared to flowers harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and base immersed only.

An Apology for Flowers

OpenAIRE

Mehdi Aghamohammadi

2017-01-01

Prompting critical reflection on the common claim that flowers are always symbolic of female sexuality, the present article intends to explore symbolic roles of flowers in Persian literature and provide examples, mainly from Persian poetry, with the aim of refuting the claim. The writer, in fact, attempts to highlight overshadowed facets of flower symbolism by overshadowing carnal and ignoble readings of it. The reason why Persian literature has come into the focus of this study is that flowe...

Functional characterization of duplicated Suppressor of Overexpression of Constans 1-like genes in petunia.

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Jill C; Jorgensen, Stacy A; Jha, Suryatapa G

2014-01-01

Flowering time is strictly controlled by a combination of internal and external signals that match seed set with favorable environmental conditions. In the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae), many of the genes underlying development and evolution of flowering have been discovered. However, much remains unknown about how conserved the flowering gene networks are in plants with different growth habits, gene duplication histories, and distributions. Here we functionally characterize three homologs of the flowering gene Suppressor Of Overexpression of Constans 1 (SOC1) in the short-lived perennial Petunia hybrida (petunia, Solanaceae). Similar to A. thaliana soc1 mutants, co-silencing of duplicated petunia SOC1-like genes results in late flowering. This phenotype is most severe when all three SOC1-like genes are silenced. Furthermore, expression levels of the SOC1-like genes Unshaven (UNS) and Floral Binding Protein 21 (FBP21), but not FBP28, are positively correlated with developmental age. In contrast to A. thaliana, petunia SOC1-like gene expression did not increase with longer photoperiods, and FBP28 transcripts were actually more abundant under short days. Despite evidence of functional redundancy, differential spatio-temporal expression data suggest that SOC1-like genes might fine-tune petunia flowering in response to photoperiod and developmental stage. This likely resulted from modification of SOC1-like gene regulatory elements following recent duplication, and is a possible mechanism to ensure flowering under both inductive and non-inductive photoperiods.

Functional characterization of duplicated Suppressor of Overexpression of Constans 1-like genes in petunia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill C Preston

Full Text Available Flowering time is strictly controlled by a combination of internal and external signals that match seed set with favorable environmental conditions. In the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae, many of the genes underlying development and evolution of flowering have been discovered. However, much remains unknown about how conserved the flowering gene networks are in plants with different growth habits, gene duplication histories, and distributions. Here we functionally characterize three homologs of the flowering gene Suppressor Of Overexpression of Constans 1 (SOC1 in the short-lived perennial Petunia hybrida (petunia, Solanaceae. Similar to A. thaliana soc1 mutants, co-silencing of duplicated petunia SOC1-like genes results in late flowering. This phenotype is most severe when all three SOC1-like genes are silenced. Furthermore, expression levels of the SOC1-like genes Unshaven (UNS and Floral Binding Protein 21 (FBP21, but not FBP28, are positively correlated with developmental age. In contrast to A. thaliana, petunia SOC1-like gene expression did not increase with longer photoperiods, and FBP28 transcripts were actually more abundant under short days. Despite evidence of functional redundancy, differential spatio-temporal expression data suggest that SOC1-like genes might fine-tune petunia flowering in response to photoperiod and developmental stage. This likely resulted from modification of SOC1-like gene regulatory elements following recent duplication, and is a possible mechanism to ensure flowering under both inductive and non-inductive photoperiods.

Population genomics of the Arabidopsis thaliana flowering time gene network.

Science.gov (United States)

Flowers, Jonathan M; Hanzawa, Yoshie; Hall, Megan C; Moore, Richard C; Purugganan, Michael D

2009-11-01

The time to flowering is a key component of the life-history strategy of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that varies quantitatively among genotypes. A significant problem for evolutionary and ecological genetics is to understand how natural selection may operate on this ecologically significant trait. Here, we conduct a population genomic study of resequencing data from 52 genes in the flowering time network. McDonald-Kreitman tests of neutrality suggested a strong excess of amino acid polymorphism when pooling across loci. This excess of replacement polymorphism across the flowering time network and a skewed derived frequency spectrum toward rare alleles for both replacement and noncoding polymorphisms relative to synonymous changes is consistent with a large class of deleterious polymorphisms segregating in these genes. Assuming selective neutrality of synonymous changes, we estimate that approximately 30% of amino acid polymorphisms are deleterious. Evidence of adaptive substitution is less prominent in our analysis. The photoperiod regulatory gene, CO, and a gibberellic acid transcription factor, AtMYB33, show evidence of adaptive fixation of amino acid mutations. A test for extended haplotypes revealed no examples of flowering time alleles with haplotypes comparable in length to those associated with the null fri(Col) allele reported previously. This suggests that the FRI gene likely has a uniquely intense or recent history of selection among the flowering time genes considered here. Although there is some evidence for adaptive evolution in these life-history genes, it appears that slightly deleterious polymorphisms are a major component of natural molecular variation in the flowering time network of A. thaliana.

Selective porous gates made from colloidal silica nanoparticles

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Roberto Nisticò

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Highly selective porous films were prepared by spin-coating deposition of colloidal silica nanoparticles on an appropriate macroporous substrate. Silica nanoparticles very homogenous in size were obtained by sol–gel reaction of a metal oxide silica precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide (PS-b-PEO copolymers as soft-templating agents. Nanoparticles synthesis was carried out in a mixed solvent system. After spin-coating onto a macroporous silicon nitride support, silica nanoparticles were calcined under controlled conditions. An organized nanoporous layer was obtained characterized by a depth filter-like structure with internal porosity due to interparticle voids. Permeability and size-selectivity were studied by monitoring the diffusion of probe molecules under standard conditions and under the application of an external stimulus (i.e., electric field. Promising results were obtained, suggesting possible applications of these nanoporous films as selective gates for controlled transport of chemical species in solution.

Characterization of an AGAMOUS-like MADS Box Protein, a Probable Constituent of Flowering and Fruit Ripening Regulatory System in Banana

Science.gov (United States)

Roy Choudhury, Swarup; Roy, Sujit; Nag, Anish; Singh, Sanjay Kumar; Sengupta, Dibyendu N.

2012-01-01

The MADS-box family of genes has been shown to play a significant role in the development of reproductive organs, including dry and fleshy fruits. In this study, the molecular properties of an AGAMOUS like MADS box transcription factor in banana cultivar Giant governor (Musa sp, AAA group, subgroup Cavendish) has been elucidated. We have detected a CArG-box sequence binding AGAMOUS MADS-box protein in banana flower and fruit nuclear extracts in DNA-protein interaction assays. The protein fraction in the DNA-protein complex was analyzed by mass spectrometry and using this information we have obtained the full length cDNA of the corresponding protein. The deduced protein sequence showed ∼95% amino acid sequence homology with MA-MADS5, a MADS-box protein described previously from banana. We have characterized the domains of the identified AGAMOUS MADS-box protein involved in DNA binding and homodimer formation in vitro using full-length and truncated versions of affinity purified recombinant proteins. Furthermore, in order to gain insight about how DNA bending is achieved by this MADS-box factor, we performed circular permutation and phasing analysis using the wild type recombinant protein. The AGAMOUS MADS-box protein identified in this study has been found to predominantly accumulate in the climacteric fruit pulp and also in female flower ovary. In vivo and in vitro assays have revealed specific binding of the identified AGAMOUS MADS-box protein to CArG-box sequence in the promoters of major ripening genes in banana fruit. Overall, the expression patterns of this MADS-box protein in banana female flower ovary and during various phases of fruit ripening along with the interaction of the protein to the CArG-box sequence in the promoters of major ripening genes lead to interesting assumption about the possible involvement of this AGAMOUS MADS-box factor in banana fruit ripening and floral reproductive organ development. PMID:22984496

Water-Dependent Photonic Bandgap in Silica Artificial Opals

OpenAIRE

Gallego-Gomez, Francisco; Blanco, Alvaro; Canalejas-Tejero, Victor; Lopez, Cefe

2011-01-01

Some characteristics of silica-based structuresa-like the photonic properties of artificial opals formed by silica spheresa-can be greatly affected by the presence of adsorbed water. The reversible modification of the water content of an opal is investigated here by moderate heating (below 300 °C) and measuring in situ the changes in the photonic bandgap. Due to reversible removal of interstitial water, large blueshifts of 30 nm and a bandgap narrowing of 7% are observed. The latter is partic...

Mapping of genes for flower-related traits and QTLs for flowering ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Mapping of genes for flower-related traits and QTLs for flowering time in an interspecific population of Gossypium hirsutum × G. darwinii. Shuwen Zhang, Qianqian Lan, Xiang Gao, Biao Yang, Caiping Cai, Tianzhen Zhang and Baoliang Zhou. J. Genet. 95, 197–201. Table 1. Loci composition and recombination distances of ...

Viability for controlling long-term leaching of radionuclides from HLW glass by amorphous silica additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, Y.; Uehara, S.

2004-01-01

Dissolution and deterioration experiments in coexistence system of amorphous silica and vitrified wastes have been executed in order to evaluating the effects of amorphous silica addition to high level radioactive vitrified waste (HLW glass) on suppression of nuclide leaching. Geo-chemical reaction mechanism among the vitrified waste, the amorphous silica and water was also evaluated. Dissolution of the silica network was suppressed by addition of the amorphous silica. However, the leaching of soluble nuclides like B proceeded depending on the hydration deterioration reaction. (A. Hishinuma)

Effects of additives on microstructures of titanate based nanotubes prepared by the hydrothermal process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Takashi; Sugimoto, Keijiro; Onoki, Takamasa; Nakahira, Atsushi; Yamasaki, Yuki

2009-01-01

Silica-containing TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes were prepared by the addition of a small amount of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes prepared by the hydrothermal process and a subsequent heat-treatment at 473 K in air. The microstructure and thermal behavior of synthesized silica containing TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes were investigated by various methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAF), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). As a result, the addition of a small amount of TEOS leaded to the improvement of the thermal stability for TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes. XPS results revealed that Si was combined onto the surface of TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes, forming partial Si-O-Ti chemical bonds. Therefore, it was inferred that the thermal stability could be modified by forming partial Si-O-Ti chemical bonds at interface of silica and TiO 2 -derived titanate nanotubes. (author)

Isolation, Characterization and Activity of the Flowers of Rhododendron arboreum (Ericaceae

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Pankaj Kumar Sonar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The flowers of Rhododendron arboreum have been reported to possess certain polyphenolic compounds. Thus, this study was aimed at the anti-microbial and phytochemical screening of the flowers. Important bioactive agents like steroids, saponins and flavonoids were detected in the flowers. Quercetin (a flavonoid was isolated from the diethyl ether fraction of alcoholic extract by solvent-solvent extraction method. Isolated quercetin was identified and characterized by chemical tests, M.P., TLC, paper chromatography (with authentic marker and spectroscopic methods like UV-Visible, FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR and Mass spectroscopy. The anti-microbial activity of the alcoholic and aqueous extract and isolated quercetin were investigated against five bacterial and two fungal strains by agar well-diffusion method. The activity was found to be concentration dependent. Ethanolic extract was found to be more active in comparison to the aqueous extract. Hence, isolation was done with ethanolic extract. The lowest effective concentration of quercetin was found to be 12.5 mg/ml against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Both extracts and isolated quercetin were found ineffective against fungal strains. Quercetin may be one of the components responsible for the observed anti-microbial activity of the plant.

A gold electrode with a flower-like gold nanostructure for simultaneous determination of dopamine and ascorbic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Yanjie; Zhao, Chengfei; Weng, Shaohuang; Lin, Xinhua; Huang, Zhengjun; Zheng, Wei

2013-01-01

We have developed a facile method for the preparation of a gold electrode modified with a flower-like gold nanostructure using potentiostatic electrodeposition. Its formation, morphology, and electrochemical properties were studied by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The resulting nanostructures possess rough and enlarged surface areas and enable fast electron transfer in the selective and sensitive detection of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA) in phosphate-buffered saline without disturbance by common interferents. The differential pulse voltammetry anodic peak currents at approximately −0.03 V and 0.16 V are strongly enhanced in the presence of AA and DA, respectively. The electrode responds linearly to AA in the concentration range from 60 μM to 500 μM, with a limit of detection at 10 μM. The respective data for DA are 1 μM to 150 μM, and the limit of detection is 0.2 μM. (author)

Biology of flower-infecting fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngugi, Henry K; Scherm, Harald

2006-01-01

The ability to infect host flowers offers important ecological benefits to plant-parasitic fungi; not surprisingly, therefore, numerous fungal species from a wide range of taxonomic groups have adopted a life style that involves flower infection. Although flower-infecting fungi are very diverse, they can be classified readily into three major groups: opportunistic, unspecialized pathogens causing necrotic symptoms such as blossom blights (group 1), and specialist flower pathogens which infect inflorescences either through the gynoecium (group 2) or systemically through the apical meristem (group 3). This three-tier system is supported by life history attributes such as host range, mode of spore transmission, degree of host sterilization as a result of infection, and whether or not the fungus undergoes an obligate sexual cycle, produces resting spores in affected inflorescences, and is r- or K-selected. Across the three groups, the flower as an infection court poses important challenges for disease management. Ecologically and evolutionarily, terms and concepts borrowed from the study of venereal (sexually transmitted) diseases of animals do not adequately capture the range of strategies employed by fungi that infect flowers.

Gamma radiation use as a quarantine treatment alternative for cut flowers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Olivia Kimiko

1999-01-01

Methyl bromide is a broad spectrum pesticide to control insects, nematodes, weeds, pathogens and rodents It is effective to commodity treatment designed for exportation/importation, but is also toxic for human being. Besides, it is an ozone layer depleting substance and many countries are interested in finding other less damaging alternatives. The methyl bromide shall be banned until 2015 and one promising alternative is the radiation. It can be effective for some vegetables, like fresh cut flowers. The tolerance to gamma radiation was observed in some cut flowers. Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae), Gypsophyla (Caryophyllaceae), Gomphrena (Amarantaceae), Celosia (Amarantaceae) and Narcissus (Amaryllidaceae) were tolerant to 750 Gy. Heliconia and Strelitzia (Musaceae) were not tolerant, presenting a severe browning of the colored sepals. Anthurium (Araceae) was also sensitive to 750 Gy, presenting browning of the spike, discoloration and black spots on the sepals. The radiation inhibited the bud opening of Hemerocallis (Liliaceae) and Gladiolus (Iridaceae). Gerbera (Compositae) and Callistemon (Myrtaceae) wilted before the control flowers. Helianthus (Compositae) leaves wilted before the flowers because of the radiation. (author)

Microporous silica membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boffa, Vittorio; Yue, Yuanzheng

2012-01-01

Hydrothermal stability is a crucial factor for the application of microporous silica-based membranes in industrial processes. Indeed, it is well established that steam exposure may cause densification and defect formation in microporous silica membranes, which are detrimental to both membrane...... permeability and selectivity. Numerous previous studies show that microporous transition metal doped-silica membranes are hydrothermally more stable than pure silica membranes, but less permeable. Here we present a quantitative study on the impact of type and concentration of transition metal ions...... on the microporous structure, stability and permeability of amorphous silica-based membranes, providing information on how to design chemical compositions and synthetic paths for the fabrication of silica-based membranes with a well accessible and highly stabile microporous structure....

A natural frameshift mutation in Campanula EIL2 correlates with ethylene insensitivity in flowers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Line; Hegelund, Josefine Nymark; Olsen, Andreas

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The phytohormone ethylene plays a central role in development and senescence of climacteric flowers. In ornamental plant production, ethylene sensitive plants are usually protected against negative effects of ethylene by application of chemical inhibitors. In Campanula, flowers...... are sensitive to even minute concentrations of ethylene. RESULTS: Monitoring flower longevity in three Campanula species revealed C. portenschlagiana (Cp) as ethylene sensitive, C. formanekiana (Cf) with intermediate sensitivity and C. medium (Cm) as ethylene insensitive. We identified key elements in ethylene...... signal transduction, specifically in Ethylene Response Sensor 2 (ERS2), Constitutive Triple Response 1 (CTR1) and Ethylene Insensitive 3- Like 1 and 2 (EIL1 and EIL2) homologous. Transcripts of ERS2, CTR1 and EIL1 were constitutively expressed in all species both throughout flower development...

Stars and Flowers, Flowers and Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Minti, Hari

2012-12-01

The author, a graduated from the Bucharest University (1964), actually living and working in Israel, concerns his book to variable stars and flowers, two domains of his interest. The analogies includes double stars, eclipsing double stars, eclipses, Big Bang. The book contains 34 chapters, each of which concerns various relations between astronomy and other sciences and pseudosciences such as Psychology, Religion, Geology, Computers and Astrology (to which the author is not an adherent). A special part of the book is dedicated to archeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy, as well as to history of astronomy. Between the main points of interest of these parts: ancient sanctuaries in Sarmizegetusa (Dacia), Stone Henge(UK) and other. The last chapter of the book is dedicated to flowers. The book is richly illustrated. It is designed for a wide circle of readers.

Testing hypotheses for excess flower production and low fruit-to-flower ratios in a pollinating seed-consuming mutualism

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, J. Nathaniel; Bronstein, Judith L.; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2004-01-01

Pollinator attraction, pollen limitation, resource limitation, pollen donation and selective fruit abortion have all been proposed as processes explaining why hermaphroditic plants commonly produce many more flowers than mature fruit. We conducted a series of experiments in Arizona to investigate low fruit-to-flower ratios in senita cacti, which rely exclusively on pollinating seed-consumers. Selective abortion of fruit based on seed predators is of particular interest in this case because plants relying on pollinating seed-consumers are predicted to have such a mechanism to minimize seed loss. Pollinator attraction and pollen dispersal increased with flower number, but fruit set did not, refuting the hypothesis that excess flowers increase fruit set by attracting more pollinators. Fruit set of natural- and hand-pollinated flowers were not different, supporting the resource, rather than pollen, limitation hypothesis. Senita did abort fruit, but not selectively based on pollen quantity, pollen donors, or seed predators. Collectively, these results are consistent with sex allocation theory in that resource allocation to excess flower production can increase pollen dispersal and the male fitness function of flowers, but consequently results in reduced resources available for fruit set. Inconsistent with sex allocation theory, however, fruit production and the female fitness function of flowers may actually increase with flower production. This is because excess flower production lowers pollinator-to-flower ratios and results in fruit abortion, both of which limit the abundance and hence oviposition rates, of pre-dispersal seed predators.

Cytotoxic and bioactive properties of different color tulip flowers and degradation kinetic of tulip flower anthocyanins.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagdic, Osman; Ekici, Lutfiye; Ozturk, Ismet; Tekinay, Turgay; Polat, Busra; Tastemur, Bilge; Bayram, Okan; Senturk, Berna

2013-08-01

This study was conducted to determine the potential use of anthocyanin-based extracts (ABEs) of wasted tulip flowers as food/drug colorants. For this aim, wasted tulip flowers were samples and analyzed for their bioactive properties and cytotoxicity. Total phenolic contents of the extracts of the claret red (126.55 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract) and orange-red (113.76 mg GAE/g dry extract) flowers were the higher than those of the other tulip flowers. Total anthocyanin levels of the violet, orange-red, claret red and pink tulip flower extracts were determined as 265.04, 236.49, 839.08 and 404.45 mg pelargonidin 3-glucoside/kg dry extract, respectively and these levels were higher than those of the other flowers. The extracts were more effective for the inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica compared to other tested bacteria. Additionally, the cytotoxic effects of five different tulip flower extracts on human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line were investigated. The results showed that the orange red, pink and violet extracts had no cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell lines while yellow and claret red extracts appeared to be toxic for the cells. Overall, the extracts of tulip flowers with different colors possess remarkable bioactive and cytotoxic properties. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions from Luculia pinceana Flower and Its Changes at Different Stages of Flower Development

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Yuying Li

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Luculia plants are famed ornamental plants with sweetly fragrant flowers, of which L. pinceana Hooker, found primarily in Yunnan Province, China, has the widest distribution. Solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS was employed to identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs emitted from different flower development stages of L. pinceana for the evaluation of floral volatile polymorphism. Peak areas were normalized as percentages and used to determine the relative amounts of the volatiles. The results showed that a total of 39 compounds were identified at four different stages of L. pinceana flower development, including 26 at the bud stage, 26 at the initial-flowering stage, 32 at the full-flowering stage, and 32 at the end-flowering stage. The most abundant compound was paeonol (51%–83% followed by (E,E-α-farnesene, cyclosativene, and δ-cadinene. All these volatile compounds create the unique fragrance of L. pinceana flower. Floral scent emission offered tendency of ascending first and descending in succession, meeting its peak level at the initial-flowering stage. The richest diversity of floral volatile was detected at the third and later periods of flower development. Principal component analysis (PCA indicated that the composition and its relative content of floral scent differed throughout the whole flower development. The result has important implications for future floral fragrance breeding of Luculia. L. pinceana would be adequate for a beneficial houseplant and has a promising prospect for development as essential oil besides for a fragrant ornamental owing to the main compounds of floral scent with many medicinal properties.

HVI Ballistic Limit Characterization of Fused Silica Thermal Panes

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J. E.; Bohl, W. D.; Christiansen, E. L.; Davis, B. A.; Deighton, K. D.

2015-01-01

Fused silica window systems are used heavily on crewed reentry vehicles, and they are currently being used on the next generation of US crewed spacecraft, Orion. These systems improve crew situational awareness and comfort, as well as, insulating the reentry critical components of a spacecraft against the intense thermal environments of atmospheric reentry. Additionally, these materials are highly exposed to space environment hazards like solid particle impacts. This paper discusses impact studies up to 10 km/s on a fused silica window system proposed for the Orion spacecraft. A ballistic limit equation that describes the threshold of perforation of a fuse silica pane over a broad range of impact velocities, obliquities and projectile materials is discussed here.

Formation of Silica-Lysozyme Composites Through Co-Precipitation and Adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

van den Heuvel, Daniela B.; Stawski, Tomasz M.; Tobler, Dominique J.; Wirth, Richard; Peacock, Caroline L.; Benning, Liane G.

2018-04-01

Interactions between silica and proteins are crucial for the formation of biosilica and the production of novel functional hybrid materials for a range of industrial applications. The proteins control both precipitation pathway and the properties of the resulting silica-organic composites. Here we present data on the formation of silica-lysozyme composites through two different synthesis approaches (co-precipitation vs. adsorption) and show that the chemical and structural properties of these composites, when analyzed using a combination of synchrotron-based scattering (total scattering and SAXS), spectroscopic, electron microscopy and potentiometric methods vary dramatically. We document that while lysozyme was not incorporated into nor did its presence alter the molecular structure of silica, it strongly enhanced the aggregation of silica particles due to electrostatic and potentially hydrophobic interactions, leading to the formation of composites with characteristics differing from pure silica. The differences increased with increasing lysozyme content for both synthesis approaches. Yet, the absolute changes differ substantially between the two sets of composites, as lysozyme did not just affect aggregation during co-precipitation but also particle growth and likely polymerization during co-precipitation. Our results improve the fundamental understanding of how organic macromolecules interact with dissolved and nanoparticulate silica and how these interactions control the formation pathway of silica-organic composites from sodium silicate solutions, a widely available and cheap starting material.

Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ao, Yanhui; Xu, Liya; Wang, Peifang; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Qian, Jin; Li, Yi

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst (graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3) was prepared for the first time. The as-obtained samples showed much higher activity compared to pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3 for dye degradation, which is almost 14 times higher than that of pure Bi_2O_2CO_3 and also much higher than the sum of graphene–Bi_2O_2CO_3 and TiO_2. - Highlights: • Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 was prepared for the first time. • The sample shows enhanced photocatalytic activity due to the formation of multi-heterojunction. • The sample also exhibits a synergetic effect of graphene and TiO_2. • The composite photocatalyst shows a good stability for dye degradation. - Abstract: In this paper, graphene (GR) and titania co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 multi-heterojunction composite photocatalysts were prepared by a simple and feasible two step hydrothermal process. The prepared samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), N_2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, and photo-induced current. The photocatalytic activity was investigated by the degradation of MO under UV light irradiation. The as prepared multi-heterojunction GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3. The higher performance of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 can be ascribed to the formation of multi-heterojunctions, which promote the effective separation of photo-induced electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the higher photocatalytic activity can also be ascribed to the high surface area of GR and TiO_2, which offers more active sites for the photodegradation reaction. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 remained without striking decrease after five cycles

From photoluminescence emissions to plasmonic properties in platinum nanoparticles embedded in silica by ion implantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bornacelli, J., E-mail: jhbornacelli@gmail.com [Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Silva-Pereyra, H.G. [IPICyT, Division de Materiales Avanzados, Camino a la presa San Jose 2055, San Luis Potosi, S.L.P. 78216 (Mexico); Rodríguez-Fernández, L. [Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Avalos-Borja, M. [IPICyT, Division de Materiales Avanzados, Camino a la presa San Jose 2055, San Luis Potosi, S.L.P. 78216 (Mexico); Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia – Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A. Postal 2681, Ensenada, B.C. (Mexico); Oliver, A. [Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico)

2016-11-15

We have studied photoluminescence emission and optical absorption from platinum nanoparticles (Pt-nps) embedded in a silica matrix obtained by ion implantation. The Pt ions were implanted at 2 MeV and the nanoclusters were nucleated after thermal treatment at 600, 800, and 1100 °C under two different atmospheres: argon gas and a reducing atmosphere compound of H{sub 2} and N{sub 2}. The luminescent spectrum is broader (400–600 nm) and is peaked at 530 nm, but its intensity decreases as the annealing temperature increases. However, at high annealing temperatures, a Mie resonance at 220 nm emerges in the absorption spectrum. We then observed a transition between two optical properties in a system of Pt-nps embedded in silica: from molecule-like properties such as photoluminescence emission to localized surface plasmon absorption. - Highlights: • Photoluminescence (PL) from ion-implanted Pt-nps in silica have been demonstrated. • PL properties depend on the temperature and atmosphere used to form Pt-nps in silica. • PL is quenched for samples with larger Pt-nps, however a Mie resonance appear. • Transition from molecule-like to bulk-like properties of Pt-nps in silica is reveled.

The role of pollinators in maintaining variation in flower colour in the Rocky Mountain columbine, Aquilegia coerulea.

Science.gov (United States)

Thairu, Margaret W; Brunet, Johanne

2015-05-01

Flower colour varies within and among populations of the Rocky Mountain columbine, Aquilegia coerulea, in conjunction with the abundance of its two major pollinators, hawkmoths and bumble-bees. This study seeks to understand whether the choice of flower colour by these major pollinators can help explain the variation in flower colour observed in A. coerulea populations. Dual choice assays and experimental arrays of blue and white flowers were used to determine the preference of hawkmoths and bumble-bees for flower colour. A test was made to determine whether a differential preference for flower colour, with bumble-bees preferring blue and hawkmoths white flowers, could explain the variation in flower colour. Whether a single pollinator could maintain a flower colour polymorphism was examined by testing to see if preference for a flower colour varied between day and dusk for hawkmoths and whether bumble-bees preferred novel or rare flower colour morphs. Hawkmoths preferred blue flowers under both day and dusk light conditions. Naïve bumble-bees preferred blue flowers but quickly learned to forage randomly on the two colour morphs when similar rewards were presented in the flowers. Bees quickly learned to associate a flower colour with a pollen reward. Prior experience affected the choice of flower colour by bees, but they did not preferentially visit novel flower colours or rare or common colour morphs. Differences in flower colour preference between the two major pollinators could not explain the variation in flower colour observed in A. coerulea. The preference of hawkmoths for flower colour did not change between day and dusk, and bumble-bees did not prefer a novel or a rare flower colour morph. The data therefore suggest that factors other than pollinators may be more likely to affect the flower colour variation observed in A. coerulea. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government

Crystalline Silica Primer

Science.gov (United States)

,

1992-01-01

Crystalline silica is the scientific name for a group of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen. The term crystalline refers to the fact that the oxygen and silicon atoms are arranged in a threedimensional repeating pattern. This group of minerals has shaped human history since the beginning of civilization. From the sand used for making glass to the piezoelectric quartz crystals used in advanced communication systems, crystalline silica has been a part of our technological development. Crystalline silica's pervasiveness in our technology is matched only by its abundance in nature. It's found in samples from every geologic era and from every location around the globe. Scientists have known for decades that prolonged and excessive exposure to crystalline silica dust in mining environments can cause silicosis, a noncancerous lung disease. During the 1980's, studies were conducted that suggested that crystalline silica also was a carcinogen. As a result of these findings, crystalline silica has been regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Under HCS, OSHAregulated businesses that use materials containing 0.1% or more crystalline silica must follow Federal guidelines concerning hazard communication and worker training. Although the HCS does not require that samples be analyzed for crystalline silica, mineral suppliers or OSHAregulated

Flowering T Flowering Trees

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Adansonia digitata L. ( The Baobab Tree) of Bombacaceae is a tree with swollen trunk that attains a dia. of 10m. Leaves are digitately compound with leaflets up to 18cm. long. Flowers are large, solitary, waxy white, and open at dusk. They open in 30 seconds and are bat pollinated. Stamens are many. Fruit is about 30 cm ...

Reverted glutathione S-transferase-like genes that influence flower color intensity of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) originated from excision of a transposable element.

Science.gov (United States)

Momose, Masaki; Itoh, Yoshio; Umemoto, Naoyuki; Nakayama, Masayoshi; Ozeki, Yoshihiro

2013-12-01

A glutathione S-transferase-like gene, DcGSTF2, is responsible for carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) flower color intensity. Two defective genes, DcGSTF2mu with a nonsense mutation and DcGSTF2-dTac1 containing a transposable element dTac1, have been characterized in detail in this report. dTac1 is an active element that produces reverted functional genes by excision of the element. A pale-pink cultivar 'Daisy' carries both defective genes, whereas a spontaneous deep-colored mutant 'Daisy-VPR' lost the element from DcGSTF2-dTac1. This finding confirmed that dTac1 is active and that the resulting reverted gene, DcGSTF2rev1, missing the element is responsible for this color change. Crosses between the pale-colored cultivar '06-LA' and a deep-colored cultivar 'Spectrum' produced segregating progeny. Only the deep-colored progeny had DcGSTF2rev2 derived from the 'Spectrum' parent, whereas progeny with pale-colored flowers had defective forms from both parents, DcGSTF2mu and DcGSTF2-dTac1. Thus, DcGSTF2rev2 had functional activity and likely originated from excision of dTac1 since there was a footprint sequence at the vacated site of the dTac1 insertion. Characterizing the DcGSTF2 genes in several cultivars revealed that the two functional genes, DcGSTF2rev1 and DcGSTF2rev2, have been used for some time in carnation breeding with the latter in use for more than half a century.

Epigenetic regulation of photoperiodic flowering

OpenAIRE

Takeno, Kiyotoshi

2010-01-01

The cytidine analogue 5-azacytidine, which causes DNA demethylation, induced flowering in the non-vernalization-requiring plants Perilla frutescens var. crispa, Silene armeria and Pharbitis nil (synonym Ipomoea nil) under non-inductive photoperiodic conditions, suggesting that the expression of photoperiodic flowering-related genes is regulated epigenetically by DNA methylation. The flowering state induced by DNA demethylation was not heritable. Changes in the genome-wide methylation state we...

Medicago truncatula SOC1 Genes Are Up-regulated by Environmental Cues That Promote Flowering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jared B. Fudge

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Like Arabidopsis thaliana, the flowering of the legume Medicago truncatula is promoted by long day (LD photoperiod and vernalization. However, there are differences in the molecular mechanisms involved, with orthologs of two key Arabidopsis thaliana regulators, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC and CONSTANS (CO, being absent or not having a role in flowering time function in Medicago. In Arabidopsis, the MADS-box transcription factor gene, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (AtSOC1, plays a key role in integrating the photoperiodic and vernalization pathways. In this study, we set out to investigate whether the Medicago SOC1 genes play a role in regulating flowering time. Three Medicago SOC1 genes were identified and characterized (MtSOC1a–MtSOC1c. All three MtSOC1 genes, when heterologously expressed, were able to promote earlier flowering of the late-flowering Arabidopsis soc1-2 mutant. The three MtSOC1 genes have different patterns of expression. However, consistent with a potential role in flowering time regulation, all three MtSOC1 genes are expressed in the shoot apex and are up-regulated in the shoot apex of plants in response to LD photoperiods and vernalization. The up-regulation of MtSOC1 genes was reduced in Medicago fta1-1 mutants, indicating that they are downstream of MtFTa1. Insertion mutant alleles of Medicago soc1b do not flower late, suggestive of functional redundancy among Medicago SOC1 genes in promoting flowering.

Flowering of Woody Bamboo in Tissue Culture Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Ling Yuan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Flowering and subsequent seed set are not only normal activities in the life of most plants, but constitute the very reason for their existence. Woody bamboos can take a long time to flower, even over 100 years. This makes it difficult to breed bamboo, since flowering time cannot be predicted and passing through each generation takes too long. Another unique characteristic of woody bamboo is that a bamboo stand will often flower synchronously, both disrupting the supply chain within the bamboo industry and affecting local ecology. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanism that initiates bamboo flowering is important not only for biology research, but also for the bamboo industry. Induction of flowering in vitro is an effective way to both shorten the flowering period and control the flowering time, and has been shown for several species of bamboo. The use of controlled tissue culture systems allows investigation into the mechanism of bamboo flowering and facilitates selective breeding. Here, after a brief introduction of flowering in bamboo, we review the research on in vitro flowering of bamboo, including our current understanding of the effects of plant growth regulators and medium components on flower induction and how in vitro bamboo flowers can be used in research.

Facile synthesis of flower like FePt@ZnO core–shell structure and its bifunctional properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majeed, Jerina [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Jayakumar, O.D., E-mail: ddjaya@barc.gov.in [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Mandal, B.P. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Salunke, H.G. [Technical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India); Naik, R. [Department of Physics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); Tyagi, A.K., E-mail: aktyagi@barc.gov.in [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2014-06-01

Graphical abstract: Flower shaped FePt and ZnO coated FePt with core–shell nanostructures are synthesized by a facile solvothermal procedure. Shell thickness of ZnO over FePt core was tuned by varying FePt concentration with respect to ZnO. Hybrid structure with lower FePt concentration exhibited bifunctionality such as near room temperature ferromagnetism and photoluminescence. Pristine FePt crystallize in the fct (L1{sub 0}) phase whereas it converts into fcc phase in presence of ZnO. - Highlights: • FePt@ZnO hybrid core–shell particles, with unique flower shape morphology have been prepared by solvothermal method. • Phase transition of fct-FePt to fcc-FePt has been found in presence of ZnO nanoparticles. • Plausible mechanism for growth of flowershaped nanoparticle is in accordance with energy minimization principle. • The core shell structure (FePt@ZnO) exhibits bi-functional properties. - Abstract: Flower shaped FePt and ZnO coated FePt (FePt@ZnO) core–shell nanostructures are synthesized by a facile solvothermal procedure. Two different compositions (molar ratio) of FePt and ZnO (FePt:ZnO = 1:3 and FePt:ZnO = 1:6) core–shells with different thicknesses of ZnO shells were synthesized. Hybrid FePt@ZnO core–shell flower structure with lower FePt concentration (FePt:ZnO = 1:6) exhibited bifunctionality including near room temperature ferromagnetism and photoluminescence at ambient conditions. X-ray diffraction patterns of pristine FePt showed partially ordered face centred tetragonal (fct) L1{sub 0} phase whereas ZnO coated FePt (FePt@ZnO) nanostructures showed hexagonal ZnO and disordered phase of FePt with fcc structure. The phase transition of fct FePt to fcc phase occurring in presence of ZnO is further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and magnetic measurement studies. The formation of the nanoflowers was possibly due to growth along the [0 1 1] or [0 0 1] direction, keeping the core nearly spherical in accordance with the

Preparation and Characterization of Lightweight Mullite-Silica Rich Glass Aggregates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Li

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Phase compositions, microstructures and properties of four lightweight mullite-silica rich glass aggregates with high strength were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and FactSage 6.2 software. It was found that the lightweight aggregates with higher Al2O3 content had higher mullite content, porosity and larger mullite crystallites, but lower content and viscosity of melt at elevated temperature. Most of Fe2O3 and TiO2 were incorporated in mullite and most of K2O and Na2O were in glass to reduce viscosity of melt at elevated temperature.

Cyanogenic Glucosides and Derivatives in Almond and Sweet Cherry Flower Buds from Dormancy to Flowering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Del Cueto

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Almond and sweet cherry are two economically important species of the Prunus genus. They both produce the cyanogenic glucosides prunasin and amygdalin. As part of a two-component defense system, prunasin and amygdalin release toxic hydrogen cyanide upon cell disruption. In this study, we investigated the potential role within prunasin and amygdalin and some of its derivatives in endodormancy release of these two Prunus species. The content of prunasin and of endogenous prunasin turnover products in the course of flower development was examined in five almond cultivars – differing from very early to extra-late in flowering time – and in one sweet early cherry cultivar. In all cultivars, prunasin began to accumulate in the flower buds shortly after dormancy release and the levels dropped again just before flowering time. In almond and sweet cherry, the turnover of prunasin coincided with increased levels of prunasin amide whereas prunasin anitrile pentoside and β-D-glucose-1-benzoate were abundant in almond and cherry flower buds at certain developmental stages. These findings indicate a role for the turnover of cyanogenic glucosides in controlling flower development in Prunus species.

Tunable band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanyu; Wang, Lifeng

2014-08-01

Periodic composite materials have many promising applications due to their unique ability to control the propagation of waves. Here, we report the existence and frequency tunability of complete elastic wave band gaps in bio-inspired periodic composites with nacre-like, brick-and-mortar microstructure. Numerical results show that complete band gaps in these periodic composites derive from local resonances or Bragg scattering, depending on the lattice angle and the volume fraction of each phase in the composites. The investigation of elastic wave propagation in finite periodic composites validates the simulated complete band gaps and further reveals the mechanisms leading to complete band gaps. Moreover, our results indicate that the topological arrangement of the mineral platelets and changes of material properties can be utilized to tune the evolution of complete band gaps. Our finding provides new opportunities to design mechanically robust periodic composite materials for wave absorption under hostile environments, such as for deep water applications.

Effect of Welding Process on Microstructure, Mechanical and Pitting Corrosion Behaviour of 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Raffi; Madhusudhan Reddy, G.; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

An attempt has been made to weld 2205 Duplex stainless steel of 6mm thick plate using conventional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and activated gas tungsten arc welding (A- GTAW) process using silica powder as activated flux. Present work is aimed at studying the effect of welding process on depth of penetration, width of weld zone of 2205 duplex stainless steel. It also aims to observe the microstructural changes and its effect on mechanical properties and pitting corrosion resistance of 2205 duplex stainless steel welds. Metallography is done to observe the microstructural changes of the welds using image analyzer attached to the optical microscopy. Hardness studies, tensile and ductility bend tests were evaluated for mechanical properties. Potentio-dynamic polarization studies were carried out using a basic GillAC electro-chemical system in 3.5% NaCl solution to observe the pitting corrosion behaviour. Results of the present investigation established that increased depth of penetration and reduction of weld width in a single pass by activated GTAW with the application of SiO2 flux was observed when compared with conventional GTAW process. It may be attributed to the arc constriction effect. Microstructure of the weld zones for both the welds is observed to be having combination of austenite and delta ferrite. Grain boundary austenite (GBA) with Widmanstatten-type austenite (WA) of plate-like feature was nucleated from the grain boundaries in the weld zone of A-GTAW process. Mechanical properties are relatively low in activated GTAW process and are attributed to changes in microstructural morphology of austenite. Improved pitting corrosion resistance was observed for the welds made with A-GTAW process.

A Novel Environmental Route to Ambient Pressure Dried Thermal Insulating Silica Aerogel via Recycled Coal Gangue

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Pinghua Zhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coal gangue, one of the main hazardous emissions of purifying coal from coalmine industry, is rich in silica and alumina. However, the recycling of the waste is normally restricted by less efficient techniques and low attractive output; the utilization of such waste is still staying lower than 15%. In this work, the silica aerogel materials were synthesized by using a precursor extracted from recycled silicon-rich coal gangue, followed by a single-step surface silylation and ambient pressure drying. A low density (~0.19 g/cm3 nanostructured aerogel with a 3D open porous microstructure and high surface area (~690 m2/g was synthesized, which presents a superior thermal insulation performance (~26.5 mW·m−1·K−1 of a plane packed of 4-5 mm granules which was confirmed by transient hot-wire method. This study offers a new facile route to the synthesis of insulating aerogel material by recycling solid waste coal gangue and presents a potential cost reduction of industrial production of silica aerogels.

Translating BPEL to FLOWer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard

FLOWer is a case handling tool made by Pallas-Athena for process management in the service industry. BPEL on the other hand is a language for web service orchestration, and has become a de facto standard, because of its popularity, for specifying workflow processes even though that was not its...... original purpose. This paper describe an approach translating BPLE to FLOWer, or more precisely form BPEL to CHIP. where CHIP is the interchange language that FLOWer import from and export to. The aim of the translation scheme that I give is to derive a CHIP specification that is behaviorally equivalent...

Utilization of FEM model for steel microstructure determination

Science.gov (United States)

Kešner, A.; Chotěborský, R.; Linda, M.; Hromasová, M.

2018-02-01

Agricultural tools which are used in soil processing, they are worn by abrasive wear mechanism cases by hard minerals particles in the soil. The wear rate is influenced by mechanical characterization of tools material and wear rate is influenced also by soil mineral particle contents. Mechanical properties of steel can be affected by a technology of heat treatment that it leads to a different microstructures. Experimental work how to do it is very expensive and thanks to numerical methods like FEM we can assumed microstructure at low cost but each of numerical model is necessary to be verified. The aim of this work has shown a procedure of prediction microstructure of steel for agricultural tools. The material characterizations of 51CrV4 grade steel were used for numerical simulation like TTT diagram, heat capacity, heat conduction and other physical properties of material. A relationship between predicted microstructure by FEM and real microstructure after heat treatment shows a good correlation.

Tolerance of edible flowers to gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Amanda C.R.; Araujo, Michel M.; Costa, Helbert S.F.; Almeida, Mariana C.; Villavicencio, Anna Lucia C.H.

2011-01-01

People have been eating flowers and using them in culinary creations for hundreds of years. Edible flowers are increasingly being used in meals as an ingredient in salads or garnish, entrees, drinks and desserts. The irradiation process is an alternative method that can be used in disinfestation of food and flowers, using doses that do not damage the product. The sensitivity of flowers to irradiation varies from species to species. In the present research was irradiated with doses up to 1 kGy some edible flowers to examine their physical tolerance to gamma-rays. Furthermore, high doses gamma irradiation causes petal withering, browning process and injury in edible flowers. (author)

Tolerance of edible flowers to gamma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koike, Amanda C.R.; Araujo, Michel M.; Costa, Helbert S.F.; Almeida, Mariana C.; Villavicencio, Anna Lucia C.H., E-mail: ackoike@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP) Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

People have been eating flowers and using them in culinary creations for hundreds of years. Edible flowers are increasingly being used in meals as an ingredient in salads or garnish, entrees, drinks and desserts. The irradiation process is an alternative method that can be used in disinfestation of food and flowers, using doses that do not damage the product. The sensitivity of flowers to irradiation varies from species to species. In the present research was irradiated with doses up to 1 kGy some edible flowers to examine their physical tolerance to gamma-rays. Furthermore, high doses gamma irradiation causes petal withering, browning process and injury in edible flowers. (author)

Natural variation in cross-talk between glucosinolates and onset of flowering in Arabidopsis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lea Møller Jensen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Naturally variable regulatory networks control different biological processes including reproduction and defense. This variation within regulatory networks enables plants to optimize defense and reproduction in different environments. In this study we investigate the ability of two enzyme-encoding genes in the glucosinolate pathway, AOP2 and AOP3¸ to affect glucosinolate accumulation and flowering time. We have introduced the two highly similar enzymes into two different AOPnull accessions, Col-0 and Cph-0, and found that the genes differ in their ability to affect glucosinolate levels and flowering time across the accessions. This indicated that the different glucosinolates produced by AOP2 and AOP3 serve specific regulatory roles in controlling these phenotypes. While the changes in glucosinolate levels were similar in both accessions, the effect on flowering time was dependent on the genetic background pointing to natural variation in cross-talk between defense chemistry and onset of flowering. This variation likely reflects an adaptation to survival in different environments.

Silica-scavenging effects in ceria-based solid electrolytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanova, D.

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Composite materials based on gadolinium doped ceria (CGO with additions of silica, with both silica and lanthanum oxide, and with lanthanum silicate, were prepared by the conventional ceramic route, to assess the silica scavenging role of lanthanum oxide additions. Structural, microstructural and electrical characterization of these samples confirmed the formation of one apatite type lanthanum silicate-based phase from reaction of silica with lanthanum oxide. The formation of this phase occurred in parallel with a significant enhancement of the grain boundary conductivity of these composite materials. Further interaction between constituents, involving diffusion of La to CGO, and Ce and Gd to the apatite phase, had no significant consequences on the electrical performance of these materials. Overall, lanthanum oxide was shown to remove the siliceous phases from the grain boundaries of CGO.

Se prepararon materiales compuestos basados en óxido de cerio dopado con gadolinio (TGO con adicciones de sílice, con sílice y óxido de lantano y silicato del lantano, mediante procesamiento cerámico convencional con objeto de confirmar el papel secuestrante de sílice de las adicciones. La caracterización estructural, microestructural y eléctrica de las muestras confirmó la formación de una fase tipo apatito basada en silicato de lantano a partir de la reacción de la sílice con el óxido de lantano. La formación de esta fase ocurre en paralelo con un incremento significativo de la conductividad a través del borde de grano de estos materiales. La interacción entre los constituyentes, incluyendo la difusión del La al CGO, y el Ce y el Gd a la fase apatito, no tiene consecuencias significativas sobre el comportamiento eléctrico de estos materiales. Resumiendo, el óxido de lantano es capaz de eliminar las fases silicias del borde de grano del CGO.

Foraging behavior of three bee species in a natural mimicry system: female flowers which mimic male flowers in Ecballium elaterium (Cucurbitaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Dukas, Reuyen

1987-12-01

The behavior of Apis mellifera and two species of solitary bees which forage in the flowers of monoecious Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich (Cucurbitaceae) were compared. The female flowers of E. elaterium resemble male flowers visually but are nectarless, and their number is relatively smaller. Apis mellifera was found to discriminate between the two genders and to pay relatively fewer visits to female flowers (mean of 30% relative to male flowers) from the beginning of their activity in the morning. The time spent by honeybees in female flowers is very short compared to that spent in male flowers. It is surmised that the bees remember the differences between the flowers where they foraged on the previous days. In contrast, the two species of solitary bees Lasioglossum politum (Morawitz) (Halictidae) and Ceratina mandibularis Fiese (Anthophoridae) visit the female flowers with nearly equal frequencies at the beginning of each foraging day and stay longer in these flowers. Over the day there is a decline in the relative frequency of visits to female flowers and also in the mean time spent in them. The study shows that bees can collect rewards at high efficiency from the flowers of Ecballium elaterium because of their partial discrimination ability and the scarcity of the mimic flowers. It is suggested that the memory pattern of some solitary bees may be different from that of Apis mellifera. It seems that the limited memory and discrimination ability of bees can lead to a high frequency of visits to the mimic flowers during a long flowering season.

CuCo_2O_4 flowers/Ni-foam architecture as a battery type positive electrode for high performance hybrid supercapacitor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijayakumar, Subbukalai; Nagamuthu, Sadayappan; Ryu, Kwang-Sun

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: The Ni- foam supported CuCo_2O_4 flowers exhibits a high specific capacity with superior long term cyclic stability. - Highlights: • This paper reports the hydrothermal preparation of CuCo_2O_4 flowers on Ni-foam. • The CuCo_2O_4 flowers exhibits maximum specific capacity of 645.1C g"−"1. • After 2000 cycles, 109% of the initial specific capacity was retained. - Abstract: The battery type CuCo_2O_4 electrode was evaluated as a positive electrode material for its hybrid supercapacitor applications. CuCo_2O_4 flowers were prepared on Ni-foam through a simple hydrothermal process and post calcination treatment. The structure and morphology of the CuCo_2O_4 flowers/Ni-foam was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. FESEM clearly revealed the flower-like morphology, which was composed of large number of petals. The length and width of the petals ranged from approximately 5–8 μm and approximately 50–150 nm, respectively. The CuCo_2O_4 flowers/Ni-foam electrode was employed for electrochemical characterization for hybrid supercapacitor applications. The specific capacity of the CuCo_2O_4 flower-like electrode was 692.4C g"−"1 (192.3 mA h g"−"1) at a scan rate of 5 mV s"−"1. The flower-like CuCo_2O_4 electrode exhibited a maximum specific capacity of 645.1C g"−"1 (179.2 mA h g"−"1) at a specific current of 1 A g"−"1 and good long term cyclic stability. The high specific capacity, good cyclic stability, and low internal and charge transfer resistance of the CuCo_2O_4 flowers/Ni-foam electrode confirmed the suitability of the prepared material as a positive electrode for hybrid supercapacitor applications.

Recurrent abnormalities in conifer cones and the evolutionary origins of flower-like structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudall, Paula J; Hilton, Jason; Vergara-Silva, Francisco; Bateman, Richard M

2011-03-01

Conifer cones are reproductive structures that are typically of restricted growth and either exclusively pollen-bearing (male) or exclusively ovule-bearing (female). Here, we review two common spontaneous developmental abnormalities of conifer cones: proliferated cones, in which the apex grows vegetatively, and bisexual cones, which possess both male and female structures. Emerging developmental genetic data, combined with evidence from comparative morphology, ontogeny and palaeobotany, provide new insights into the evolution of both cones and flowers, and prompt novel strategies for understanding seed-plant evolution. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOAP1 Promotes Flowering in the Orchid Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawettalake, Nunchanoke; Bunnag, Sumontip; Wang, Yanwen; Shen, Lisha; Yu, Hao

2017-01-01

APETALA1 ( AP1 ) encodes a key MADS-box transcription factor that specifies the floral meristem identity on the flank of the inflorescence meristem, and determines the identity of perianth floral organs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana . Orchids are members of the Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of angiosperms. Although the expression patterns of a few AP1 -like genes in orchids have been reported, their actual functions in orchid reproductive development are so far largely unknown. In this study, we isolated and characterized an AP1 ortholog, DOAP1 , from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. DOAP1 was highly expressed in reproductive tissues, including inflorescence apices and flowers at various developmental stages. Overexpression of DOAP1 resulted in early flowering in Arabidopsis , and was able to rescue the floral organ defects of Arabidopsis ap1 mutants. Moreover, we successfully created transgenic Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile orchids overexpressing DOAP1 , which displayed earlier flowering and earlier termination of inflorescence meristems into floral meristems than wild-type orchids. Our results demonstrate that DOAP1 plays an evolutionarily conserved role in promoting flowering and floral meristem specification in the Orchidaceae family.

DOAP1 Promotes Flowering in the Orchid Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile

Science.gov (United States)

Sawettalake, Nunchanoke; Bunnag, Sumontip; Wang, Yanwen; Shen, Lisha; Yu, Hao

2017-01-01

APETALA1 (AP1) encodes a key MADS-box transcription factor that specifies the floral meristem identity on the flank of the inflorescence meristem, and determines the identity of perianth floral organs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Orchids are members of the Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of angiosperms. Although the expression patterns of a few AP1-like genes in orchids have been reported, their actual functions in orchid reproductive development are so far largely unknown. In this study, we isolated and characterized an AP1 ortholog, DOAP1, from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. DOAP1 was highly expressed in reproductive tissues, including inflorescence apices and flowers at various developmental stages. Overexpression of DOAP1 resulted in early flowering in Arabidopsis, and was able to rescue the floral organ defects of Arabidopsis ap1 mutants. Moreover, we successfully created transgenic Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile orchids overexpressing DOAP1, which displayed earlier flowering and earlier termination of inflorescence meristems into floral meristems than wild-type orchids. Our results demonstrate that DOAP1 plays an evolutionarily conserved role in promoting flowering and floral meristem specification in the Orchidaceae family. PMID:28386268

Influence of night-breaks on flowering and phytohormones content in Hyoscyamus niger L.

OpenAIRE

Jan Kopcewicz; Gabriela Centkowska

2014-01-01

Night-breaks caused both stimulated shoot growth and caused formation of flowers as well as a general increase in the content of phytohormones in leaves of the long-day plant Hyoscyamus niger L. At the time of flower formation in night-break treated plants, new gibberellin-like substances also appear. The results show that night-breaks cause similar changes in the phytohormones content as a long inductive photoperiod. It may be assumed that independently of the way of induction, the generativ...

Yield in almond is related more to the abundance of flowers than the relative number of flowers that set fruit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Tombesi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Almond tree yield is a function of the number of flowers on a tree and the percentage of flowers that set fruit. Almonds are borne on spurs (short proleptic shoots that can have both leaves and flowers. Almond tree spur dynamics research has documented that previous year spur leaf area is a predictive parameter for year-to-year spur survival, spur flowering and to a lesser extent spur fruiting, while previous year fruit bearing has a negative impact on subsequent year flowering. However, a question remained about whether yields are more dependent on flower numbers or relative fruit set of the flowers that are present. The aim of the present work was to compare the importance of flower abundance with that of relative fruit set in determining the productivity of a population of tagged spurs in almond trees over a 6-year period. Overall tree yield among years was more sensitive to total number of flowers on a tree rather than relative fruit set. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining large populations of healthy flowering spurs for sustained high production in almond orchards.

An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeannette Haviland-Jones

2005-01-01

Full Text Available For more than 5000 years, people have cultivated flowers although there is no known reward for this costly behavior. In three different studies we show that flowers are a powerful positive emotion “inducer”. In Study 1, flowers, upon presentation to women, always elicited the Duchenne or true smile. Women who received flowers reported more positive moods 3 days later. In Study 2, a flower given to men or women in an elevator elicited more positive social behavior than other stimuli. In Study 3, flowers presented to elderly participants (55+ age elicited positive mood reports and improved episodic memory. Flowers have immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood, social behaviors and even memory for both males and females. There is little existing theory in any discipline that explains these findings. We suggest that cultivated flowers are rewarding because they have evolved to rapidly induce positive emotion in humans, just as other plants have evolved to induce varying behavioral responses in a wide variety of species leading to the dispersal or propagation of the plants.

The fabrication and photocatalytic performances of flower-like Ag nanoparticles/ZnO nanosheets-assembled microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Quan; Tang, Haibin; Liu, Gang; Song, Xiaoping; Xu, Guoping; Li, Qian; Ng, Dickon H.L.; Wang, Guozhong

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • ZnO nanosheets-assembled microspheres (ZnOs) were prepared. • Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were decorated onto the whole surface of the ZnOs. • The Ag-NPs/ZnOs composite showed enhanced photocatalytic performance to MB and MO. • Cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectra revealed enhanced charge transportation. - Abstract: A new micro/nanostructure photocatalyst, Ag nanoparticles decorated ZnO nanosheets-assembled microspheres (Ag-NPs/ZnOs), was synthesised by a two-step method. The flower-like micron-sized ZnO spheres assembled with ∼25 nm thick ZnO nanosheets were initially fabricated via a facile solvothermal method. Then, highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with dimension ranging from 15 to 50 nm were anchored onto the surface of the each ZnO nanosheet by the Sn(II) ion activation method. The as-prepared Ag-NPs/ZnOs demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic performance in eliminating methylene blue and methyl orange aqueous solutions under UV irradiation, showing twice faster reaction rate than the bare ZnOs. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was due to the suppression of electron/hole pair recombination and the acceleration of surface charge transfer induced by the highly dispersive Ag-NPs, which was further demonstrated by the cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectra measurements

Frost flowers and sea-salt aerosols over seasonal sea-ice areas in northwestern Greenland during winter–spring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Hara

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Sea salts and halogens in aerosols, frost flowers, and brine play an important role in atmospheric chemistry in polar regions. Simultaneous sampling and observations of frost flowers, brine, and aerosol particles were conducted around Siorapaluk in northwestern Greenland during December 2013 to March 2014. Results show that water-soluble frost flower and brine components are sea-salt components (e.g., Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Br−, and iodine. Concentration factors of sea-salt components of frost flowers and brine relative to seawater were 1.14–3.67. Sea-salt enrichment of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and halogens (Cl−, Br−, and iodine in frost flowers is associated with sea-salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite and hydrohalite. High aerosol number concentrations correspond to the occurrence of higher abundance of sea-salt particles in both coarse and fine modes, and blowing snow and strong winds. Aerosol number concentrations, particularly in coarse mode, are increased considerably by release from the sea-ice surface under strong wind conditions. Sulfate depletion by sea-salt fractionation was found to be limited in sea-salt aerosols because of the presence of non-sea-salt (NSS SO42−. However, coarse and fine sea-salt particles were found to be rich in Mg. Strong Mg enrichment might be more likely to proceed in fine sea-salt particles. Magnesium-rich sea-salt particles might be released from the surface of snow and slush layer (brine on sea ice and frost flowers. Mirabilite-like and ikaite-like particles were identified only in aerosol samples collected near new sea-ice areas. From the field evidence and results from earlier studies, we propose and describe sea-salt cycles in seasonal sea-ice areas.

Frost flowers and sea-salt aerosols over seasonal sea-ice areas in northwestern Greenland during winter-spring

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Keiichiro; Matoba, Sumito; Hirabayashi, Motohiro; Yamasaki, Tetsuhide

2017-07-01

Sea salts and halogens in aerosols, frost flowers, and brine play an important role in atmospheric chemistry in polar regions. Simultaneous sampling and observations of frost flowers, brine, and aerosol particles were conducted around Siorapaluk in northwestern Greenland during December 2013 to March 2014. Results show that water-soluble frost flower and brine components are sea-salt components (e.g., Na+, Cl-, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Br-, and iodine). Concentration factors of sea-salt components of frost flowers and brine relative to seawater were 1.14-3.67. Sea-salt enrichment of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and halogens (Cl-, Br-, and iodine) in frost flowers is associated with sea-salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite and hydrohalite. High aerosol number concentrations correspond to the occurrence of higher abundance of sea-salt particles in both coarse and fine modes, and blowing snow and strong winds. Aerosol number concentrations, particularly in coarse mode, are increased considerably by release from the sea-ice surface under strong wind conditions. Sulfate depletion by sea-salt fractionation was found to be limited in sea-salt aerosols because of the presence of non-sea-salt (NSS) SO42-. However, coarse and fine sea-salt particles were found to be rich in Mg. Strong Mg enrichment might be more likely to proceed in fine sea-salt particles. Magnesium-rich sea-salt particles might be released from the surface of snow and slush layer (brine) on sea ice and frost flowers. Mirabilite-like and ikaite-like particles were identified only in aerosol samples collected near new sea-ice areas. From the field evidence and results from earlier studies, we propose and describe sea-salt cycles in seasonal sea-ice areas.

Synthesis of feather-like CeO2 microstructures and enzymatic electrochemical catalysis for trichloroacetic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Xin; Zhang, Dong En; Zhang, Fan; Gong, Jun Yan; Zhang, Xiao Bo; Wang, Yi Hui; Ma, Juan Juan; Tong, Zhi Wei

Novel feather-like CeO2 microstructures were achieved by a thermal decomposition approach of Ce(OH)CO3 precursor. The Ce(OH)CO3 was obtained from a solvothermal method employing Ce(NO3)3.6H2O with C6H12N4 and C16H33(CH3)3NBr (CTAB) at 190∘C in a water-PEG-200 mixed solution. The feather-like CeO2 dendrite was obtained by thermal conversion of the feather-like Ce(OH)CO3 at 650∘C in air. A reasonable growth mechanism was proposed with the soft-template effect of PEG-200. The electrochemical behavior and enzyme activity of myoglobin (Mb) immobilized on CeO2-Nafion modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) are demonstrated by cyclic voltammetric measurements. The results indicate that CeO2 can obviously promote the direct electron transfer between the Mb redox centers and the electrode. The Mb on CeO2-Nafion behaves as an elegant performance on the electrochemical reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) from 0.32μM to 2.28μM. The detection limit is estimated to be 0.08μM.

Flowers and Wild Megachilid Bees Share Microbes.

Science.gov (United States)

McFrederick, Quinn S; Thomas, Jason M; Neff, John L; Vuong, Hoang Q; Russell, Kaleigh A; Hale, Amanda R; Mueller, Ulrich G

2017-01-01

Transmission pathways have fundamental influence on microbial symbiont persistence and evolution. For example, the core gut microbiome of honey bees is transmitted socially and via hive surfaces, but some non-core bacteria associated with honey bees are also found on flowers, and these bacteria may therefore be transmitted indirectly between bees via flowers. Here, we test whether multiple flower and wild megachilid bee species share microbes, which would suggest that flowers may act as hubs of microbial transmission. We sampled the microbiomes of flowers (either bagged to exclude bees or open to allow bee visitation), adults, and larvae of seven megachilid bee species and their pollen provisions. We found a Lactobacillus operational taxonomic unit (OTU) in all samples but in the highest relative and absolute abundances in adult and larval bee guts and pollen provisions. The presence of the same bacterial types in open and bagged flowers, pollen provisions, and bees supports the hypothesis that flowers act as hubs of transmission of these bacteria between bees. The presence of bee-associated bacteria in flowers that have not been visited by bees suggests that these bacteria may also be transmitted to flowers via plant surfaces, the air, or minute insect vectors such as thrips. Phylogenetic analyses of nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the Lactobacillus OTU dominating in flower- and megachilid-associated microbiomes is monophyletic, and we propose the name Lactobacillus micheneri sp. nov. for this bacterium.

Notes on collecting flower-visiting insects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willemstein, S.C.

1974-01-01

Flower-visiting insects may play a role in the pollination of the flowers they visit. An important indication for this is the pollen they carry on their body. The transport of pollen does not prove pollination without observations of the behaviour of the insects on the flowers, but at least it

THE EFFECT OF ETHREL ON THE DURATION OF FLOWERING OF MALE FLOWERS SQUASH PLANTS WITH DIFFERENT GENETIC EXPRESSIVENESS OF FLOWER GENDER IN THE KRASNODAR REGION CONDITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. A. Gish

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Depending on the genotype of monoecious plants Cucurbitaceae family may have different gender expressions: predominantly female, mixed and predominantlymale type of flowering. However, the degree of sexual differentiation can be changedunder the influence of abiotic and endogenous factors. Among the chemicals that affect the level of female flowering in pumpkin crops, preparations based on 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethephon or Etrelle are the most promising for hybrid seed production. Study of plant response of squash Cucurbita pepo var. giromontina with varying sex expressions on the treatments with Etrelle revealed common conformities and specificities of preparation action in the condition of Krasnodar region. It is shown the use of treatment once is not effective even if the high concentration range, 500-1100 mg/L, was taken. On gender switch was effectively influenced successive plant treatments with Etrelle at stages of 3-5 true leaves in a wide concentration range from 250 to 700 mg /L., where the restraining was that the start of male flower blossoming was 14-25 days after female flower blossoming. K69 line with predominantly female flowering was more responsive to the variation of concentration and frequency of treatments whereas the line K49 with male flowering was less responsive to the frequency of treatments. It is shown that in the range of effective concentrations, Etrelle may have phytotoxic effects on the growth and development of squash plants at the time of restraining flowering of male flowers. It is important to  ake that into account when choosing a regime of preparation treatments for chemical castration of maternal forms in hybrid seed production of this crop.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and occupational exposure to silica.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushton, Lesley

2007-01-01

Prolonged exposure to high levels of silica has long been known to cause silicosis This paper evaluates the evidence for an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in occupations and industries in which exposure to crystalline silica is the primary exposure, with a focus on the magnitude of risks and levels of exposure causing disabling health effects. The literature suggests consistently elevated risks of developing COPD associated with silica exposure in several occupations, including the construction industry; tunneling; cement industry; brick manufacturing; pottery and ceramic work; silica sand, granite and diatomaceous earth industries; gold mining; and iron and steel founding, with risk estimates being high in some, even after taking into account the effect of confounders like smoking. Average dust levels vary from about 0.5 mg.m3 to over 10 mg.m3 and average silica levels from 0.04 to over 5 mg.m3, often well above occupational standards. Factors influencing the variation from industry to industry in risks associated with exposure to silica-containing dusts include (a) the presence of other minerals in the dust, particularly when associated with clay minerals; (b) the size of the particles and percentage of quartz; (c) the physicochemical characteristics, such as whether the dust is freshly fractured. Longitudinal studies suggest that loss of lung function occurs with exposure to silica dust at concentrations of between 0.1 and 0.2 mg.m3, and that the effect of cumulative silica dust exposure on airflow obstruction is independent of silicosis. Nevertheless, a disabling loss of lung function in the absence of silicosis would not occur until between 30 and 40 years exposure.

TiO2 supported on rod-like mesoporous silica SBA-15: Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yanjuan; Li, Nan; Tu, Jinchun; Li, Xiaotian; Wang, Beibei; Chi, Yue; Liu, Darui; Yang, Dianfan

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Rod-like SBA-15 and normal SBA-15 were used to prepare TiO 2 /SBA-15 composites. ► TiO 2 /SBA-15 composites were studied as catalysts for methyl orange photodegradation. ► TiO 2 /Rod-SBA-15 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than TiO 2 /Nor-SBA-15. ► The higher catalytic activity was a result of the controlled morphology of SBA-15. -- Abstract: TiO 2 nanoparticles have been successfully incorporated in the pores of mesoporous silica SBA-15 with different morphologies by a wet impregnation method. The composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 -sorption and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) was used to study their photocatalytic property. It is indicated that the morphology of SBA-15 had a great influence on the photocatalytic activity of the composites. When TiO 2 /SBA-15 composite was prepared by loading TiO 2 nanoparticles on uniform rod-like SBA-15 of 1 μm length, it showed higher photocatalytic degradation rate than that on less regular but much larger SBA-15 support. This difference was rationalized in terms of the homogeneously distributed and shorter channels of rod-like SBA-15, which favored mass transport and improved the efficient utilization of the pore surface.

Silica coated ionic liquid templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A series of long chain pyridinium based ionic liquids 1-tetradecylpyridinium bromide, 1-hexadecylpyridinium bromide and 1-1-octadecylpyridinium bromide were used as templates to prepare silica coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles via condensation method under basic condition. The effects of alkyl chain length on ...

The genome and transcriptome of Phalaenopsis yield insights into floral organ development and flowering regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-Zhi Huang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The Phalaenopsis orchid is an important potted flower of high economic value around the world. We report the 3.1 Gb draft genome assembly of an important winter flowering Phalaenopsis ‘KHM190’ cultivar. We generated 89.5 Gb RNA-seq and 113 million sRNA-seq reads to use these data to identify 41,153 protein-coding genes and 188 miRNA families. We also generated a draft genome for Phalaenopsis pulcherrima ‘B8802,’ a summer flowering species, via resequencing. Comparison of genome data between the two Phalaenopsis cultivars allowed the identification of 691,532 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. In this study, we reveal that the key role of PhAGL6b in the regulation of labellum organ development involves alternative splicing in the big lip mutant. Petal or sepal overexpressing PhAGL6b leads to the conversion into a lip-like structure. We also discovered that the gibberellin pathway that regulates the expression of flowering time genes during the reproductive phase change is induced by cool temperature. Our work thus depicted a valuable resource for the flowering control, flower architecture development, and breeding of the Phalaenopsis orchids.

In vitro flowering and fruiting in culture of dendrobium officinate kimura et migo (orchidaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, X.; Wang, C.; Ouyang, T.; Tian, M.

2014-01-01

Dendrobium officinate Kimura et Migo. is a rare and endangered perennial orchid, which is valued for its attractive flowers and medicinal uses. Its three-to-five-year breeding cycle makes propagation difficult, so we investigated In vitro production of flowers and seeds for this species. Calluses were induced from shoot-tip explants of D. officinate on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 0.2 mg L-1 benzyladenine (BA) and 0.05 mg L-1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Multiple shoots were regenerated after protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were transferred onto the same basal medium with 1.0 mg L-1 NAA. The plantlets, 2-4 cm in height, maintained In vitro were induced to flower, and the highest rates of inflorescence (83.2%) and normal flowers (73.6%) were produced on the MS medium with 15% (v/v) coconut water and 0.1 mg L-1 thidiazuron (TDZ) within 9 weeks. Histological analysis showed the origin of the floral primordial and normal morphologies of the pollen and female organs. The normal flowers were artificially pollinated and capsules developed. Viable seeds were produced and most of them germinated on the MS medium. This reproduction system could be used to study the molecular basis of flowering or to improve plant breeding programs. (author)

The highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic degradation of gaseous o-dichlorobenzene through fabricating like-flowers BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr p-n heterojunction composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zou, Xuejun [Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian, 116600 (China); Dong, Yuying, E-mail: dongy@dlnu.edu.cn [Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian, 116600 (China); Zhang, Xiaodong, E-mail: fatzhxd@126.com [Environment and Low-Carbon Research Center, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093 (China); Cui, Yubo; Ou, Xiaoxia [Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian, 116600 (China); Qi, Xiaohui [College of Life Science, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian, 116600 (China)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Like-flowers BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr was fabricated by mixing in solvent method. • o-Dichlorobenzene removal efficiency was 53.6% using BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr. • The p–n junction improved o-dichlorobenzene degradation activity. - Abstract: In this paper, in order to enhance photo-induced electron-hole pairs separation of BiOBr, flowers-like BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr p-n heterojunction composites was fabricated by a mixing in solvent method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV–vis absorption spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption. Meanwhile, their photocatalytic properties were investigated by the degradation of gaseous o-dichlorobenzene under visible light irradiation. Due to its strong adsorption capacity and the formation of p-n heterojunction, compared with BiPO{sub 4} and BiOBr, the BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr composites showed higher photocatalytic activity in the degradation of gaseous o-DCB under visible light. Among them, 2% BiPO{sub 4}/BiOBr showed the maximum value of the activity, whose degradation rate was about 2.6 times as great as the pure BiOBr. Furthermore, the OH· was confirmed the main active species during the photocatalytic process by the trapping experiments. The outstanding performance indicated that the photocatalysts could be applied to air purification for chlorinated volatile organic compound.

Dye sensitized photoelectrochemical immunosensor for the tumor marker CEA by using a flower-like 3D architecture prepared from graphene oxide and MoS2.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Kaijing; Ding, Chuanmin; Zhang, Bing; Chang, Honghong; Zhao, Zhihuan; Wei, Wenlong; Wang, Junwen

2018-06-01

The authors describe a dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical immunoassay for the tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The method employs the rhodamine dye Rh123 with red color and absorption maximum at 500 nm for spectral sensitization, and a 3D nanocomposite prepared from graphene oxide and MoS 2 acting as the photoelectric conversion layer. The nanocomposite with flower-like 3D architectures was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and UV-vis diffuse reflectometry. A photoelectrochemical sandwich immunoassay was developed that is based on the use of the nanocomposite and based on the specific binding of antibody and antigen, and by using a secondary antibody labeled with Rh123 and CdS (Ab 2 -Rh123@CdS). Under optimal conditions and at a typical working voltage of 0 V (vs. Hg/HgCl 2 ), the photocurrent increases linearly 10 pg mL -1 to 80 ng mL -1 CEA concentration range, with a 3.2 pg mL -1 detection limit. Graphical abstract Flower-like GO-MoS 2 complex with high efficiency of electron transport was synthesized to construct photoelectrochemical platform. The sandwich-type immunoassay was built on this platform based on specific binding of antigen and antibody. Carcinoembryonic antigen in sample was detected sensitively by using sensitization of rhodamine dye Rh123 as signal amplification strategy.

Active and passive silica waveguide integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hübner, Jörg; Guldberg-Kjær, Søren Andreas

2001-01-01

. The increasing complexity and functionality of optical networks prompts a demand for highly integrated optical circuits. On-board optical amplifiers, monolithically integrated with functionalities like switching or multiplexing/demultiplexing will allow flexible incorporation of optical integrated circuits...... in existing and future networks without affecting the power budget of the system. Silica on silicon technology offers a unique possibility to selectively dope sections of the integrated circuit with erbium where amplification is desired. Some techniques for active/passive integration are reviewed and a silica......Integrated optical amplifiers are currently regaining interest. Stand-alone single integrated amplifiers offer only limited advantage over current erbium doped fiber amplifiers, whereas arrays of integrated amplifiers are very attractive due to miniaturization and the possibility of mass production...

Nonrandom Composition of Flower Colors in a Plant Community: Mutually Different Co-Flowering Natives and Disturbance by Aliens

Science.gov (United States)

Makino, Takashi T.; Yokoyama, Jun

2015-01-01

When pollinators use flower color to locate food sources, a distinct color can serve as a reproductive barrier against co-flowering species. This anti-interference function of flower color may result in a community assembly of plant species displaying mutually different flower colors. However, such color dispersion is not ubiquitous, suggesting a variable selection across communities and existence of some opposing factors. We conducted a 30-week study in a plant community and measured the floral reflectances of 244 species. The reflectances were evaluated in insect color spaces (bees, swallowtails, and flies), and the dispersion was compared with random expectations. We found that co-existing colors were overdispersed for each analyzed pollinator type, and this overdispersion was statistically significant for bees. Furthermore, we showed that exclusion of 32 aliens from the analysis significantly increased the color dispersion of native flowers in every color space. This result indicated that aliens disturbed a native plant–pollinator network via similarly colored flowers. Our results demonstrate the masking effects of aliens in the detection of color dispersion of native flowers and that variations in pollinator vision yield different outcomes. Our results also support the hypothesis that co-flowering species are one of the drivers of color diversification and affect the community assembly. PMID:26650121

Nonrandom Composition of Flower Colors in a Plant Community: Mutually Different Co-Flowering Natives and Disturbance by Aliens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takashi T Makino

Full Text Available When pollinators use flower color to locate food sources, a distinct color can serve as a reproductive barrier against co-flowering species. This anti-interference function of flower color may result in a community assembly of plant species displaying mutually different flower colors. However, such color dispersion is not ubiquitous, suggesting a variable selection across communities and existence of some opposing factors. We conducted a 30-week study in a plant community and measured the floral reflectances of 244 species. The reflectances were evaluated in insect color spaces (bees, swallowtails, and flies, and the dispersion was compared with random expectations. We found that co-existing colors were overdispersed for each analyzed pollinator type, and this overdispersion was statistically significant for bees. Furthermore, we showed that exclusion of 32 aliens from the analysis significantly increased the color dispersion of native flowers in every color space. This result indicated that aliens disturbed a native plant-pollinator network via similarly colored flowers. Our results demonstrate the masking effects of aliens in the detection of color dispersion of native flowers and that variations in pollinator vision yield different outcomes. Our results also support the hypothesis that co-flowering species are one of the drivers of color diversification and affect the community assembly.

Novel sponge-like molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica material for selective isolation of bisphenol A and its analogues from sediment extracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jiajia; Li, Yun; Wang, Jincheng; Sun, Xiaoli; Shah, Syed Mazhar; Cao, Rong; Chen, Jiping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Novel sponge-like molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica was synthesized. • Extraordinarily large specific surface area and highly interconnected 3-D porous network. • High specific adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetics for BPA. • Good class-selectivity and clean-up effect for bisphenols in sediment under SPE mode. • Good recoveries and sensitivity for bisphenols using the MISMS–SPE coupled with HPLC–DAD method. - Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted sponge mesoporous silica was synthesized using a combination of semi-covalent molecular imprinting and simple self-assembly process. The molecularly imprinted sponge mesoporous silica (MISMS) material obtained was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The results show that the MISMS possessed a large specific surface area (850.55 m 2 g −1 ) and a highly interconnected 3-D porous network. As a result, the MISMS demonstrated a superior specific adsorption capacity of 169.22 μmol g −1 and fast adsorption kinetics (reaching equilibrium within 3 min) for BPA. Good class selectivity for BPA and its analogues (bisphenol F, bisphenol B, bisphenol E and bisphenol AF) was also demonstrated by the sorption experiment. The MISMS as solid-phase extraction (SPE) material was then evaluated for isolation and clean-up of these bisphenols (BPs) from sediment samples. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the MISMS–SPE coupled with HPLC–DAD has been successfully established for simultaneous determination of five BPs in river sediments with detection limits of 0.43–0.71 ng g −1 dry weight (dw). The recoveries of BPs for lyophilizated sediment samples at two spiking levels (50 and 500 ng g −1 dw for each BP) were in the range of 75.5–105.5% with RSD values below 7.5%

Novel sponge-like molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica material for selective isolation of bisphenol A and its analogues from sediment extracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Jiajia [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li, Yun; Wang, Jincheng [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China); Sun, Xiaoli [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Shah, Syed Mazhar [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China); Cao, Rong [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen, Jiping, E-mail: chenjp@dicp.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023 (China)

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Novel sponge-like molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica was synthesized. • Extraordinarily large specific surface area and highly interconnected 3-D porous network. • High specific adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetics for BPA. • Good class-selectivity and clean-up effect for bisphenols in sediment under SPE mode. • Good recoveries and sensitivity for bisphenols using the MISMS–SPE coupled with HPLC–DAD method. - Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted sponge mesoporous silica was synthesized using a combination of semi-covalent molecular imprinting and simple self-assembly process. The molecularly imprinted sponge mesoporous silica (MISMS) material obtained was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The results show that the MISMS possessed a large specific surface area (850.55 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}) and a highly interconnected 3-D porous network. As a result, the MISMS demonstrated a superior specific adsorption capacity of 169.22 μmol g{sup −1} and fast adsorption kinetics (reaching equilibrium within 3 min) for BPA. Good class selectivity for BPA and its analogues (bisphenol F, bisphenol B, bisphenol E and bisphenol AF) was also demonstrated by the sorption experiment. The MISMS as solid-phase extraction (SPE) material was then evaluated for isolation and clean-up of these bisphenols (BPs) from sediment samples. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the MISMS–SPE coupled with HPLC–DAD has been successfully established for simultaneous determination of five BPs in river sediments with detection limits of 0.43–0.71 ng g{sup −1} dry weight (dw). The recoveries of BPs for lyophilizated sediment samples at two spiking levels (50 and 500 ng g{sup −1} dw for each BP) were in the range of 75.5–105.5% with RSD values below 7.5%.

In vitro flowering ofDendrobium candidum.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G; Xu, Z; Chia, T F; Chua, N H

1997-02-01

Dendrobium candidum, a wild orchid species from China, normally requires three to four years of cultivation before it can produce flowers. The effects of plant hormones and polyamines on flower initiation of this species in tissue culture were investigated. The addition of spermidine, or BA, or the combination of NAA and BA to the culture medium can induce protocorms or shoots to flower within three to six months with a frequency of 31.6%-45.8%. The flowering frequency can be further increased to 82.8 % on the average by pre-treatment of protocorms in an ABA-containing medium followed by transfer onto MS medium with BA. The induction of precocious flowering depends on the developmental stage of the experimental materials (protocorms, shoots and plantlets) used, and usually occurs only when mt formation is inhibited.

Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Candidate Genes for Female Sterility in Pomegranate Flowers

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Lina Chen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pomegranate has two types of flowers on the same plant: functional male flowers (FMF and bisexual flowers (BF. BF are female-fertile flowers that can set fruits. FMF are female-sterile flowers that fail to set fruit and that eventually drop. The putative cause of pomegranate FMF female sterility is abnormal ovule development. However, the key stage at which the FMF pomegranate ovules become abnormal and the mechanism of regulation of pomegranate female sterility remain unknown. Here, we studied ovule development in FMF and BF, using scanning electron microscopy to explore the key stage at which ovule development was terminated and then analyzed genes differentially expressed (differentially expressed genes – DEGs between FMF and BF to investigate the mechanism responsible for pomegranate female sterility. Ovule development in FMF ceased following the formation of the inner integument primordium. The key stage for the termination of FMF ovule development was when the bud vertical diameter was 5.0–13.0 mm. Candidate genes influencing ovule development may be crucial factors in pomegranate female sterility. INNER OUTER (INO/YABBY4 (Gglean016270 and AINTEGUMENTA (ANT homolog genes (Gglean003340 and Gglean011480, which regulate the development of the integument, showed down-regulation in FMF at the key stage of ovule development cessation (ATNSII. Their upstream regulator genes, such as AGAMOUS-like (AG-like (Gglean028014, Gglean026618, and Gglean028632 and SPOROCYTELESS (SPL homolog genes (Gglean005812, also showed differential expression pattern between BF and FMF at this key stage. The differential expression of the ethylene response signal genes, ETR (ethylene-resistant (Gglean022853 and ERF1/2 (ethylene-responsive factor (Gglean022880, between FMF and BF indicated that ethylene signaling may also be an important factor in the development of pomegranate female sterility. The increase in BF observed after spraying with ethephon supported this

Getting More Power from Your Flowers: Multi-Functional Flower Strips Enhance Pollinators and Pest Control Agents in Apple Orchards.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Alistair John; Wilby, Andrew; Sutton, Peter; Wäckers, Felix

2017-09-20

Flower strips are commonly recommended to boost biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services (e.g., pollination and pest control) on farmland. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regards the extent to which they deliver on these aims. Here, we tested the efficacy of flower strips that targeted different subsets of beneficial arthropods (pollinators and natural enemies) and their ecosystem services in cider apple orchards. Treatments included mixes that specifically targeted: (1) pollinators ('concealed-nectar plants'); (2) natural enemies ('open-nectar plants'); or (3) both groups concurrently (i.e., 'multi-functional' mix). Flower strips were established in alleyways of four orchards and compared to control alleyways (no flowers). Pollinator (e.g., bees) and natural enemy (e.g., parasitoid wasps, predatory flies and beetles) visitation to flower strips, alongside measures of pest control (aphid colony densities, sentinel prey predation), and fruit production, were monitored in orchards over two consecutive growing seasons. Targeted flower strips attracted either pollinators or natural enemies, whereas mixed flower strips attracted both groups in similar abundance to targeted mixes. Natural enemy densities on apple trees were higher in plots containing open-nectar plants compared to other treatments, but effects were stronger for non-aphidophagous taxa. Predation of sentinel prey was enhanced in all flowering plots compared to controls but pest aphid densities and fruit yield were unaffected by flower strips. We conclude that 'multi-functional' flower strips that contain flowering plant species with opposing floral traits can provide nectar and pollen for both pollinators and natural enemies, but further work is required to understand their potential for improving pest control services and yield in cider apple orchards.

Kaempferol glycosides in the flowers of carnation and their contribution to the creamy white flower color.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwashina, Tsukasa; Yamaguchi, Masa-atsu; Nakayama, Masayoshi; Onozaki, Takashi; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Kawanobu, Shuji; Onoe, Hiroshi; Okamura, Masachika

2010-12-01

Three flavonol glycosides were isolated from the flowers of carnation cultivars 'White Wink' and 'Honey Moon'. They were identified from their UV, MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectra as kaempferol 3-O-neohesperidoside, kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside and kaempferol 3-O-glucosyl-(1 --> 2)-[rhamnosyl-(1 --> 6)-glucoside]. Referring to previous reports, flavonols occurring in carnation flowers are characterized as kaempferol 3-O-glucosides with additional sugars binding at the 2 and/or 6-positions of the glucose. The kaempferol glycoside contents of a nearly pure white flower and some creamy white flower lines were compared. Although the major glycoside was different in each line, the total kaempferol contents of the creamy white lines were from 5.9 to 20.9 times higher than the pure white line. Thus, in carnations, kaempferol glycosides surely contribute to the creamy tone of white flowers.

Pollination Services of Mango Flower Pollinators

Science.gov (United States)

Huda, A. Nurul; Salmah, M. R. Che; Hassan, A. Abu; Hamdan, A.; Razak, M. N. Abdul

2015-01-01

Measuring wild pollinator services in agricultural production is very important in the context of sustainable management. In this study, we estimated the contribution of native pollinators to mango fruit set production of two mango cultivars Mangifera indica (L). cv. ‘Sala’ and ‘Chok Anan’. Visitation rates of pollinators on mango flowers and number of pollen grains adhering to their bodies determined pollinator efficiency for reproductive success of the crop. Chok Anan failed to produce any fruit set in the absence of pollinators. In natural condition, we found that Sala produced 4.8% fruit set per hermaphrodite flower while Chok Anan produced 3.1% per flower. Hand pollination tremendously increased fruit set of naturally pollinated flower for Sala (>100%), but only 33% for Chok Anan. Pollinator contribution to mango fruit set was estimated at 53% of total fruit set production. Our results highlighted the importance of insect pollinations in mango production. Large size flies Eristalinus spp. and Chrysomya spp. were found to be effective pollen carriers and visited more mango flowers compared with other flower visitors. PMID:26246439

Adsorption of benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride at the hydrophobic silica-water interface studied by total internal reflection Raman spectroscopy: effects of silica surface properties and metal salt addition.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenoble, Zlata; Baldelli, Steven

2013-08-29

The adsorption of the cationic surfactant benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium (BDMHA(+)) chloride was studied at an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)-monolayer-modified silica-water interface by Raman spectroscopy in total internal reflection (TIR) geometry. The present study demonstrates the capabilities of this spectroscopic technique to evaluate thermodynamic and kinetic BDMHA(+)Cl(-) adsorption properties at the hydrophobic silica surface. The surface coverage of BDMHA(+) decreased by 50% at the hydrophobic OTS-silica surface relative to the surface coverage on bare silica; the dominating driving mechanisms for surfactant adsorption were identified as hydrophobic effects and head group charge screening by the electrolyte counterions. Addition of magnesium metal salt (MgCl2) to the aqueous solution (∼ neutral pH) lowered the surface coverage and moderately increased the Langmuir adsorption constants relative to those of the pure surfactant. These trends were previously observed at the hydrophilic, negatively charged silica surface but with a smaller change in the Gibbs free energy of adsorption at the hydrophobic silica surface. The hydrophobic OTS-silica surface properties resulted in shorter times for the surfactant to reach steady-state adsorption conditions compared to the slow adsorption kinetics previously seen with the surfactant at the hydrophilic surface. Adsorption isotherms, based on Raman signal intensities from spectral analysis, were developed according to the Langmuir adsorption model for the pure surfactant at the OTS-silica-water interface; the modified Langmuir model was applied to the surfactant adsorption in the presence of 5, 10, 50, and 100 mM magnesium chloride. Spectral analysis of the Raman scattering intensities and geometric considerations suggests a hemimicelle-type surface aggregate as the most likely surfactant structure at the OTS-silica surface. The different kinetics observed at the hydrophilic versus the hydrophobic silica surface

Dormancy release and flowering time in Ziziphus jujuba Mill., a "direct flowering" fruit tree, has a facultative requirement for chilling.

Science.gov (United States)

Meir, Michal; Ransbotyn, Vanessa; Raveh, Eran; Barak, Simon; Tel-Zur, Noemi; Zaccai, Michele

2016-03-15

In deciduous fruit trees, the effect of chilling on flowering has mostly been investigated in the "indirect flowering" group, characterized by a period of rest between flower bud formation and blooming. In the present study, we explored the effects of chilling and chilling deprivation on the flowering of Ziziphus jujuba, a temperate deciduous fruit tree belonging to the "direct flowering" group, in which flower bud differentiation, blooming and fruit development occur after dormancy release, during a single growing season. Dormancy release, vegetative growth and flowering time in Z. jujuba cv. Ben-Li were assessed following several treatments of chilling. Chilling treatments quantitatively decreased the timing of vegetative bud dormancy release, thereby accelerating flowering, but had no effect on the time from dormancy release to flowering. Trees grown at a constant temperature of 25°C, without chilling, broke dormancy and flowered, indicating the facultative character of chilling in this species. We measured the expression of Z. jujuba LFY and AP1 homologues (ZjLFY and ZjAP1). Chilling decreased ZjLFY expression in dormant vegetative buds but had no effect on ZjAP1expression, which reached peak expression before dormancy release and at anthesis. In conclusion, chilling is not obligatory for dormancy release of Z. jujuba cv. Ben-Li vegetative buds. However, the exposure to chilling during dormancy does accelerate vegetative bud dormancy release and flowering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Soybean Flowering Genes

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Chol-Hee; Wong, Chui E.; Singh, Mohan B.; Bhalla, Prem L.

2012-01-01

Flowering is an important agronomic trait that determines crop yield. Soybean is a major oilseed legume crop used for human and animal feed. Legumes have unique vegetative and floral complexities. Our understanding of the molecular basis of flower initiation and development in legumes is limited. Here, we address this by using a computational approach to examine flowering regulatory genes in the soybean genome in comparison to the most studied model plant, Arabidopsis. For this comparison, a genome-wide analysis of orthologue groups was performed, followed by an in silico gene expression analysis of the identified soybean flowering genes. Phylogenetic analyses of the gene families highlighted the evolutionary relationships among these candidates. Our study identified key flowering genes in soybean and indicates that the vernalisation and the ambient-temperature pathways seem to be the most variant in soybean. A comparison of the orthologue groups containing flowering genes indicated that, on average, each Arabidopsis flowering gene has 2-3 orthologous copies in soybean. Our analysis highlighted that the CDF3, VRN1, SVP, AP3 and PIF3 genes are paralogue-rich genes in soybean. Furthermore, the genome mapping of the soybean flowering genes showed that these genes are scattered randomly across the genome. A paralogue comparison indicated that the soybean genes comprising the largest orthologue group are clustered in a 1.4 Mb region on chromosome 16 of soybean. Furthermore, a comparison with the undomesticated soybean (Glycine soja) revealed that there are hundreds of SNPs that are associated with putative soybean flowering genes and that there are structural variants that may affect the genes of the light-signalling and ambient-temperature pathways in soybean. Our study provides a framework for the soybean flowering pathway and insights into the relationship and evolution of flowering genes between a short-day soybean and the long-day plant, Arabidopsis. PMID:22679494

Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Zhao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Silica aerogel has been known as a promising candidate for high performance transparent insulation material (TIM. Optical transparency is a crucial metric for silica aerogels in many solar related applications. Both scattering and absorption can reduce the amount of light transmitted through an aerogel slab. Due to multiple scattering, the transmittance deviates from the Beer-Lambert law (exponential attenuation. To better understand its optical performance, we decoupled and quantified the extinction contributions of absorption and scattering separately by identifying two sets of radiative properties. The radiative properties are deduced from the measured total transmittance and reflectance spectra (from 250 nm to 2500 nm of synthesized aerogel samples by solving the inverse problem of the 1-D Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE. The obtained radiative properties are found to be independent of the sample geometry and can be considered intrinsic material properties, which originate from the aerogel’s microstructure. This finding allows for these properties to be directly compared between different samples. We also demonstrate that by using the obtained radiative properties, we can model the photon transport in aerogels of arbitrary shapes, where an analytical solution is difficult to obtain.

Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lin; Yang, Sungwoo; Bhatia, Bikram; Strobach, Elise; Wang, Evelyn N.

2016-02-01

Silica aerogel has been known as a promising candidate for high performance transparent insulation material (TIM). Optical transparency is a crucial metric for silica aerogels in many solar related applications. Both scattering and absorption can reduce the amount of light transmitted through an aerogel slab. Due to multiple scattering, the transmittance deviates from the Beer-Lambert law (exponential attenuation). To better understand its optical performance, we decoupled and quantified the extinction contributions of absorption and scattering separately by identifying two sets of radiative properties. The radiative properties are deduced from the measured total transmittance and reflectance spectra (from 250 nm to 2500 nm) of synthesized aerogel samples by solving the inverse problem of the 1-D Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE). The obtained radiative properties are found to be independent of the sample geometry and can be considered intrinsic material properties, which originate from the aerogel's microstructure. This finding allows for these properties to be directly compared between different samples. We also demonstrate that by using the obtained radiative properties, we can model the photon transport in aerogels of arbitrary shapes, where an analytical solution is difficult to obtain.

Learning where to feed: the use of social information in flower-visiting Pallas' long-tongued bats (Glossophaga soricina).

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Andreas; Kolar, Miriam; Tschapka, Marco; Knörnschild, Mirjam

2016-03-01

Social learning is a widespread phenomenon among vertebrates that influences various patterns of behaviour and is often reported with respect to foraging behaviour. The use of social information by foraging bats was documented in insectivorous, carnivorous and frugivorous species, but there are little data whether flower-visiting nectarivorous bats (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) can acquire information about food from other individuals. In this study, we conducted an experiment with a demonstrator-observer paradigm to investigate whether flower-visiting Pallas' long-tongued bats (Glossophaga soricina) are able to socially learn novel flower positions via observation of, or interaction with, knowledgeable conspecifics. The results demonstrate that flower-visiting G. soricina are able to use social information for the location of novel flower positions and can thereby reduce energy-costly search efforts. This social transmission is explainable as a result of local enhancement; learning bats might rely on both visual and echo-acoustical perception and are likely to eavesdrop on auditory cues that are emitted by feeding conspecifics. We additionally tested the spatial memory capacity of former demonstrator bats when retrieving a learned flower position, and the results indicate that flower-visiting bats remember a learned flower position after several weeks.

Mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2 ceramics obtained by reaction sintering of rice husk ash and alumina, phase evolution, sintering and microstructure

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M.F. Serra

2016-03-01

Partial densification was achieved (30% and highly converted materials were obtained. The developed microstructure consisted in a dense ceramic matrix with homogenous interconnected porosity, with a narrow pore size distribution below 20 μm. The developed material gives enough information for designing mullite ceramics materials with either porous or dense microstructures with structural, insulating or filtering applications employing RHA as silica source and calcined alumina as the only other raw material.

Isolation and characterization of FLOWERING LOCUS T subforms and APETALA1 of the subtropical fruit tree Dimocarpus longan.

Science.gov (United States)

Winterhagen, Patrick; Tiyayon, Pimsiri; Samach, Alon; Hegele, Martin; Wünsche, Jens N

2013-10-01

Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is a subtropical evergreen fruit tree, mainly cultivated in Asia. Two putative floral integrator genes, D. longan FLOWERING LOCUS T1 and 2 (DlFT1 and DlFT2) were isolated and both translated sequences revealed a high homology to FT sequences from other plants. Moreover, two APETALA1-like (DlAP1-1 and DlAP1-2) sequences from longan were isolated and characterized. Results indicate that the sequences of these genes are highly conserved, suggesting functions in the longan flowering pathway. Ectopic expression of the longan genes in arabidopsis resulted in different flowering time phenotypes of transgenic plants. Expression experiments reveal a different action of the longan FT genes and indicate that DlFT1 is a flowering promoter, while DlFT2 acts as flowering inhibitor. Overexpression of longan AP1 genes in transgenic arabidopsis results in a range of flowering time phenotypes also including early and late flowering individuals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rare Earth-Activated Silica-Based Nanocomposites

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C. Armellini

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Two different kinds of rare earth-activated glass-based nanocomposite photonic materials, which allow to tailor the spectroscopic properties of rare-earth ions: (i Er3+-activated SiO2-HfO2 waveguide glass ceramic, and (ii core-shell-like structures of Er3+-activated silica spheres obtained by a seed growth method, are presented.

Mobile Application to Identify Indonesian Flowers on Android Platform

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Tita Karlita

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Although many people love flowers, they do not know their name. Especially, many people do not recognize local flowers. To find the flower image, we can use search engine such as Google, but it does not give much help to find the name of local flower. Sometimes, Google cannotshow the correct name of local flowers. This study proposes an application to identify Indonesian flowers that runs on the Android platform for easy use anywhere. Flower recognition is based on the color features using the Hue-Index, shape feature using Centroid Contour Distance (CCD, and the similarity measurement using Entropy calculations. The outputs of this application are information about inputted flower image including Latinname, local name, description, distribution and ecology. Based on tests performed on 44 types of flowers with 181 images in the database, the best similarity percentage is 97.72%. With this application, people will be expected to know more about Indonesia flowers. Keywords: Indonesian flowers, android, hue-index, CCD, entropy

Quantitative analysis of silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiil, Søren

2015-01-01

containing intact hollow glass or polymer spheres showed that silica aerogel particles are more efficient in an insulation coating than hollow spheres. In a practical (non-ideal) comparison, the ranking most likely cannot be generalized. A parameter study demonstrates how the model can be used, qualitatively......A mathematical heat transfer model for a silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coating was developed. The model can estimate the thermal conductivity of a two-component (binder-aerogel) coating with potential binder intrusion into the nano-porous aerogel structure. The latter is modelled using...... a so-called core–shell structure representation. Data from several previous experimental investigations with silica aerogels in various binder matrices were used for model validation. For some relevant cases with binder intrusion, it was possible to obtain a very good agreement between simulations...